Day: October 30, 2025

Watch as a Texas cop saves a woman from a burning car.

• Cutting middle managers may harm execution, collaboration, and innovation in companies.
• Former Big Tech UX designer Ami Vora watched her middle managers struggle with balance and change.
• She quit Big Tech to work at a startup but says she would consider being a middle manager herself.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ami Vora, a 31-year-old former Big Tech employee. The source’s full employment history is known to Business Insider but is not named to protect her privacy. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

The trend of cutting middle managers seems like a cost-saving measure, but in reality, it could remove the people who may be keeping execution, collaboration, and innovation running smoothly. Middle managers are the silent force that ensures companies don’t just move fast but in the right direction.

As a former UX designer at multiple Big Tech companies, I’ve seen organizations often focus on training senior executives, but middle managers have the most direct impact on employee growth, motivation, and engagement.

The middle management challenges I experienced throughout my career played into my decision to leave Big Tech entirely.

Middle management issues were a reason I decided to leave more than one of my corporate jobs

In organizations where I’ve worked, middle managers were expected to enforce leadership’s decisions while also advocating for their teams. It’s a constant balancing act.

One of the toughest challenges middle managers face is managing up and down simultaneously. They have to translate leadership’s high-level goals into execution while also shielding their teams from unnecessary pressure and bureaucracy. As a direct report, I noticed how middle managers often had to smooth out conflicting priorities, like when leadership would demand rapid delivery but the team needed more time to complete a task.

Large organizations thrive on efficiency, but they can also suffer from bureaucracy. When things go smoothly, middle managers play a crucial role in removing roadblocks, pushing decisions forward, and keeping momentum alive.

In my experience, middle managers can be a secret weapon in any organization

Particularly in larger, more complex companies, middle managers don’t just manage people — they manage alignment. They bring together designers, engineers, researchers, and product teams to ensure everyone’s moving in the same direction.

A great middle manager doesn’t just execute business goals — they invest in people. Some of the most impactful moments in my career have come from managers who empowered me to take on leadership opportunities and refine my skills.

When middle managers are overwhelmed by too much red tape, their ability to succeed can be limited

At one company I worked for, after a significant restructuring of upper management, combined with a reprioritization of projects like a key initiative I was working on, things started to change. Before these shifts, the middle managers had a clearer sense of direction and were much more engaged in guiding the team.

Once the restructuring occurred, the disconnect began to show, and middle managers seemed to be constantly reacting to the changes and trying to catch up. They were overwhelmed, mentally checked out, and struggled to provide the clarity we needed.

This made it increasingly difficult for me to stay motivated or aligned with the company’s goals.

A big part of my decision to quit one of my jobs was the shift in the management structure

Following changes to upper management, I observed that the middle management layer struggled to adapt to the new working dynamics. The new leadership had a different vision and alternate views on how things needed to be done, and middle managers had to take on more work.

This continuous organizational restructuring led to challenges in task assignment and project prioritization. I saw projects stall not because of a lack of ideas but because of complex approval processes.

Although I expressed interest in taking on new opportunities and projects, middle management was often unable to advocate for me due to the overwhelming bureaucracy and red tape. Given the difficult environment, I don’t place full blame on the managers I worked with.

Another key issue was the constant confusion around priorities

In one instance, I was told that the project I was working on was important, yet there was little to no engagement or interest from the leadership team above the middle managers I worked with.

Even though some middle managers understood where I was coming from and saw how it would help the business, they didn’t have a strong stance in front of the leadership team. This disconnect between what was communicated and the lack of support or resources for the project was a recurring frustration.

I learned just how vital it is for middle managers to be empowered and supported

When they’re stuck navigating constant changes, bureaucratic roadblocks, and a lack of clarity from upper management, it affects not only their ability to lead effectively but also the success of projects on the ground level.

Middle managers need the right tools, authority, and support to keep teams on track — especially when there are major shifts and reprioritization like those I experienced. These ongoing changes made me reflect on what kind of work energizes me most, and that reflection ultimately pushed me toward a new chapter.

I’m now working at an early-stage startup, where I’m responsible for a variety of tasks and have a more hands-on role. I’d definitely consider being a middle manager in the future. I’ve seen how they can help shape both the team’s work and the bigger goals of the company — and I’d be interested in doing that.

Military couple Erin Grindstaff and her husband, Travis, are no strangers to moving house.

Erin, 34, who’s in the Air Force Reserve, and Travis, 33, an active-duty officer, have lived in three states in four years. However, their latest move from Las Vegas to the Houston suburb of Pearland, Texas, in July 2024 was more difficult than usual.

