Bluesky CEO Toni Schneider drops interim title

Toni Schneider has officially taken the helm as the permanent CEO of Bluesky, shedding the "interim" title after four months in the role. Schneider, who also serves as a partner at venture capital firm True Ventures, previously founded Automattic, the company behind WordPress and Tumblr.

Schneider announced the transition on his personal blog, expressing his commitment to Bluesky's mission. He indicated that a key focus for his leadership will be the development of "smaller spaces and more private communities," which he believes will spur the next phase of growth and innovation for the platform.

Bluesky, initially a spin-off from Twitter, saw significant user growth following Elon Musk's takeover of the social media giant in 2022. Under the previous leadership of Jay Graber, who transitioned to chief innovation officer in March, the platform reached 43 million users and expanded its underlying AT Protocol technology. However, the platform has recently faced challenges in user retention and engagement, leading to questions about its future growth trajectory.

Schneider acknowledged the challenges ahead, stating, "We're at the very beginning of this story," but expressed enthusiasm for the role.