4 ms·

No, it's not just you...I'd say Twitter is a sick little bird right now. It's one thing to be CEO of two companies that are doing well, with a well-established

No, it's not just you...I'd say Twitter is a sick little bird right now. It's one thing to be CEO of two companies that are doing well, with a well-established strategy and strong teams of A-grade players that are executing well. What I don't understand is how Jack Dorsey could believe he could successfully manage two companies, Square and Twitter, at the same time at such critical points in their growth. I just shake my head at the unbridled hubris and over-estimation of one's own abilities that one must have to make this decision. It's very frustrating, because I believe both companies could be so much greater at what they do; they've just touched the tip of the iceberg. It's hard enough to turn around one company successfully. But even if Dorsey is successful in the end, splitting 50% of your time somewhere else is a needless way to slim down your odds, kind of like smoking a pack of Marlboros a day and hoping to make it to 100. It happens, but that doesn't make it a good idea. Or to paraphrase from elsewhere: "It could be that the purpose of Dorsey's career is to serve as a warning for others." https://despair.com/products/mistakes https://despair.com/products/mistakes

rpeden 10y ago
The book Hatching Twitter doesn't speak too highly of Dorsey, his attitude, and the way he conducts himself. Having said that, I can't speak to how accurate it is. I don't know him, not do I know anyone who knows him. Like many books, it probably has its own angle/spin on the events it describes, even if the author was trying to be unbiased. Keeping that in mind, it's still an interesting read. Can anyone suggest other books, articles, or blog posts that discuss Twitter's history?
- throwaway_birdy 10y ago
  I worked at Twitter during both of his "comebacks." He's a clown.
  - serg_chernata 10y ago
    I'm very curious, can you explain in what ways? Examples?
    - randycupertino 10y ago
      All you need to do is watch Dorsey's girlfriend's instagram to know what he prioritizes- fashion shows, parties, scenesters, film festivals, music festivals, art basel, jet setting, oversharing... with all the shooting stars, gallery openings, rooftop parties etc he's making appearances at it's doubtful there's much CEOing of one let alone two companies going on.
      - salamisultan 10y ago
        He's a little faggot bitch
- TheOneTrueKyle 10y ago
  Biz Stone's Things a Little Bird Told Me gives the perspective of twitter from Stone himself. I thought hatching twitter was the most informative however.
- redwood 10y ago
  Next
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
thesimpsons1022 10y ago
do you have the same opinion of Musk?
- walkingolof 10y ago
  Gwynne Shotwell is the CEO of SpaceX.....
  - robinson7d 10y ago
    She appears to be President and COO; Musk is CEO and CTO.
- antiviral 10y ago
  I'm undecided on Musk. As I alluded to in my second paragraph, I think it depends on whether you've got a team and a plan that's working out. Specifically: First, it does seem that Musk has had a plan for at least two of those companies: Solar City and Tesla. It could still fail, but at least there is some plan and soon they will be one company. Second, I think my opinion would also depend on the bench strength of the rest of the company's team as well the other leadership. Basically, these will be the people who will be there to make the important decisions and make sure your company hits its results while you are working on your other company(s). I haven't learned enough about Musk's team to have an opinion on that yet. Finally, there is the question of the overall company vision/mission. I would say that Twitter's mission is under siege and in need of revisiting, far more than Musk's companies. This is can be confirmed by Twitter's consistently poor user growth numbers and feckless monetization efforts.
- Eridrus 10y ago
  The Musk biography made it seem like SpaceX & Tesla only survived by the skin of their teeth and he was considering pulling the plug on one to save the other. I'm sure we're all happy they didn't fail, but he didn't increase the chance of success with that move. Unlike Tesla/SpaceX at the time, Twitter is rolling in money and can afford to get almost anyone they want.
- rch 10y ago
  Musk isn't perfect, but he is a great engineer. You should only need to listen to him talk for a few minutes to know he's on a different level.
twblalock 10y ago
> What I don't understand is how Jack Dorsey could believe he could successfully manage two companies, Square and Twitter, at the same time at such critical points in their growth. I just shake my head at the unbridled hubris and over-estimation of one's own abilities that one must have to make this decision. Blame the board, too. They are the ones who decided to approve the hiring of a CEO who wanted to keep his other full-time CEO job. If Twitter fails, the board will be just as much to blame as Dorsey. I'd be pretty unhappy about this if I were a shareholder. I don't care that Dorsey was a founder. It's just not responsible for a board to hire a CEO who isn't dedicated 100% to the company.
mathattack 10y ago
What I don't understand is how Jack Dorsey could believe he could successfully manage two companies, Square and Twitter, at the same time at such critical points in their growth. I just shake my head at the unbridled hubris and over-estimation of one's own abilities that one must have to make this decision. It's very frustrating, because I believe both companies could be so much greater at what they do; they've just touched the tip of the iceberg. The gentle explanation: He's an external figurehead, and he has 3 rock star execs supporting him, each of whom has CEO-level capabilities. (Noto, Bain and Kordestani) The less gentle explanation: If you think you're the second coming of Steve Jobs, part of securing your legacy is starting a company simultaneous to turning around your old company. It ain't easy being Steve Jobs! Either way, it doesn't look like it's going to end well.
- Kalium 10y ago
  > The less gentle explanation: If you think you're the second coming of Steve Jobs, part of securing your legacy is starting a company simultaneous to turning around your old company. It ain't easy being Steve Jobs! Wait, does this mean Twitter is going to buy Square?
  - mathattack 10y ago
    If I knew that answer I could stop working. :-)
  - btian 10y ago
    Did Apple buy Pixar?
    - frivoal 10y ago
      It bought NeXT.
pg_is_a_butt 10y ago
yeah... twitter could be so much greater... like completely getting out of the way with their re-ordering of timelines, and letting people use more than 140 characters. maybe they could let people post pictures of themselves using filters, or post their favorite recipes! you're all idiots.

