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Getting into a position like this (and keeping it!) requires an extreme amount of dedication and sacrifice. People who are willing to go to such lengths are unl

Getting into a position like this (and keeping it!) requires an extreme amount of dedication and sacrifice. People who are willing to go to such lengths are unlikely to be the kind of person to give up all that for their child. Additionally, you rarely hear the actual reason for someone quitting from a position like this; there will nearly always be a nice cover story. Being honest this time around, especially given the actual problems the company has, seems unlikely. I'm not saying the child was no factor, but intuitively it seems quite unlikely that this is the full story.

whatshisface 4y ago
They don't have to say why.
ticviking 4y ago
But a firstborn is a good way for everybody involved to save face
ericd 4y ago
I don't know why you'd say that, for a lot of people, the birth of their first child changes their priorities very fundamentally, especially if they have the luxury of being able to do so. Like, for example, if they had sold their company to Amazon for a literal dump truck of money. I just calculated it, it went for about 11 tons of $100 bills (the capacity of a large dump truck is about 14 tons, apparently, 7 for some smaller ones). I don't know Emmett, but if he was totally set in terms of wealth, and if the main thing keeping him there was because it was satisfying work, well, then he could quite reasonably decide that doing something less demanding so that he could have the spare time and energy to be a very good father to his child might be more satisfying. That's certainly the decision I'd make.
- teachrdan 4y ago
  > for a lot of people, the birth of their first child changes their priorities CEOs are not a lot of people. By definition they are extremely few in number, and those who become CEOs of top companies have a perhaps pathological drive to get there. For someone like that, an entirely predictable event -- like the birth of a child -- is the last thing that would make them sacrifice the position they've worked so hard for. Now would I quit my job for $100 million? Absolutely! But maybe that just means I'm most people...
  - adamwk 4y ago
    He’s been at twitch since 2006. How many founders stay that long? Mark Zuckerberg I guess? I just don’t think the numbers back up your premise that being a CEO of a top company requires a pathological drive to stay there until death
  - ryandrake 4y ago
    I honestly don't understand the mentality that drives someone to keep working after they've made, say, $100 million. Maybe that's why we're all not that person. Even if you're the most single-minded, driven person ever, once you get that much wealth you've pretty much won the game. You did it, you're done. The show's over. It's like continuing to play your Civilization game for "Just... One... More... Turn..." after you defeated everyone and you're the only civ left.
    - tmpz22 4y ago
      I imagine the work gets less stressful when you have FU money. As a CEO you're delegating a lot of the day to day work, and as a subsidiary of Amazon they're probably giving a lot of the macro direction. So you get into the office (maybe) at 10am (maybe), reading some emails, firing off some responses, maybe taking a call or two. Then a ritzy lunch for an hour. Coming back to some more emails and meetings. Some days you will be putting out fires all day. But the more mature the company is the less you have to do that. After 15+ years the company should have a mature executive team that can handle all but the biggest fires by themselves.
    - Sebb767 4y ago
      > I honestly don't understand the mentality that drives someone to keep working after they've made, say, $100 million. Most people reading this site are in the 1% of the world and could easily retire to a lower cost of living area right now or after a few years of saving. They usually don't: Firstly, because the drive that gets you to earn that kind of money also keeps you going. If you're used to and can handle 80 hour weeks, going to 0 is likely to make you feel unfulfilled quite fast (which is also why I don't fully buy the child story). Secondly, you always judge yourself in regards your friend group, and usually quite badly. This might seem absurd to us, but they might be looking at their friends with private jets, yachts and paintings valued more than their total net worth and not feel like they are at the top. There are exception, of course, but I doubt you'll find many of them in the extreme environments at the top of the business hierarchy.
garciasn 4y ago
Definitely not when it's "effective immediately".
- ericd 4y ago
  The person who's stepping into his spot has been President for three years, and has been attaching his name to public communications/policy, this doesn't seem like a rushed replacement.
arlcode 4y ago
I don't disagree, but quitting from a position is certainly a sacrifice. I'm certain it happens once in a while when someone has a personal realization and decides to change their life's trajectory fundamentally. Maybe their own (role model) parents died and they discovered that time with your children cannot be substituted with gifts and money. Now in this case it's unlikely given Twitch problems but sometimes important humans are just humans.

