Right. I gotta say something about this.

@Patreon CEO’s YouTube message letting the community (and world) know 36 people have been “let go” https://youtu.be/MV-3GgU6rlo ">https://youtu.be/MV-3GgU6r...
I... I hate this video. I hate it a lot.

If I were in the Patreon People Team I would have been a vocal advocate of this video - er - never being published.

So WHY do I hate it so much?
Well, I won& #39;t speculate behind the reasons this is happening. Although some have, in the light of the @Basecamp #dramz, wondered if there is some conspiratorial layoffs connection.

However, I will say this:
If you want to be a company, and behave in a way which is commercially aggressive, then you need to stop pathetically tugging on the heartstrings of ~being a family~.

When you cross this line so consistently, as this video has, it is really hard to stomach.
On one hand, we& #39;re a FaMiLy:
Addressing the "creators" like a close-knit community. Eerily faux-compassion (holding back tears?). This is about people& #39;s lives and livelihoods, and deserves ~transparency and clarity.~
But like Mr Hyde, we& #39;re also business, and we gotta do what we gotta do:
Reminder we& #39;re in great shape financially (reminder: 9 digits). Bizarre HR Double speak "we need a different type of expertise in order to make this shift." Oh - and BTW: this process is exciting, actually.
So, mate... which one is it?

Look, I& #39;ve been a part of lots of redundancies, and they fucking suck. The suck and they happen, and they& #39;re (often) more necessary than it may seem to those involved. I get it, I do.

But why do this bizarre-o-land video?
If you want to be a business which makes tough decisions and is commercial, fucking act like it.

Make the call, rip off the band-aid, give the adults you work with respect.

Don& #39;t pretend to ~own it~ but actually hide behind false platitudes and humble brags.
Send out a blog (or a video if you really have to) which clearly sends one direct message:

We (me, the exec, the board) made a tough decision. Ultimately, we& #39;re a business and, although this is a commercial decision, we& #39;re doing the best we can to support our ex-employees.
The suggestion Jack wants to share "this moment with the community" is super gross.

What moment, Jack?

The super exciting business changes, or the tragically crushed livelihoods you super-dooper care about???
This video has uncanny valley features throughout which patronise it& #39;s audience...

It& #39;s been so hard, but it& #39;s also been SO "inspiring and exciting."

We& #39;re doing SO well, but we cannot continue the way we& #39;re continuing. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤔" title="Denkendes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Denkendes Gesicht">
And - the worst bit: "I know I probably seem really sombre..." (Oh, are you worried about widdle owd me? https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥺" title="Pleading face" aria-label="Emoji: Pleading face">)

Don& #39;t worry. WE& #39;RE GOING TO BE STRONGER. We& #39;re fucking smashing it, we& #39;re killing it bro. We& #39;re fucking NAILING it in fact, "more than in the history of the company!"
It& #39;s like youtube apology bingo but for frustratingly virtue-signalling CEO.

It& #39;s bad.

I feel bad for the Patreon team who have been let go. I feel bad for the people who may have tried to stop this video being posted. I feel bad for myself watching it 5 times.
TL;DR. If your company starts making big calls: redundancies, restructures, pivots...You aren& #39;t ever going to be the underdog, and you aren& #39;t a family.

You& #39;re always going to be a company making business decisions.

Treat people with respect and at least let them have that.
You can follow @hijessiemay.
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