A screenshot of a Google search was all it took to expose just how entrenched layoff jitters in the software industry have become.
When Canva co-founder Cliff Obrecht shared an internal Slack note last week pointing to Anthropic’s product velocity — 73 releases in 52 days — he attached an image showing Anthropic’s headcount at roughly 2,300 to 2,500 people. Canva employs about 5,000.
The note was deleted within hours after staff feedback, but not before the fear it triggered spilled onto the anonymous workplace platform Blind.
Canva moved quickly to contain the fallout. CEO Melanie Perkins posted her own Slack message reassuring everyone things were going well, and a company spokesperson confirmed there were no plans for layoffs. A Blind spokesperson told Capital Brief the mood was clear regardless: employees felt nervous and underappreciated.
