Sonos’s chief executive is to leave the company in the wake of a disastrous app launch.
Patrick Spence will step down immediately as the leader of the smart speaker company, as it attempts to recover from a run of problems.
Last April, Sonos launched a new version of the app that is used to control its smart speakers. Mr Spence said at the time that the new app came with a complete redesign that would allow it to be “easier, better and faster”.
But straight away users complained that the new app had caused major technical issues with Sonos speakers, as well as removing key features. In the eight months since, Sonos’s official forums and Reddit community have been filled with complaints from customers who say that the app has lost its speakers, is slow to load, or is yet to add back features that were present in the old version.
Soon after that, in May, Sonos launched the Ace headphones that are thought to be the reason the update to the app was rushed to market. The launch of those headphones was overshadowed by the problems with the app, however.
In the months since, Sonos has attempted to stem the outrage about the new version of the app. That included an official apology – which some customers viewed as coming too late – as well as an online question and answer session with Mr Spence.
In August, Mr Spence told investors that it would cost $20 million to $30 million to fix the app, including a plan to win disappointed customers back around. Soon after that, he announced that the company would lay off 100 employees, or roughly 7 per cent of its workforce.
Then, in October, Sonos published a turnaround plan. That included seven commitments, such as an “unwavering focus on the customer experience” and a promise to show “humility” when making changes to products.
Now, Sonos has announced that Mr Spence had agreed with its board to step down straight away. Board member Tom Conrad will becomes Sonos’s interim chief executive, and the company has started searching for a full-time replacement.
Sonos did not make any further changes to its structure.
Patrick Spence joined Sonos in 2012, as its chief commercial officer. He became its chief executive in 2017, when its founder John MacFarlane stepped down.
Since then, Sonos has released a number of new products – including the Arc Ultra, late last year. But the disastrous app launch and the outrage that followed it is likely to define his time at the head of the company.
