Sonos CEO Steps Down as Company Struggles with App Revamp and Customer Frustration

Summary of Sonos CEO Departure

Sonos, the renowned audio technology company, has seen a significant change in leadership with the departure of its long-standing CEO, Patrick Spence, following a series of customer complaints and operational issues. The primary catalyst for his exit was the failed launch of a new app in May 2024, which introduced connectivity problems and removed popular features, particularly affecting older Sonos devices. This move by the company not only frustrated customers but also broke accessibility functionalities, leading to widespread dissatisfaction.

Despite Spence's efforts to address the issues with apologies and a timeline for fixes, including seven promises to improve the situation, customer discontent continued to mount, culminating in calls for his resignation. In response, Sonos has appointed Tom Conrad, a seasoned technology executive with experience at Pandora and Snap Inc., as interim CEO. Conrad candidly acknowledged the company's shortcomings and emphasized the need to regain customer trust.

The company also recently downsized by letting go of approximately 100 employees and experienced a 13% drop in its stock price following the app launch debacle.