Jack Dorsey told staff at music streaming app Tidal that they’re in for another mass layoff.
The CEO of Block, which owns the music streaming platform, said in a note to staff Wednesday morning that Tidal needs to operate “like a startup again.” That requires organizations across the company operate with a “much smaller team,” Dorsey said.
“So we’re going to part ways with a number of folks on our team,” Dorsey explained in the note. “We’re going to lead with engineering and design, and remove the product management and product marketing functions entirely. We’re reducing the size of our design team and foundational roles supporting TIDAL, and we will consider reducing engineering over the next few weeks as we have more clarity around leadership going forward.”
Block acquired a majority stake in Tidal for roughly $300 million in 2021. The streaming music service was founded by Jay-Z but struggled to gain traction, amid competition from Spotify and Apple music. In 2023 a judge dismissed a shareholder lawsuit against Block over the acquisition according to Reuters, but noted that “it seemed, by all accounts, a terrible business decision.”
A representative from Block was not immediately available for comment.
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