Investors asking for headcount reductions seems so slimey. Costs go down, short term profit margins increase, stock ticks up, rinse and repeat until the company is totally gutted and starts going under: sell stocks.
I’ve worked at companies who based their entire long-term strategy around appeasing investors, getting big exec bonus, and crapping all of their long-term revenue because they’re only goal is enriching themselves before bailing.
It’s like an infestation. There is virtually zero incentive for thinking about the future of a company beyond the stocks price for the next 5/10 years, and nothing is ever off the table to hit those targets.