Current in Entrepreneurship Blog

Entire teams were dissolved almost overnight. Experienced engineers found themselves compulsively refreshing LinkedIn, hoping for a breakthrough. Recruiters who once aggressively pursued candidates went silent.

And this isn’t another distant, surface-level take blaming AI for everything.

What’s happening is more uncomfortable—and far more instructive.

While massive layoffs swept through the industry, a distinct group of professionals remained largely unaffected. Some even saw salary increases. Others secured new offers within days. Many were never in danger to begin with.

Same organizations. Same market conditions. Completely different outcomes.

The separating factor wasn’t raw talent. It wasn’t how hard people worked. It wasn’t even years of experience.

It came down to how their skills were positioned.