Thread regarding SAS Institute layoffs

@3kff+1rMH5BHf

It was confusing because it came from a "good manager" who I respected and who should have known better. Must have had a g-n to their head.

"I was clearly and distinctly told to ignore V9 compatibility"

Sounds like that person:

1. Wanted SAS to fail, or
2. Had zero business sense.

@2stq+1rMH5BHf Yep here I am. Still commenting. Cool observation! Nothing gets by you.

"I really need to stop watching this site. "

Yet, here you are. Still watching this site. And commenting.

Take your "need" seriously. Leave.

"I was a director and spoke up to a newly promoted VP who didn’t care about customers. I couldn’t stomach that customers needs weren’t cared about anymore and left voluntarily."

There are no words to describe a VP that doesn't care about customers. Well, not any G-rated words.

Good for you for leaving. The other joker should have left, too, but for entirely different reasons.

Oh don't worry about a few negative comments. Everything's fine. The stories in the comments are just whining. IPO will be fine. Viya will be fine. SAS 9 compatibility will be fine. All the young people who won't go near legacy tech - probably just made up stories concocted by a few whiners who will leave soon. A few layoffs are just business as usual. Nothing to see here. Put your head down, be more "hardcore". Everything is good. #saslife

On this site, it can be hard to distinguish between posts by current employees, former employees who were laid off, and former employees who left voluntarily.

It’s therapeutic to talk in a community of others who’ve shared a painful experience. Let those who have shared pain talk. Even if it sounds like “whining” to you, it is healing to them.

“ Several of us recognized this, spoke up and even took career risks to help “change things from the inside” at SAS. In the end we left.”
This! I was a director and spoke up to a newly promoted VP who didn’t care about customers. I couldn’t stomach that customers needs weren’t cared about anymore and left voluntarily.

"—where Viya compatibility with V9 was a top priority from day one, BTW."

I supported a product in V9 and was tasked to build the same technology into Viya. I was clearly and distinctly told to ignore V9 compatibility and start with a clean sheet of paper ("clean sheet of paper" is a direct quote). We wisely ignored that suggestion and tried to make it as compatible as possible, but the migration path is still nasty and in some cases, impossible because of the differing architecture in Viya and the fact that some functions were unavailable, even though I repeatedly notified management that they needed to be ported.

@zrh+1rMH5BHf You are most definitely not who my post was aimed at. You know how I know? Your response was articulate, fully formed and did not reek of the things I mentioned in OP.

OP: there are several here who left SAS on our own, many apart from a retirement buyout, layoff with severance, etc.. Some moved to other tech companies and significantly improve their compensation, while observing highly competent tech employees, effective management strategies and high YoY growth. Our posts are therefore not about whinning while not taking or having taken action.

Many of us spent years at SAS recognizing pockets of managerial incompetence/bloat, Ineffective/unproductive employees doing the minimum, and micromanaging/inordinate control exercised by a small number of “executives” — who, in spite of burning through travel dollars attending conferences, meeting with partners, etc. did not set SAS on a direction for success in light of major paradigm shifts to the cloud and open source analytics/data management in the past 10-15 years.

Several of us recognized this, spoke up and even took career risks to help “change things from the inside” at SAS. In the end we left.

If your company relied on cheap debt and low energy costs you are fu---d. If the company does something but its not vital you are fu---d. If your company hates its customers you are fu---d. Don't worry be happy.

@qgt+1rMH5BHf Yes whining about whining is clearly worse than whining. I stopped reading after that jewel :)

But I’m sure there were some additional gems that followed. Way to go!!

“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Me, I will take a VRBP please!

OP, you know what's worse than "whining"? "Whining ABOUT whining". A lot of commenters posting about things that su-c-k aren't actually whining and wish they could leave their jobs. They left already voluntarily or involuntarily.

You know what's easier than anyone feeling disgruntled to leave and find a new job? Leaving and finding some other forum. You "whining" makes even LESS sense.

It's very understandable for people to air their frustrations and wonder what they can do or should've done.

If it bothers you, do what you said and don't read!!!! It's really that simple. "Gosh I wish people would stop whining!" Well WTF are you doing? Pot, meet kettle.

where Viya compatibility with V9 was a top priority from day one, BTW. I’m still baffled about why so many other groups didn’t grasp how critical this was until (most likely) too late.

Me too (compatibility was a priority) but I think the reason other groups didn’t grasp it is because OS said, from the beginning of the “get on board the train” time, forget about being compatible - now’s our chance to leave all that legacy cr-p behind.

@reg+1rMH5BHf

We're not saying that ALL Principals, Directors, Sr. Directors, etc. can't run a hot dog stand. There are plenty who can. But then you work with THAT ONE who behaves in such a bizarre fashion, that you're no longer sure of what you're experiencing. They triangulate, steal ideas, behave in an unprofessional manner and make odd, irrational decisions. They draw folks into their chaotic, topsy-turvy, Alice in Wonderland worlds to support them in their bizarre logic and decisions, sans rationale. And after you've worked with them in their twisted reality, you no longer know which way is up, or how to discern right from wrong. You question your own sanity -- Then they get promoted; a reward for "a job well done" and all. It's a mind f-ck when you think back on their bizarre, chaotic behavior.

After you leave that environment, let your head clear, and regain your grip on sanity, you realize that you weren't crazy after all. It's that environment, and what that environment values. And that's why the company is in such a state of rapid decline.

Speaking personally, I can no longer do anything to arrest the decline of SAS because they asked me to go away in late 2021and I agreed (VRBP). I come here because I’m concerned about my friends who still work there and for the products I worked on—where Viya compatibility with V9 was a top priority from day one, BTW. I’m still baffled about why so many other groups didn’t grasp how critical this was until (most likely) too late.

@vjc+1rMH5BHf I’ll look at whatever I choose. And respond however I choose.

To your point this is a layoff site. Very little on here is actually about layoffs.

And for what it’s worth I acknowledge that the “I su-k so let me” part of the original post was out of bounds.
I have no idea why people feel the need to tear down large profile groups to feel better about themselves. If you want to tear down an individual with solid examples of both good and bad behavior where the bad clearly outweighs the good then I’m all ears.
But blindly saying that principals, directors, etc can’t even run a hot dog stand can’t be taken seriously.

If you don't like it, don't look at it. No one is forcing you to read anything that is shared here. This is a layoff site. Not a sunshine and puppy dogs site. The situation of this company is dire and that isn't whining it's the truth. no one wants it to be true but it is.

@smk+1rMH5BHf. Fancy! Doesn’t make me wrong though.

And I can express my opinions just like anyone else.

@rpk+1rMH5BHf Lots :). Thanks for asking.

But I’m not complaining about what people have or haven’t done outside of their behavior on this site when behind anonymous posts.

I’ve not heard these same conversations had openly. Maybe they are having the courage of their convictions in the open.

@OP+1rMH5BHf

But you felt the need to express your disgust, disappointment, and disapproval for the opinions, decisions, and actions of others that don't impact you at all? There's a word for what you're doing: displacement. And this is a textbook example of it.

Apparently the OP has a corner on morality. Most people su-k by someone's standards in this ole world!

Several of the people posting here built some of the most successful parts of SAS. We are now retired and lament the decline of a company we love.

What have you built OP?

@tlo+1rMH5BHf But you at least have a sense of humor about it.

Disgruntled - Check!
Jealous - Check!
Entitled - Check!
I su-k - Check!