Thread regarding Teradata Corp. layoffs

There's a number of topics that will get threads quickly deleted here - such as speculation over the real reason a prior CEO was let go. I don't see why the site owners would care about that particular topic other than they are paid to take it down.

@OP what’s the UK bank? It would be interesting if anyone knows of any major losses in the past 3-6 months. Spill the beans!

Will you be interested in a business venture? We are planning to lease a bridge in brooklyn and sell exclusive access to the entire lane for the highest bidder to cross. Think of uber, but your leased car does not move. People pay to enter your car on one side and exit the other. Given nyc traffic, this is a game changer. Uber wants a piece of action. BP is talking to us since we'll revolutionize the whole climate change green thing. Wait for next lnkd post from Teradata marketing. "AI on a bridge with a dangling GPU" or "bridge over hybridically clouded ai" - they are not sure which one, just waiting for SM to finish his bi-weekly restructuring before unleashing the new new teradata.
Interested? Asking for a friend.

Interesting post which highlights not just the strategic challenges but the operational challenges at TD. It more than likely will or have already upset people but imagine those who through no fault of their own have lost their jobs over the years.

@kv saw the rot, took it as a temporary favor for a friend

"35+ years selling" .... "Having been at Teradata recently". Interesting, but why? As a career sales person how could you not see the rot during interview?

Take free ice, crush, pour maple syrup and sell it to eskimo - margin in $
Slap a memorable picture in a zero sugar chocolatey cone and stuff the crushed ice and syrup, let diddy lick it in court - kaching

There, I gave you a product, marketing and use case (sales).

@f9 actually, I am a career sales person who has spent 35+ years selling for some of the largest players (and a few startups), where I exceeded quota every year up to COVID - and I'm still going strong. Having been at Teradata recently, I can tell you that this stuff is pretty much unsalable. Some interesting ideas, very poor execution, and no customer goodwill to give them a shot.

@fh good take, but I think it actually started in the 1990s, when the decision was made to cancel Project Dance Hall (a crossbar topology which would have allowed separation of compute and storage) in favor of staying with NCR manufactured hardware and MP-RAS

@g9 I had left by then, so I'm all ears

Sales blames marketing. Marketing blames sales. They both blame Product. There is no such thing as a salesperson that has the skills to sell ice to an Eskimo being successful in the technology industry. A sales organization can maximize revenue but they can’t sell an uncompetitive product, even the best of them.

The market spoke, about 6-8 years ago, on TD’s lack of a competitive cloud product and many of the good people left. It was impossible to hire knowledgeable data and analytics sales, marketing and product experts, so they hired “professional” functional leaders such as sales leaders who sold Office 365 or cloud services but zero background in TD’s core value and product offering. This hiring was from the CEO on down over the last 6-8 years. If you have a brain tumor you need a brain surgeon, a hand surgeon isn’t going to do you any good.

It all started with Bain Consulting and the removal of 85% of ELT within 9-12 months. Then they appointment of a grocery industry CEO, who happened to be a board member, as the TD CEO. You could write a book on how to destroy a company run by proven “functional” experts who have no knowledge or experience in the product offering or industry they are leading.

With all due respect, the commenters do not sound like career sales people. As someone mentioned already, it is less likely that teradata did not hire many capable sales person, over last decade?
One off instances where people do fail-up is common occurrence. J Woods is a perfect example of incompetence showing up at right time and right place and a boat load of luck. But saying entire sales leadership su-ks is a tall claim. Many factors at play, dont blame just the AE. Rich Petley is clueless, I agree.

@bh Never once stated that ELT and Strategy is the main cause for the decline at TD. It’s not helped by an incompetent sales spine who has failed YOY and yet still continue to stealth like avoid riffs. Highly paid individuals whose only objective is self preservation with minimum commitment. A geo new business lead who has no history of winning new logos. AE’s who have historically failed to penetrate existing accounts to drive real growth and an EM who has just been fortunate to inherit opportunities but then sadly through her own ineptness, failed to maximise opportunities in nurturing the several golden geese in laying golden eggs. It the major Bank is lost as expected, the consequence will be severe for those remaining hardworking individuals who have continuously served TD and its clients.

@b7 Hi Lars, always good to hear from you.

Or am I the only one who remembers former CEO Lars Nyberg? He's the one who, around 2001, sent out a company-wide memo saying that the executives were flawless in their strategy and vision and Teradata's failing was clearly the the fault of those in the field, particularly those in sales. By your logic, the real issue is that in 25 years, Teradata has been unable to hire competent sales people.

It must be an interesting world that you live in. I'd love to visit some time, but I'd need a round trip ticket back to reality already in hand.

@ba Thanks..don’t think those rules have been violated so my post from yesterday should not have been removed.

This is a copy-paste from an old thread, I hope it helps:

This site is lightly moderated and admins here usually don’t care if your post is controversial or not as long as you follow the site rules listed in the page footer.
They purge posts containing:

• personal info (names, initials, other identifiable info, addresses), they are ok with you naming c-suits , cause they are already public figures
• over excessive use of foul language, personal insults, derogatory speech towards individuals or groups
• discussing politics and religion, race and ethnicities
• direct advertising

All other things should be fine.

SM and the ELT should own the mess that they have created but ... when people can't be bothered to engage with clients, seek sales and opportunities, learn about what they are selling then they should be called out because that results in people losing their jobs. Which is what this site is about.
They should be highlighted and identified, the crime is that they are still employed and others have to go.
Not rocket science, sell stuff then everything else follows, you not selling as best you can then bye bye.
Sitting on large accounts that have to renew is not selling - although even this seems to be beyond them now ... as that black horse bolts over the horizon

The diversity hite Marketing goddess must have checked things.

Nope, no free speech, sorry. Your post had too many reference to company internal matters. Some one raised a concern and poof, gone.
Now, I found it funny that feradata was around to have a concern. I guess someone was actually working. Steve McMillan take note. Even after all your effort, the rank and file are still trying. Wake up and find out who it was and add their name in your (not)restructuring pool.

This forum allows only layoff-related topics. Otherwise the owner will remove the post.