Bending Spoons announces major layoffs at Airtable

Bending Spoons, the Italian tech conglomerate that acquired Airtable for $1.28 billion in August, has announced plans to lay off a “large part” of the Airtable workforce. Federico Simionato, a product leader at Bending Spoons, disclosed the decision via a post on X, stating the move stems from a “deep belief that small teams ship more and better.”

While the exact number of affected employees has not been disclosed, the announcement has drawn significant criticism online. Commenters described the post as insensitive, noting that Simionato combined the layoff news with an announcement regarding new product features and team structures. Simionato responded to critics by stating he was “not celebrating at all” and that it was a “hard day for good people.”

A spokesperson for Bending Spoons emphasized that the decision to part ways with members of the pre-acquisition team was not taken lightly and does not reflect the quality of their work. This move follows a broader trend in the Silicon Valley tech sector, where companies such as Oracle, Meta, and Visa have implemented job cuts, often citing a strategic pivot toward artificial intelligence.