
The recent announcement of the rebranding of Twitter to X has also heralded changes to the company’s workforce. After CEO Elon Musk took over the social media giant, he implemented sweeping layoffs of 70% of the company’s employees, reducing their numbers to just 1,500. However, the new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, is pushing back against these measures, recognizing that the layoffs were a “much-needed exercise in cost discipline” but also calling for an increase in hiring to bring the new vision of the app to fruition.
In a recent interview with CNBC, Yaccarino outlined her strategy for the future of X, which is set to be the “super app” envisioned by Musk. Yaccarino noted the need to further develop the platform’s features, from long-form videos and posts to subscriptions to content creators. She also said that with the new name comes the necessity of expanding the team, and that the needed changes could not be accomplished by the reduced workforce left after the Musk-instituted layoffs.
Yaccarino has also given a nod to Musk, praising him for his vision and for the acceleration of the rebranding project, while affirming her role as an operational leader who will ensure a strong global presence through sales, legal, and partnership endeavors.
As she strives to make the new app a reality, Yaccarino appears committed to her expanded hiring goal. Only time will tell if her dream of a “super app” will be successful, but in the meantime she will continue to prove her worth to both the X team and to the industry by pushing back against Musk’s cost-saving measures while still valued the original vision he had in mind.