Portland startups, open source, and tech news, jobs, and events #pdx
Among the other bad news from yesterday, I got a number of pings from folks to let me know that Simple, one of the startups that helped put the Portland startup community on the map, is being shut down. There has not be an official communication in this regard, but there has been discussion online about it.
The pandemic is affecting any number of companies, big and small. And as such, it’s not surprising — depressing but not surprising — to see layoffs happening as part of this downturn. If you’ve been affected by those layoffs there are a number of local resources that can help, and if you’re someone who was affected by the Mozilla layoffs, you’ve also got the #mozillalifeboat.
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I don’t have much detail beyond the Mozilla blog post announcing the layoffs, but given that Mozilla has a substantial Portland footprint — they only mention closing an operation in Taipei, Taiwan, specifically — I’m concerned this will affect the office here and the Portland startup community. So I wanted to give you a heads up.
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It’s practically inevitable. During a downturn, startups are often forced to freeze hiring and reduce headcount. It happens time and time again. And it’s a grim situation for anyone who has to live through it. But from a purely objective viewpoint, having a better understanding of the actual metrics can be an important part of understanding and projecting the potential for recovery from a downturn. So I’m sharing this layoff tracker so folks can keep an eye on it.
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Any number of companies are being forced to go through furloughs and layoffs in response to the current economic conditions. Airbnb — and with it their Portland office — is no different. But despite the depressing nature of this situation, it was good to see Airbnb helping highlight local Portland folks who will now be looking for work.
If your company is looking for talent in Portland, remote, or otherwise, you should “Browse through some of the talented individuals who have worked at Airbnb.”
In case you haven’t heard, Intel is in the midst of reducing its global workforce. It’s a change that affects thousands of employees worldwide. And given that the Portland area is home to more Intel folks than anywhere on earth, it’s going to have significant impact here locally, as well. Like to the tune of nearly 800 people in the Portland area losing their jobs. Read More
I’d been hearing some rumors about Portland-based OpenSourcery a popular open source development shop with a proclivity for Drupal projects and a burgeoning application development arm having to make some cuts. And, unfortunately, after confirming with CEO Brian Jamison, I’m sad to report that the rumors are true.
I’d been hearing some rumors about Portland-based OpenSourcery—a popular open source development shop with a proclivity for Drupal projects and a burgeoning application development arm—having to make some cuts. And, unfortunately, after confirming with CEO Brian Jamison, I’m sad to report that the rumors are true. Read More
I hate reporting this stuff, but I just caught wind of another layoff at Portland-based Vidoop.
According to a post on the Vidoop blog:
The reality of the current economic climate and its impact on our target market (Financial Services) has unfortunately required a reduction in staff. Saying goodbye to loyal members of the Vidoop family has been one of the toughest decisions for myself and our management team, particularly following the announcement we made last November. The impact of the economic downturn has drastically lengthened the sales cycle for new technology, so we are proactively reshaping our cost and channel structure to ensure we can continue to deliver services to clients and ride out this more hostile environment.
Ugh. I hate this stuff. But I’d rather that people know what’s happening for the sake of those seeking new gigs.
I’m sad to report that Portland-based Iterasi has had to layoff employees. They fall into the group of angel- and VC-backed companies who are forced to make preventative cuts in an effort to conserve cash.
As many of you know, I’ve had the opportunity to consult with Iterasi on an ongoing basis. Like many Portland startups, they had assembled an amazing team. It’s sad to hear that the team is going to be smaller, now.
To our teammates who are leaving, you will be missed. We were a small team of star performers that made great products in a great company. We are a smaller team now and better off for having had you on our side. I am sure the Portland community will gobble you up quickly. Talent like you guys is hard to find.
For more information, see Iterasi’s post. And, if anyone has gigs for these folks, please by all means, speak up.