The first hint Laobai, 34, received that his position at short-video app Kuaishou might be at risk was when a 35-year-old colleague was sacked.
“I was both shocked and anxious. I realised that our situations were very similar, and the same thing could soon happen to me,” said Laobai, using his nickname to avoid repercussions from his former employer.
Just months from his 35th birthday, the developer was dismissed, another victim of the group’s reorganisation known internally as “Limestone”. Kuaishou is pushing out junior workers in their mid-30s, according to five people with direct knowledge of Limestone, including current and former employees. Laobai was told his termination was part of the company’s overall redundancy programme. Kuaishou declined to comment.