Bluesky appoints Toni Schneider as permanent CEO
8 reported
Bluesky has named Toni Schneider as its permanent chief executive, removing the interim label he held for the past four months. Schneider, the founding CEO of Automattic, took over in March after longtime CEO Jay Graber stepped down to become chief innovation officer. In a personal blog post, Schneider stated he is “all in” as Bluesky’s official CEO and outlined plans to create smaller spaces and more private communities. The company, originally spun off from Twitter, grew to 43 million users under Graber and expanded its AT Protocol technology. However, the site has recently struggled to retain or grow its user base, with some questioning whether it is dying amid declines in engagement and community size. Bluesky saw a user surge after Donald Trump’s re-election but has since experienced a drop-off. Schneider acknowledged the challenges, writing, “We’re at the very beginning of this story.”
What’s reported
Toni Schneider has been interim CEO for four months and is now permanent CEO.
Jay Graber stepped down as CEO in March to become chief innovation officer.
Schneider wrote on his personal blog that the interim part of the title is gone.
One of Schneider’s first orders of business is to create smaller spaces and more private communities.
Automattic and True Ventures, where Schneider is a partner, are both investors in Bluesky.
Bluesky grew to 43 million users under Graber and expanded the AT Protocol.
The site has recently struggled to retain or grow its user base, with declines in engagement and community size.
Bluesky saw a sharp rise in users after Donald Trump’s re-election but a drop-off since then.
Key figures
Toni Schneider, Bluesky CEO (formerly interim)
Jay Graber, Bluesky chief innovation officer (formerly CEO)
Sources: TechCrunch