Travis, previously an Air Force flight surgeon, had matched into a military-sponsored orthopedic residency in Houston. With a 1-year-old and a newborn in a brand-new city, Erin paused her career as a labor and delivery nurse to support her husband’s residency and get the family settled.

Unpacking was the easy part. Making the unfamiliar feel like home was the real challenge.

“When I first got here, I had that feeling when you’re really homesick, like when your chest gets tight,” Erin told Business Insider.

In Vegas, her family was relatively close, about a four-and-a-half-hour drive away in California. Not only was Texas farther away from the familiar comforts of loved ones, but this time, Erin had a family of her own to juggle.

“This was the first time we’d ever moved with kids; it was a very different experience,” she said. “I didn’t know anybody here. How do you build community without anywhere to start?”

A couple of months into my yearlong project following Erin’s move, she told me she’d found the secret: her kids.

Playgrounds opened the door to new friendships

Without the regular socializing and routine of a workplace to fall back on, Erin had to be intentional about meeting new people. So she decided to see the Houston area through the lens of her kids. The local library and playgrounds became routine stops, and she joined several Houston-area Facebook groups, where she met local and transplant moms from places like San Antonio, Dallas, and parts of California who were in the same boat.

“Whenever I met a mom, I’d ask, ‘Do you want to exchange numbers, schedule, or play?'” Erin said. “It felt like dating, but it’s what you have to do.”

Through church, playdates, and community events, she’s built a solid network of friends who jokingly call each other “co-workers.” They cover for one another during doctor’s appointments, take turns babysitting, and are each other’s emergency contacts. It’s been a weight off her shoulders.

“If I didn’t have people to talk to, it would be very isolating,” Erin said. “With toddlers and a spouse who works a lot, you’re taking care of everything. You need to have people that you can connect with and call during an emergency. It just makes everything so much better.”

Those connections, she said, made Texas start to feel like home.

“What gets you somewhere, and what keeps you there? A lot of times, it’s the people. I think that’s the human experience.”

Pearland was the perfect place for a young family

Like many Americans moving south, the Grindstaffs chased two things: affordability and opportunity. Pearland delivered both: a budget-friendly home and proximity to Houston’s Texas Medical Center (TMC), the largest medical center in the world.

“We looked at cities close to Houston like Katy, Cypress, a little bit of Sugar Land, and Pearland,” Erin said. “Pearland was the closest suburban area to the hospital. You still get a good house, community, and safety.”

Pearland is a fast-growing suburb about 20 miles south of central Houston, popular with healthcare workers who want suburban prices with city access. Despite an estimated population of about 160,400, according to the city’s website, it has a small-town feel and often ranks among the best places to live in America.

“When we were moving here, I did a ton of research, and everybody said Pearland was the place to go if you have kids. It was the best advice,” Erin said. “It’s really safe. There are kids everywhere, a lot of diversity, and it’s very welcoming.”

The family owns a 2,300-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-bath home with a large backyard in a newer neighborhood. They closed on the home in May 2024 for $390,000. It’s a steal compared with the 1,600-square-foot home they bought in Las Vegas in 2019 for $425,000.

“Given the size of our house, we couldn’t get this in many other places,” she said.

The couple plans to stay in Pearland for five more years while Travis completes his residency. Then they’ll rejoin the Air Force, and if they have to move, they’ll rent out the home.

“Buying a house is always a risk,” Erin said. “But with Pearland’s growth, its proximity to Houston, and the strong community, I think someone would want to buy the house in the future.”

Big bills and an even bigger workload

Pearland has been a good fit, but it’s not perfect. The Grindstaffs’ property-tax bill jumped from about $2,000 a year in Las Vegas to nearly $11,000 in Texas.

“The houses are more affordable, and the groceries are a lot cheaper, but you pay these absurd property taxes,” she said.

Houston’s rapid population growth has also caused some trouble for the family. From 2010 to 2023, the metro welcomed more than 1.5 million new residents, making it the second-fastest growing city in the US after Dallas—Fort Worth, according to Census data.

Not only has the influx of new residents increased traffic and housing pressures in the area, but it’s also added to Travis’ workload at one of the nation’s busiest Level I trauma centers.

“He’s getting a ton of experience, learning a lot, but definitely it’s keeping him busy,” Erin said.

Because her husband’s schedule is packed, Erin handles most of the kids’ routines. With a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old not yet in day care or school, a return to work likely isn’t in the cards yet for her. It’s a reality she wrestles with.

“Feeling like you’re sacrificing yourself is a struggle every mom goes through,” she said. “Right now, I’m focusing on raising my kids. It’s a choice I make every day, and really where I’m meant to be.”

‘I love our house, our community, and the people — but I still don’t love the weather’

Beyond high property taxes and traffic congestion, there’s another trade-off to living in Houston: the weather. The area is humid and blisteringly hot in the summertime, and also prone to hurricanes and floods.

