Web host Squarespace lays off 19% of its employees
Web host Squarespace lays off 19% of its employees
Squarespace, the web company that helps customers build and host their own websites, is laying off about one-fifth of its workforce, in a move that will affect hundreds of jobs. Jeff Seedman, a public relations specialist representing Squarespace, confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch. The Verge initially reported the layoffs.
Squarespace 是一家帮助客户构建和托管网站的网络公司，该公司正在裁减约五分之一的员工，此举将影响数百个工作岗位。代表 Squarespace 的公关专家 Jeff Seedman 向 TechCrunch 证实了裁员消息。The Verge 最早报道了此次裁员。
“Squarespace is restructuring its organization and reducing its global workforce by approximately 19%, representing around 300 employees,” said Seedman. “The changes are intended to simplify how we operate, sharpen our priorities and enable the company to move faster as we position Squarespace for its next phase of growth.”
Seedman 表示：“Squarespace 正在重组其组织架构，并将全球员工人数减少约 19%，即裁减约 300 名员工。这些调整旨在简化我们的运营方式，明确我们的优先事项，并使公司能够更快地行动，从而为 Squarespace 的下一阶段增长做好准备。”
Website building has changed immensely over the last few years as a result of the generative AI boom. “Vibe-coding” website builders, which only require simple prompts from users to spin up functional front-end designs, have largely upended the industry, making it possible for users to create sites with significantly less effort.
由于生成式人工智能的兴起，网站建设在过去几年中发生了巨大变化。“氛围编程”（Vibe-coding）网站构建器只需用户输入简单的提示词即可生成功能性的前端设计，这在很大程度上颠覆了整个行业，使用户能够以更少的精力创建网站。
These kinds of sites have become an increasingly central part of the website-building business. Last year, web host rival Wix bought Base44 for $80 million. Similar offerings, like Lovable, have generated significant investor interest; Lovable raised a $400 million Series C round in August that valued the company at $13.3 billion. Google also recently launched Stitch, a feature that allows users to swiftly generate user-interface designs.
这类网站已成为网站建设业务中日益核心的一部分。去年，竞争对手 Wix 以 8000 万美元收购了 Base44。类似的产品（如 Lovable）引起了投资者的极大兴趣；Lovable 在 8 月份完成了 4 亿美元的 C 轮融资，估值达到 133 亿美元。谷歌最近也推出了 Stitch，这是一项允许用户快速生成用户界面设计的功能。
Squarespace has also begun a big push into AI. In 2024, the company launched an AI tool called Blueprint. The company also recently announced Forma, an upcoming AI native platform, whose waitlist users can join.
Squarespace 也开始大力进军人工智能领域。2024 年，该公司推出了名为 Blueprint 的人工智能工具。公司最近还宣布了即将推出的原生人工智能平台 Forma，用户目前可以加入其候补名单。
Squarespace was founded in 2004 and went public in 2021 at a $10 billion valuation. However, the company struggled in the ensuing years to generate enthusiastic public market interest. Squarespace ultimately decided to go private again by way of a $7 billion private equity deal in 2024.
Squarespace 成立于 2004 年，并于 2021 年上市，估值为 100 亿美元。然而，在随后的几年里，该公司难以在公开市场上引起投资者的热情。最终，Squarespace 决定在 2024 年通过一笔 70 亿美元的私募股权交易重新私有化。
An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated that Squarespace had not yet launched AI tools; the story has been updated.
本报道的早期版本错误地指出 Squarespace 尚未推出人工智能工具；现已对报道进行了更新。