Article Business Update

Team,

Today is a very difficult day at Article. We will be parting ways with 216 Particles or 17% of our team. This is a first in Article's 11-year history, and for me personally in my 22 years running teams and organizations. Team - this is not your fault, this is my fault.

I would like to provide some context and transparency around this decision.

Like many eCommerce companies, we benefited tremendously from the demand increase from Covid. We anticipated the trend to online purchasing would be sustained - that did not happen, and it has since returned to pre-Covid trends.

As a result, our financial projections showed that we were operating the business at a size larger than current demand would sustain. Put simply, we were living beyond our means. I needed to resize our business to restore our position of financial strength.

Our priority was to maintain service levels for our customers and those areas of the business that are most impactful to our future growth. It’s important to recognize that the decisions of who we are parting with were not a reflection of the quality of their work: unfortunately, we’re losing some excellent people today.

At 10am Pacific Time, I held an All Hands to explain our decision, and to share what Particles can expect today. If you are one of those we’re saying goodbye to, you will receive an invitation to both your company and personal email addresses from your Function leader or manager. Everyone will have an opportunity for 1:1 meetings today.

We want to ensure the Particles leaving today are treated with care and compassion, and have the tools, resources, and severance to support their forward journeys. Your benefits will be extended, including access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Additionally, departing Particles will be able to keep their equipment, including their laptops.

After meeting with your manager, our People and Culture team will reach out with details of your severance and additional resources and tools to help you, including information on joining our Particle Alumni network, and using the services of our Talent Acquisition team who can assist in reviewing resumes and offer other support. You can also choose to be added to a list of impacted Particles that we’ll share with other employers who are actively recruiting.

To Particles who are leaving,

I want you to know that this isn’t a reflection of your capabilities or performance: we’re parting ways with exceptional people today who helped build this company, and other organizations will be lucky to have you. I regret the negative impact this sudden news will have on you. We have endeavored to provide as soft a landing as possible. If I can be of assistance and support - either professionally or emotionally - please reach out to me directly and I will do what I can.

To Particles who are staying,

I know this will be a hard day for everyone. I’ll discuss the details of what comes next for Article after you’ve had a chance to process what’s happened today. You’ll receive calendar invitations to a department meeting this afternoon. We’ll also hold an All Hands tomorrow where the leadership team and I will provide more details and answer your questions. We will learn from this deeply and become better and stronger as an organization. I am here if you need me - please reach out to me directly.

Today is a sad day for all of us and for me personally. I didn't start this company to make life harder for people, but to make it easier. Thank you for all of the passion and commitment you have devoted to the company.

Sincerely,

Aamir

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