Thread regarding Nike Inc. layoffs

@ff just what they need is another C suite exec with no Nike experience and a competing vision. Isn’t this the definition of insanity? Sounds like the work environment at Nike now.

Hopefully this means the end of MD and blind tech trend-chasing, and a return to data collection as a marketing tool rather than fuel for gimmicks, but I'm not optimistic. They took a chainsaw to GT last year and nothing changed for us survivors.

Add SEC to the chopping block, just tear the bandaid off ...

@fn What? If they did another layoff the stock would go up. Wall Street loves layoffs.

@db 100%

@fn I get what you're saying, but you don't witness practically an entire decimation of an org that managed critical systems without getting the feeling that it's just a precursor to something bigger. Especially since we're due for a reorg.

I don't know who is making the choices this time around, but I will say this: going domain by domain is the best way to continue to drive morale even lower than it already is. We're not so silo-ed that we're completely oblivious to things happening on other teams. It adds up. Even now the vibes are way off and you can sense the tension and stress of just the anticipation in the air. While I'm sure tech isn't exactly on the top of EH's list, even he would think such a slow squeeze is insensitive.

And it would be so inefficient. How the heck would you even plan cross-functional work with teams being on the chopping block in a staggered wave that you have no insight into? Spin a wheel? Act like nothing will happen and then go through the agonizing cycle of re-planning while trying to figure out and adjust to whatever new structure a team has?

Just get it over with. Rip it off like a band-aid. JFC.

Something is coming—but something always is.

The size and timing being speculated in this thread are way off. Nike is keeping things quiet, careful not to shake the stock price. Announcing another major layoff less than a year after the last one would do exactly that. There's no world where they'd cut half of GT and then be forced disclose it on an earnings call just days later. They would have to revise down earnings again and they have to be careful about that right now. If it’s going to happen, later in the year makes far more sense.

If something is happening—and it might already be—it'll unfold the way it has for a while now: slowly, quietly, one domain at a time. No big announcements. Just a gradual shift you barely notice until it’s already done.

We are getting a new CCO soon, so we are slowly turning this ship around. #MakeNikeGreatAgain

Which domain leaders do you all actually like or hear good things about in GT? Any of them? Asking for a friend in case I need to bounce to another team. Technical or not technical roles considered.

@e7 Its too bad they cant just get rid of the bad ones, Nike Technical Services need to have their Directors cleaned out so teams can start collaborating properly again without it being a political minefield.

Program Management in GT is for sure on the chopping block. Very Capable people but the shift to the Amazon paradigm means that that program people need to be highly technical and need to be drivers in the technical decisions and right now GT Program team members are not Technical AT ALL, which was originally by design. I hope the program team members are safe but I am worried that they are not.

There is sometimes this weird sense of almost.. glee from others at cuts being made in GT... OK I get it you probably don't understand just how much of the Nike Engine it is. But lets pretend you do.

Be a good human and don't take any delight in the prospect, lots of good people in GT outside the few terrible ones (generally Director or above).

And it could be you next...

I heard they are going to layoff the whole product org and maybe 50% of GT on 6/15

i heard it is happening on june 16th

I wish they would offer folks the option of early retirement with the package. I would take it in a heartbeat as I'm close to retirement anyways. Does anyone know of a way to sign up???

They need to reprioritize and fund the parts of GT that really matter. We need more blockchain, more NFTs, and more GenAI. Just outsource all the boring cr-p like supply chain and e-commerce, those are not important to the company.

It's good to see Nike making the right moves. Ultimately we are about physical products, design and brand. It's not about AI model research, contributing to open source projects, big software engineering buildups and undertakings, in-house everything, platform engineering etc. Right sizing GT is the right move forward. Ultimately GT should be about peripheral function to support teams with their software licenses needs and manage our e-commerce infrastructure to sell products. That's all there is to it.

What about the so called distinguish engineers, there is nothing distinguishing about them. Selling vendor packages disguised as open source, AI, future solutions.

@b3 can be the first to take one for the team and get laid off.

@b3 what about product. From what I see they do absolutely nothing. Remember the entire function was created by RL. Does anyone honestly think they are adding any value?

Cut each GT team by 50% to start with.
Cut middle layers,
make VPs accountable for their decisions,
shut down ATC, Poland
Cut layers - VP reporting to VP, cut senior directors. Have directors reporting to single responsible VP
Repoint architecture to do strategic work else cut them

Pretty easy decisions to make.

MD is shrewd and seems to know how to take care of useless leaders

Maybe we can clear out these directors that do nothing and hide behind their team, like end user services.

The euphemism is now "Horse trading" but it's the same shtick. They will do their best to shift people who have cross capable skills to new positions, but we all know how well that goes. So many people have hyper specialized into one area that they are not able to make the switch. Make a point in your career to not get comfortable, not stop learning, and diversify your skillset as much as possible. Being a rockstar at SaaS or On Prem solution X in tech isn't enough these days. You need to have breadth.

@a7 agree with you here, it’s been nonstop since 2020

Hopefully we will be collapsing all GT into our office here in ATC!

I’m in GT and It’s common knowledge in our space that there is a reorganization coming, it’s been delayed a few times and now we’re told 1-2 weeks … it’s hard to imagine it without some job loss but you never know I guess

Lots of projects didn’t make the cut for AOP so this isn’t surprising. Assume those that didn’t make the cut will most likely have some sort of impact.

MD is good and will make right decisions. She knows she needs to cut the fat out of GT instead of pound of flesh

Given the leadership turnover and organizational chaos that Nike has undergone the last ten years, you could just create a permanent post that "reorgs and layoffs are coming" and it would be true more months out of the year than not. If you've been at Nike for as long as I have, you become numb to the frequency of churn but when you take a step back you realize how much of this is corporate remixing of the same basic ingredients that don't really make that much of a difference.

This lines up with what GT ETW's were told a few weeks back. What it means tho, and if it's a real thing that's going to happen, remain to be seen.

And no proof provided....