Death of the One-Dimensional Role
AI + 2025 Layoffs
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL // GTM lessons from unexpected places. Subscribe for practical insights + systems from real life, culture, and the way I see the world.
DEAR XIR –
Damn, it feels good to say that again.
XIR is what I used to call my people – and I’m bringing it back. More on why next week.
Right now, we’ve got work to do.
I’ve been watching the headlines like everyone else.
Intel. Microsoft. Amazon. 100,000+ tech workers cut across 200+ companies. My LinkedIn feed is a graveyard of “open to work” banners and farewell posts.
And I’m not gonna lie to you, part of me wanted to write something soft. Something comforting. Something that wouldn’t ruffle feathers.
But that’s not why you’re here. And that’s not what you need from me.
So here’s what I actually think:
These layoffs are devastating. They’re destabilizing households, wrecking career trajectories, and triggering real financial anxiety for people I know and respect.
AND – hear me out…
They might be the best thing to happen to cross-functional operators this decade.
Let me explain.
The Cross-functional Data
Like I said above, 100,000 tech workers have been cut across 200+ companies. Intel laid off 22,000 in specialized chip roles. Microsoft cut 7,000 in management layers. Amazon eliminated 14,000 corporate roles while doubling down on AI.
Look at the pattern. Really look.
Specialized roles. Middle management. Single-function positions with no range, no cross-pollination, no ability to see beyond their lane.
That’s what’s getting cut.
Meanwhile, cross-functional teams that operate across systems? Rising.
McKinsey has a fancy term for it: “outcome-based management of small, cross-functional teams.”
Translation: companies need fewer people who do more things.
That’s you.
The market isn’t collapsing. It’s correcting. And it’s been telling us what we’ve known for years: there is power at the intersection.
If you’ve been operating there this whole time – connecting dots between departments, building systems while everyone else builds one-off campaigns – this is your moment.
2026 is the year of the cross-functional builder. Time to own it.
What’s Rising While Roles Collapse
While everyone’s doom-scrolling layoff announcements, I’m paying attention to what’s being built in their place. And lemme tell you: the data tells a completely different story.
Cross-functional teams see 30% efficiency gains (McKinsey)
First-time-right delivery jumps from 65% to over 80%.
Cross-functional teams are 30% more productive than siloed counterparts (Nutcache)
Translation: Cross-functional teams deliver measurable business outcomes.
Not vibes. Actual, living, breathing receipts.
But where I really need you to pay attention:
75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional on at least three key metrics.
Only 8% of companies have strong alignment between sales and marketing.
Let me repeat that for the people in the back:
75% of XFN teams are dysfunctional. And only 8% have alignment?
Make that make sense.
It’s evident that the demand for cross-functional operators is there.
It’s that the execution isn’t. Yet. And that gap is your opportunity.
The smartest companies already see this. Fortune Future 50s are investing in cross-business experience for leaders. Leading consumer companies are embedding capabilities into joint business-tech teams with shared outcome responsibility. Orgs everywhere are breaking down silos and unlocking cross-functional development.
They see what’s coming. And they’re moving fast.
How to Position Yourself for 2026
This shift isn’t about becoming a generalist who does 50 things adequately.
Generalists are valuable. But the real power will be going deep at the intersection.
Operating at the apex of at least two things:
Marketing AND Sales
Community AND Revenue
Product AND Customer Success
So here’s what I can tell you about getting ready for 2026:
1. Get laser-focused on your value prop
Translate your “I do all these things” into something the rest of the world can actually understand.
You’re not “a little bit of everything.” You’re the person who connects X to Y and drives Z outcome. That’s a sentence. Find yours.
2. Clearly articulate your intersection
Mine is Community + Revenue. I train operators to turn trust into pipeline by breaking down silos and connecting dots internally. One fluid, cross-functional motion from trust to revenue.
That’s my intersection. I can say it in one breath.
Find yours. Name it. Own it.
3. Let them.
People are gonna push back. They won’t always understand at the beginning. They’ll try to put you in a box because that’s easier for them.
But as Mel Robbins says: let them.
The ones who can’t spot the patterns – the single-function thinkers – are the ones getting cut. So sharpen your positioning. Build your case. And stop apologizing for being cross-functional.
(Next week, I’ll share exactly how to translate this positioning into language that lands).
The Obstacle Is the Way
I’m a firm believer in the Stoic axiom: the obstacle is the way.
The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.
Marcus Aurelius lived this. He governed through the Antonine Plague – 5 million dead, empire collapsing around him. He didn’t panic. He asked: what can I turn to my advantage?
That thinking kept Rome intact.
And believe me when I say: the same will work for you.
Four years ago, I landed my first cross-functional role at Brex. I finally felt seen. My work style made sense for the first time in my career.
Back in 2021, people didn’t fully understand what I did.
They just knew I got results.
Mark my words, my dear XIRs: operators who see the opportunity inside the chaos, who deeply understand that the obstacle is the way will own 2026.
Nature is correcting itself. And the system is adjusting.
The question is: what are you going to build?
I am here for you when you are ready to jam on this. Just shoot me a reply and I can review your intersection analysis for you. That is my word.
Time to get to work.
