Beyond the Code #3: Layoff Anxiety Is Wrecking Great Engineers And Making Teams Ridiculously Dysfunctional. Here’s How to Stay Sane and Sharp.

Let’s talk about the elephant in every Zoom room right now.

You’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re not “not good enough.”

You’re distracted. Not by TikTok. Not by YouTube. Not even by your inbox.

You’re distracted by the fear of being next.

Next on the list. Next on the chopping block. Next to send a goodbye Slack message you weren’t ready to write.

Layoff anxiety is real.

And it’s messing with people who were once the rockstars of their teams.

I see it every day in coaching calls and DMs:

• “I used to ship faster.”

• “Now I second-guess everything.”

• “I’m playing it safe… but I’m falling behind.”

Here’s the punchline most folks don’t say out loud: Layoffs don’t just remove jobs. They infect the people who stay.

You start sleeping with one eye open. You spend more time updating your resume than updating code. You avoid taking risks. You’re afraid one mistake might make you visible in the wrong way.

I’ve led teams through it. And I’ve helped engineers like you turn the corner. Not by pretending layoffs don’t happen, but by learning how to lead and grow despite the fear.

Today, I’m going to share:

1. Why this anxiety happens (and how AI is making it worse)

2. How fear kills your performance — even when you’re still showing up

3. The mental shift that keeps you sharp and seen

4. What hiring managers actually look for when the market feels risky

5. Tactical steps you can take this week to stay in control

6. BONUS: AI and layoff anxiety

Let’s break it down.

1. Layoff anxiety isn’t “in your head.” It’s in the air.

If you're feeling uneasy, you're not being paranoid. You're being human.

When layoffs hit the news, your brain goes into survival mode. It starts scanning for danger. Even if your job is technically safe, your brain doesn’t care.

• “This team is ‘restructuring.’”

• “They just cut 10% over there.”

• “We’re ‘reevaluating priorities.’”

All those phrases hit the same nerve.

Even worse? The conversation online is louder than ever. LinkedIn is full of “farewell posts” and “available for work” updates. Company Slack channels go silent. 1:1s start feeling like pre-interviews.

And let’s be real: The rise of AI isn’t helping.

When execs see tools like ChatGPT, they start asking: “Do we really need 3 engineers for this?” What a crap mindset. But I get where they are coming from.

Even if AI can’t replace you today, the fear it might tomorrow is enough to shake your confidence.

2. Fear changes how you show up

Here’s what I’ve seen happen to even the top engineers when layoff fear creeps in:

• They overwork to look "visible"

• They play it safe with their code

• They avoid proposing bold ideas

• They stop asking questions in meetings

• They underperform because they’re burned out

And the most dangerous part?

Fear makes you focus inward.

Instead of solving business problems, you’re solving a silent crisis in your head: “How do I protect myself?”, “Should I start applying?”, “What if my manager is ghosting me because I’m next?”

This leads to paralysis.

You’re busy. But you’re not productive. You’re present. But you’re not there.

3. If you want to survive, stop hiding

Let me be blunt.

Laying low is not a strategy. It’s a fast lane to irrelevance.

Now’s not the time to play small. Now’s the time to show up with clarity and impact.

You want to be the person who:

• Solves real customer pain

• Makes things easier for your team

• Brings new ideas when others stay quiet

• Takes ownership when things go sideways

• Is easy to work with, and impossible to ignore

Layoffs don’t always hit the “worst performers.” They often hit the ones no one can vouch for. And many times they are more about making the numbers game rather than performance itself, but that's a topic for another day.

So if you’ve been flying under the radar: step out. Not with ego, but with evidence.

4. What hiring managers are really looking for right now

I’ve hired hundreds of engineers, even in tough markets. And here’s the truth most people miss:

We don’t hire the “most talented.” We hire the most reliable. The most visible. The most valuable.

That doesn’t mean loud. It means clear.

Here’s what stands out when everything feels risky:

• People who make others better

• Candidates who show resilience

• Engineers who understand the business

• Builders who deliver even under pressure

• Communicators who bring calm, not chaos

Hiring managers are watching for emotional maturity. Not just skill.

If you’re calm while others panic? If you lead when others hide?

You become irreplaceable.

5. 6 tactical moves to stay sharp and in control

Here’s what I’d do this week if I were in your shoes:

1. Re-center your focus. Ask: “What problem am I solving for the business this week?” If you can’t answer that, start there. The goal is alignment, not just activity.

2. Set a “fear budget.” Give yourself 30 minutes to process the anxiety. Journal. Talk. Scream. Then move on. Don’t let fear drive the rest of your day.

3. Schedule 1:1s with purpose. Don’t wait for your manager to check in. You check in. Share progress, clarify expectations, and ask how you can help the team move forward.

4. Learn one thing that makes you AI-proof. Don’t become an AI expert overnight. But understand how your role connects to AI — so when it comes up, you’re ready to talk about it confidently.

5. Update your brag sheet. Keep a simple doc where you track wins, feedback, and shipped projects. Not just for job hunting — it keeps your brain focused on facts, not fear.

6. Get feedback weekly. Don’t wait for performance reviews. Ask your peers and leads: “What’s one thing I can do better this week?” It shows growth, humility, and leadership.

6. Reframe the Role of AI

Now, I’m not gonna get too deep into this today, but we need to name it.

A lot of folks aren’t just afraid of layoffs. They’re afraid of becoming obsolete.

AI’s everywhere. And sure, it’s changing the game.

But here’s a reframe:

AI will replace people who do tasks. It won’t replace people who solve problems.

If you’re just copy-pasting tickets, yeah,it might get bumpy.

But if you think critically, work with others, build trust, and connect dots that tools can’t You’re still the future.

So instead of fearing it—learn it.

Use AI to speed up the boring stuff so you can do more of the valuable stuff.

TL;DR: Fear is normal. But you can’t let it lead.

If you’re worried about layoffs, you’re not alone. But the answer isn’t to freeze or fade into the background.

It’s to lead. To make yourself valuable by being someone others can trust, count on, and learn from.

No one can guarantee job security right now. But you can create career security by showing up with intention, clarity, and courage.

You’ve got this.

Let’s keep building.

—

If this resonated with you, forward it to someone quietly struggling right now. Or hit reply and tell me how you’re holding up.

Let’s make this a two-way conversation.

Until next week,

— Raphael (yes, I use em dashes)

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