What founders can learn from Anjuna’s layoffs and recovery

2026-04-09 · Source: TechCrunch · Field: Business & Management — Entrepreneurship & Start-ups, Corporate Strategy & Leadership, Human Resources & Workforce Development · Depth: Intermediate, extended

Summary

Anjuna Security, a venture-backed cybersecurity company specializing in confidential computing, experienced rapid growth to 75 employees in 2021, driven by a market focused on hypergrowth. However, a significant market downturn in 2022 forced the company to conduct two rounds of layoffs, reducing its workforce to 40 employees. CEO Ayal Yogev discussed how Anjuna navigated this volatile period by prioritizing a strong internal culture of "care," characterized by transparency and support for departing employees, including network connections and continued healthcare access. The company also shifted its hiring strategy post-2022, becoming more deliberate and tying customer success hires directly to signed contracts, rather than anticipating future growth. Anjuna is now rebuilding with a focus on efficiency, leveraging tools like AI to enhance productivity in areas like marketing and sales support.

Key takeaway

For startup founders and executives navigating uncertain market conditions, your focus should be on building a resilient company culture and adopting lean operational strategies. Prioritize transparent communication and compassionate support during difficult decisions like layoffs to preserve trust. Re-evaluate growth metrics to emphasize efficiency over sheer speed, ensuring hiring aligns directly with validated demand, and leverage AI to enhance existing team productivity rather than over-expanding staff.

Key insights

A strong culture of care and adaptive strategies are crucial for startups navigating market volatility and workforce reductions.

Principles

• Culture is defined by consistent behavior, not abstract values.
• Transparency and compassion mitigate trust erosion during layoffs.
• Prioritize lean operations and founder-led sales in early stages.

Method

Anjuna implemented a post-2022 hiring strategy where customer success roles are filled only after a contract is signed, avoiding over-hiring based on anticipated growth. This ensures alignment between staffing and confirmed demand.

In practice

• Offer network connections and extended benefits to laid-off employees.
• Use AI to boost productivity in marketing and sales customization.
• Founders should personally close initial customer deals.

Topics

• Anjuna Security
• Startup Layoffs
• Company Culture
• Confidential Computing
• Sales & Hiring Strategy

Best for: Entrepreneur, Director of AI/ML, Consultant

Related on AIssential

• Meta Layoffs: 'Success Isn't a Given', CEO Warns — Major tech companies are restructuring workforces and increasing AI investment, driven by AI's impact on productivity and organizational design.
• How CX Leaders Build Resilience In A Volatile World — Resilience in CX stems from adaptable culture, clear decision rights, and outcome-focused ways of working, not rigid processes.
• My startup sent me to a deserted island with no running water — Sana's island onboarding, despite a water outage, fostered deep team bonding and resilience through shared adversity.
• What Oracle’s Layoffs Really Signal For B2B Marketing, Sales, And Revenue Operations — Organizations are shifting to fund outcomes over effort, accelerating a re-evaluation of roles based on decision integrity.
• Sequoia CEO coach: Why it’s never been easier to start a company, and never been harder to scale one | Brian Halligan (co-founder, HubSpot) — Scaling a company is harder than ever, requiring specific leadership traits and adaptable strategies.
• How enterprises are scaling AI — Scaling AI requires building trust, ownership, and quality into workflows, not just technical rollout.

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by TechCrunch.