whatshisface 4y ago

They don't have to say why.

ticviking 4y ago

But a firstborn is a good way for everybody involved to save face

ericd 4y ago

I don't know why you'd say that, for a lot of people, the birth of their first child changes their priorities very fundamentally, especially if they have the luxury of being able to do so. Like, for example, if they had sold their company to Amazon for a literal dump truck of money. I just calculated it, it went for about 11 tons of $100 bills (the capacity of a large dump truck is about 14 tons, apparently, 7 for some smaller ones). I don't know Emmett, but if he was totally set in terms of wealth, and if the main thing keeping him there was because it was satisfying work, well, then he could quite reasonably decide that doing something less demanding so that he could have the spare time and energy to be a very good father to his child might be more satisfying. That's certainly the decision I'd make.

teachrdan 4y ago
> for a lot of people, the birth of their first child changes their priorities CEOs are not a lot of people. By definition they are extremely few in number, and those who become CEOs of top companies have a perhaps pathological drive to get there. For someone like that, an entirely predictable event -- like the birth of a child -- is the last thing that would make them sacrifice the position they've worked so hard for. Now would I quit my job for $100 million? Absolutely! But maybe that just means I'm most people...
- adamwk 4y ago
  He’s been at twitch since 2006. How many founders stay that long? Mark Zuckerberg I guess? I just don’t think the numbers back up your premise that being a CEO of a top company requires a pathological drive to stay there until death
- ryandrake 4y ago
  I honestly don't understand the mentality that drives someone to keep working after they've made, say, $100 million. Maybe that's why we're all not that person. Even if you're the most single-minded, driven person ever, once you get that much wealth you've pretty much won the game. You did it, you're done. The show's over. It's like continuing to play your Civilization game for "Just... One... More... Turn..." after you defeated everyone and you're the only civ left.
  - tmpz22 4y ago
    I imagine the work gets less stressful when you have FU money. As a CEO you're delegating a lot of the day to day work, and as a subsidiary of Amazon they're probably giving a lot of the macro direction. So you get into the office (maybe) at 10am (maybe), reading some emails, firing off some responses, maybe taking a call or two. Then a ritzy lunch for an hour. Coming back to some more emails and meetings. Some days you will be putting out fires all day. But the more mature the company is the less you have to do that. After 15+ years the company should have a mature executive team that can handle all but the biggest fires by themselves.
  - Sebb767 4y ago
    > I honestly don't understand the mentality that drives someone to keep working after they've made, say, $100 million. Most people reading this site are in the 1% of the world and could easily retire to a lower cost of living area right now or after a few years of saving. They usually don't: Firstly, because the drive that gets you to earn that kind of money also keeps you going. If you're used to and can handle 80 hour weeks, going to 0 is likely to make you feel unfulfilled quite fast (which is also why I don't fully buy the child story). Secondly, you always judge yourself in regards your friend group, and usually quite badly. This might seem absurd to us, but they might be looking at their friends with private jets, yachts and paintings valued more than their total net worth and not feel like they are at the top. There are exception, of course, but I doubt you'll find many of them in the extreme environments at the top of the business hierarchy.

garciasn 4y ago

Definitely not when it's "effective immediately".

ericd 4y ago
The person who's stepping into his spot has been President for three years, and has been attaching his name to public communications/policy, this doesn't seem like a rushed replacement.

arlcode 4y ago

I don't disagree, but quitting from a position is certainly a sacrifice. I'm certain it happens once in a while when someone has a personal realization and decides to change their life's trajectory fundamentally. Maybe their own (role model) parents died and they discovered that time with your children cannot be substituted with gifts and money. Now in this case it's unlikely given Twitch problems but sometimes important humans are just humans.