Lovable's CEO takes a dig at Silicon Valley and pitches straight to laid-off Big Tech workers

Have you been laid off from Meta, Microsoft or Google? Lovable says it may have a job for you.

In a LinkedIn post on Tuesday, Lovable cofounder and CEO Anton Osika made a direct appeal to tech workers shaken by the industry's relentless layoffs, saying that the era of US Big Tech as the "safe, prestigious choice" is over.

"If you are on the job market this month or tired of wondering if you are next, consider Lovable," Osika wrote.

The recruiting pitch lands as Silicon Valley continues to navigate a brutal stretch of workforce cuts despite massive spending on artificial intelligence.

Over the past two years, companies including Meta, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Coinbase have all slashed jobs while pouring billions into AI.

Lovable, which is aiming to hire around 400 employees globally this year, is betting that uncertainty inside tech giants can create an opening for startups like it to attract top talent.

"We're looking for people who want to do the best work of their career in an extremely fast paced environment," Osika wrote.

'A structural shift is happening'

The message reflects a broader shift underway in the tech industry.

For years, landing a role at companies like Google or Meta was considered the pinnacle of Silicon Valley success — a combination of prestige, high pay, and relative security. But repeated layoffs, even during profitable quarters, have dented that image.

At the same time, AI startups are increasingly positioning themselves as the new high-status employers for ambitious engineers and product workers.

Smaller companies can often offer employees more ownership, faster decision-making and promotions, and the chance to work directly on cutting-edge AI products.

Lovable, the Swedish AI startup last valued at $6.6 billion, is part of a growing crop of European AI startups trying to capitalize on that changing perception. As Business Insider's Hugh Langley wrote this week: "A new generation of European startups is bedding in and defying the pull of Silicon Valley."

"A structural shift is happening in the European business landscape," Osika told Langley. "Europe has a long history of producing deep technical talent, but was traditionally viewed as weaker in growing companies to global scale."

Last month, Lovable hired former Meta engineering director Patrik Torstensson, who told Business Insider he was drawn to the startup's speed, ownership culture, and mission to enable a new generation of AI "builders."

It also announced a new perk earlier in May: a 10% pay rise for all full time employees on their work anniversary, aimed at boosting retention.

Osika's comments and the rise in European successes reflect a growing belief among AI founders that startups are becoming the most attractive destination for ambitious engineers.

And AI may drive that trend, Osika suggested, predicting that the tech will reduce the need for large amounts of capital to scale, leading more startups to succeed in Europe and VC money to follow.

"We're at the very beginning of that shift," he said.