Even before Erin arrived, she was worried. “When I first heard Houston, I first thought of hurricanes. I was probably most nervous about that than anything,” she said.

A month after they moved, the Houston area was hit by Hurricane Beryl, a Category 1 storm that brought 90-mph winds, more than 13 inches of rain, and caused several fatalities.

“I had done enough research and talked to enough people that I had everything I needed,” Erin said. “But still, when the power went out — in the middle of summer in Houston — it’s probably the most vulnerable I’ve ever felt.”

Fortunately, she’d just started making friends in Pearland. As she waited for her home’s electricity to be restored, one friend let her stay at their parents’ house, and another friend, whom she met at the local library, invited her to stay with her family.

After experiencing their kindness, Erin’s opinion of Houston shifted dramatically, and her desire to make more friends grew.

“When I first got here, I didn’t know if I wanted to stay. But after that, I now see why people want to raise a family here,” she said. “There’s just something about this area that’s really special.”

“I was telling my husband the other day I’m going to be sad if we leave,” she added. “I love our house, our community, and the people — but I still don’t love the weather.”

• Tesla’s Autopilot team is one of the company’s most secretive.
• Details about how the company protects its Autopilot tech were recently unsealed in a Florida court.
• A Tesla engineer outlined those measures in a sworn declaration tied to a wrongful death case.

Tesla’s inner workings are famously secretive — and a newly unsealed court filing reveals the lengths Elon Musk’s electric car company goes to safeguard its prized Autopilot technology.

In a sworn declaration made public this month in a wrongful-death lawsuit involving Autopilot, Tesla engineer Christopher Payne described how closely the company guards the technology behind its driver-assist system — even from many of its own employees.

“Access to certain software, specifically within the Autopilot group, is limited to certain individuals and their access is dependent upon the justification for the need to have access,” Payne wrote.

Payne said that even if someone is a Tesla employee and works on Autopilot-related matters, “that person must justify the need to access software.” That person’s manager, as well as the Autopilot team, “must review and approve (or deny) the request,” wrote Payne.

Only Autopilot engineers, Payne wrote, are permitted in certain areas dedicated to the software’s design and development.

The Autopilot team is one of Tesla’s most secretive, comprising some of the company’s highest-paid staffers who largely operate independently of other engineers, Business Insider has reported. And as Payne said in the declaration, the Autopilot technology is key to the company’s brand.

“The technology that makes up Autopilot is critical to the overall success of Tesla’s business,” wrote Payne. “Not only are Tesla vehicles engineered to be the safest in the world, with the lowest probability of injury, but also much of Tesla’s value and reputation are staked on the Autopilot technology.”

Special ID badges

Payne’s April 2025 declaration was filed as part of a prior motion by Tesla to maintain the confidentiality of certain information. In the document, Payne wrote that Tesla “takes extensive measures to protect the technology associated with the various features of Autopilot and the research and development behind them.”

Among those measures: access to company computers is password-restricted and multi-factor authentication is required — sometimes multiple times per day — for each software feature accessed, wrote Payne.

Additionally, company-issued laptops have their USB and USB-C ports disabled, Payne, who has worked for Tesla since 2013, wrote.

Physical access to Tesla’s facilities is also tightly controlled. Special badges are required for entry into each Tesla engineering building, and employees who don’t regularly work in a particular building need to get special clearance to enter that facility, Payne said.

Payne also wrote that every Tesla employee must sign non-disclosure agreements that outline the workers’ obligations to protect the company’s “trade secrets and confidential information.”

Three people with knowledge of the Autopilot team previously told Business Insider that the division’s organizational chart is not available to those outside the team, and even insiders know little about the group’s structure.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.

The declaration by Payne, who identified himself in the court papers as a computer vision engineer within the Autopilot team, was filed in a case over a deadly Tesla Model S crash in Florida in 2019 involving Autopilot.

In August, a Florida federal jury found Tesla partly to blame for the Key Largo collision that left a 22-year-old woman dead and her boyfriend seriously injured.

The jury sided with the plaintiffs in the case, awarding the family of Naibel Benavides Leon and her boyfriend, Dillon Angulo, a combined $329 million in total damages, leaving Tesla on the hook for a $242.5 million payment.

Attorneys for Tesla are challenging the verdict. They’ve argued in court papers that the massive judgment “flies in the face” of the law and should be thrown out.

U.S. President Donald Trump hailed a meeting with China’s Xi Jinping as “amazing” and “12” on a 10-point scale, but the agreement the two leaders reached appears to be no more than a fragile truce in a trade war with root causes still unresolved.