My take on what broke this once incredible company - poor choices and clouded direction from leadership. Prior to and at the onset of the pandemic, Discord was beginning to gain traction outside of its typical gamer demographic. The valuation skyrocketed and big brand-name companies were pushing HARD to acquire the company. Instead of biting, leadership decided to stay the course. Interesting idea in theory, but it was the beginning of the company's downfall.
From here, Discord lost its charm. Its quirkiness. It's direction. It became solely about profit and gaining more market share and lost its purpose and its incredible culture. The CEO was clearly overwhelmed and losing his grip on the company. He would have frustrated outbursts and he became more and more absent. Instead, handing critical culture-related things like All-Hands to other people in the company. When the CEO talks and is excited, it galvanizes your employees.
From there, he hired a corporate COO, who in essence ran the company. A smart businesswoman who lacked empathy or warmth. Her purpose was to do anything she could to make sure the valuation and non-sale were justifiable. He fired the beloved Chief People Officer, who was the heart-first leader that the employees resonated with. Instead of doubling down on the thing he said he cared the most about, culture and Discord's employees, he appointed the COO as Interim CPO and proceeded to wait nearly a year and a half before beginning to look for a new CPO. The COO eventually left, further leaving the company's culture in confusing shambles; along with its direction. To try and salvage it, he brought back a controversial ex-leader to "infuse the old Discord back into the company." Most people saw this as grasping at straws and tap dancing around the actual problems rather than trying to really lean in and make changes that came through in pulse scores and employee surveys. It was a very "lipstick on a pig" attempt to save his drowning company.
In parallel, numerous layoffs took place. Leaders left. The company's direction shifted a handful of times per quarter and revenue goals continued to not pan out how they'd predicted. Employees were constantly being asked to pivot from one project to another. Which led to burnout, confusion, and a disgruntled workforce hoping that something would pan out and more reinforcements would come. Numerous people are taking sabbaticals to balance the deep burnout they were experiencing.
Discord will eventually go public or get sold and likely make good on its lofty valuation, but the low Glassdoor scores are indicative of where the company has been and where it's headed. It bums me out that these things happened and that the company lost its way. It was special. Emphasis on was.
