Thread regarding VMware layoffs

VMware is a miserable place to work

It has been so for a while. I can't understand why more of you don't see this as a great opportunity to move on to somewhere better with a nice safety net in the way of severance in tow. I'm certainly not spending all my time stressing about what's coming.

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| 3671 views | | 27 replies (last November 14, 2023) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1pzVnxrS

27 replies (most recent on top)

For several years VMware has been a deeply corrupt company. Anyone who has tested thevakidity of EPIC2 knows this. While it was a wonderful place to work ten years ago, its descent into corruption and fraud masked by EPIC2 make it one of the worst companies in the valley. Broadcom is at least open and honest about what it is.

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Post ID: @1tmg+1pzVnxrS

Vmware was the best experience of my career. Just like a great love lost, i know there will never be another place like it

We just have to reflect, be thankful and appreciate that we all experienced it in its glory.

I don’t and won’t remember vmware as this last 18 months because it wasn’t. You don’t remember someone in the way they died.

It’s stupid to do that with vmware.

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Post ID: @1ppl+1pzVnxrS

The inability to sell comment is regarding the current cluster F of a situation, not the many months before where one could fill out forms and sell. Now many folks have lots of shares that are untouchable. I had been this way for a long time, long in the trading world at least.

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Post ID: @cuu+1pzVnxrS

VMW itself isn't that bad. Or it wasn't, before they promoted Magoo to his level of incompetence.

You have to have worked for a Taiwanese software firm, with offices in a run-down building in Cupertino but all the decision makers in Taipei, with US-based managers who don't understand the technology you're working on to see true dysfunction. Or at a start-up where they think they can sell at a loss but make it up on volume because who needs an actual plan for profitability. Or a mid-sized tech company that gets bought by a giant international conglomerate with no idea of what its business model is. Ask me how I know.

I've worked for some seriously screwed up companies over my 35-year career in tech. As many problems as it has, and there are plenty, VMW doesn't even make the top three. Not even close.

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Post ID: @eow+1pzVnxrS

Been here almost 5 years never been treated better by a company gonna miss it

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Post ID: @qqu+1pzVnxrS
some of us have a LOT more skin in this game than you.

How would you know fûcktard?

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Post ID: @okr+1pzVnxrS

I never made election and sold my RSU close to the peak price (~175ish), because I sensed HT is bullsh-tting and the noise around "deal closing" was bunch of posturing hot air

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Post ID: @iys+1pzVnxrS

"Shares were locked after the voluntary election deadline, 23 Oct. That was only three weeks ago. If you locked in early September, you had the opportunity to unlock and sell."

Sounds great on paper, but this is specifically not how eTrade/Morgan Stanley handled the election. Even if they had handled it this way, it doesn't change the fact that guidance provided by the acquiring CEO appears to be materially false.

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Post ID: @kpe+1pzVnxrS
Except for the fact that shares have been locked up since early September when the deal had, you know, "foreign investment control clearance in all necessary jurisdictions." (Lawyers are gonna have a field day with this one.)

Shares were locked after the voluntary election deadline, 23 Oct. That was only three weeks ago. If you locked in early September, you had the opportunity to unlock and sell.

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Post ID: @usu+1pzVnxrS

"You could have sold at any point between when the acquisition was first announced and 2 weeks ago. You chose not to."

Except for the fact that shares have been locked up since early September when the deal had, you know, "foreign investment control clearance in all necessary jurisdictions." (Lawyers are gonna have a field day with this one.)

I'm a two-time VMW employee. It was a sh-t show in the early 2000's and many times more so now.

The whole business is predicated on extracting revenue from a product thats heyday was TWO DECADES ago. No innovation. No product strategy. No clue how to grow into adjacent businesses. No leadership.

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Post ID: @bbh+1pzVnxrS

Maybe it's just you that su-ks, even now this place is miles better than anywhere else I've worked in the last 20 years

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Post ID: @lvj+1pzVnxrS
VMW is a miserable place for two reasons. BCM and VMW mismanaging the deal

We lost some perks in the past few months, and stress grew, but this acquisition is an outlier event to overall VMware. You can't relate this to VMware having a bad culture. Many of us are happy just ignoring the acquisition and doing our jobs, as it currently has zero impact. It may impact me next week, or next month, but today it's just gossip and speculation.

and too many people not doing their jobs either because of too much stress or outright glee at gumming up the works.

