Connect with us

Science & Technology

How to handle layoffs with compassion with Ayal Yogev, Anjuna

This week’s guest is Ayal Yogev, co-founder and CEO of Anjuna Security, who has experienced both sides of the startup journey: scaling quickly during the boom years and then making the incredibly difficult decision to lay off a significant portion of his team when the market shifted. From growing to 75 employees to scaling back…

Published

3 weeks ago

on

This week’s guest is Ayal Yogev, co-founder and CEO of Anjuna Security, who has experienced both sides of the startup journey: scaling quickly during the boom years and then making the incredibly difficult decision to lay off a significant portion of his team when the market shifted.

From growing to 75 employees to scaling back and rebuilding, Yogev learned firsthand that the hardest part of leadership isn’t hiring fast, it’s making tough decisions with care, transparency, and integrity.

In this episode, Isabelle Johannessen and Yogev unpack what it really means to lead through layoffs with compassion and how founders can support their teams even in the most challenging moments. They also explore the lessons learned from scaling too quickly and how to build a more resilient company the second time around.

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply. Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.
TechCrunch Disrupt: If you’re thinking about applying to Startup Battlefield, then October 13 to 15 in San Francisco, we’re back for TechCrunch Disrupt, where the Startup Battlefield 200 takes the stage. So if you want to cheer them on, or just network with 1000s of founders, VCs, and tech enthusiasts, then grab your tickets.

Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type.

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Chapters:
00:00 We grew too fast
02:30 What Anjuna actually does
04:45 Scaling the team quickly
06:10 The market crash hits
09:40 Handling layoffs with empathy
12:10 Supporting employees the right way
15:30 Why culture matters in crisis
20:50 The hiring mistake founders make
27:40 When to scale your sales team
34:40 Rebuilding after layoffs

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement
1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. @eatmanyzoos

    April 10, 2026 at 12:10 pm

    why not be smart enough to create something that can survive in any market? unless you have no creativity and make decisions based on trends and data and not the human spirit.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Science & Technology

For Runway, AI video was step one. Now they’re trying to build worlds | Equity Podcast

AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool in AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool almost overnight, and Runway has a front-row seat to the shift. The New York-based company has raised close to $860 million at a $5.3 billion valuation, and its models are going toe-to-toe with the most well-funded…

Published

19 hours ago

on

April 29, 2026

By

AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool in AI-generated video has gone from novelty to creative tool almost overnight, and Runway has a front-row seat to the shift. The New York-based company has raised close to $860 million at a $5.3 billion valuation, and its models are going toe-to-toe with the most well-funded labs in the world, including Google and OpenAI.

And the technology goes way beyond making videos: it’s now pushing into general world models with applications in gaming, robotics, and maybe something closer to general intelligence.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, host Rebecca Bellan sits down with co-founder and CEO Cristobal Valenzuela to talk about where video generation goes from here, and why Runway’s ambitions now reach well beyond Hollywood.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:56 Can AI really replace Hollywood?

04:18 Why “AI slop” fears miss the point

08:23 Research lab, software company, or creative studio?

13:42 From video generation to world models, explained

17:36 Omni models and multimodal training

19:31 Real-time video and the “Characters” product

22:33 Are AI companions inherently dystopian?

25:59 Physical AI and robotics

28:35 Where growth is coming from: enterprise and prosumer

29:31 Outro

Continue Reading

Popular Science

Would Permanent Daylight Savings Time Really Improve Our Quality of Life?

Whether you’re pro-Daylight Savings or pro-Standard Time, the science is clear: Switching *between* the two every year is terrible for human health. So why haven’t we stuck with one system all year? The answer is both scientific AND political. Hosted by Annie Colbert Reported by Tom Hawking Edited by Avital Oehler Written and Produced by…

Published

21 hours ago

on

April 29, 2026

By

Whether you’re pro-Daylight Savings or pro-Standard Time, the science is clear: Switching *between* the two every year is terrible for human health.

So why haven’t we stuck with one system all year? The answer is both scientific AND political.

Hosted by Annie Colbert
Reported by Tom Hawking
Edited by Avital Oehler
Written and Produced by Matt Silverman

Continue Reading

CNET

3 Foldables, 3 Price Hikes: Motorola’s New Razrs Are Feeling 2026’s Drag

The Motorola Razr 2026 phones are still top clamshell foldables with new features, but also higher prices. You can find the products mentioned in this article linked below Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 | Unlocked Motorola Razr+ 2025 | Unlocked Motorola Moto Razr 5G 2025 | 256GB *CNET may get a commission on these offers Read…

Published

21 hours ago

on

April 29, 2026

By

The Motorola Razr 2026 phones are still top clamshell foldables with new features, but also higher prices.

You can find the products mentioned in this article linked below
Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 | Unlocked
Motorola Razr+ 2025 | Unlocked
Motorola Moto Razr 5G 2025 | 256GB
*CNET may get a commission on these offers

Read more about the new Razr Phones on CNET.com
Motorola’s Razr Is Days Away From Its iPhone Moment
Motorola’s 2026 Razr Ultra Needs These Features to Win Me Over

0:00 The New Motorola Razr 2026 Lineup
0:30 Price Increases Across the Board
1:17 Battery Upgrades with Silicon-Carbon
1:34 New Camera Features and Gestures
2:05 Final Thoughts on the Price and Value

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com:

#motorolarazr #foldable #smartphone #tech #motorola #foldphone #razrultra

Continue Reading

Trending