Enrere

It is not easy, and I feel a lot of conflicting emotions writing about it, because Mastodon is so tightly intertwined with my identity and my sense of self-worth. I dedicated 8 years of my life to this cause that I care deeply about, in a role that you can never disconnect from.

Mastodon grew beyond any of my expectations. I have always tried to push myself out of my comfort zone and grow to new challenges, but it has taken its toll over time. The past 2 years especially have been overwhelming, and my mental and physical health have taken a dip.

I would like to focus on the things about Mastodon that I have passion for, in a new, more product-oriented role, while leaving the business side of things to a new CEO. This is not immediate and will likely occur within the next 2-3 months.

I don't have a very high opinion of myself as a CEO, and I always imagine where Mastodon might've been today if I wasn't a massive introvert, but I'd like to think there were redeeming qualities about my run, as well.

Overall, it's an opportunity for me to regain some work-life balance, and for Mastodon as an organization to unlock its full potential and avoid some ego- and trademark-related pitfalls that other large open-source projects have recently experienced.