Former Twitter exec reveals Elon Musk’s unpredictable mood swings and ‘fanatical inner circle’.
Former Twitter exec reveals Elon Musk's unpredictable mood swings and 'fanatical inner circle'.
Twitter’s Journey: From Bureaucracy to Musk’s Reign
In a recent video, Esther Crawford, the ex-director of product management at Twitter, offered her insights into the company’s evolution under Elon Musk’s leadership and shared her own experiences during her time there. Having gained fame for posting a photo of herself sleeping on the floor of Twitter HQ in a sleeping bag, Crawford started her journey at Twitter after her social app, Squad, was acquired by the platform in 2020. However, her optimistic outlook quickly turned into a reality check as she experienced the transition from the “siloed and bureaucratic” Twitter to the “brutalist and hard-core” culture of Twitter 2.0 under Musk’s ownership.
An Optimistic Beginning
Esther Crawford initially saw Musk’s ownership of Twitter as an opportunity for the company to be revitalized. She admired Musk for his remarkable track record in building enduring companies like Tesla and SpaceX. Little did she know that working under his stewardship would prove to be a challenge, with Musk’s unpredictability and intense work environment leaving a lasting impact on her daily life.
Musk’s Charms and Management Style
Crawford described Musk as “oddly charming” but noted his lack of empathy and inspirational leadership. She expressed how working at Twitter 2.0 felt like “playing life at Level 10 on Hard Mode.” Being constantly aware that she could be fired without reason significantly impacted both her and her team’s morale. Despite this, she tried her best to support her team members and shed light on their achievements amidst the demanding culture.
Musk’s tendency to swiftly transition from excitement to anger made it difficult for employees to gauge his mood, creating an atmosphere of fear when sharing negative news or being called into meetings. This fear ultimately led to a culture of cherry-picking information, with employees carefully choosing what they relayed to Musk. Crawford believed that this zealous support within Musk’s inner circle hindered honest communication and perpetuated a culture of fear.
Decisions Driven by Instinct
Surprisingly, Crawford discovered that most decisions within Twitter were based on Musk’s gut instinct rather than data or expertise. Despite having valuable institutional knowledge, she found it frustrating that Musk often sought feedback from Twitter polls, friends, or even his biographer rather than relying on the expertise present in the room. This lack of trust in his team puzzled Crawford, as she believed they were best equipped to tackle the problems at hand.
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The Future of X
As Twitter rebrands itself as “X” under Musk’s vision of an “everything app,” the future of the platform remains uncertain. According to Crawford, Musk possesses exceptional problem-solving skills for physics-based challenges but lacks the social-emotional intelligence required to make the product truly thrive. Crawford acknowledges that social networks are difficult to extinguish but are not invulnerable to death spirals. Only time will tell if X can find its footing and deliver innovation that benefits consumers, and despite her disagreements with Musk’s decisions, Crawford remains hopeful for the emergence of something new and groundbreaking.
It is clear that Musk’s takeover has brought significant changes to Twitter, with both positive and negative consequences. While the company’s culture has become more challenging and fear-based, there is still hope that Musk’s vision and ambition will push the platform to new heights. As Twitter transforms into X, the world eagerly awaits the results of this ambitious experiment in social media.
