In early 2023 Meta was still in its post-pandemic correction phase: weeks before this report it had already run a first wave of job cuts, and within days sources described [[a:836365|plans for thousands more layoffs that would use flattening the hierarchy as an explicit mechanism]]. The manager-to-IC ultimatum reported here is the personnel expression of that plan — cutting layers rather than just projects.
Managers and directors across Meta must now choose between giving up direct reports and becoming individual contributors or leaving, immediately shrinking the company's management layer without a formal layoff announcement.
Second-order effects
A flatter organization lowers the fixed cost of each subsequent cut — the same mechanism cited when Meta planned thousands more layoffs weeks later — because fewer layers mean fewer approval points and less coordination overhead to unwind.
Third-order effects
If the pattern holds, layer-stripping becomes a standing instrument of strategic realignment rather than a one-time efficiency measure: Meta's 2023 flattening foreshadowed the 2026 AI-first restructuring that moved 7,000 employees into AI initiatives and cut 10% of staff outright.
The trend: Large tech companies are converting organizational structure itself into a lever for strategic pivots, using repeated flattening rounds to redirect headcount from legacy functions toward new priorities.
Like Pokemon, engineering managers are created when ICs level up far enough (or touch a magic rock). Meta has discovered the process can be forcibly reversed. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Seems like a just a cute way of laying off people. Can't imagine that lots of managers who don't know how to code will all of a sudden become proficient programmers. Managers who do know how to code but prefer to manage will probably leave. https://twitter.com/...
@MikeIsaac When I interviewed with Facebook ~decade ago, they were quite proud of how few layers of management they had, and at that time I was too inexperienced to realize that isn't necessarily a plus
The thing is lots of places claim the IC track means you won't have to do people stuff but then the reality is that if you want your project to go well you still have to do lots of coordination and people wrangling only you don't get extra time to do it or recognition for it http…
I applaud Meta for making this move (as much as it might cause internal chaos). And it better not just be managers, but Directors and VPs too. ICs have the direct experience to enact the best strategic leadership. Managers should support career growth. https://www.bloomberg.com/.…
what i dont get is how mgmt suddenly woke up and decided this was a problem after years of actively recruiting all of these folks probably easier to not worry about being too big during a bull market...