Amusingly if you read Layoff and Blind, people are celebrated for avoiding work and those who try to work are derided. This is also a local team or BU issue. I hear of this, but have not seen it in my BU or the teams I work with.

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Post ID: @vlu+1pzVnxrS

"Uh huh, the 90% of the stock is frozen, can’t be traded. Yea, that’s normal."

You could have sold at any point between when the acquisition was first announced and 2 weeks ago. You chose not to.

But, you're OK, you've moved on.

Don't talk about stress when you're now merely a stockholder like any other - some of us have a LOT more skin in this game than you.

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Post ID: @uxc+1pzVnxrS

It’s only gotten bad since Dell sold us to the Chinese.
Prior to that the best planet on earth

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Post ID: @hxu+1pzVnxrS

This is my first comment on here. I have refrained for obvious reasons but I had to chime in here. You have no idea what you are talking about. I have been in IT for over 25 years and this is BY FAR my best job. I love VMware. By every objective and most subjective measures VMware is awesome. The fact that just about everyone aside from the OP is so miserable throughout this whole debacle is proof of that. Don’t come here trying to spread negativity and make everyone as miserable as you are. The reason everyone cares so much is precisely because of how great it is. If VMware actually was the way you claim no one would be on this forum as they would be so happy they were “getting free” of vmware they would have just moved on. You think it is so bad go one enjoy your next job!

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Post ID: @gdc+1pzVnxrS
Aww, must be awful for you. Considering you could have sold your stock at any time.

Uh huh, the 90% of the stock is frozen, can’t be traded. Yea, that’s normal.

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Post ID: @exw+1pzVnxrS

VMW is a miserable place for two reasons. BCM and VMW mismanaging the deal and too many people not doing their jobs either because of too much stress or outright glee at gumming up the works.

At this point, I'm starting to think the deal is stalled just to sc--w over all the people who thought they could get 2 paychecks.

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Post ID: @oox+1pzVnxrS

Not only do I know how VMware is myself but everyone else has an idea where VMware stands ranked against other places to work. VMware tops or is near the top in multiple rewards, surveys and so on.

There are optimistic people and pessimistic people. You sound like the type who constantly sees the grass is greener on the other side. It happens and can be when someone is forcing themselves to do something they no longer have passion for.

Maybe you are having a hard time fitting in, but you would be the exception and that's why you don't see more people sharing your views about this. Sorry you are having a miserable time and good luck with whatever you do next. I hope you find work that is satisfying.

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Post ID: @clk+1pzVnxrS

The most frustrating thing for me has been EUC BU leadership's resistance to change.

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Post ID: @ahr+1pzVnxrS

Well said - no-one knows what Broadcom is like to work for but its never going to be as dysfunctional as VMW

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Post ID: @eup+1pzVnxrS

Then please move on with your toxicity.

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Post ID: @grm+1pzVnxrS

What made is miserable? It may be an issue limited to your team or BU? I'm in SBU and have loved my time here.

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Post ID: @grf+1pzVnxrS

"As someone who has moved on, there is still stress. It's the stress of getting fleeced on your vested equity by vmw's incompetent leadership."

Aww, must be awful for you. Considering you could have sold your stock at any time.

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Post ID: @wqk+1pzVnxrS

As someone who has moved on, there is still stress. It's the stress of getting fleeced on your vested equity by vmw's incompetent leadership.

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Post ID: @qph+1pzVnxrS

VMW has been the best stint of my life. Legal here. Sad it‘s coming to an end!

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Post ID: @xwa+1pzVnxrS

It's a compelling event yes, but not necessarily a great opportunnity.

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Post ID: @bxr+1pzVnxrS

Moving on is great. Leave the bad culture at vmw though. No fun escaping to only end up in new toxic nonsense; especially, those leaders.

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Post ID: @xiw+1pzVnxrS

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