# Tech Layoffs EXPOSE the Dark Truth About H1B Workers

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112/tech-layoffs-expose-the-dark-truth-about-h1b-workers
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112/tech-layoffs-expose-the-dark-truth-about-h1b-workers.md
Podcast: [AsianDadEnergy's Substack Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112)
Published: 2026-03-31T14:32:21+00:00
Episode link: https://asiandadenergy.substack.com/p/tech-layoffs-expose-the-dark-truth
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/192736514/842566234b75e69297af67034b9eaa8c.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/asiandadenergy-s-substack-podcast-7711112/episodes/tech-layoffs-expose-the-dark-truth-about-h1b-workers
Duration seconds: 985

## Resource

It’s another week, another wave of layoffs, and once again the same question bubbles to the surface: who or what is really responsible? For many American software engineers, the H-1B visa program has become an easy target. A symbol of job insecurity. A quiet, persistent threat. But after 25 years in the industry, I’ve come to believe something more uncomfortable: The problem isn’t the people. It’s the system. A Lottery That Doesn’t Measure Talent On paper, the H-1B program is elegant. It exists to fill genuine skill gaps bringing in top tier talent when local supply falls short. In practice, it behaves more like a lottery than a filter for excellence. Over the years, I’ve worked with H-1B engineers across the entire spectrum from world-class problem solvers to individuals who struggled with the basics. The variation wasn’t subtle. It was staggering. That alone should raise a red flag. If a program is designed to select top talent, outcomes shouldn’t feel random. When the System Incentivizes Deception I once led a project that required a specific technical skillset. We brought in a contractor through a staffing firm, it was an impeccable resume, flawless interview. Within weeks, it became clear something was wrong. No progress. No deliverables. Just delays wrapped in vague explanations. When pressed, the truth unraveled: the candidate didn’t have the skills listed. Not even close. This wasn’t just an individual failure. It was a structural one. A system that relies on proxies: resumes, outsourced interviews, middlemen, it creates fertile ground for misrepresentation. Not because everyone is dishonest, but because the incentives reward those who bend the truth just enough to get through the gate . The Other Side: Quiet Exploitation But the darker reality isn’t fraud. It’…

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