I'm a former Amazon VP who once laid off a third of a startup I had helped build. Here's what I learned about handling layoffs.

• Ethan Evans is a retired Amazon VP who invented products like Prime Video and Prime Gaming.
• Evans says he once conducted layoffs at a startup, and then was laid off himself.
• He gives a 4-part framework on how to successfully (and humanely) oversee layoffs.

I once laid off one-third of the startup I had just helped to build. I was the Vice President of Operations and owned a range of functions, including human resources and recruiting.

As a shrinking startup no longer needs to recruit, I administered the layoff as my last act and was laid off, in turn, the next day.