Block reviews

Block had a great culture until the big AI push resulted in stack ranking, and measuring PR counts / token usage as the main productivity metrics. If a company lays off 40% without any warning, that's a huge red flag indicative of bad leadership.

However, the long-term vision from executive leadership often felt unclear and, at times, misleading. A company-wide celebration was held to mark organizational maturity and stability, which created a sense of reassurance that large-scale layoffs would not be necessary. Shortly afterward, nearly half of the company was laid off, with the decision largely attributed to AI-driven restructuring. While change and restructuring are sometimes unavoidable, the disconnect between messaging and actions significantly impacted trust and morale. Greater transparency and more responsible communication from leadership would have made a meaningful difference in how employees experienced that transition.