Announcement: Udemy Restructuring Update
Hello Instructors,
We would like to provide you with an important update regarding recent changes within the company. As discussed during the Q2 earnings call, Udemy is taking decisive steps to realign its strategic focus and resources toward the areas of highest growth, while also driving operational efficiency. As part of this process, we have made the difficult decision to reduce certain positions and restructure our teams effective yesterday 9/12/24. This decision was not made lightly, and we are deeply empathetic to those affected.
Despite these challenging changes, we want to reassure you that Udemy remains strong. To sustain our ability to deliver value and ensure our long-term success, we have streamlined operations by reducing organizational layers and shifting certain roles to lower-cost regions. These actions will help us adapt to a dynamic market while continuing to serve you with the same commitment and dedication.
We are fully committed to supporting our impacted team members during this transition and remain focused on building a brighter future for Udemy. Thank you for your continued trust and understanding.
Comments
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Sorry to hear this.
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Big bummer for the Udemy team. Wishing everyone who was let go the best. Thank you for all the work you did.
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Sad to hear this…
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A personal reflection on these changes:
I know that these adjustments, both internally and on the "supply side" (instructor compensation) has and will be difficult for many of us. I certainly wish the best to all of those who have worked to communicate with and meet the needs of instructors. Sometimes the best career changes come from a forced change. It opens one to new opportunities and growth.As many others have, I have been reflecting a lot on my Udemy experience and expectations for the future. Contentment comes from aligning one's expectations with achieved and achievable results and conditions. If current trends in engagement and the announced changes in compensation continue, my earnings per month are likely to be approximately 50% of what they were a year or two ago. I am now OK with that, particularly if Udemy achieves financial stability and can provide us with earning stability. When I started on Udemy in 2014 there were instructors who were very publicly announcing how many millions they had made and how easy it was. This created false expectations and resulting discontent.
Each of us, like some of the internal staff who now need to make changes in their careers, need to adjust our plans and expectations to the reality. For some that means that our Udemy income is now expected to be one part of our total compensation rather than our total compensation. That is OK. Most content creators (authors, artists, etc.) don't expect that their creation will provide a substantial and never ending monthly payment. It doesn't work that way. But, if Udemy succeeds in executing its strategy, we can adjust our expectations to be content with the results that we can achieve by publishing courses on this platform.
Again, thank you and good luck to any staff who may be seeking other career opportunities.
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Thank you for the update. Wishing everyone the very best in whatever they do next.
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This is the cycle of life and companies.
Hope brand new oportunities for all afected.
All the best!
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I just wish there were a more humane way for companies to achieve profitability and long term stability.
Here's hoping those affected find new opportunities quickly, and those who remain are able to adapt and remain positive.
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sorry to hear that
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@Chrystie So sorry to hear that…I am sure Udemy is doing what is best for it and its stakeholders and employees. Wishing Good luck and prosperity to those who have to change their course. Have faith, it will be for better…
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@LawrenceMMiller - Well said. I published my first course exactly 5 years ago this month. I have published close to 40 courses since then. I vowed to myself that I would NEVER become dependent upon Udemy to pay the bills because I knew it was just too volatile. I was right and it's becoming much more volatile. Udemy will do what it needs to, to become profitable and will keep cutting instructor payouts as much as necessary to make that happen.
I have had a couple ideas for new courses but each time I start putting in the work I ask myself, "Why?" The ROI on my time just isn't there anymore. So, I'll ride this out for as long as I can and be thankful for the nice money I have made along the way.
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@LawrenceMMiller Nicely brought out. Much appreciated
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Sorry to hear about the layoffs.
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Sad to hear for everyone. How is this affecting community moderators?
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This is sad news indeed.
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Thank you for the update. The trends show this is needed. Sad for those who have had the move forced on them. May the future stabilise and be bright.
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Hi @Chrystie and colleagues. First off, my heart goes out to the Udemy team members who were let go. Having been through layoffs at other companies myself, I know how tough it can be, and I stand in solidarity with them. While I haven’t always agreed with certain decisions—like the gradual reduction of our Udemy Business revenue share from 25% to 15%, or the sports sponsorships that didn’t seem to resonate much in my main market of Spanish-speaking countries—I’ve come to understand that these steps are necessary. I’m ready to support whatever is needed to help the company stay on course, even if it requires sacrifices from all of us. At the end of the day, we’re all in this together, and I sincerely hope that these changes will help Udemy reach profitability and long-term success. I'm rooting for all of us who are sticking around.
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Good news there:)
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Even if I'm not personally working for a company, I'm glad to see that here (in France, but also in most European countries) you can't just fire people like that.
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@Edouard Renard it’s happened to me twice in my career and neither was Covid related. One was a substance abuse non profit and the other was a mental health provider that was for profit. Neither executed it well.
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@LawrenceMMiller That's all well in theory when you are retired with other income streams. I have just had 2 sets of major surgery and had to take significant leave from my day job. For the first surgery I didn't have to worry about money. When I had the second SkillShare had rolled over and died and Udemy was declining.
In my case I need passive income due to major health concerns and I'm not sure how to make up for the significant financial losses. My buffer money is disappearing fast as I try to recover financially from surgery. I have opened a seller account on Teachers Pay Teachers and greatly increased my working hours, which is not going to help the health situation. It's all very well to adjust expectations, but I think there needs to be some emotional recognition of the stress the changing market puts on some families. The reality I am adjusting my expectations to is a bleak one, and even more so for those who have recently lost their jobs.
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@EveWilliams I am sorry to hear about your surgeries and the strain that puts on finances. You are right that we need to empathize and understand the strain these reductions have put on many of us. (I had a triple bypass surgery eight weeks ago, by the way. I am fortunate to have Medicate and VA healthcare.) I am simply pointing the reality that all over the world, for hundreds of reasons, people have to adapt to changes in their environment, sometimes the physical environment and sometimes the economic environment. Some things you can fight and something we just have to adapt to. That is simply my point.
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@EveWilliams so sorry to hear about your health issues. My wife(a full time high-school teacher) have been dabbling with TPT for a while now, and it seems to be a viable option for people in that industry, I truly hope you can make a success of it.
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Chrystie protect yourself as well. Continue to float around your resume and stay connected in your area. You are only allowed to be positive in public and on this forum but loosing 20 percent of the udemy team is a unsettling place to be. Udemy stock and financials are also looking poor. I have been preparing for a chance my income reaches zero on udemy. Protect all of ourselves in this coming year. Stay nimble and innovate in your own personal lives.
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I am very indecisive and worried about Udemy. Sales are down and udemy is really volatile. @LindsayMarsh I sadly agree. We need to prepare for the fact that Udemy earnings will be 0 next year. This means that Udemy remains in the background in the lives of instructors. For this reason, I turned to YouTube. What are you thinking of doing?
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Echoing the comments fellow instructors made here. Sorry to hear about this, and I hope the laid-off team members land on their feet. At least the remaining people now can take a breathe and know they are safe.
Lay-offs are always a part of operational optimization in a company - especially a public one - but that doesn't make it any easier for those affected. My best wishes to those let go.
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I agree things are looking grim. Revenue is significantly down despite updating, publishing new content, exploring new categories. I love Udemy, but it's not looking great.
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@LindsayMarsh Can't agree more!
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