Moz, 2014
Why did Rand Fishkin step down as CEO of Moz?
The short answer
Rand Fishkin stepped down as Moz CEO in January 2014 during a period of severe depression, handing the role to his COO Sarah Bird and staying on as an individual contributor. He left Moz in 2018 to co-found SparkToro, and has said he often regretted stepping down.
The situation
You turned an SEO consultancy into a software company with tens of millions in revenue and venture money behind it. You're working 70 to 80 hours a week and you're deeply depressed. You're still the CEO.
The options on the table
- Get a coach and keep running it
- Take three months off, then come back
- Step down as CEO and stay on as an employeeWhat they did
- Sell while the company is still worth a lot
What happened
Rand Fishkin stepped down in January 2014, promoted his long-time COO Sarah Bird to CEO, and stayed on as an individual contributor. He left in 2018 to co-found SparkToro. No neat ending, though: he has written that he often regretted stepping down.
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