Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong. Bloomberg/Getty

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The most at-risk job these days is the one that's just managing other people.

Managers got a stark reminder of how close they are to the endangered species list on Tuesday. Coinbase announced it's cutting 14% of its staff , roughly 700 employees, and singled out managers.

CEO Brian Armstrong's letter to staff had lots of the tell-tale signs of a 2026 layoff announcement : AI, tiny teams, and adapting to a volatile market. (Next time, just use my Mad Libs for AI-driven layoffs .)

Particularly noticeable in Armstrong's vision for Coinbase was the lack of managers. The concept of a "pure manager" will no longer exist at the crypto giant, he said.

"Every leader at Coinbase must also be a strong and active individual contributor.…