rpeden 10y ago

The book Hatching Twitter doesn't speak too highly of Dorsey, his attitude, and the way he conducts himself. Having said that, I can't speak to how accurate it is. I don't know him, not do I know anyone who knows him. Like many books, it probably has its own angle/spin on the events it describes, even if the author was trying to be unbiased. Keeping that in mind, it's still an interesting read. Can anyone suggest other books, articles, or blog posts that discuss Twitter's history?

throwaway_birdy 10y ago
I worked at Twitter during both of his "comebacks." He's a clown.
- serg_chernata 10y ago
  I'm very curious, can you explain in what ways? Examples?
  - randycupertino 10y ago
    All you need to do is watch Dorsey's girlfriend's instagram to know what he prioritizes- fashion shows, parties, scenesters, film festivals, music festivals, art basel, jet setting, oversharing... with all the shooting stars, gallery openings, rooftop parties etc he's making appearances at it's doubtful there's much CEOing of one let alone two companies going on.
    - salamisultan 10y ago
      He's a little faggot bitch
TheOneTrueKyle 10y ago
Biz Stone's Things a Little Bird Told Me gives the perspective of twitter from Stone himself. I thought hatching twitter was the most informative however.
redwood 10y ago
Next
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

thesimpsons1022 10y ago

do you have the same opinion of Musk?

walkingolof 10y ago
Gwynne Shotwell is the CEO of SpaceX.....
- robinson7d 10y ago
  She appears to be President and COO; Musk is CEO and CTO.
antiviral 10y ago
I'm undecided on Musk. As I alluded to in my second paragraph, I think it depends on whether you've got a team and a plan that's working out. Specifically: First, it does seem that Musk has had a plan for at least two of those companies: Solar City and Tesla. It could still fail, but at least there is some plan and soon they will be one company. Second, I think my opinion would also depend on the bench strength of the rest of the company's team as well the other leadership. Basically, these will be the people who will be there to make the important decisions and make sure your company hits its results while you are working on your other company(s). I haven't learned enough about Musk's team to have an opinion on that yet. Finally, there is the question of the overall company vision/mission. I would say that Twitter's mission is under siege and in need of revisiting, far more than Musk's companies. This is can be confirmed by Twitter's consistently poor user growth numbers and feckless monetization efforts.
Eridrus 10y ago
The Musk biography made it seem like SpaceX & Tesla only survived by the skin of their teeth and he was considering pulling the plug on one to save the other. I'm sure we're all happy they didn't fail, but he didn't increase the chance of success with that move. Unlike Tesla/SpaceX at the time, Twitter is rolling in money and can afford to get almost anyone they want.
rch 10y ago
Musk isn't perfect, but he is a great engineer. You should only need to listen to him talk for a few minutes to know he's on a different level.

twblalock 10y ago

> What I don't understand is how Jack Dorsey could believe he could successfully manage two companies, Square and Twitter, at the same time at such critical points in their growth. I just shake my head at the unbridled hubris and over-estimation of one's own abilities that one must have to make this decision. Blame the board, too. They are the ones who decided to approve the hiring of a CEO who wanted to keep his other full-time CEO job. If Twitter fails, the board will be just as much to blame as Dorsey. I'd be pretty unhappy about this if I were a shareholder. I don't care that Dorsey was a founder. It's just not responsible for a board to hire a CEO who isn't dedicated 100% to the company.

mathattack 10y ago

What I don't understand is how Jack Dorsey could believe he could successfully manage two companies, Square and Twitter, at the same time at such critical points in their growth. I just shake my head at the unbridled hubris and over-estimation of one's own abilities that one must have to make this decision. It's very frustrating, because I believe both companies could be so much greater at what they do; they've just touched the tip of the iceberg. The gentle explanation: He's an external figurehead, and he has 3 rock star execs supporting him, each of whom has CEO-level capabilities. (Noto, Bain and Kordestani) The less gentle explanation: If you think you're the second coming of Steve Jobs, part of securing your legacy is starting a company simultaneous to turning around your old company. It ain't easy being Steve Jobs! Either way, it doesn't look like it's going to end well.

Kalium 10y ago
> The less gentle explanation: If you think you're the second coming of Steve Jobs, part of securing your legacy is starting a company simultaneous to turning around your old company. It ain't easy being Steve Jobs! Wait, does this mean Twitter is going to buy Square?
- mathattack 10y ago
  If I knew that answer I could stop working. :-)
- btian 10y ago
  Did Apple buy Pixar?
  - frivoal 10y ago
    It bought NeXT.

pg_is_a_butt 10y ago

yeah... twitter could be so much greater... like completely getting out of the way with their re-ordering of timelines, and letting people use more than 140 characters. maybe they could let people post pictures of themselves using filters, or post their favorite recipes! you're all idiots.