Who may very well be the CEO of Twitter if Elon Musk resigns

The next is a free preview from final week Command Line, my new weekly e-newsletter on the tech business’s inner dialog:

Elon Musk mentioned he’ll discover a new CEO for Twitter based mostly on customers voted for him to leave. However who would, in his own wordsbe “silly sufficient to take the job”?

It is a query I’ve requested in conversations over the previous week. Primarily based on my checks with individuals within the know, Musk would not seem like conducting an official search but. And given his tendency to lie return in your phrase, they may not attempt to discover somebody. The difficulty is compounded by his declare that even after discovering a CEO, he’ll nonetheless run the “software program and server groups.” That is mainly the entire firm.

For what it is price, I feel Musk will ultimately discover a CEO, not solely as a result of he informed his buyers on Twitter that he would, but in addition as a result of it is the rational factor to do. Under are the names which were offered to me pretty much as good candidates ought to Musk hand over the Twitter reins. (Not together with the apparent members of Musk’s transition workforce who helped him within the early days of the takeover — particularly David Sacks, Jason Calacanis, and Sriram Krishnan — as I’ve learn that they’re unable to simply accept the place if requested.)

Sheryl Sandberg, former Meta COO

Professional: This alternative is probably the obvious alternative, particularly if Musk does what he says and continues to guide engineering at Twitter after naming a brand new CEO. Sandberg has the rep with advertisers and the connections Musk wants to start out fixing Twitter’s spiraling enterprise. And he is a free agent after leaving Meta final 12 months.

Versus: Musk isn’t a fan of Fb and I do not suppose he would perceive. Sandberg additionally appears blissful to deal with philanthropy and household life nowadays.

Emmett Shear, co-founder and CEO of Twitch

Professional: Though Shear wasn’t on my quick listing of doable names till I began asking round, I maintain coming again to the thought. Because the co-founder and present head of Twitch, he efficiently bought a social media firm to a tech big and has the expertise Musk wants for his plan to show Twitter right into a video platform for creators. Additionally, I’ve heard that the Twitch group is in disarray currently.

Versus: He hasn’t run a public firm, and Musk plans to carry Twitter again to the general public markets in a number of years. And Twitch hasn’t been capable of efficiently increase exterior of its core area of interest of gamer stay streams.

Vanessa Pappas, COO of TikTok

Professional: She has the expertise Musk wants, having first helped help YouTube’s early-stage creator program and extra just lately as TikTok’s COO. We have additionally heard whispers that they could be planning an exit from TikTok/ByteDance someday this 12 months.

Cone: If Musk is primarily on the lookout for somebody the large advertisers know to run Twitter, she would not be your best option as a result of she’s targeted totally on merchandise and creators.

Jim Lanzone, CEO of Yahoo

Professional: Lanzone’s background is extra in media and promoting, except for his transient stint as CEO of Tinder. He now runs Yahoo, however he may seize the precise alternative. He has the connections to the promoting neighborhood and operational expertise that Musk may use and the structure to take care of Musk’s shenanigans.

Cone: It is unclear if he’d need to work for Musk and tackle the headache that’s Twitter proper now.

Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram

Professional: When it comes to pedigree and product chops, the Instagram co-founder and former CEO is actually a best choice. He is been quiet since leaving Instagram/Fb in 2018 after clashing with Mark Zuckerberg, although he did present curiosity within the TikTok mannequin of social media — untangling suggestions from the feed of somebody’s social graph — on the podcast to Lex Fridman final 12 months. That is precisely what Musk needs to deal with Twitter as effectively.

Versus: He is already labored for an opinionated founder/CEO, made some huge cash, and possibly would not need to do it over again. It additionally lacks the diploma of affect with the promoting neighborhood that Musk is probably going looking for.

I obtained honorable mentions: Adam Bain, Susan Wojcicki, Sarah Friar, Kayvon Beykpour, and Kevin Weil. Am I lacking another person? Let me know…