After cutting 22% workforce, CEO of American startup says top AI talent may earn $1 million

Cloud-based productivity firm ClickUp has reduced its workforce by 22%, with founder and CEO Zeb Evans saying the company is restructuring around artificial intelligence and new ways of working. In an over 1000-worded post shared on X, Evans said the decision was not made because of financial pressure, adding that the business is currently “the strongest it's ever been.” He stated that the company plans to introduce salary bands of up to $1 million a year for employees who create what he called “outsized impact” using AI systems. In the post, Evans said he personally made the decision to cut jobs and described it as part of a broader shift in how companies operate with AI. “Today we reduced headcount by 22%,” he wrote. “The business is the strongest it's ever been.”He added, “This wasn't about cutting costs. Most savings from this change will flow directly back into the people who stay.” According to Evans, affected employees will receive compensation packages aimed at helping with the transition.The ClickUp CEO said the company will introduce “million-dollar salary bands” for workers who are able to create a major impact using AI tools and systems. “If you create outsized impact using AI, you'll be paid outside of traditional bands,” Evans wrote.He said the company wants to reward workers who can manage AI systems, direct AI agents and improve productivity at a large scale.Evans said AI is changing how engineering teams work, arguing that the best engineers are becoming “100x engineers” by directing AI agents instead of writing code themselves.“The skill is judgment,” he wrote.He also said product management and design roles are beginning to merge, while new positions such as “Agent Managers” are emerging inside companies using AI heavily. According to Evans, workers who automate processes using AI may become responsible for managing those systems in the future.Despite the focus on AI, Evans said some tasks should continue to involve people directly. He argued that customer-facing roles and one-on-one meetings remain important even as AI tools become more advanced.“In a world that will become saturated with AI communication, the human touch will matter more than anything to customers,” he wrote.