Thread regarding Avid Technology Inc. layoffs

RIP Digidesign

Best thing that ever happened to me was being laid off by this awful corporation. My quality of life improved ten-fold after leaving there. I wouldn't except a job from them if it paid a million dollars. The managers weren't much better than the executives. I've never witnessed a company full of some many hangers-on.

another 10% cut is coming

Well said. Those of you who were not with the organization in the David Krall days know absolutely nothing about a company who truly lead the industry as opposed to a company who's executive team and naive new employees believe we are leading the industry (or have convinced themselves of such because they are out of touch). Using B.S. and lots of talk to convince yourselves and our customers that we are leading the industry leaves a lot to be desired. Case in point, the ACA is simply a "Feel-Good" exercise and a way to make executives believe they have a handle on things. All that interaction and party environment makes some folks walk away feeling good and equate that to success. It is not success. Back in the day we didn't need customers input, we designed and developed what they wanted because we knew much better than they did regarding what they wanted. It is called innovation and understanding of the industry and associated technologies. .... once customers saw the products they simply bought them ..... in quantity. So yes we are PISSED OFF. We have watched this organization deteriorate to the brink of extinction under a merry-go-round of incompetent management and a Board-of-Directors full of impostors. We let the people we needed go and where we did back-fill, brought in tier 3 and 4 employees because we can no longer attract tier 1 and 2 employees. We are a technology company (that means an engineering company), but our glorious leadership believes marketing is the key to the organization. Marketing is currently nothing more than a seriously top-heavy organization with more V.P.'s, senior directors, directors, managers than you can shake a stick at. V.P.'s, senior directors and directors who's job is to BLOG?? Are you serious?? Blogging is the job of a marketing assistant. Our engineering and customer support teams have been decimated beyond belief. The people we let go (and their knowledge will take a very, very long time, if ever, to replace), and this organization doesn't have that sort of time. We have an executive team with no one who has engineering development expertise. In fact none of them are engineers or have lead any sort of engineering development effort. At least the incompetent poser who was running Engineering is gone. Just what we needed, a V.P. of engineering who's expertise was in developing financial software. Yep, that was a great fit. And how long did that person last?? What maybe 3 years?? What did that person accomplish? Zero would be a nice answer but fact is it was less than that. Eng lost precious time under that leadership. The Merry-Go-Round continues. Throw another smooth talking body (or someone's pal) at it. An engineering company with an executive staff and BOD who place much more value on marketing than engineering? We should change our name to AVID Marketing ...... or perhaps ACME marketing. The naive boom - mic drop people will be dropping their mic when one day they are suddenly shown the door. Obviously you don't read the public financial data, realize that we don't make a profit, have suffered huge losses and have had to take on enormous debt at a very high interest rate. Chart the organizations revenue for the last 10 years. That might wake you up. Our competitors have much, much more resources than we do. Ever heard of Adobe or Apple?? Ever look at their financials. They have tons and tons of money in the bank. Adobe has the #1 rated CEO on Glass-Door in 2017. Both organizations put a premium on hiring and retaining engineers and support personnel. Remember when you lose your job that the executives who caused it were making enormous salaries and stock options they hardly deserved. They will have plenty of undeserved money in the bank because they could talk a good game (nothing else) and you will be shown the door. Yes, people who understand what has happened and continues to happen as we wait for the promised "turn-around" which will really, really happen because this time we really, really, really have the organization reorganized as needed. The 8 reorgs over the prior 10 years?? Management was just fooling those times. This time we really have it. Sorry we don't .... until management realizes and understands that Engineering is the most important thing we do and not an after-thought. As long as marketing is the most important focus point the future will never be bright. We built up marketing at the same time we showed knowledgeable productive engineers the door. Who needs people to innovate and deliver products. Invest in bloggers. The return on that has been tremendous. Turn off the lights .......

I whole-heartily agree with this last, well thought-out post that epitomizes the sentiments from the mainstayers who continually support the transformation of this company over the past decade plus , attempting to preserve and to affect change against the leadership regime challenges. And to those who are deemed generic - please - we beg of you - stop using contrived catch phrases like “boom - mic drop”. It’s passe and embarrassing. Stop.

It’s a fine line, folks. The responses to this person’s original post are vanilla. True passion and longstanding, core personal investment at Avid is what fuels the negative and not so happy-happy realistic view points. Got that? He/she who recommends to those of us who are genuinely observant, well-educated in this media business in a longstanding manner, and vested end-users who have been the customers at one point and who are sincerely concerned - stating to us that we should “just leave” (dream on) - suffice to say you are “fly-by-night” individuals pretending to be aficionados. Sorry. We know who you are and you are deemed as weak subservients. Your contributions are easily transferred to any industry based on your ignorance, accepting the fact that Avid is losing the game! Aren’t you concerned about the business climate and factual data or have you not checked the competitive landscape? What are you doing to help salvage this company in debt? Ashamed of those who are not being vocal about this massive misstep - a far cry from being the once industry leader. Your ignorance is innocent but also disregarded. Drop YOUR mics and move back to a simpler career where you can nod and just say “yes” and be deemed a happy servant. Those of us who post the reality assessments are in the trenches and wish for better days (once had) recognizing the weaknesses that could be and should be strengthened based on industry, deep knowledge intel and experience. Calling out the inadequacies and inept behavior here is equivalent to us starving and striving and wanting more and expecting better outcomes (this is the Avid veteran standpoint versus the newbie who grasps on to the “star” factor stating we should s--- it up or leave) versus caving to be satisfied with a business model that is inferior to what could be and has been in the past. We are the passionate, vested ones who post passionately. Those without legitimate concern (check out the shareholder data and competitive climate) who spew out “s--- it up and persevere” commentary are the weak links here at Avid. We are drowning - face this fact. Research, evaluate, understand. And question to the vanilla responders - have YOU tried challenging senior management in support of the comment to escalate big picture, business concerns? Do you know what these are? If so, were you successful in paving a road to help transform our inarguably, dire situation? Give an example. Or were your deemed combative or just ignored? Have you even tried like some of us have done time and time again to offer up vision and solutions only to be shot down? We are all hard workers and dedicated, however, some of us who are longstanding, industry-savvy contributors versus generic recognize the missed opportunities and we are PISSED OFF. Empathize with the fact that our voices are not heard which, by the way, is also in your best interest to help sustain this company . This is not a collaborative environment. Try collaborating and good luck to you. The days of David Krall are sorely missed.

Boom! Mic. Drop.

Get back to work and make Avid successful, instead of wasting time ranting about the company that pays your salary. Or maybe you should leave, and let us (hard workers, passionate about this company and who believe it still can be saved) be successful. We won't miss you.

If you work at Avid and feel this lousy, you should really reassess why you are still there. I really couldn't imagine working at a place that I was so in 'loathe' with. Have you discussed your concerns with the management and given them any sort of potential solutions rather than rant here? Just a thought.