Sonos: An app launch so bad that its CEO has to step down

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence has stepped down following the disastrous launch of a redesigned app.

Spence spent eight good years at the helm, but a recent turbulent year that included the controversial Sonos app revamp was the final nail in the coffin. The launch was so atrocious that it drifted its loyal customers and impacted the company’s growth.

Initially launched back in May 2024, Sonos promised that its new mobile app would rejuvenate its design and bring out the best of new features. But, instead, customers complained that a lot of key features were missing, like sleep timers and alarms, along with slow performance and connectivity issues.

There were attempts to recover from the fall from the grace, though, but it wasn’t enough. Issues with the Sonos app overshadowed the Ace headphones launch and led to layoffs, a costly $20-30 million recovery plan, and a 16% revenue decline.

Tom Conrad, a member of the Sonos board and a former executive at Snap Inc. and Pandora, has been named interim CEO, while Spence will remain an advisor to the board until June 2025 with a $1.9 million severance package.

Conrad is tasked with restoring customer confidence and driving the company forward.

In a memo to employees, as seen by The Verge, Conrad accentuated the importance of “getting back to basics” and pledged to expand Sonos “well beyond” its traditional home speaker market. “We’ve let far too many people down,” he admitted.