- Michael Sayman is a tech prodigy who landed his first job as a teenager and became a go-to employee for companies looking to court Generation Z.
- He joined Twitter just six weeks ago but said he now planned to leave the company.
- Twitter is being acquired by Elon Musk, who launched a hostile takeover of the company shortly after Sayman joined.
Michael Sayman, a tech prodigy who spent the last eight years advising Silicon Valley companies on how to connect with younger users, is leaving Twitter just weeks after joining the company.
Sayman, who is 25, joined Twitter in March as a product manager focused on products and “new ideas” for teens and Gen Z on the platform. in a post mondayhe said, “I think it’s time for me to finally make the leap and build something new.”
He did not elaborate on what project he was heading towards, but added that he is “ready to approach this with the same determination, passion and enthusiasm that I used to help raise my family, to help Instagram launch Stories, to help Duolingo.” to gamify”. A Twitter spokesperson confirmed that Sayman is “no longer with the company.” Sayman did not respond to a request for comment.
—Michael Sayman (@michaelsayman) May 2, 2022
In addition to Facebook-owned Instagram and Capital G, the investment arm of Alphabet where he advised on Duolingo, Sayman has worked at Google and Roblox. They all had roles meant to help an older generation of tech executives and workers understand Gen Z and teenagers. Sayman was first hired by Facebook when he was 18 years old and is largely responsible for Instagram Stories. He posted on Twitter on Monday about using snapchat with Mark Zuckerberg “so I can teach him how to use the app.”
Sayman’s quick departure from Twitter comes at a time of turmoil for the company. Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, will take over from him, a move that many employees have expressed dismay and frustration about in interviews with Insider and in two internal meetings, recordings of which Insider reviewed.
Some employees are already looking to leave the company, Insider previously reported. Others feel trapped as they prepare for layoffs, as much of their compensation is tied up in company stock that won’t be paid out when Musk’s deal closes in late October, as it will to outside shareholders. Instead, they will stick to their four-year award schedule, likely an attempt to avoid a massive outflow of workers, a possibility that Twitter executives have said has been a topic of discussion with the board and Musk.
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