Photo Credit: Patrick Spence / X (Twitter)
Sonos CEO Patrick Spence is stepping down from the role after a disastrous app launch has left long-time customers grumbling. Sonos announced board member Tom Conrad will steer the company as interim CEO in the meantime.
The saga that started this ouster began back in May when Sonos dropped an overhauled app—with many crucial features missing. Customers took to social media in droves to voice their displeasure, with the r/Sonos subreddit serving as an archive to their ire. Sonos soon released a statement saying it was aiming to have the issues fixed by June, but that timeline came and went.
With customers vowing to buy outside the Sonos ecosystem, Sonos went on a public apology tour to try and win them back. The Sonos Ace headphones were rumored to be the reason the buggy app launched in the first place—but sales numbers for the AirPods Max competitors have been dismal. Long-time customers are too pissed off to buy another Sonos product; and the terrible app brouhaha online overshadowed the new product launch.
Sonos says the board has initiated a search for its next CEO with the assistance of a leading executive search firm and “is committed to identifying a leader who will build on the Sonos legacy of innovation and excellence in serving its customers while also driving profitable growth.”
Meanwhile, interim CEO Tom Conrad took time to address Sonos employees today after the news. In a letter obtained by Digital Music News, Conrad addresses several of the talking points Sonos employees have brought forward over the last few months.
“I’ve heard from many of you about your own frustrations about how far we’ve drifted from our shared ideals,” Conrad says in the letter. “There’s a tremendous amount of work in front of us, including what I’m sure will be some very challenging moments, decisions, and trade-offs, but I’m energized by the passion I see around me for doing right by our customers and getting back to the innovation that is at the heart of Sonos’ incredible history.”
“I think we’ll all agree that this year we’ve let far too many people down. As we’ve seen, getting some important things right (Arc Ultra and Ace are remarkable products!) is just not enough when our customers’ alarms don’t go off, their kids can’t hear their playlist during breakfast, their surrounds don’t fire, or they can’t pause the music in time to answer a buzzing doorbell.”
Conrad’s full letter to employees states that the Sonos board approached him last week about stepping in as interim CEO. He met with the Sonos app team five months ago, “getting to know a wider swath of you personally—and to see firsthand your dedication to setting things right.”