Tech layoffs scale to three-quarter high

In its most recent quarter, Microsoft reported $62 billion worth of revenue, $27 billion worth of operating income, and $21.9 billion worth of net income. It also recently cut 1,900 jobs. Alphabet reported $86.3 billion worth of revenue, operating income worth $23.7 billion, net income of $20.7 billion, and an employee count that was down by nearly 8,000 compared to the year-ago period.

On one hand, two of tech’s best-known names just turned in results that put their operating profit at or around the $100 billion annual run-rate mark. On the other hand, both have worked in recent periods to control costs via layoffs. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

There’s a similar vibe in startup land, where venture capital totals are in decline and many startups are stuck between funding rounds or between the private and public markets. At the same time, there are a host of incredibly interesting upstart tech companies building new tools and services with or atop AI models that are themselves rapidly advancing. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.