Fired by Google for creating the Google workspace CLI
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Fired Googler says his Workspace CLI disrupted internal projects and leadership feared agents.
Justin Poehnelt was fired from Google after creating a Google Workspace CLI that hit #1 on Hacker News and gained thousands of GitHub stars and users. He believes the cause was that Workspace leaders feared disruption from agents, not specifically from his CLI. The irony: Google announced an official Workspace CLI at Cloud Next two days before his termination. Poehnelt spent nearly 7 years at Google and says his manager fully supported him through the process.
What commenters are saying
The thread is sharply split. One camp sympathizes with Poehnelt, seeing the firing as evidence of Google's shift from 20% time culture to MBA-driven bureaucracy that punishes useful side projects. The other camp argues he violated clear OSS release policies by using Google branding and logos without going through the approval process. Several commenters note the policy was always clear, while others point out many Google repos carry the 'not an official product' disclaimer. Some ask directly whether he obtained proper approvals, which he has not confirmed.