Ask HN: Do you think Mitchell Baker (Mozilla CEO) needs replacing? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Do you think Mitchell Baker (Mozilla CEO) needs replacing?

As we all know, Mozilla recently laid off 250 employees. What is strange is that they still have so many VPs. Add in the difficulty of Firefox adding real market share for Baker's entire time as CEO and questionable focus - WebVR and Pocket - which have not taken off for years and likely still years away.

Her answer to her $2.5 million compensation sounded a bit entitled or aloof for someone heading an open-source project (https://answers.thenextweb.com/s/mitchell-baker-aGY62z).

I'm definitely not a fan as you can tell but wanted to see if others have been thinking this or if there's something I'm missing.

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The problem as I see it is that Mozilla is fundamentally two companies, one relatively small that makes almost all the money (thanks to google) the other rather large that makes basically nothing

Paradoxically, the small cash flush company is a nonprofit, while the larger bankrupt one is for profit.

Worse, the larger for profit company is simultaneously attempting to he a research institute, an advocacy group and a service.

I see no problem with the ceo making a "big" paycheck given the industry and location, but I do have major reservations about the seemingly directionless steering that they and their board have done.

This is not a critique of the individual research project, some of them being great, but just because Google gives you a big wad of cash does not mean you can spend it without a plan, or that you can do "everything"

Really insightful, I didn't even realize any of that.

I really thought both the Foundation and the Corporation were hurting.

I'm assuming the research you refer to is their WebVR thing and I get it but how do they abandon Servo as a core differentiator and then focus on something that is at best years away.

If she were performing, fine, take your $2.5 million but when you let 1/4 of your team go and should have seen it coming, I'm just not so sure it's a justification for management.

They're a browser - or should be - and the internet didn't just up and get quarantined because of the pandemic. To me, it's apparent that they saw the browser as secondary to the other items and it made no sense.

Really interesting analysis, thanks.

If you believe that Mozilla should fundamentally be Firefox (and I am sure many would agree) you will probably be frustrated to learn that Google gives Mozilla about $500 million a year for that and that The Core Firefox team is about 40 people.

All the rest of the formerly 1000 employees do other things on behalf of Mozilla but generate basically no revenue.

I personally place a huge value on some of these "other" projects though such as MDN the absolute best documentation out there for the web.

Yes, bring Brendan Eich back. It was a travesty of justice that he was forced out.

That would be something, wonder if that's even a real possibility.

I wouldn't go back if I were he, but just sayin'...

He is running his own company now.

Something is certainly wrong at Mozilla. However, the same board and community culture that has led to the current staff is the issue. Were Baker fired the next chief executive would continue the path set by her and her predecessor.

I guess I agree with you. Perhaps she could offer to take a pay cut. At least she didn't fire 500 people on a Zoom call like TripActions. Those people have no integrity.

Didn't know about TripActions and letting 500 people go on a Zoom call.

That is just ridiculous in the worst way.

Of course, not necessarily because of the pay but because she is unqualified for the position.

My thought process was something like "How does Mozilla suddenly lose revenue for 250 employees and not see it coming in this environment?"

I understand she has served with other tech companies before and apparently done very well - in a legal capacity. If I'm getting what you're saying, she may be very well positioned for Mozilla's legal issues but technological, likely not.

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