So, 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.
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.
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 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!
@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 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 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.
@Gargron Thank you for all the hard work you put into Mastodon, it's is very much appreciated by hundreds of thousands. I wish you and your wife all peace and happiness.
@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.
@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.
Redeeming qualities... Leadership: You've changed the social media playing field for the better. With the personal growth, you're ready to focus on your passion and core strengths to lead further development of Mastodon products. Wise to pass the CEO baton to someone who can manage Mastodon's business size and growth bumps.
@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 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 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 Eugen, I appreciate you and all the hard work you have done to make Mastodon a success, and look forward to your contributions in your new role. Mastodon should never have competitors, only collaborators, and I hope it will always stay that way.
@Gargron thank you, for this creating this place on the internet. Just today Mastodon was mentioned in a report on @swr3 as an alternative to X along with Bluesky - and what the report pointed out was Mastodon's respect for user privacy and its protection. I am not here for a long time but I wish I had been sooner, so thank you again, for what you've created with Mastodon
@Gargron "I don't have a very high opinion of myself as a CEO" Honestly this makes you better than 99% of CEOs but stepping aside and forming the entity was absolutely a good move and I hope it gives you a much-needed break.
@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.
@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 I believe it is very much what you saw as a weakness which was the redeeming factor. Only history will tell whether an extrovert type is better in a capitalistic system that is designed to push all their wrong buttons. I hope the new CEO has half as much self-awareness as you do. And congrats on an amazing run, you certainly gave me a space when I left Twitter in 2022, a segway into the Fediverse.
@Gargron Keep a large stake of the copyright in your control, to prevent someone deciding it's better to relicense without your consent! Give away a portion if you want that org to do enforcement on your behalf. But they don't need 100%.
@Gargron thanks a lot - for your time as a ceo and for taking the decision and for talking about it (I can only imagine howh hard this is but it's also such an important example of how to handle things well!).
@Gargron Thank you! Are you already all set in terms of professional help to handle the legal setup of the new non-profit as well as the tax implications in Germany for you personally? Or does it help to recommend people we know to have previous experience on similar non-profit matters?
@Gargron, I'm a latecomer to all this, but man, oh man, do I love it here. You have had a hand in building something special that I feel most fortunate to partake in.
@Gargron Just make sure your effort doesn't go to waste by placing it in the hands of an organization that becomes parasitic with its management squatting on your hard work. Organizations like ARRL used to serve their members but now just collect membership fees. Don't depend on being a BDFL either. Set terms in the charter of how the Mastodon trademarks may be used.
@Steve@ntnsndr I appreciate your perspective. And, the announcement post and reporting say the team is still exploring exact legal entity and structural options, which is why I felt it was an important moment to bring up the #cooperative model as an option.
@heybenji@ntnsndr By the time the news becomes public, it's too late to change it. The way to get people to consider creating co-ops is to plant the idea in their heads well before they're even considering a major change.
It's not too late to have more new or converted co-op instances, though!
@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.