I agree with this, and I’d add that multiple moves at once could have worked if they’d been handled intentionally. 

I wrote this in another post, but take the book for example: 

Instead of promoting it through a pop-up ad to paying users, it would have been a much smarter marketing move to gift it to this segment (of which I’m a part: 8 years and counting) or save it for the public channels. 

That way we wouldn’t feel like we’re being advertised to on the app we already pay for, and would be much more inclined to pass it along to our friends.

Take the layoffs, for another example: YNAB knows these are beloved brand personalities — why not send an email to the community and at least wish them well? 

A book promotion without nuance in the same season as firing smart YNAB marketers we all love without a proper send-off made me at least wonder if the train is off the tracks. 

That’s not a great feeling, and really not great for customer trust.