Twitter Co-founder Biz Stone Announces his Return to the Company

Let's start this one with a little history. Twitter was first launched way back in 2006, the brainchild of co-founders Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams. Glass, given credit for the platform's name among other contributions, left the company later in 2006, but the others stayed decidedly longer.. Dorsey took on the role of CEO up until his departure in 2008, then again resumed the position in 2015. During that time the role was filled by fellow co-founder Evan Williams before he himself was replaced by Dick Costolo in 2010; Williams remained with the company, but turned his focus instead to product strategy. Stone was present at Twitter for six years before leaving to focus on other ventures, helping to grow the company into the behemoth it is today.

When Dorsey was announced to be returning to the role of CEO, it was seen as the company taking a positive step by going back to the roots of what made it great in the first place. For that reason, its easy to see why Biz Stone's recent announcement of his own return is generating some significant buzz.

Stone made his announcement in a Medium post on May 16, in which he stated, "There’s something about the personality of a company that comes from the folks who start it. There’s a special feeling they bring with them. Jack coming back was a big step forward. And now, it’s my turn—I’m returning to full time work at Twitter starting in a couple of weeks!"

Jack Dorsey & Biz Stone at Twitter HQ in 2006   - Img: Biz Stone/Medium

From that statement, it seems that the return of Dorsey was in fact a major influence in Stone's own decision to go back to the company. This was actually confirmed by the man himself as he recounted the tale of just how Dorsey managed to convince him.

Following the acquisition of his latest project, Jelly, by Pinterest, Stone was all set to take up a "really sweet gig" offered by one of his many business connections. This changed when Dorsey invited him along to a Friday afternoon 'Tea Time', apparently an old tradition at Twitter. Being back among the company he helped create seemed to motivate Stone, as he notes in his post:

"When I stood next to Jack addressing the crowd of employees, I felt the energy, and I was overcome with emotion. I realized in that moment that Twitter was the most important work of my life.

"While we were on stage, Jack asked me to come back to work at Twitter. People cheered. But I wasn’t really sure if he meant it. After Tea Time, we spoke privately and Jack told me that he really did — he wanted me to come back and work at Twitter. The company I co-founded, the service I co-invented. I was stunned, but I knew the answer."

That answer, of course, was a yes.

The next obvious question; what exactly will Stone's role be within the company?

Stone insists that his return will not see him replacing any current team members, rather he is there to fill the "Biz shaped hole" he left. Other than being himself (he mentions his own name a lot towards the close of the post), the details as to his actual job are unclear. As he puts it, he focus will be "to guide the company culture, that energy, that feeling." As to what that truly entails, at this point your guess is likely as good as ours.

Stone closed by saying, "The world needs Twitter, and it's here to stay. I'm so lucky that I get to step back in and help shape the future."

We will try to keep you updated as more details emerge.

Sam Bonson

Sam is an aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. Currently working as Editor of Social Songbird, he hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. Follow him @Songbird_Sam

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