The time I got canceled on Twitter

One of the most unobvious lessons I’ve learned running Lemon.io is:

Hiring should always be your last resort.

And today, I’m sharing the brutal way I learned this lesson…

When you’re growing fast, the instinct is to throw more bodies at the problem. 

Need to move faster? Hire. 

Struggling with operations? Hire. 

Run into a problem? Hire. 

But hiring shouldn’t be the first solution — it should be the final step after exhausting all other options.

Before opening a new position, ask yourself:

• Does this task even need to be done? Often, what seems urgent in the moment turns out to be unnecessary.

• Can we delegate this to an existing team member? Often you can find the capacity and skill within your existing team.

• Can we automate it with software? It will surprise you how much you can.

• Can we outsource it instead? External contractors can be a flexible, lower-risk solution.

I learned this the hard way.

As we began growing, we went from 30 to 70 employees in under a year. That kind of rapid expansion came at a cost— 

Poor onboarding, undefined processes, and, worst of all, hiring for roles without fully understanding why they were needed. 

Instead of making us more efficient, the growth diluted our focus.

At first, it wasn’t obvious. When times were good, the cracks in our organization were small enough to ignore. But as growth slowed, those cracks became gaping holes.

Because of poor processes, we didn’t see that our current marketing team didn’t have a significant impact on growth. And I realized something far worse — I had no idea how to make them successful. 

They didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what to tell them. The entire situation had become a depressing flywheel, spinning in the wrong direction.

I dragged my feet, hoping things would improve. 

But hope isn’t a strategy.

That’s when I had to make one of the hardest decisions of all — layoffs.

It’s not just about the money.

Layoffs are often framed as a financial decision, but in reality, they’re a leadership decision.

Keeping the wrong people in the wrong roles does more harm than good—not just for the company, but for them as well.

It’s easy to convince yourself that things will improve if you just give it more time. But the hard truth is: if someone isn’t a fit, they’re unlikely to magically become one.

Every business goes through cycles. When times are good, hiring happens fast, and inefficiencies are ignored. But when growth slows down, those inefficiencies become glaringly obvious.

We had over-hired.

We had failed to integrate people into clear, structured roles.

And my biggest mistake? Not addressing it sooner.

Is there a right way to fire people?

Laying people off is painful, it’s personal, and it feels like a failure. And in my case, some of the impacted employees were located in war-torn Ukraine.

Any way you frame it — it sucks.

Here’s what I focused on to make the process as fair possible:

1. I was honest — but not cruel

I didn’t sugarcoat the decision. I told my team the truth — we had over-hired, performance wasn’t where it needed to be, and I had failed them by not addressing it sooner. But I also made sure they knew this wasn’t personal.

2. We gave a generous severance  

We gave severance packages that ensured everyone had time to land on their feet. In fact, most of the people we laid off found new jobs within a month. One even joined a competitor within a few days.

3. We offered career support

We provided job search assistance, including resume reviews and referrals. Our HR team actively helped people connect with new opportunities.

4. I communicated clearly with the remaining team  

Layoffs don’t just affect those who leave — they disrupt the lives of those who stay.  Everyone was wondering if they were next, and I don’t blame them. So I was honest with everyone about what happened and why, clarifying that this was a calculated decision — not the beginning of a downward spiral.

Building in public = failing in public

I have been building in public for a long time. It helped attract attention to the business, build a brand, and acquire customers.

Building in public is about sharing the wins — and the fails. 

So I announced our layoffs on Twitter.

Welcome to Nick Huber club (IYKYK):

I had never seen so much hate in my life.

My announcement generated millions of views on Twitter, Reddit, and blogs. I received hundreds of nasty comments, and dozens of ruthless DMs.

It was a fun day.

But I wasn’t making decisions based on public opinion. I did what I thought was the best for the company — and the team.

Moving forward

Two years on, I don’t regret making the call.

The team that remained became stronger. Our culture improved. And the people who left found better opportunities elsewhere.

If you’re a founder facing this decision, here’s what I’ll tell you—

Layoffs suck, but they’re also sometimes necessary. A company that refuses to make tough calls will eventually collapse under its own weight. 

Own the decision, do it with integrity, and then move forward.

Your company is counting on you to lead.

—Aleksandr

Catch you next Sunday! Don’t forget to hit reply and tell me what you think of this newsletter.