Omer Wajihuddin Syed

Layoffs = Growth? Bumble just proved it. 🚨 Bumble’s stock soared 26% overnight — not because of a new product, not because of a market expansion… …but because they laid off 30% of their workforce. That’s ~240 jobs cut to save $40 million/year. Harsh? Yes. Strategic? The market sure thinks so. 📉 Bumble’s valuation had plummeted from $7.7B in 2021 to just $538M. Now, with founder Whitney Wolfe Herd back in the CEO seat, they’re rewriting the playbook: → Slim down. → Reinvest in product and tech. → Focus on execution, not just expansion. It’s a cold reminder of where public markets place their bets: efficiency and clarity of vision > bloated org charts. 💬 This isn’t just a Bumble story. It’s a broader signal across tech: In 2025, lean may be the new scale.

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Right now, it’s not just H1B holders under pressure, the ones really feeling the burn are 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗨𝗦 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗧 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀. So, the bigger hit is actually on:  • Students studying here in US with crazy loan amounts on their head.  • Folks who graduated but still don’t have a job. Many students are already stressed about getting a job, and now this adds on. Dealing with rent, family pressure, loan interest, and living expenses all at once, so just imagine. And don’t think this stops in the US, it’s gonna bounce back to India too. The first impact? 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗧. Bcz the people heading back from the US will be looking at those jobs, and let’s be real, they already have an edge. They’ve worked with 𝗠𝗔𝗔𝗡𝗚/𝗙𝗔𝗔𝗡𝗚, on 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀, working on 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗔𝗜/𝗠𝗟. Sure, India has a lot of potential and a big gap to fill in tech. But the real question is, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀? Truth is, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮. Why? Bcz most niche technologies emerge first in the US and only later get outsourced to Indian firms like Infosys or TCS. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀:  • 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗦 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄. There are already too many students stuck in the job hunt, some graduated, some still studying, and many more on the way.  • The numbers are insane, 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭.𝟭𝟮 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 international students in the US (2023-24, record high), 𝟯𝟯𝟭𝗸+ from India—𝟮𝟯% jump in a year. Another report puts Indians at 𝟰𝟮𝟬𝗸 (𝟮𝟳% of all students). Massive pressure on the market.  • A big reason? 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗥𝗘 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗢𝗘𝗙𝗟/𝗜𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗦 during covid, which made it way easier for people to get in US, even if they weren’t really ready for the competitive job market here.  • On top of that, 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘄 𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗜. Now tell me, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜/𝗠𝗟-𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘀? And even if they are, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲, 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 on their own? Not many. So yeah, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗧 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁. And if anyone in India is feeling happy about US layoffs or immigration issues, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝗯𝗰𝘇 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗨𝗦 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸... 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀.

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$100,000 for an H-1B visa. What does this mean for Indians? Every Engineer dreams of studying in the US and secure a job in the Silicon Valley. But Trump’s new H-1B fee changes that. Students may be forced to return earlier than planned because companies will now think twice before sponsoring visas. But you don’t need to go to US to earn in dollars. With the right skills and network you can earn in dollars while living in India. And this H-1B visa fee might change the hiring process in MNC’s too. Remote jobs will now get a spotlight. So here are some of the best portals where Indian engineers can land US remote jobs (links to all portals are in comments) ✅ Flexiple: Curated freelance network for top engineers and designers. ✅ Turing (dot) com: AI-powered platform that matches Indian developers with US companies. ✅ We Work Remotely: One of the oldest and most trusted boards for global remote roles. ✅ AngelList Talent (Wellfound): Startup-first hiring platform, many remote roles listed by US founders. ✅ RemoteOK: Job board focused on tech and product roles across geographies. ✅ Contra: Great for independent creators, developers, and freelancers targeting US startups. In 2025, opportunity isn’t tied to one country. It follows skills that prove their worth anywhere.

