The once-harmonious tech community has taken a sharp turn toward hostility and paranoia as layoffs, performance crackdowns, and economic uncertainty mount across the industry. Nowhere is this shift more visible than on Blind, an anonymous professional network that has become a digital battleground for anxious tech workers. Blind, which reached 5 million users in 2022, was originally seen as a safe space where employees at major tech firms could share salary insights, interview tips, and workplace gossip without revealing their identities. At the time, the mood was optimistic — focused on career growth, maximizing total compensation (TC), and landing jobs at top-tier companies like Google, Apple, and Meta.

But three years later, the tone has drastically changed. With over 175,000 tech jobs lost since late 2022 and AI threatening to automate coding roles, the atmosphere on Blind is now filled with frustration, fear, and mistrust. Workers complain about ghosting from recruiters, grueling performance improvement plans (PIPs), and a job market that feels increasingly out of reach.

Even among those still employed, dissatisfaction runs high. One user lamented earning just $81,000 after four years on the job, while another with a reported $415,000 TC griped about not yet hitting the half-million mark — highlighting a culture of compensation envy that has only intensified amid growing instability.

Trust within the Blind community has deteriorated significantly. Users accuse one another of fabricating salaries or even making up job offers entirely. In some cases, people claiming multiple job offers have been dismissed as political propagandists — reflecting the broader polarization creeping into the tech world.

Performance reviews, especially PIPs, have become a flashpoint of anxiety. Many see them less as tools for improvement and more as mechanisms for mass layoffs disguised as accountability measures. One Blinder shared how they left Amazon due to PIP-related stress, only to find Microsoft implementing similar policies — leaving them feeling trapped in a cycle of corporate scrutiny.

Morale is particularly low at Meta, where reports of burnout, backstabbing, and poor work-life balance dominate discussions. Employees describe a culture of cynicism and disillusionment, far removed from the collaborative spirit that once defined Big Tech. Beyond job insecurity, issues of racism and misogyny have surged on the platform. As Blind expanded into markets like India and South Korea, tensions around cultural differences have flared — sometimes devolving into offensive stereotypes and workplace microaggressions. Women on Blind report facing relentless criticism for everything from career choices to personal opinions.

While Blind claims that the percentage of discriminatory posts has slightly declined since 2022, the sheer volume of content has grown — meaning more toxic interactions overall. The sense of community that once made Blind unique has largely disappeared, replaced by infighting, paranoia, and despair.

In better times, Blind’s homepage featured a ticker of high-paying job openings — a symbol of opportunity and ambition. Today, that ticker is gone, and so is much of the optimism it represented. For many tech workers, the dream of steady growth and financial success has given way to survival mode — and the emotional toll is evident in every corner of the platform.