Gregory's ServerSo, this has been in the works for a while, arguably most of last year. I intend to transfer my personal ownership of the Mastodon trademarks and assets, incl. copyright over my code, to the Mastodon non-profit, and transition to a different role at the organization.
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Mastodon grew beyond any of my expectations. I have always tried to push myself out of my comfort zone and grow to new challenges, but it has taken its toll over time. The past 2 years especially have been overwhelming, and my mental and physical health have taken a dip. I would like to focus on the things about Mastodon that I have passion for, in a new, more product-oriented role, while leaving the business side of things to a new CEO. This is not immediate and will likely occur within the next 2-3 months. I don't have a very high opinion of myself as a CEO, and I always imagine where Mastodon might've been today if I wasn't a massive introvert, but I'd like to think there were redeeming qualities about my run, as well. Overall, it's an opportunity for me to regain some work-life balance, and for Mastodon as an organization to unlock its full potential and avoid some ego- and trademark-related pitfalls that other large open-source projects have recently experienced. @Gargron your leadership has made this place what it is and I hope that the incoming CEO will share the same values and objectives you’ve shared with us. While I know it can only grow if everyone is in the right position, I worry it’ll become a Mozilla situation where too much overhead is put in and the money becomes a larger priority.  @Gargron Thanks a lot, Eugen, for taking this decision (because I think the whole project will grow thanks to that) and for everything you did during past years. Your work and dedication really helped to build what have been somehow a dream for most: a social network entitled with strong human values. Good luck with the rest of your journey!  @Gargron I hope you are successful. As an introvert (and autistic) I find the business side of business hard, and I can’t imagine running something as valuable as Mastodon has become. Well played to get it to this point and to know when to pass it on.  @Gargron Thank you for all the hard work you put into Mastodon, it is very much appreciated by hundreds of thousands. I wish you and your wife all peace and happiness. @Gargron I won't be here today without your work. I , and hope others, will always think of you as the guy who created one of the many fediverse app and was able to stay humble and human. So thank you and I hope you will still hang around . @Gargron Thank you for everything you've done. I'm sure it wasn't an easy choice, but what you've done is deeply thoughtful and wise.  @Gargron You've done us a great service in what you've built and that won't be forgotten. We've seen what happens when engineers burn out, and we've seen what happens when they try to stay in charge too long, and I think you're making a good choice for yourself, and in allowing Mastodon to fly free and develop further.  @Gargron This all seems like a win for everyone. Thanks for your work and continued efforts to help Mastodon live up to its ideals.  @Gargron this seems like a great move, and good time. We become less effective the further we're stretched, especially in directions that are not our strengths. I've been through this, I wish I had learned/admitted it earlier. @Gargron thank you for everything you have done so far and happy that you still will play an important role. And good that you also prioritize balance and health, which is of vital importance for everyone.  @Gargron If all the world's tech CEOs were more like you, the world would be a better place! Hope you find a new CEO who is still a lot like you @Gargron Thank you for the work you have done, shepherding Mastodon to where it is now. @gargron actually, many of this CEOs could use some more thinking about oneself, and maybe some more self-criticism ... I think you're doing the right thing. And I think that you're not one of those people feeling like the masters of the universe helped a lot. The most catastrophal thing with #musk #zuckerberg and co is their really INSANE hubris ....  @Gargron FWIW, I think you did a good job in that role. It’s a thankless role as you become the punching bag - but you kept the train on the tracks. So thank you.  @GossiTheDog @Gargron +1, I think that every potential leader is complex and has pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses. I think you had many strengths and pros, and that they helped get Mastodon and the fediverse where it is today. Thank you.  @Gargron Hope you find the right person to replace you. Driven for sure but with their heart in the right place  @Gargron I've been here full time since 2022, and I'm pretty happy with it and where it's going. Thanks for your huge contribution, I'm optimistic it will turn out well.  @Gargron I think you do yourself a massive disservice. Look what storms Mastodon weathered, look who the ‘opposition’ is, and look where the money sits. Almost every C-suite job is entirely thankless, and I say this from the CISO benches, you’ve been great in the role. A steady hand in uncertain times. People who want to be execs make the worst execs. The unlikely ones make it through the other side still human. So thank you for all you’ve done, and we’re just getting started.  @Gargron Thank for sharing your thoughts! I really wish you'll be in a better position, with this transition, for you to care about what you've been wanting to care about Mastodon! Please let me know if I'd be of any help. With the political changes around the world, it looks to me that Mastodon and other SNS services have become more politicized than they should be.  @Gargron Your role in redefining social media at a crucial time in history will be remembered with affection and admiration. Thank you sincerely for everything you've done. @Gargron Broski, you have done great things and will do so many more great things. This site/app is a huge success and it's not in spite of you it's because of you.  Get well, and thank you for your tremendous work. You are very, very much appreciated, and I think I speak for many when I say 'take your time'. No matter what the reasons are, you deserve a break as much as anyone else. Joy or at least a sense of fulfilment is the drive to continue the work.   @Gargron You've built something that provides a great experience and I hope this change helps Mastodon thrive and create strong communities.  @Gargron It's never easy to do the right thing, and I hope in the long-term you can look back and see how important this decision is. Thank you for doing this and excited for the next phase of your journey!  Thank you. You are an amazing person and we owe you a huge debt of gratitude for your incredible selfless work in creating and running this wonderful social media platform. You have made a very positive difference in the world. You should be very proud.  @Gargron Thanks and empathy. On a human level i'm sure it's been a lot to juggle. Much respect. @Gargron thank you for doing this and all the work you put into the project! I can imagine how difficult it must be to „let go“ of your „baby“ but you managed to build something that is much bigger than you that will always be tied to you in some form! I hope the new role brings you joy and less stress! @Gargron I'll ask, how will this affect users in any way? Will things continue to be accessible? will it be possible to do this while keeping the integrity of this platform whole?  @gocu54 @Gargron You'll find the answers here. https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2025/01/the-people-should-own-the-town-square/    @Gargron there is no question you are doing the right thing. So long as the organization as a whole sticks to the principles it will grow from here. Thanks for everything you’ve done.  @Gargron Appreciate you doing this! I know you get a lot of shit, and those that regularly serve it you probably aren’t even going to acknowledge how difficult a decision this, but you do deserve a lot of credit for it  @Gargron passing the torch and changing roles is always hard. And critical for any project to succeed long term.  @gargron for what it's worth: I for one think this is the right move. It must be incredibly hard to do! but if we're going to move forward…  @Gargron thank you! I understand how hard it is. I trust that good people will take care of it, and that you will still be able to contribute to the future direction. @Gargron   @Gargron    @Gargron You should be proud of both yourself and what Mastodon has come to be. I hope you will find a better balance. Thanks for everything so far!  @Gargron Massive respect Eugen! And thank you for your work. We continue forward together! 🐘 @tinygirl I'm still waiting for the day that transfer of a social media platform, decentralized or not, to someone else, has ever resulted in much good for us as blind/disabled users. Hope this won't make people all run to Bluesky now. I just got comfortable    @Gargron 👏👏👏 Good decision to avoid possibly following the disgraceful path of Jack Dorsey! @Gargron Thank you for creating Mastodon, a platform where I can freely share my views and engage in healthy discussions on a wide range of topics, including disagreements, which is often lacking on larger profit-driven centralized platforms. Your commitment to fostering an open environment allows me to connect without the fear of censorship from a large corporation. I truly appreciate your dedication and the positive impact Mastodon has had on me.  @Gargron@mastodon.social It may be a good idea to also have Mastodon Dot Social, for example, not to use web hosting and CDN services, headquarter in the United States. There is a lot of uncertainty in the United States, and I see no harm in taking precautions to protect yourself.  @Gargron i guess we can't anyhow thank you enough for scraping this environment and being the good person you obviously are, eugen. take a cookie, good person on the internet! 🍪   @Gargron I am truly grateful for all the work you've done to increase the usage of the #ActivityPub protocol. There is no arguing that without your leadership and your dedication, we would not be where we are today. As a society, I believe it is paramount that we take control of the #PublicSquare back to the people in a #Decentralized manner, and #Mastodon has been a MASSIVE push in that direction. Thank you Eugen, I'm glad you exist and I appreciate your work 😃  @Gargron Letting go for the betterment of the whole is hard, but it's also brave and extremely admirable. You could have gone the iron-fisted route, but instead you chose to secure your legacy as a champion of the people. We see the sacrifice and we very much appreciate it.  @Gargron well done. It is never easy to make this kind of decision. It is the right one for the platform and the Fediverse and you will personally feel better for it as well.  @Gargron Thank you for your great work and your generous commitment. And thanks to @PrototypeFund for the early support of your work.  @Gargron Looking forward to this new development. Wishing you the best. We need Mastodon more than ever, especially in these hard times, especially when many platforms are abandoning us.    @Gargron thank you, for this, creating this place on the internet.  @Gargron Thanks for all your work on this and making a hard, but needed, decision for yourself and community.  @Gargron you will always be the person who got us this far, and you will continue to be a positive force in the world. Your leadership is how we are having this conversation, and your leadership now - with you electing to take a new role - is how we will continue to grow under a new structure. The world is a better place because you decided to make a difference, no question. Look after yourself, and thank you for everything you've done so far, and everything you will continue to do. @Gargron You're a beautiful shining 🌟 The best has yet to come!  @Gargron I think that’s very admirable, and speaks well of your values. I hope this change is positive for you and Mastodon both.  @Gargron congratulations on what you've accomplished. I hope your new role allows you a better balance with the project.   @Gargron Internet as a whole is going through hard times nowadays. I wonder if there’s a way to volunteer in the Mastodon community as a UX/UI designer, I really think this model must be protected. I really respect your choice, sending my full support.  @Gargron I've been here for a bit, and while I've not always agreed with the directions taken, I think this must have been one of the hardest and most important steps. Turning mastodon into a proper public square by stepping back a little seems like the best possible choice to allow it to continue to grow without concerns that "one person" could turn it into a twitter, facebook, or bluesky.  you set it up to a nonprofit you didn't have to do that but you did because you have sterling integrity eugen i applaud you thank you 👏 👏 👏  @Gargron I received today a newsletter I subscribe to from Taylor Lorenz talking about a new organization “Free our Feeds” being formed with a similar goal. Are you familiar with it? Will Mastodon be connected in anyway? I freely admit I lack the knowledge to fully understand the technical functioning of Social media let alone assess the merits of all that is available. Please share your thoughts on this venture if you are familiar with it.   @Gargron thank you for your vision, leadership, and this amazing app full of awesome people 🤩 :fediverse:  @Gargron Letting others work and learn to take over that role, in a more distributed fashion, is good for the long-term viability of the software.   @Gargron  @Gargron thank you and congratulations on your transition to a healthier role :underheart: @Gargron consider, perhaps, a #cooperative? Plenty of people here such as @ntnsndr who could be good thought partners. Thank you for being so instrumental in the creation of this space, and for pursuing community over profit. I’m so grateful for it! @Gargron how will this prevent the non-profit from being sold at a later date? I worked at a non-profit that was sold to a for-profit corporation. It was the “last” CEOs typical process. Come in, and sell the company off and take their golden parachute with them. Granted that’s all I know, but it worries me.    @Gargron take care. And thank you for your building. Its a great start. I have seen it growing when not much was going on, but now it is quite active here.  @Gargron Thank you so much for using your vision and talent to make other people’s lives better! Wishing you all the happiness in the world as you transition your role.  @Gargron thank you for your hard work. The community that exists today, the movement and the option of a decentralized social network would never come to existence without you. @Gargron thank you for everything you’ve done and i hope everything goes well @Gargron So grateful for all the energy and time you've put into Mastodon. Wishing you much happiness! @Gargron Congratulations on developing and implementing such an amazing vision for Mastodon. I imagine that it's a bittersweet moment for you, like sending your kids to school on the first day. @Gargron Quite big moves! Thank you for your dedication to Mastodon and for laying the groundwork for a stronger future. Excited to see what’s next for you and the platform!" |
It is not easy, and I feel a lot of conflicting emotions writing about it, because Mastodon is so tightly intertwined with my identity and my sense of self-worth. I dedicated 8 years of my life to this cause that I care deeply about, in a role that you can never disconnect from.