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So Trump just changed the H1B visa rules, and everyone's talking about how bad this is for India. I have a very different point of view. Let me break this down in simple terms. The new H1B policy now requires a minimum salary of $100,000 for visa applicants, which is a massive jump from the previous requirements. They've also made the process stricter and reduced the number of visas available. What this means is that thousands of Indian IT professionals who were planning to work in the US will now have to stay back in India, simply because most entry and mid-level positions don't pay that much. With this new rule, only senior developers and specialized roles will qualify, which cuts out a huge chunk of the traditional H1B pipeline. This is going to completely change how students plan their education. Why would someone spend ₹50-80 lakhs on an MS in the US if there's no clear path to stay and work there? The whole appeal of studying abroad was the job prospects afterward. Without that, a lot of students are going to think twice about taking those massive education loans. This means Indian B-schools and premium colleges are about to see a surge in applications like Masters' Union, Mesa School of Business. The talent pool that was getting distributed globally is now going to be concentrated right here in India. This will hit companies like Infosys, TCS, and Wipro pretty hard. Their whole business model relies on sending people to work on-site with US clients, and most of these roles were below the $100K mark. With this new salary floor, their revenue from the US market will definitely take a hit. Those engineering graduates who were dreaming of landing that first job in Silicon Valley have to settle for those ₹15-25 lakh packages. The D2C Rise - All these high-earning professionals who would have packed their bags for America are now staying in India. We're talking about people with serious disposable income, people who shop at premium brands, eat at fancy restaurants, and don't mind spending on quality products and services. You suddenly have thousands of additional consumers with ₹20+ lakh salaries who were supposed to leave the country but are now staying back. These are people with international exposure and refined tastes, exactly the kind of customers that premium Indian brands have been trying to reach. The startup ecosystem is going to benefit massively too. Instead of our best engineers going to code for Google or Microsoft in the US, they're going to stick around and maybe start their own companies or join Indian startups like Urban Company Zomato. This could be the talent injection that takes our startup scene to the next level. I just tried to see this crisis from an opportunity point of view. I would love to get roasted if i was wrong. I would love to hear more logical point to lean But what else do you think will happen?

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Yesterday, I was reading about the new H-1B wage-weighted selection framework, which will be applied starting with the FY 27 lottery. While exploring the Department of Labor website, I noticed that wage levels can be viewed only for one occupation and one location at a time. Like most people, the first question that came to my mind was: How does my salary compare across locations? I decided to build a quick visualization that gives a bird’s-eye view of how a given salary maps to wage levels across the country. Took it as a small challenge and tried to build the entire thing in one sitting. Using the latest OFLC prevailing wage data (2025–26), I cleaned and modelled the data and built an interactive dashboard around it. I also added a comparison feature that allows users to: 1. Compare how the same salary performs across two selected locations and see which wage level they fall into. 2. Estimate the percentage hike in base salary required to move to the next wage level. The goal was to make it easier to reason about location choices when evaluating job opportunities, especially where compensation and visa considerations intersect. Would love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Check out the Dashboard here- https://lnkd.in/gbA-m9cT #datafam #h1b

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Texas didn’t “ban H-1Bs.” But the way this news spread confused a lot of international students. Over the last few days, I’ve spoken with multiple US master’s students and OPT professionals who were genuinely stressed after seeing headlines about Texas and H-1Bs. As the Director of StaffPulse Technologies, where we help international students move into full-time US roles after their master’s, I want to separate facts from fear. Here’s the reality — without the noise. What Changed (and What Didn’t) Texas has temporarily paused new H-1B sponsorships for state-funded employers only. That means: Texas state agencies & Public universities like UT Austin, Texas A&M That’s it. There is no change for: Private tech companies, Consulting & staffing firms, Startups, Product-based employers. If your employer is private, your H-1B process works exactly the same as it did before. Who Needs to Pay Attention This matters only if: You’re employed by a Texas public university Your new H-1B filing was expected through a state-funded role For example: If you’re on STEM OPT working at a public university and were counting on H-1B sponsorship this year — you now need a backup plan. But if you’re a software engineer, analyst, or data professional at a private company in Texas — ➡️ Nothing has been paused. Nothing has been blocked. Can This Spread to Other States? Governors can influence state-funded institutions, not private businesses. So yes, another state could pause sponsorships at public universities. But no governor has the authority to: Stop private companies from sponsoring H-1Bs Ban H-1Bs statewide That power sits at the federal level, not with individual states. What International Students Should Do Now If you’re at a public university: Don’t panic — but don’t wait either Explore private employers early Use OPT/STEM OPT strategically Align your role with employers who have a proven H-1B history This is exactly why employer selection matters, not just job titles. My Perspective From Hiring & Placements At StaffPulse Technologies, we work closely with: International students Employers who understand visa timelines Full-time roles aligned with long-term sponsorship pathways Headlines come and go. Your career strategy shouldn’t be built on them. Public university → plan smart Private company → you’re fine Viral posts → verify before you stress Disclaimer: I am not an immigration attorney. This post is for educational purposes only. Always consult a qualified immigration professional for advice specific to your case.

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A $100k fee on new H-1B visas. AI squeezing billables. Private equity rolling up agencies. The “big consulting” landscape is being reshaped in real time. For many, this means thinner margins, shifting talent strategies, and pressure to consolidate. For us at Teifi, it’s another signal that our approach is the right one. Bootstrapped from day one, no outside capital dictating our moves. Competing daily with the biggest firms, while staying focused on innovation and excellence. Solving unified commerce at scale on Shopify, where adaptability matters more than size. The real question isn’t whether the age of big consulting is over. It’s who can deliver value when the old playbooks no longer work. We’re clear on our answer.

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