Bluesky begins CEO search after Jay Graber announces step down

Bluesky, the decentralised social media platform positioned as an alternative to X, has begun searching for a new chief executive after its current CEO Jay Graber announced she will step down from the role.

Venture capitalist Toni Schneider will serve as interim chief executive while the board searches for a permanent successor, according to reporting by WIRED.

Graber said the leadership change reflects Bluesky’s next phase as the platform moves from early growth into a period focused on scaling operations.

“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,” she said in a statement reported by WIRED.

Leadership shift at a pivotal stage

Graber has led Bluesky since 2021, when the platform spun out of Twitter as an independent company. She first joined the project in 2019, when it began as a research initiative within Twitter to develop a decentralised social networking framework.

Under her leadership, Bluesky evolved from an experimental project into a growing social media platform competing with established networks.

The company has attracted users seeking alternatives to Elon Musk’s X, particularly after shifts in the platform’s moderation policies and political positioning.

According to Bluesky’s transparency report, cited by WIRED, the platform expanded from roughly 25 million users to more than 40 million in 2025.

Despite that growth, Bluesky remains significantly smaller than rivals. Meta’s Threads platform has around 400 million users, nearly ten times Bluesky’s user base.

Interim CEO tasked with scaling

Schneider, a partner at venture capital firm True Ventures, will oversee Bluesky during the transition while continuing in his venture capital role.

He previously served as chief executive of Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, from 2006 to 2014. Schneider also briefly returned as Automattic’s CEO in 2024 while its top executive Matt Mullenweg took a sabbatical.

Schneider told WIRED his focus will be helping Bluesky move into its next stage of growth.

His goal, he said, is to help the platform “become not just the best open social app, but the foundation for a whole new generation of user-owned networks”.

In a separate statement, Schneider described his role as helping prepare Bluesky for “its next phase of growth”.

Graber moves to innovation role

Graber will remain involved in the company as chief innovation officer, a new position created specifically for her.

The role will allow her to concentrate on Bluesky’s technical architecture and product development rather than day-to-day operations.

Graber began her career as a software engineer and has often emphasised the technological foundations behind Bluesky’s decentralised network.

The company’s board will oversee the search for a permanent chief executive. According to WIRED, board members include Jabber founder Jeremie Miller, venture capitalist Kinjal Shah, TechDirt founder Mike Masnick and Graber herself.

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey was previously a board member but stepped down in 2024.

A test for decentralised social media

The leadership transition comes at a critical moment for Bluesky as it seeks to expand beyond a niche user base while maintaining its open-network philosophy.

The platform has gained attention for promoting decentralised social media infrastructure that allows users more control over their data and identity.

However, it still faces significant challenges competing with larger platforms and convincing institutions and mainstream users to adopt its network.

Industry observers say Bluesky’s next chief executive will need to balance technical innovation with the operational demands of scaling a global platform.

For now, Schneider’s interim leadership and the board’s search for a permanent successor will shape the company’s strategy as it attempts to convert early momentum into sustained growth in the crowded social media market.