Probably I wouldn't lay off 20% of my staff at all, unless I was really sailing in stormy waters with no way out. And Flexport isn't: there's been a slight dip in global supply chains caused by the uncertainty in China, but nothing so dramatic nor permanent that you should run and fire 1/5 of your staff - you only do that if something happens like China attacking Taiwan, and you know that for years to come trade won't be the same. It sounds to me like another Silicon Valley company laying off large chunks of their staff because everyone else is doing so: https://news.stanford.edu/2022/12/05/explains-recent-tech-la.... Or maybe because VC funds are suddenly draining for everyone?
And,if I really had to lay off so many people, I'd take a more personal approach. Invite the whole company for a virtual or physical meeting where I explain why I have to do that, why I have no alternatives, and communicate the decisions to the managers, so people can be let go after talking to a human. Not after getting an email out of the blue in their box, in the middle of a working day. This has been impersonal and faceless on so many levels.
The "I would never do X" is a classic response of someone who hasn't had to be there and do that. I suspect if you ever make it to that position, you will reach a point where you either have to do a big layoff - or your company will fold. So it's rather likely that you will fold, and no longer be a CEO.
If you think any of the companies that have done big layoffs needed to do so in order to survive I don't think you are paying attention to their fundamentals.
And,if I really had to lay off so many people, I'd take a more personal approach. Invite the whole company for a virtual or physical meeting where I explain why I have to do that, why I have no alternatives, and communicate the decisions to the managers, so people can be let go after talking to a human. Not after getting an email out of the blue in their box, in the middle of a working day. This has been impersonal and faceless on so many levels.