AM I NEXT? NO LOVE GROUPON

Chicago, Illinois-based Groupon, an e-commerce platform that provides local merchants with discounts to its users via physical and digital coupons, has announced its intention to continue its restructuring to rebuild itself as an "AI-native" company.

The restructuring will affect about 400 employees and contractors and is scheduled for the third quarter.

According to a spokesperson, “These are layoffs across the globe, and they’re operational, and it’s to make sure that we are at the forefront of this. The small businesses we serve will be competing with AI. We need to know not just how to use it ourselves, but also how to show our merchants how to use it as an actual partner. We are not fully replacing our sales team. We are building in AI layers. This is about how work gets done, not headcount targets, and we are redesigning our workflows so AI agents handle operational work end-to-end, and people focus on judgment, strategy, and relationships.”

What they told the SEC, "On May 21, 2026, the Board of Directors of Groupon approved a restructuring plan relating to the Company’s previously announced strategy to rebuild the Company as an AI-native company and better deliver on our mission, serving both customers and merchants. The initial phase of these restructuring actions is expected to include an overall reduction of up to 400 positions globally, including employees and contractors, with a majority of these reductions expected to occur by the end of the third quarter of 2026."

Change is constant, and it's coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? Bolt’s CEO Fired the Entire HR Team—And Claims The Company Got Better Overnight

A Radical Move That Has Silicon Valley Talking

Most CEOs would hesitate before eliminating an entire department, especially one responsible for hiring, compliance, and employee relations. But Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow is taking a very different approach.

Speaking at a workforce conference, Breslow revealed that he eliminated Bolt’s HR department because he believed it was creating unnecessary obstacles rather than helping the company move forward. According to Breslow, many of the issues the team focused on vanished once the department was gone.

The statement immediately sparked debate about the role of HR in modern companies and whether some organizations have become too bureaucratic to operate efficiently.

From Startup Darling To Survival Mode

Bolt’s journey has been anything but smooth. The fintech company once reached a reported valuation of roughly $11 billion during the startup boom. However, changing market conditions, declining growth, and operational challenges eventually sent the company into a steep decline.

After stepping away from leadership, Breslow returned to the CEO position, determined to rebuild the company from the ground up. He described the environment as a "wartime" situation rather than a period of growth and stability.

That mindset led to sweeping cost-cutting measures, multiple rounds of layoffs, and a complete reevaluation of how the company operates.

Why Breslow Says Most Employees Had To Go

Beyond eliminating HR, Breslow argued that Bolt had developed a culture where many employees became too comfortable during the company’s high-growth years.

According to him, workers had grown accustomed to abundant resources, large budgets, and management structures that no longer fit the company's financial reality. When he returned, he gave employees a limited period to adapt to a leaner startup culture.

The result was dramatic. Breslow said most employees and much of the leadership team were ultimately replaced as Bolt shifted toward a smaller, more performance-focused workforce.

The End Of Startup Perks

The turnaround effort also meant abandoning several employee-friendly policies that had previously helped define the company’s culture.

Four-day workweeks, unlimited paid time off, and other flexible arrangements were scaled back as management prioritized productivity and execution. Breslow argued that rebuilding the company required a return to a more demanding, hands-on environment.

His message was clear: survival and growth now take priority over workplace perks.

A Smaller Team, Bigger Results?

Today, Bolt reportedly operates with around 100 employees—far fewer than during its peak years. Breslow claims the leaner workforce is more motivated, responsive, and focused on serving customers.

He argues that a smaller group of highly engaged workers can outperform a much larger organization burdened by bureaucracy and internal friction. Whether that model proves sustainable remains to be seen, but it has undoubtedly attracted attention across the business world.

Bottom Line

Ryan Breslow’s decision to eliminate Bolt’s HR department and dramatically reduce headcount represents one of the most aggressive corporate restructuring stories in recent memory. Supporters see it as a bold return to startup discipline and accountability, while critics view it as an extreme rejection of traditional workplace management. Either way, Bolt’s experiment is becoming a closely watched test of whether lean teams and relentless execution can succeed where larger organizations struggle.

Read the Fortune Article

Change is constant, and it's coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT MRI SOFTWARE

Cleveland, Ohio-based MRI Software, a provider of property management and accounting software for multi-family residential and commercial properties, retail, office, and corporate real estate applications, has announced a reorganization to implement AI across its products and operations, with approximately 8% of MRI Software's total workforce affected.

Up to 300 employees in North American product development and customer support teams, including managerial roles, were impacted by the decision.

There’s no clear, widely published executive quote or press statement directly addressing the layoffs.

Change is constant, and it's coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?