Atlassians Laid Off: Support and Opportunities

We interrupt this coverage of Atlassian’s layoffs last week with a post about *checks notes* Atlassian’s layoffs last week. I have to say, I never really understood what Katy Perry meant when she asked “do you ever feel like a plastic bag?” But now I know, because it’s 2026 and I’ve been made redundant. Working at Atlassian has been so many things, and I’m so lucky to have had that opportunity. It’s connected me to some absolute legends around the globe, and made me fluent in the kinds of languages you won’t find on Duolingo (like legal disclaimers, acronyms, PM requirements, and niche error messages). Those of us impacted know how overwhelming the last week has been — I can confidently say I’ve been through all 5 stages of grief in record time (apologies for sobbing on the phone to you Armando). But amongst the chaos of this whole situation and realising that I’ve become a stereotype by having an arts degree and being unemployed, I’m actually really excited. You know what they say… when life gives you lemons, post about it on LinkedIn because it just might find the right person (or however the saying goes). If you or someone you know has a role coming up for someone who loves the power of words, considers em dashes their love language, and has the perfect emoji reaction for any Slack message, I’d love to hear about it. I’d be open to a pivot if it meant adding value through writing, and the kind of engaging copy, stakeholder management, and meeting banter that AI can’t touch. In the list of elite things about Perth, you’ll also find that it’s in the sweet spot between various time zones. You have to look closely — it’s between “best beaches” and “people knowing how to shorten the word parmigiana correctly”. In the meantime, I’m getting cracking on some creative stuff, considering applying for more game shows to get the Hard Quiz redemption everyone tells me I deserve (if you know, you know), and continuing to host trivia nights where it’s me that holds the power to decide people’s fate for a change. P.S. if anyone has my voodoo doll, please update its portfolio. Many thanks

Apart from the fact that the recent Atlassian layoffs have been devastating for those involved, it also has a profound impact on the Atlassian Marketplace partner community. Not only are we saying goodbye to soo many talented and passionate Atlassians, we are also loosing a treasure trove of collective memory and knowledge. Not to mention connections that grew over a very long time. Although it is difficult to predict, I am certain that the Atlassian Marketplace partner community has been set back several years when it comes to internal Atlassian advocacy of partner interests and the overall focus on the Atlassian Ecosystem within Atlassian. Rest assured, all of you will be missed 💙

As someone with ties to the Australian tech scene and an ex-Atlassian employee, I’m naturally deeply shocked by the recent layoffs. This will have a significant impact on the industry in the coming months. It’s not the time to “praise Atlassian for their sincerity” or criticise their work-from-anywhere policy. This is a time for empathy and to remember that such things can happen to anyone at any time. This means finding a balance between being prepared and not letting anxiety consume us. Stay strong everyone. I’m sure brighter days are ahead for all of us.

Atlassian did layoffs last week. My heart goes out to every single person affected. Watching the posts from people I worked with, crossed paths with, or was inspired by at Atlassian leaves a sinking feeling. They all did such amazing work. Their posts are filled with proud contributions that have fundamentally shaped Atlassian's success. I spent 8 years at Atlassian and left in 2024. So this hits close. Here is what I know to be true. AI today cannot do their jobs. iirc, Atlassian had >1000 microservices running in production at all times, two years ago. Shipping a feature requires an unparalleled amount of context, process awareness and diligence from the people involved. That understanding of "when I make this API call at production scale, I need to inform the other team about the increased load" is still not something AI has. Can we build systems that eventually do that? Yes. But when an incident happens, finding the most creative way to recover customer data is not something AI can do today. Innovating new ways to interact with LLMs to accomplish a business goal cannot be solely done by AI. It can propose options, and I still find those options very rudimentary. So to all my friends and colleagues who had a fulfilling career at Atlassian, thank you. We all did really well. On the other side, I also understand leadership's decision and the diligence and care that would have gone into making such a decision. I hope it succeeds and achieves the outcome they are aiming for. To anyone affected, my DMs are open.

