Jay Graber, the CEO who built Twitter rival Bluesky into a platform with millions of users, is stepping down from her leadership role. She’s staying at the company but wants to focus on building the technology instead of running the business.
Graber’s decision comes as Bluesky has grown from a small Twitter alternative into a major social media platform. The app gained massive popularity when people started leaving Twitter after Elon Musk’s takeover, with millions of new users joining in recent months.
From CEO to Tech Builder
Graber explained that Bluesky now needs a “seasoned operator focused on scaling and execution” rather than a founder-CEO. She believes the company needs someone with more experience running large businesses as it competes with established giants like Twitter and Threads.
This isn’t unusual in the tech world. Many founder-CEOs step back when their companies get bigger, often because the skills needed to build a product are different from those needed to run a massive company. Graber seems to prefer the creative, technical side over boardrooms and business strategy.
Bluesky hasn’t announced who will replace Graber yet, but they’ll likely look for someone with experience scaling social media companies. The new CEO will need to figure out how to make money from the platform while keeping users happy.
What’s Next
Bluesky will continue growing under new leadership while Graber works on the technical features that make the platform unique. The company is still much smaller than Twitter or Facebook, but it’s becoming a real competitor in social media.