Sonos CEO Patrick Spence steps down after disastrous launch of smart-speaker app

On By Littum

Sonos’ CEO is to leave the company in the wake of a disastrous app launch.

Patrick Spence is stepping down as head of the smart speaker company with immediate effect as it tries to recover from a series of problems.

Last April, Sonos launched a new version of the app 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 “lighter, better and faster”.

But immediately, users complained that the new app had caused major technical problems with Sonos speakers, as well as removing key features. In the eight months since, Sonos’ official forums and Reddit community have been flooded with complaints from customers who say the app has lost its speakers, is slow to load, or hasn’t yet added features that were present in the old version.

Shortly after, in May, Sonos launched the Ace headphones, believed to be the reason the update to the app was rushed to market. However, the launch of these headphones was overshadowed by the problems with the app.

In the months since, Sonos has tried to contain the outrage over the new version of the app. It included an official apology – which some customers felt was overdue – as well as an online question-and-answer session with Mr. Spence.

In August, Mr. Spence investors that it would cost $20-30 million to fix the app, including a plan to win back disappointed customers. Shortly after, he announced that the company would lay off 100 employees, or about 7 percent of its workforce.

So in October, Sonos announced a turnaround plan. It included seven commitments, such as an “unwavering focus on the customer experience” and a pledge to show “humility” when making changes to products.

Now Sonos has announced that Mr. Spence had agreed with his board to resign immediately. Board member Tom Conrad will become Sonos’ interim CEO, and the company has begun searching for a full-time replacement.

Sonos made no further changes to its structure.

Patrick Spence joined Sonos in 2012 as its Chief Commercial Officer. He became its CEO 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 will likely define his time at the helm of the company.