Sonos CEO Resigns After Eight Years Amid Ongoing Criticism of App Redesign and Revenue Decline

Patrick Spence, the former CEO of Sonos, aimed to enhance the user experience through a series of changes to the company’s app. However, the outcomes were starkly contrary, leading to a myriad of issues and the elimination of key features—movements that sparked widespread discontent among users. This backlash ultimately culminated in Spence’s resignation after an eight-year tenure at the helm of the company. Given the avalanche of negative feedback surrounding the app, reverting it to its original version might have been a judicious move, yet such a step would likely not have salvaged Sonos’s tarnished reputation.

A Troubled App Update: Technical Glitches and Feature Removals

According to a report from Bloomberg, Tim Conrad has stepped in as the interim CEO. Conrad comes from notable backgrounds at Snap and Pandora. The intention behind the app update was to modernize its interface and enhance compatibility with the Sonos Ace, the company’s inaugural premium headphones designed to rival Apple’s AirPods Max. Regrettably, these aspirations backfired severely.

The updated Sonos app faced significant challenges, including persistent software bugs and the removal of user-friendly features—such as sleep timers and alarms. Users also reported major connectivity and performance issues, with many older Sonos products becoming practically unusable post-update. Following these setbacks, Sonos experienced a considerable 14% revenue decline in fiscal Q4 2024, and analysts predict an additional 15% drop during the critical holiday quarter as detailed by MacRumors.

In an effort to rectify these missteps, Sonos began restoring the previously removed features while addressing various software bugs. Despite having issued an apology, the challenges did not cease. The company faced internal difficulties that delayed new product launches and led to a significant layoff of around 100 employees in August 2024. In a communication to staff, the interim CEO emphasized the importance of returning to the fundamentals and expressed a desire to diversify beyond the home speaker market.

For more comprehensive information, refer to the source: Bloomberg and Wccftech.