Many jobs have been cut this week.

But this isn’t a new phenomenon.

You see we live in a digital, math based world.

Think about business quantitatively for a moment.

We need to view ourselves as individual profit centers.

That is, when we are paid (by clients or companies), how much additional monetary value do we provide.

For example, I’m marketing director at a SAAS company.

My function is to look at all the various customer acquisition channels (paid social, ppc, organic social, affiliates, etc).

We determine the costs for each channel and look at the lifetime value attached to customers from each channel.

If the lifetime value of these customers is lower than acquisition costs, that channel gets cut or tweaked.

It’s not personal, it’s math.

Let me be more specific.

If we pay $8,000 a month to a sales person, but the sales person only drives $6,000 in customer lifetime value, can we continue to pay this person?

NO!

This is the reality many companies are facing.

They assessing EVERY role in the organization and doing the math.

So what does this mean for you?

Quite simply, do the math yourself!

How much do you cost your clients and how much value do you bring? Quantitatively.

If you’re not sure where to start, simply pop open ChatGPT or your favorite LLM and start a conversation.

Bottom line, the better you are at showing the math, the more secure you are.

-Mark

Nike confirmed the elimination of about 775 jobs across its US operations as part of ongoing cost control and automation efforts.

The company has expanded automated demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and digital supply chain planning systems to improve margins and reduce operational friction.

These systems now handle forecasting, allocation, and replenishment activities that were previously managed by large planning and operations teams.

Leadership said the reductions align staffing with a more software driven operating model as consumer demand remains uneven and costs stay elevated.

Read more here.

The Update:

Nike is showing that planning and operations roles are now judged by how effectively people work with automated systems. This directly affects anyone responsible for coordination, tracking, or internal reporting.

Do this:

UPS announced plans to cut up to 30,000 jobs as part of a multi year turnaround strategy following reduced Amazon volumes and expanding automation across logistics operations.

The company continues investing in automated sorting hubs, AI driven route optimization, and demand planning systems.

Executives said the reductions align costs with a logistics model that depends heavily on software and robotics.

The cuts are expected to affect warehouse operations, support teams, and certain corporate roles.

Pinterest confirmed plans to cut nearly 15 percent of its workforce as it reorganizes around AI powered advertising tools and content recommendation systems.

The company increased reliance on machine learning for ad targeting, performance analysis, and content moderation.

Management said the changes focus resources on revenue generating technology while simplifying internal workflows.

Roles affected include sales support, content operations, and internal tooling teams.

The Update:

Pinterest is signaling that advertising and analytics roles now depend on clear interpretation and direction. This affects people responsible for reports, dashboards, and campaign summaries.

Do this:

“Do the math”

-Mark Savant