Walmart

Good pay and benefits.

Interesting scaling problems that few companies have.

They are "trying" to be tech-first, kind of.

If you’re wondering what happens to promising teams, products, and innovation after a Walmart acquisition, here’s your answer. It’s not pretty, but it’s certainly predictable.

For anyone acquired by Walmart: keep your resume updated. The track record isn’t subtle. Companies get gutted, culture gets nuked, and most of what made your team special goes up in smoke. It takes about 1-2 years to dismantle at a 90% rate.

“Hidden” layoffs are the real innovation here. The “return to office” mandate wasn’t about collaboration; it was about downsizing without calling it that. Top performers out; underachievers firmly buckled in their seats.

Several colleagues relocated just to comply, then got laid off anyway. Commitment, apparently, is a one-way street.

Our acquisition story? Classic: Buy, break, dump, mass layoffs, move along to the next target.

If you’re looking for stability or respect for talent, keep on walking.

The smiling faces where they say everything is fine during all-hands, telling you to keep doing your work, are a large red warning flag. If it's by a leader who talks about his fancy sneakers, you're pretty much done.

If you’re going to acquire companies, maybe try preserving what made them successful instead of hitting the reset button every time.

History repeats itself, but it doesn’t have to be this predictable.

Invest in actual talent retention, not just slogans and all-hands meetings. Top performers notice when they’re being pushed out, and so does everyone else.

Be honest about layoffs and RTO mandates. Everyone can see through the “collaboration” excuse. If it’s about cost-cutting, at least own it.

Maybe stop treating acquisitions as a zero-sum game. When you dismantle teams and gut culture, all you’re left with is a logo and a lot of empty desks.

Consider learning from any of the failed acquisitions. At some point, “unintentional demolition derby” shouldn’t be the default playbook.

You wanted feedback. There it is. Do what you want with it; if history is any guide, you probably will.