ClickUp CEO Zeb Evans frames 22% layoff as AI-driven restructuring

ClickUp CEO Zeb Evans announced on X that the company laid off 22% of its workforce, framing the reduction as a strategic embrace of AI rather than cost-cutting. The startup, valued at $4 billion in 2021, recently deployed roughly 3,000 internal AI agents to handle complex tasks, shifting employee roles to directing and reviewing AI output. Evans stated that most savings will flow back to remaining staff, introducing million-dollar salary bands for those creating outsized impact with AI. He aims to transform ClickUp into a "100x org." A Gartner survey found about 80% of companies using autonomous tech have cut jobs, but workforce reductions do not always yield financial returns. Evans told TechCrunch that ClickUp measures productivity gains from AI agents and plans to include them in a forthcoming product. Critics argue that monitoring token consumption—dubbed "tokenmaxxing"—is a flawed metric. The scenario echoes Polsia, a one-person startup run by CEO Ben Broca that raised $30 million at a $250 million valuation.