Patrick Spence, the CEO of Sonos, has stepped down from his position after the company faced significant backlash. The interim CEO stated that this action reflects the sentiment that the company “disappointed far too many customers.”
There has been growing pressure from customers for Spence’s removal following a problematic app launch that led to widespread connectivity issues and malfunctioning features.
Overview of the Sonos situation
Last May, Sonos introduced its first headphones, the Ace, aiming to compete with AirPods Max. In preparation for this launch, the app underwent a major redesign, resulting in the release of a new version shortly before the headphones’ debut.
This transition faced severe backlash. Users were frustrated with the removal of beloved features, while many owners of older Sonos products encountered issues with connectivity and delays. Given Sonos’s reputation for seamless performance—akin to Apple—customer dissatisfaction was only heightened, especially after accessibility features were compromised.
Initially, Sonos dismissed the growing complaints, but Patrick Spence later reached out to customers via email to offer apologies and a timeline for resolving the issues, ultimately making seven commitments.
Nonetheless, the audience was unimpressed, leading to increasing demands for Spence’s termination.
Patrick Spence has left Sonos
Bloomberg confirms that customers have indeed gotten their wish.
After eight years in charge, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has departed, following a failed app overhaul that alienated customers and hindered growth.
Tom Conrad, a board member and former executive at Snap Inc. and Pandora, has been appointed as interim CEO.
In typical corporate fashion, there might be a tendency to create a narrative around Spence’s departure, including handover periods or adjustments. However, that was not the case here; his exit was immediate, with Conrad being forthright about the reasons.
“When it doesn’t work, our customers are taken out of the moment and are right to feel that we’ve let them down,” Conrad expressed about the Sonos user experience in a message to employees. “I think we can all agree that we’ve disappointed far too many people this year.”
Conrad, a co-founder of Pandora and a former VP at Snap, most recently led product development at the unsuccessful Quibi streaming service. The search for a permanent CEO is now underway.
Sonos had already laid off around 100 staff members amid a 13% decline in stock since the app’s launch.
Photo by Jako Janse van Rensburg on Unsplash
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