Welcome to Salesforce's week from hell.

Hope you had a fun weekend, reader. I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and by the time you read this I'll be in Missouri for a data reporting bootcamp. While I learn how to math, my editors Matt Weinberger and Jake Swearingen will update you on tech this week via this newsletter.

Before I bounce, let's catch up on the big pains of Big Tech. By dint of being some of the largest corporations in the world, Big Tech companies have the highest costs to cut when a downturn hits — and, thus, have more layoffs to do when the time comes.

Salesforce and Amazon each announced last week that thousands of employees would be laid off. Throughout this messy process, even some Salesforce vice presidents felt blindsided by the layoffs, and many managers remain unsure if the bloodbath is over.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff also seems uncertain. After announcing the layoff, he held a rambling, two-hour all-hands meeting in which he dodged questions about the pending cuts, as Insider reported.

This type of messiness will likely permeate throughout Big Tech this year. But let's move onto more orderly things now by jumping into today's tech news.

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1. Welcome to Salesforce's week from hell. The day after announcing big layoffs last week, CEO Marc Benioff didn't seem to notice that he was a full 18 minutes late to an all-hands meeting to discuss the cuts. And then it went downhill from there.

• Benioff joked that the layoffs ruined an exec's birthday. He reminisced about a rabbi on a bicycle who helped him during the company's first-ever layoffs back in the day. He lectured about gratitude, compassion, integrity, and empathy.
• Meanwhile, employees can't sleep. Managers had to call their employees to see whether they still had a job. At least one person learned about the layoffs through social media.
• Salesforce employees told my colleagues Ashley Stewart and Ellen Thomas all about their horrible week.

This is what being a Salesforce employee was like last week.

In other news:

2. The second coming of Jeff Bezos. Amazon employees are chattering and joking about founder Bezos returning as CEO after almost two years away. In a group chat, one employee shared "Miss me yet?" with a smiling photo of Bezos. Another sent an image that said "Return of the King." Read their other messages here.

3. This is how much the hottest tech jobs pay. California and New York City — both major tech hubs — now require companies to share how much their job openings pay. We grabbed the salary ranges of popular tech jobs, compiled on the new Comprehensive.io. Check them out here.

4. Laid off Twitter employees just got severance agreements from Elon Musk — now they must decide whether to sign, or pursue legal action. Some affected workers say they will not sign because of how much they are being asked to give up. Read the full story.

5. Shopify's "Chaos Monkey 2023" mess. Shockingly, the sudden cancellation of all meetings, wiping message histories, and deleting all public Slack channels isn't going so well at Shopify. Here's how the week went for its worried employees.

6. Kicked off Kickstarter for AI porn. Last month, a campaign to legitimize AI porn was kicked off the fundraising platform. It raised $56,000 within 12 days, but artists who are against AI art pressured Kickstarter into removing the campaign. More on the boot here.

7. Hiring tips from a company that's actively recruiting. This influencer marketing company has plans to hire more than 100 employees this year. The company's founder and president told Insider that reference checks and team players are important. More tips here.

8. The US should learn from India about banning TikTok. Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube all greatly benefitted from India banning TikTok. The ban also further complicated already messy political tensions. This is what experts say the US should learn from India.

Odds and ends:

9. Getting taller could jumpstart your career. This 5'2 man got leg-lengthening surgery to add five vertical inches. It boosted his confidence and even helped him switch careers. More on the height difference here.

10. This family drove 2,500 miles after Southwest canceled their flight. A determined family drove a rental car from Miami to Salt Lake City after Southwest canceled their flights three times. Hop into the passenger seat with us for their unexpected ride.

What we're watching today:

• Prince Harry is dishing about his new memoir on 'Good Morning America'
• A 'Cargo Dragon' from SpaceX is departing the International Space Station
• Mad Love to Sean Paul on his bday

Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in New York. (Feedback or tips? Email [email protected] or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Matt Weinberger (tweet @gamoid) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.