Evan Williams has stepped down from his role as CEO of Twitter and replaced himself with Dick Costolo, Twitter’s former COO.
In a posting on the official blog:
The challenges of growing an organization so quickly are numerous. Growing big is not success, in itself. Success to us means meeting our potential as a profitable company that can retain its culture and user focus while having a positive impact on the world. This is no small task. I frequently reflect on the type of focus that is required from everyone at Twitter to get us there.
This led to a realization as we launched the new Twitter. I am most satisfied while pushing product direction. Building things is my passion, and I’ve never been more excited or optimistic about what we have to build.
This is why I have decided to ask our COO, Dick Costolo, to become Twitter’s CEO. Starting today, I’ll be completely focused on product strategy.
This follows the recent unveiling of New Twitter and how it can replace users who formerly relied entirely upon third-party apps. Williams co-founded the 140-character service in 2007 and became a red-hot brand at South by Southwest that same year. Williams will remain with the company in a development role.