What’s going on?
31 replies (most recent on top)
More cuts coming, there is a list for January.
How many weeks of pay was it?
Severance was laughable. Far below industry standards. Morally bankrupt company treats loyal and performing employees with little regard, so I’ll be sure not to do business with them from whatever company I join.
Was it really the entire sales org in California? I'm trying to figure out what's going on with people I used to work with, while also trying not to pry.
C suite blames their lieutenants for all shortcomings but the snake needs to be cut from the head. They are so out of touch with our work and our customers. Head of product clearly doesn’t understand the platform or our customers needs. I can’t imagine how much we paid McKinsey to help us sort licenses just to find out our customers hate it and are all buying in one tier only. Huge investments in RPA and process mining, just to throw out most of what we acquired (IP and people). We have no identity or focus as a company and haven’t for some time. It’s very clear this company is a sinking ship under this leadership.
I worked for Appian for ~2 years, and definately not impressed overall in the leadership of the company. I even left before my second year shares vested, as I could not stand staying there any longer.
What company walks out the regional VP of sales and VP of professional services at the same time... and doesn't say anything to anyone for 3+ business day later - including the directs under each of the VPs. It was like they made to decision to walk them out, and no plan on who would interim backfill. This was my experience 5 months in, and was my first red flag, and many to come before I had had enough.
The leadership is terrible at Appian. There is zero communication, cohesion or direction - everyone is on an island just trying to stay relevant somehow. The sales team has had leadership turnover for 3 years straight now causing chaos, uncertainty and morale to completely plummet. I think a lot of good employees became complacent as a result. The VPs are extremely unprofessional, and teams are "led" by narcissistic, egotistical men who just want to hear themselves talk, but have no real interest in actually leading or developing teams/strategy. I'm happy I'm out - now onto bigger and better.
For clarity, 170 people were impacted in one way or another. That doesn’t mean 170 were let go. I was amongst the 170 but transferred to another team, not let go. The CEO’s email makes this clear.
From what I know, actual cuts were made for Marketing, Account Executives, Solutions Consultants (minimal), North America SDRs, Customer Success (consultants and Education Services), and Sales Enablement.
Several people were transferred to other teams and some positions are still being evaluated.
At least one person from education was moved to the product evangelism team on marketing. They just started that role last week but they were unaffected by the layoffs.
The Education Services team in CS was slashed. Layed off the leadership and half of the instructors, then moved everyone else out of CS and over to the HR Learning & Development side. Don't know if there's going to be a new strategy going forward, because they can't meet their contracted training commitments anymore with the remaining headcount.
Nothing in Product/Engineering were affected
Appian leadership does not care about any of its employees and have zero ability to execute a strategic vision. They have a “under the radar” layoff on a quarterly basis and have no idea what it means to build a culture. My heart goes out to all the employees still there that think for a minute they are not expendable and are necessary.
Finally, Leadership does not listen to field or customer feedback, they know better than all the rest. This is simply Matt’s backyard experiment now and he has no loyalty to his shareholders. He would rather be designing board games. Appian is his ultimate board game. How he has remained in control is a testament to how bad publicly traded companies can be run into the ground. If you want to see how badly Appian is run, just ask for a quote for their product. Good luck getting anything tangible within 60 days and don’t count on that same pricing model being available 12 months from now when you want to scale the platform. Maybe the AE that sells you the solution, and then Appian terminates them in six months, will explain it to you at their new job.
Recently resigned. It’s sad that what was once such a great place to be has slipped so far so quickly. Lost sight of what made the company great, the people. Execs lack trust in the people, fresh ideas and external hires largely ignored. Thoughts to those impacted, it’s not your fault the leaders let you down
Talent acquisition was also affected. As it usually is when there’s a shakeup. We’re already so thin as it is, so I have no idea what they’re going to do. I feel so bad for the remaining recruiters.
Matt and the other founders need to go. It's time for the leadership that this company needs at this stage. It's a shame that a company with the level of competence they have on average has such a disastrous leadership.
The hires at executive level (CJ, Pavel and their minions) have turned a successful company and culture into this in the space of a couple of years.
The attrition has already made some of our best talent leave in the last few months. This either gets rid of some of them or puts the remaining ones looking for a new job.
Leadership change is needed.
Appian hires good people that pay for the mistakes of incompetent executive leadership. Acquisitions of companies providing capabilities nobody in sales is asking for then blaming the same people whose advice was ignored.
Matt's "strategy" has been an absolute failure, but because his ego won't let him admit that, he blames the people he asked to execute it and fires them.
Unfortunately today's layoffs were entirely predictable. We got let go because Matt thinks he can just magic his way into getting more revenue by focusing on fat cats instead of keeping the employees who sold and marketed to the people who were actually interested in Appian's software.
What is really telling is the APPN stock price versus PEGA. Matt is counting on cash that's never going to come beyond his insurance policy. The best outcome for Appian is a sale to someone with a realistic strategy and the ability to implement that strategy. As a shareholder the CEO needs to go now.
Appian needs to show the market they are profitable. Sad it has to go on the heads of employees. Short sided with no regard to humanity, but the ceo sees employees as pawns on a chessboard. Best wishes all departing. My sympathies.
Matt said during the all-hands this afternoon that the layoffs were not because of a financial issue, and that Appian is "actually very strong financially". Ridiculous.
Solutions Consulting was impacted? I heard some AE’s got let go too?
appians recruiters were effected too and some then been let go.
It might be easier to find the parts that didn't have cuts, if there were any. Every team in marketing I've talked to today lost headcount.
Hi all - yes 170 people were let go. The entire SDR organization, it's managers, the sales team in California, and the entire mid-market team. Marketing was gutted, as well as the SC Orgs. Could be more. I was personally affected and we will be getting paid until July 31st with additional severance after that. Not sure what it is because they haven't told us yet. Direct managers were not informed of this decision. It was made from the very top overnight last night.. who knows what will happen with this company now that they have 50% fewer sales people and still expect to close deals. Smh.
what parts of the marketing org were impacted?
Not surprised to hear this at all. By far the worst sales leadership I've seen in my career. Toxic. Glad to be out of the organization.
Did the people affected get a severance? Can you share what it was if you don’t mind?
It sounds like the entire parts of the marketing/sales organizations are gone. I lost direct reports without any heads up. Between attrition and this round of layoffs, I've lost 80% of my peers in the past two months.
Below the 10% threshold to avoid reporting to the street. Get the CEO out of this corp.
Call at 9 am for all impacted employees. It has come to a mass call versus any personal attention. What a sh*t CEO and company.
CEO announced 170 headcount reduction