[TomBombadildoze]

Please. Stripe is privately held so let's look at a market comp, SQ.

SQ 2021 Revenue: $17B

SQ 2021 cash and short term investments: $5.3B

Stripe 2021 Revenue: $12B

Similar businesses, operating in the same market, with the nearly the same number of employees (about 8000). Barring exceptional circumstances, we would expect their financial health to be roughly similar.

You said it yourself:

> the leaders have to... [deal] with investors

The economy is contracting and their share price is falling. They could afford to dip into cash and keep everyone on board but their investors are more concerned about propping up the valuation. They don't have two shits to give about the people they're letting go.

[czbond]

Disagree. A CEO does not cut employees during a time when others are laying off unless business doesn't need / can't support/ not prudent to retain those employees.

Why? Because periods like now is the absolute best time to steal market share from established companies - which would grow the team and business. Startups (competitors) begin to post less risk because they'll be hard to find financing.

So - if growing the business is a CEO's top responsibility...if the leadership felt they could steal business from others that experience attrition - they would. My guess is they don't seem to feel that way about the current moment.

[tomnipotent]

How can the share price of a private company be falling?

> They could afford to dip into cash

Why should they risk cash reserves with an uncertain future? So that they can layoff 30% later on if things get worse?

[TomBombadildoze]

Their own internal price target, the FMV they assign to shares.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/stripe-cuts-internal-valuation-...

[conductr]

> The economy is contracting and their share price is falling. They could afford to dip into cash and keep everyone on board but their investors are more concerned about propping up the valuation.

They're worried about surviving the contraction, nobody knows how long it will last and that cash only goes so far.

[ceres]

> They could afford to dip into cash and keep everyone on board but their investors are more concerned about propping up the valuation

This an example of how bullshit jobs are created. Why keep people on a payroll if you have no use for them anymore?

[topaz0]

Suddenly realizing that 14% of your employees are not necessary for your business seems like a sign that something is wrong...

[ceres]

Yes, and? Businesses take risks and make mistakes all the time. Why should it be any different when it comes to hiring?