Thread regarding VMware layoffs

Broadcom employee here. Just wanted to write a different perspective from the recent poster who chose to leave. We (classic Broadcom) were acquired as well … (bloated, rudderless and no direction) and went through the same scenario. Layoffs were brutal 50% in our team on Day 1. Quite a few left even before the Day 1. I decided to stay put. Looking back, best decision ever.

Initially, I didn’t like Hock’s approach at all .. felt it would be like a sweat shop and was extremely skeptical of his growth approach like the previous poster but love his real talk approach. Over the years, I have been pleasantly surprised how positive my experience is when you are paid very good. Making money is the point. Your compensation is heavily weighted towards RSUs. When the stock price goes up, everyone’s happy. Investors and employees. You better believe the stock price keeps going up. It’s a simple strategy of acquiring potential high profit margin but bloated/badly managed companies, cut fat, keep the profitable parts and sell the rest. Hock’s execution got it to an art form. He is a collector of high profit margin companies that are dominant/monopoly in their areas.

If you make it through the other side, you need to understand that your group is/will be very profitable and therefore stability. Obviously, you need to perform to stay. Not worrying about your company’s growth is huge bonus. He is the definition of under promising and over delivering. Better believe when he says something. No PR speak.. no politics.. quite refreshing. His quarterly talks are always interesting. Something’s brewing all the time. Guessing who’s the next company to be acquired.

If you want to be pampered, Broadcom is NOT for you. Being pampered is like HOA, some like it and some don’t. I happen to not like HOA and prefer money in my wallet.

"Go find your calling and pursue - I can assure you NOBODY involved around you knows or cares what it is. There will be other VMwares, that is certain."

Agreed, and that's why I'm leaving in two weeks, having submitted my exit notice. I could not imagine working at the post-Broadcom acquisition VMware, because I see no upside for me personally. In particular, I don't trust Hock's prior narrative about maintaining the status quo at VMware. Now he knows the truth about the growth void, he has to cut costs via headcount reductions -- until his team can figure out how to revive a growth model at VMware. Plus, Wall Street expects Hock to act quickly to remove layers from the bloated org structure. None of this scenario is appealing to me. So, I'm moving on. That said, best of luck to all those that have decided to stay and be on the sidelines as employee observers. I wish you well.

Khan isn´t going to get right back into another legal battle that she is very likely going to lose and cause herself another big embarrassment, I am thinking she has at least that much common sense.

Most likely scenario - FTC will ask for some small concession, Broadcom will agree, both parties will declare victory and move on.

Khan is smart but just got schooled in politics. She now knows she needs a big win, there have been little wins, but no one pays attention to those.

The Msoft deal gets all the attention because are both companies are part of our culture. The VMware and Broadcom, while as big if not bigger in total dollar amount than the msoft deal, gets little attention. In the court of public opinion, these companies don’t event exist.

Even if she believes there is a conglomerate effect here, she will skip this battle given her recent public loss and come back to battle another day. There is always another merger right around the corner.

VMware deal is done.

Conglomerate effects has always been a long shot since there has been no precedent. It might work in the future but doubtful she has a case atm. You can’t just scream conglomerate effects without any backing from the merging companies’ competition. No one wants to do that if it can be used against them when they are the ones doing the acquiring. Conglomerate arguments can’t be won overnight. Khan said she’s happy with small wins to eventually get there. So I’m guessing she’s happy with extracting concessions just like the UK and EUC.

Thanks @mwt+1nQbsJis. What about the "conglomerate effect" concern raised by FTC? Looks like that has not been resolved by Broadcom even in the last 8 months. Can FTC block the deal on that ground?

Our stock is down because Broadcom has entered the overbought territory in terms of technical indicator. It might be forming a new base before it takes off again. Also If it’s FTC related it will be way more than $1 to $5 fluctuation. Furthermore FTC will need a plaintiff if they want to block the deal, like they had Sony as plaintiff against MS and Activision. None of our competitors or Broadcom’s seem inclined to do so since they’’ve already extracted concessions from Broadcom. The optics would also be bad if FTC blocks it after EU and UK have already approved the deal. It looks very politically motivated. Is Lina ready to go back to the Hill and face more grilling so soon? I think she’s licking her wounds and regrouping. This one is a loser for her to pursue. She will go after the next big fish when she has stronger ammunition

@ubn+1nQbsJis why vmw stock falling down last several days? Market getting ready for FTC rejecting the deal. There is strong rumor. Lina Khan and FTC are very serious to win this one, after what happened with the Microsoft/Activision deal. Mark my word.

Request to all to stop working now.

There may finally be some hope in all of this noise, not because it’s coming to an end, but somebody wise posted the truest fact of all here from Heraclitus - Panta Rhei. Everything flows. You and this GODFORSAKEN company are in the same stream and while it charts a different course to sink, it’s your obligation to float on. I have been working with it since the GSX days and never looked at it as some kind of quasi-utopia; especially after the horned vultures of EMC put their poisoned claws into it in 2004. Go find your calling and pursue - I can assure you NOBODY involved around you knows or cares what it is. There will be other VMwares, that is certain.

I bow down to my future ageing ruthless but successful singaporean boomer overlord

“What if FTC blocks the deal? There is rumor FTC going to reject the deal. Last few days vmw stock going down for a reason.”

You’ve plastered this across several threads, best will in the world you need to stop clinging on to this. Even in the most unlikely scenarios FTC tries to block the deal massive change would be coming.

Process that and come to terms with it because whatever false hopes you’re clinging onto are not healthy for you and your energy is better spent taking positive action for what the future scenarios are most likely to be.

“The Only Constant in Life Is Change.”- Heraclitus

The change that we fear is here but we will survive. Focus and prioritize your mental health in these last days, the company taking over simply doesn't care - you are a statistic to them. The only person that can take care of you is YOU.

Please, accept our collective fate and move on. May the force be with you, in whatever journey you take. VMW as we knew it 2 decades ago is gone. We've become bloated and internal argument. You can see from the deep layers and countless reorg.

Source?

what if FTC blocks the deal? There is rumor FTC going to reject the deal. Last few days vmw stock going down for a reason.