Bluesky CEO Jay Graber has resigned

Bluesky CEO Jay Graber is stepping down from a senior leadership role and transitioning to a new role as chief technology officer, the company announced Monday.

Graber, who has helped grow the X and Threads races to 43 million users and further development of the AT Protocol, will be replaced by Toni Schneider as interim CEO. Schneider is the former CEO of Automattic and a partner at True Ventures

Both Automattic and True Ventures are money in Bluesky.

In a blog post to announce the change, Graber explained that, as a very mature company, Bluesky needs “a time user who is focused on scaling and execution.” Graber said he felt he was the right fit to develop Bluesky’s own technology.

“I’m really inspired by exploring new ideas, bringing visions, and helping people find their power. Moving into a permanent role where I can do things that empower me is my way of using that belief,” Graber said.

The company said its board is not looking for a new chief executive. Meanwhile, Schneider’s experience with Automattic, which sold open source WordPress technology through WordPress.com, allows him to understand the challenges that come with integrating information technology with the needs of a company to create value.

Under Graber, Bluesky has seen extraordinary growth at times, especially when Elon Musk acquired Twitter, now X, which led to many changes to the platform and the community. Bluesky too struggle and self control story how it grew. Some users expected the company to use a heavy hand, while Bluesky recommended using control tools that the users can control.

Now the company is facing a new challenge: complying with more age verification laws around social media. One such law in Mississippi led to Bluesky’s decision ban the government completely. Other government regulations, such as those in Ohio, South Dakota, and Wyomingthey have forced the company to start age verification. For someone who wants to create a new way of online dating, these series of battles are not very interesting.

In his own blog postSchneider highlighted the company’s growth to more than 40 million users and an ecosystem of more than 500 apps. He said his focus will now be on the next phase of growth, which includes allowing third-party developers to thrive. During this transition, Schneider will remain active in his role at True Ventures as well.

“Bluesky has broken the case that has plagued the industry for years: How to create a social network that has the best of the world. The privacy and ownership that comes from being part of an open network and quickly and easily using what people expect from technology,” wrote Schneider.