There’s a lot of noise right now about the recent layoffs at Atlassian... The “why,” the speculation, the commentary, Mike's delivery. And yes, I agree, there's probably more to the message that what's being said and these are challenging times for businesses, employees, and markets. But we’re missing the point. There are now 1,600 more people in the market looking for their next opportunity. That's 1,600 people who may be feeling displaced, angry, hurt, uncertain, and navigating what comes next. So LinkedIn Community, here's your time to shine - let's pause the commentary and look to redirect your energy into something constructive, something positive. If you’re hiring, have capability gaps, or know someone who is, let's lean in. Share your network and help make introductions, open doors and share opportunities. To those impacted (anyone looking for a new role)... I can't imagine how you're feeling, but hopefully we can be there for you... If I can help, I will - if you need a resume review, interview prep, or help in making connections, please reach out. There's a lot of crazy going on at the moment, let's not lose sight of the power of connection and helping others.

Still trying to process the news from the last 2 weeks. The recent layoffs at Atlassian impacted ~1600 people — including multiple teammates and several incredibly talented people I had the privilege of working closely with. Just days ago we were in our regular syncs discussing product improvements, reporting bugs, and sharing feedback. None of us expected those conversations would be our last ones as teammates. Moments like this really remind you how much of work is about the people you collaborate with every day. The colleagues I worked with are some of the most thoughtful, skilled and dedicated professionals I’ve come across. They bring deep expertise, strong ownership and a genuine drive to solve problems the right way. Any organization would be lucky to have them. To everyone impacted — especially those I worked closely with — you’re not alone in this. Moments like these can shake your sense of stability and self-worth, but this is not a reflection of your performance or the value you bring. And beyond individuals, layoffs ripple further — impacting families and people who depend on them in ways we often don’t see. Wishing each of you strength as you navigate this phase. If you’re hiring, I highly recommend connecting with some amazing people I worked with: • ISHAN AGARWAL Uzair Ahmed Monika Gupta Riya Dwivedi Vishalakshi Narayanaswamy Prakhar Srivastava Sanchit Handa Adithya Kulkarni Mithun R K Jasmine Mulla Neha Ghuraiya Matan Goldstein Katherine Nguyen Sarah Williams Arun Ramanujan If it helps in any way — whether it’s referrals, introductions, or just a conversation — feel free to reach out. My inbox is always open.

I wanted to share the thing that shocked me recently. I read about layoffs at Atlassian. Former staff members say the redundancies came without warning. People got a message and shortly after lost access to all systems. No real conversation. No chance to process it. No goodbye. 😭 😱 Honestly, this made me feel frustrated and uncomfortable. I understand that layoffs are part of business, but the way they are handled matters a lot. For me, there is a basic rule that if a person has been working with you for months or years, they DESERVE a personal conversation and at least a month’s notice. And hearing it not from an email or a blocked account. Because this is not just about operations. It’s about RESPECT. What do you think about such kind of redundances?

Recently, we have seen news about layoffs across companies, and the recent announcement from Atlassian serves as a reminder of how quickly things can change in the tech industry. For many professionals, layoffs create uncertainty and fear—not due to a lack of skills, but because the industry is evolving rapidly. This situation highlights that our real job security lies not within our company, but in our skills. Technology keeps changing: - Automation tools evolve - AI is transforming workflows - New frameworks replace old ones The best investment we can make is in continuous learning. Instead of worrying about what might happen, we can focus on: - Strengthening core skills - Learning new technologies - Building real projects - Sharing knowledge with the community Opportunities may change, companies may change, but skills travel with us wherever we go. To everyone currently feeling uncertain about their job—keep learning, keep building, and keep moving forward. The industry may be unpredictable, but growth is always within our control.

Another week, another wave of layoffs. Atlassian just cut 1,600 people. 900 of them from software R&D. That's not a coincidence because software development is the discipline AI has automated the most, the fastest. Code generation, testing, documentation, and even review. The tools have been moving at a pace most teams haven't kept up with. My bet, and I could be wrong, is that the people who kept their jobs weren't the most senior or the longest serving. They were probably the ones who had already figured out how to work with the new tools. Or had something so specific, so hard to replicate, that made them untouchable. Atlassian, rightly or wrongly, probably considered that everyone else was easy to let go. Massive change is already here. Atlassian is just the latest to react to it. The question is whether you get ahead of it, or wait for your own version of this moment. If you feel like everything is moving too fast, I feel it too. Follow along as I navigate these uncertain but exciting times and share what I’m doing to stay ahead.