
Sources: Cyanogen Inc. is undergoing major layoffs, may "pivot" to apps - wslh
http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/07/22/sources-cyanogen-inc-is-undergoing-major-layoffs-may-pivot-to-apps/
======
harigov
It's unbelievable that they were not able to capitalize on all those Android
devices that are still running very old versions of Android. Given that Google
and the device manufacturers basically disowned those devices, I was expecting
(or rather hoping) that someone will fill in that gap/need. I guess its more
complicated than it seems, but I do wonder how.

~~~
colordrops
Have you tried rooting and re-imaging an android phone with a custom rom? I'm
an experienced software engineer and it took me a painful while to make it
happen. I supposed they could make it easier, but the amount of effort that
would go into maintaining install kits for every phone out there would be
crazy.

~~~
rwmj
I agree it's a pain - I've installed Cyanogenmod on a few Nexus devices (which
are supposed to be the easiest ones) and it wasn't simple.

However is it intrinsically hard? Could you imagine a software tool you would
run which would ask a few questions, automate as much as possible over the OTG
port, and guide the user for the rest?

That's the kind of tool Cyanogen Inc could write. Of course monetizing it is
another thing.

~~~
fattire
I wrote something a while back that did this as a proof of concept/learning
exercise... but it never took off:

[http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2391493](http://forum.xda-
developers.com/showthread.php?t=2391493)

~~~
tmzt
Hey tire!

I've been wanting to do something like that for a long time, get away from the
recoveries and politics of the different factions. Make something a user can
just pick up an old device, run an install process, and have a fast new OS.

Google of course doesn't make it easy, mostly due to carrier and manufacturer
demands. But also due to the lack of a defined ABI between the user
interactive parts and the libraries for talking to hardware.

There's really no reason an operating environment couldn't be compiled for ARM
and run on the majority of devices if this specification was enforced. I'm
looking to gonk and a new Google initiative as a possible solution.

------
beedogs
> Layoffs reportedly came after a long executive retreat for the company's
> leaders and were conducted with no advanced notice. Employees who were not
> let go were told not to show up to work today. Those who did show up were
> the unlucky ones: they had generic human resources meetings rather ominously
> added to their calendars last night. So, everyone who arrived at Cyanogen
> Inc. in Seattle this morning did so to lose their job (aside from those
> conducting the layoffs). That's a bit grim.

It's like startups are looking to one-up each other in terms of "crappy ways
to treat employees you're letting go."

~~~
sdoering
Wow - if this really is true, I am so happy to be living in a country with at
least basic employee protection.

~~~
duncanawoods
I am too but I'm not sure a drawn out layoff process benefits anyone. When
looking from either side of the table, I think I'd prefer short, sharp and
with good severance.

~~~
Atropos
I disagree. I once worked for a services company that basically had a "6 month
notice" policy, meaning if they let someone know July 23th 2016, he still has
a job until January 31 2017. This gives people the opportunity to start
looking for work elsewhere, without even having to reveal that they "got
fired". And it's just not as much of a psychological shock for the employees.
Plus, if the firing was not performance related, but due to the company not
being hired for enough projects, this was something that could change after 4+
months if the company had a lucky streak, and it sometimes did happen.

------
Qantourisc
Personally I will not buy a phone that does not support CynagonMod (or visa-
versa). Not sure on the long-term impact of this. Yes and I would gladly pay
to get Cyanogen on my phone (with root, but they don't so I had to replace it
with CynagonMod).

~~~
cocotino
As someone who's dealt with this for years and years, let me tell you
CyanogenMod is crap.

1) They don't actually support any devices. All devices, except the ones they
sell (like that Chinese one they struggled for over one year to release, the
OnePlus) are community supported.

2) Their own stuff (everything they put on top of AOSP) is of a very very bad
quality, code-wise and UX-wise.

