After several intense and incredible years building Bluesky from the ground up, I've decided to step back as CEO and transition to a new role as Bluesky's Chief Innovation Officer.

In 2019, I set out to build an open protocol for social media, with the goal of enabling the development of a new generation of applications designed to empower users. The Bluesky app started off as a reference client for the protocol, but has since grown into a thriving platform with over 40 million users. Last year, we grew a world-class team, expanded the AT Protocol ecosystem, and proved that a values-driven social network could thrive at scale.

As Bluesky matures, the company needs a seasoned operator focused on scaling and execution, while I return to what I do best: building new things. As part of this transition, Toni Schneider, former CEO of Automattic and partner at True Ventures, will join our team as interim CEO, while our board runs a search for a permanent chief executive.

Toni believes deeply in the Bluesky mission, and has been an advisor to the company and me personally for over a year. Both Automattic and True Ventures are also investors in Bluesky, and support the development of a more open, user-driven internet. Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, has built their business on open source software, working to make the web a better and more participatory place. Toni was a key part of guiding that mission, and is someone who leads with genuine curiosity, takes the long view, and deeply understands what it means to build a company around a mission. I am confident that he is the right person to lead us into this next chapter.

Scaling up this company has been a learning experience unlike anything else. I've grown a lot as a leader and had the privilege of assembling the best team I've ever worked with. As we've grown, I've found that people thrive when they're in a role where their passions overlap with their strengths. This is as true for me as it is for our team. I'm most energized by exploring new ideas, bringing a vision to life, and helping people discover their strengths. Transitioning to a more focused role where I can do what brings me energy is my way of putting that belief into practice.

I'm excited to dig into the next frontier of what decentralized social can be, while bringing Toni in to support our team as an experienced operator and leader. The work that got us here was just the beginning, and I'm grateful to keep building alongside this team and community.