The fear of layoffs has become a constant companion for many tech workers, even in companies that are financially stable. A recent Reddit post by a Software Engineer I (SWE 1) at a small fintech firm has gone viral for capturing the mood of many in the industry: “I’m just waiting to be laid off.”
Despite the company doing well, a wave of layoffs hit in June. Since then, several new C-suite executives have joined, including a CTO with a strong focus on artificial intelligence. With a team heavily skewed toward senior and mid-level engineers and few junior roles left, the poster said the writing feels like it’s on the wall.
Rather than continue working overtime, they’ve started building AI-based side projects to upskill and stay competitive. “Whatever that means now,” they added, reflecting a growing uncertainty about what it takes to survive in today’s tech industry.
They’re not alone. Other tech workers jumped into the discussion, sharing similar stories. One user wrote, “I pray for sweet severance every day. I’ll take the entire year off and travel when it happens.” Another said they’ve stopped closing tickets altogether and are now focused on learning Python and AI tools: “My company should just let us use 75% of our time to become AI fluent.”
Some expressed frustration at the growing trend of layoffs becoming normalized, regardless of performance. “Your merit doesn’t matter anymore. If it keeps the people on top happy, you’re out,” one user said.
As AI reshapes the industry and corporate restructuring becomes more frequent, many engineers are no longer just coding—they’re bracing for impact, quietly preparing for what feels like an inevitable exit.