I shared an replace with our workers at the moment that I wish to additionally share publicly, thus I’m republishing it right here on our weblog. Right here it goes:
Expensive Rockers,
Right now we made the choice to cut back our workforce by 15% %. Rockers affected have already been knowledgeable and met with their leaders for readability on their subsequent steps. I can not categorical sufficient my gratitude for his or her contributions to the corporate, and we’ve assured them that we are going to do every little thing we are able to to assist them on this transition. I will even be personally out there to supply my assist.
It was a tough however essential determination to allow Rock to turn into a extra sustainable and targeted firm, permitting us to return to profitability. Though some issues that introduced us listed here are past our management, the accountability for this determination rests with me because the CEO.
Transferring ahead, I wish to reassure every of you that our mission stays the identical: to make advertising and marketing higher whereas having a constructive impression on the earth. These changes had been vital and essential for us to proceed working in direction of that.
Why are we doing this? Why now?
Over 2022, we’ve began a number of initiatives to streamline and scale our operations to return Rock to profitability. In addition to that, we delivered a efficiency under our plan and will have finished higher as a group. Not that we didn’t work arduous, in reality, we did, however we misplaced operational effectivity and have become extra complicated, stopping us from placing our A-game on the market. Sadly, regardless of all our arduous work, our efforts weren’t sufficient to get us the place we would have liked to be.
We’re additionally residing in a second of elevated financial uncertainty, rising rates of interest, geopolitical conflicts, and a worldwide recession looming. The second known as for motion, decisiveness, and focus. Rock has navigated unsure moments like this earlier than, and I’m certain this gained’t be the final. Nice firms are resilient firms. They’re outlined by their potential to fulfill the second and adapt quick.
What modifications?
Greater than ever, it’s time to be frugal, resourceful, and agile. It’s time to simplify— doing fewer issues higher. It’s time to deal with the issues that matter to our shoppers and enterprise, turning into extra scalable each day.
Over the previous couple of years, we began to maneuver extra slowly, and we misplaced a few of our startup frugality. With these modifications, we have gotten an easier, extra targeted group with fewer merchandise, departments, and organizational layers. We’ve got a transparent plan to speed up the sundown of non-core merchandise & initiatives whereas specializing in two enterprise priorities:
I) accelerating our international self-service and product-led development mannequin, and
II) doubling down on delivering success and rising our enterprise shoppers.
Our group dimension, construction, and composition now replicate these priorities.
These changes will allow us to attain our profitability objectives, turning into much less depending on exterior market situations and exterior capital to exert extra management over our future.
Your position on this journey
I perceive that the present downturn has brought on loads of nervousness amongst our group and the tech trade as an entire. I wished to thank every Rocker to your endurance and for all the time believing in Rock and our mission, which stays as vital as all the time. By embracing change and dealing collectively as a group, we are going to proceed constructing an everlasting firm.
You stayed for a cause, to assist us fulfill this mission as a group. This second asks all of us for elevated accountability, and we should execute with self-discipline to proceed the attractive trajectory we’re so happy with. Do not forget that smaller groups can get extra finished and transfer sooner. With elevated focus and agility, we are going to proceed constructing the world’s main Content material Cloud and, now, each Rocker performs a good greater position on this journey.
As all the time, you possibly can rely on my dedication, and I’m relying on yours. We anticipate you to be there for our shoppers and Rock.
So, at the moment, let’s deal with supporting our colleagues with the compassion they deserve. Tomorrow, we are going to collect at a City Corridor assembly to debate the updates to our strategic plan and begin subsequent week targeted and energized to ship our objectives for 2023. With the precise construction and an elevated focus, it’s upon us to execute.
The way forward for advertising and marketing is content-first, and in occasions of financial uncertainty, manufacturers want content material greater than ever. We will likely be right here to assist them!
Rock on,
D.
