: Burnout and slowing growth push Eugen Rochko into an advisory role after nearly a decade in charge

Eugen Rochko, CEO and founder of decentralized social network Mastodon, is stepping down after nearly a decade at the helm and walking away with a sizable exit payment.

“Mastodon grew beyond any of my expectations,” he said. “The past two years especially have been overwhelming, and my mental and physical health have taken a dip.”

Rochko’s move has, by his own admission, been a while coming. In April 2024, the establishment of a US nonprofit was announced with a governing board of directors that included Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. Rochko also announced that his ownership of the trademark and other assets were headed to the nonprofit.

  • James R Kirk@startrek.websiteEnglish
    15·
    3 hours ago

    That Matthew Hodgson quote is good.

    “Unhappy users tend to be disproportionately loud given the issues at stake, and there’s a huge risk of optimizing to appease those who shout loudest in the short-term rather than find medium-term solutions which solve for everyone.”