Google layoffs: Fired employee bands together with ex-Googlers to start a new company

Google layoffs: Fired employee bands together with ex-Googlers to start a new company

The former Google employee is planning to build the complete foundation for the new company before the end of March, even before the 60-day layoff notification period

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Google layoffs lead to emergence of new start-upsGoogle layoffs lead to emergence of new start-ups
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Danny D'Cruze
  • Feb 20, 2023,
  • Updated Feb 20, 2023 3:20 PM IST

Henry Kirk, who worked as a manager at Google for eight years, was among the 12,000 employees laid off by the tech giant in January. Instead of letting the job loss get him down, Kirk decided to start his own venture with six former colleagues who had also been laid off. He has given himself and his team just six weeks to set up a design and development studio in New York and San Francisco.

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According to a report by Business Insider, Kirk is planning to complete the entire foundation for the company before the end of March, even before the 60-day layoff notification period. The new company aims to provide design and research tools for other companies' apps and websites, engineering projects for businesses without the necessary experience, and helping startups grow and get funding.

Kirk stated that he enjoyed working at Google and thinks of it as attending "Google University." He also wants to carry on the positive working environment he experienced at Google into his new business.

Tech Layoffs

Layoffs in the tech sector have suddenly left many without jobs. These mass layoffs began late last year with big names such as Meta and Twitter announcing significant job cuts. Job cuts at other tech giants like Google and Amazon followed this. Google announced that it will be cutting 12,000 jobs whereas Amazon increased the estimates of layoffs from 10,000 in 2022 to 18,000.

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The mass layoffs have brought down the demand for IT professionals in the US market, which is in turn expected to increase the movement in the start-up ecosystem.   

Also read: ‘Worked round the clock to develop YouTube live shopping’: Gurugram man after Google sacks him

For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine

Henry Kirk, who worked as a manager at Google for eight years, was among the 12,000 employees laid off by the tech giant in January. Instead of letting the job loss get him down, Kirk decided to start his own venture with six former colleagues who had also been laid off. He has given himself and his team just six weeks to set up a design and development studio in New York and San Francisco.

Advertisement

According to a report by Business Insider, Kirk is planning to complete the entire foundation for the company before the end of March, even before the 60-day layoff notification period. The new company aims to provide design and research tools for other companies' apps and websites, engineering projects for businesses without the necessary experience, and helping startups grow and get funding.

Kirk stated that he enjoyed working at Google and thinks of it as attending "Google University." He also wants to carry on the positive working environment he experienced at Google into his new business.

Tech Layoffs

Layoffs in the tech sector have suddenly left many without jobs. These mass layoffs began late last year with big names such as Meta and Twitter announcing significant job cuts. Job cuts at other tech giants like Google and Amazon followed this. Google announced that it will be cutting 12,000 jobs whereas Amazon increased the estimates of layoffs from 10,000 in 2022 to 18,000.

Advertisement

The mass layoffs have brought down the demand for IT professionals in the US market, which is in turn expected to increase the movement in the start-up ecosystem.   

Also read: ‘Worked round the clock to develop YouTube live shopping’: Gurugram man after Google sacks him

For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine

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