Weathering the Storm: A Message to the Recently Laid Off in Tech

This is the first in a series designed to support those in the tech industry who have been laid off. If that’s you—know this: you are not alone, and there is hope.

A Modern-Day Storm

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) report, published by the Employment Development Department (EDD), has become daily reading—like a grim newspaper forecasting economic weather. Companies across the U.S. planning to lay off 100 or more employees within 60 days. Like a storm warning, it’s meant to prepare us. But even with advance notice, the impact hits hard when you find yourself among the numbers.

The tech industry is being battered by this storm. Layoffs are sweeping through at incomprehensible rates. While many focus on why this is happening, I prefer to focus on what now. I’m not one to linger outside the glass doors of a company I no longer belong to. 

If you’re reading this, you may be on the other side of those glass doors. And that’s okay. Let’s talk about what comes next.

A Glimpse at the “Why” -

There’s much chatter that artificial intelligence (AI) is the main culprit behind this wave of layoffs. And yes, AI plays a role—but it’s not the sole cause. What I see is executive leadership jumping on the AI bandwagon without a clear strategy. It’s become a convenient, even lazy, way to justify financial decisions: “We’re investing in AI,” they say, without truly understanding why or how.

History Repeats Itself -

This isn’t the first time a technological shift has upended an entire workforce. When Henry Ford introduced the Model T in 1908, it disrupted the horse-and-buggy economy overnight. Cowboys, ranchers, and blacksmiths—once essential—saw their roles vanish. Cowboys who wrangled horses were no longer needed. Ranchers who housed and bred horses saw demand dry up.

Blacksmiths who crafted horseshoes and bridles found their shops empty.

So what did they do?

Riding the Wave of Change -

Here’s how I imagine they adapted:

Cowboys – With their deep knowledge of the land, they may have become guides for the road crews building the infrastructure needed for automobiles.

Ranchers – Their barns and land could have been repurposed to store and service farm machinery, shifting their focus to agriculture.

Blacksmiths – Their metalworking skills were perfectly suited for the emerging auto industry, welding and shaping the new “iron horses.”

Finding Your Niche in the New Frontier -

The parallels to today’s tech layoffs are striking. Just like the cowboys of old, we’re facing a transformation. It just looks different now.

There are niches within AI, data, automation, and digital infrastructure that will need today’s equivalent of cowboys, ranchers, and blacksmiths—those willing to adapt, learn, and lead.

So if you’ve been laid off, don’t just look back at what was. Look forward to what could be. The next chapter is being written—and you have a role in it.

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