Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Steps Down, Names Veteran VC as Interim Chief

Jay Graber is stepping down as chief executive of Bluesky, the decentralized social platform she shepherded from a Twitter research project into one of the most closely watched alternatives in social media. Venture capitalist Toni Schneider, a former CEO of Automattic and current partner at True Ventures, has been named interim chief executive while the board conducts an early-stage search for a permanent replacement.

Graber will not leave the company. Instead, she transitions into a newly created role, chief innovation officer, built specifically around her strengths: deep focus on Bluesky's technology stack rather than its business operations. The move reflects a deliberate split between the builder who grew the platform and the operator the company now needs to scale it.

"As Bluesky matures, the company needs a seasoned operator focused on scaling and execution, while I return to what I do best: building new things," Graber said.

The framing is candid and unusually self-aware for a CEO transition. Graber, who began her career as a software engineer, has long been described as most animated when discussing Bluesky's underlying technology rather than its revenue streams. The chief innovation officer role formalizes what was arguably always her natural orbit.

Schneider brings operational credibility that directly addresses what Bluesky is signaling it needs. He served as CEO of Automattic, the company behind WordPress, from 2006 to 2014, and stepped back into that role in 2024 when top executive Matt Mullenweg took a sabbatical. He had also previously served as an adviser to Graber and Bluesky's leadership before the board tapped him for the interim position. In a blog post announcing the role, Schneider described his mandate plainly: "to help set up Bluesky's next phase of growth." He will continue working as a partner at True Ventures while serving as interim CEO.

The governance structure at Bluesky gives Graber unusual influence over her own succession. She remains a board member, sitting alongside Jeremie Miller, the founder of Jabber; Kinjal Shah, a crypto-focused venture capitalist; and Mike Masnick, the founder of TechDirt. That board, not Schneider, will appoint the next permanent CEO. Jack Dorsey, the Twitter founder who was an original board member, quit in 2024 and has no role in the process.

The timing carries significance. Bluesky emerged as a genuine force in social media following the turbulence around X, formerly Twitter, attracting users who were seeking an open, federated alternative. That growth period, navigated under Graber, validated the platform's technical architecture. The question now is whether the company can convert that momentum into a sustainable, scaled operation, which is precisely the gap Schneider is being asked to close.

The permanent CEO search is described as being in its early stages, meaning the transition period could extend for months. Graber's continued presence on both the board and the executive team provides continuity, though the company is clearly signaling a shift in priorities: less architectural experimentation at the top, more operational discipline.

Schneider's dual role at True Ventures and Bluesky will draw scrutiny as the search advances, particularly if any investment decisions intersect with the firm's portfolio.