As many have heard, the latest in the Soundcloud saga has been the layoff of some employees a few weeks ago. There were rumors that the company was shutting down entirely, but the founders disproved that and claims they’re here to stay.
For the workers that were laid off, there is still hope to remain in the music industry. A company called WeTransfer is offering $10,000 to former Soundcloud members to try to get them to create something new in the music streaming business. The company’s music director Lukas Nieuwenhuijsen sent an email on the subject:
“[W]e’d like to prevent you from just simply ‘getting a job’.
Why? What’s wrong with a job? Nothing. It’s just that you might stray from your original mission to change the way we consume or create music – an endeavor that made SoundCloud unique in the world of tech.
So we’d like to make you an offer. $10,000 to start something. This is not a loan or equity exchange.
What we would like to see is a proposal for something you could design, build or manage that could be the new mail-order record club, SoundCloud or iTunes.
This is not an investment. I hear you – 10k is a modest amount – but we started small too, and it could act as a runway. Or it could pay for the lights on a runway. Somehow, it could help you get off the ground.”
If you worked at Soundcloud, it’s a great opportunity. One door closes and another one opens.