3) They are highly irresponsible. They have a Jira bug tracker with triagers
that don't know anything about coding or Android at all. They have a Gerrit
code review system where they antagonise all external contributors, nitpicking
on everything, while Cyanogen, Inc. employees push everything they want into
the tree without any code review, breaking stuff in the process (something
that happens very often).

~~~
Qantourisc
Ouch, well I'm new to android, feel free to recommend any other android OS
that doesn't depend on the manufacturer to update them. (A lot don't do this).

------
bcook
There seems to be a large amount of confusion in this thread about what
Cyanogen Inc is and what CyanogenMod (open-source project) is...

Here is a good article: [http://www.xda-developers.com/corporate-explained-
whos-cyano...](http://www.xda-developers.com/corporate-explained-whos-
cyanogen-whats-cyanogen-os/)

------
frik
How is this news related to the "Cyanogen launches the 'Mod' platform with
lots of Microsoft integration"? Is it a consequence of the mentioned strategic
partnership? [http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/02/cyanogen-launches-
the...](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/02/cyanogen-launches-the-mod-
platform-with-lots-of-microsoft-integration/)

------
sandGorgon
Cyanogen had a great team and a very promising business model . Where they
screwed up badly is relationships and partnerships with OEMs and vendors.

The massive fiasco with Oneplus (which by the way is going strong) or the
short-lived partnership with Micromax-Yu which was terminated for reasons
unknown. I think they got greedy too fast without building loyal customers. At
some level they believed that customers would have no real choice for older
devices .

What instead happened was that Xiaomi and Oneplus completely destroyed
incentives to hold on to older phones for any reasonable amount of time. And
Cyanogen had already burned those bridges.

I am willing to bet CM will either build their own phone (the cyanogen
"Nexus") or get acquired by Google or someone - who anyway are looking for
some kind of replacement for the Android One/Silver program.

I bet all those who are being let go are partner services.

------
Animats
It's a bit late to be entering the "app" business.

~~~
supercoder
I suspect they're planning 'CyanogenMod GO'.

------
ameen
I hope the OS team starts up as a new firm. Cyanogen absorbed many players in
the ROM community and there's literally no alternative unless you want to use
a Chinese ROM. No offence to Xiaomi - but their quality was lacking. And they
largely relied on CMs work.

This is a massive blow to the Android ecosystem and one that would move them
closer to that of iOS. AOSP doesn't stand up to proprietary Android.

Cyanogen was the best lifeline for old hardware.

~~~
bcook
Are you confusing Cyanogen (the company) with CyanogenMod (the open-source
project)?

------
grizzles
They are an arrogant company with zero suspicion of the limits of their own
knowledge. Before they started spouting off about their "We're putting a
bullet through Google's head" nonsense I tried engaging with their management.
About an interesting phone concept that I have / had. After they said that, it
was like, what's the point. So I gave up trying to get their attention and
went another route.

Long story short, I'm working with a Chinese company on my phone product. I
have a prototype sitting on my desk that's been produced on a skeleton budget.
It's better than anything I've seen Cyanogen ship.

If any ex-Cyanogen engineers are interested in a chat, hit up the email in my
profile. :)

------
mrmondo
Quite a shame really, although my main phone is an iPhone I did like how their
spin of Android made it a bit easier to de-google the OS. Sorry to anyone out
of a job due to this.

------
CardenB
Is this the normal sort of practice for layoffs in a startup?

~~~
nextweek2
Pretty much, whilst it sounds harsh there are plenty of examples of worse
layoffs.

Working for a bigger company means you are less in control of your destiny.

------
icefo
Awww crap, I'm using their android 6 ROM on my S2 and it works surprisingly
well. I wonder what will happen to it.

~~~
bcook
You are very likely using CyanogenMod (an open-source project) which is _not_
a product of Cyanogen.

~~~
icefo
That's good to hear, thank you. I heard a while ago that CyanogenMod turned in
a company. I mixed things up

~~~
bcook
So did I and many others... :(

I really wish they had not chose "Cyanogen" as the company name.

------
PhasmaFelis
What does this mean for CyanogenMod?

~~~
russjr08
Nothing.

~~~
bcook
Some Cyanogen devs did/do contribute to CyanogenMod, so I would expect _some_
impact to CyanogenMod.

