A post on micro-blogging platform X has sparked new discussion about staffing at large tech corporations. A senior product executive at X in the post claimed that the platform's core product team had only 30 staffers.
The comment during a public exchange about removal of X's dim mode display setting, drawing quick reactions from users and industry observers. The remarks were made by Nikita Bier, who currently leads product at X.
Responding to a complaint from a user @DCinvestor about changes in the platform's colour themes, Bier wrote: "We don't have the capacity to support more than two colors right now. But feedback noted: we are looking into lightening the black on web."
Reacting to this post, another user @bengold criticised Bier. Responding to which Bier wrote, “Team Size-Meta: 87,000, Microsoft: 221,000, Google: 190,000…X: 30.”
Bier also shared a screenshot of the critic's profile, highlighting that the user had previously worked at Meta, Microsoft, Google and Tumblr. The response surprised many users, who questioned how a global platform could operate with such a small product team.
honestly, 30 engineers shipping global updates vs 87,000 people scheduling meetings about button roundedness is the only stat that matters here.
— Nick Celt (@Nicholascelt) February 12, 2026
not missing colors / we gained energy efficiency.
the 'capacity' isn't missing; it's just being allocated to Intelligence instead of… pic.twitter.com/AiD9zNsXED
Bier later clarified what that number represented, stating: “Engineers, 2 designers, 1.5 product managers and me.”
A user asked whether the number referred to the entire company or only a specific division. Several users reacted questioning how a platform serving millions worldwide could function with such a small core team.
Figures Refers to Core Product Team, says Musk
Following the discussion triggered debate across X, Elon Musk clarified that the 30-member staff figure referred only to the core product team, not the entire company.
There are another 30 or so xAI engineers working on the pure AI-based recommendation system
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 12, 2026
Fresh Attention On X Workforce Reduction
Many users also pointed out about the reduction of workforce, steeply after Musk acquired it in 2022. The company reportedly at that time had about 7,500 employees, which significantly dropped to 1,500.
Since then, the company has continued to introduce product changes, including paid verification, creator monetisation and AI-driven features, while operating with a smaller team structure.
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