Yancey Strickler, the co-founder who had led Kickstarter as chief executive since 2014, announced in 2017 that he was stepping down from the role. He moved to chairman of the board, ending his direct management of the business he helped create in 2009. The transition was not immediate. Aziz Hasan was named Kickstarter's new CEO in 2019, after serving on an interim basis. The gap between Strickler's announcement and Hasan's appointment stretched nearly two years, a period during which the board managed day-to-day operations.
Strickler co-founded Kickstarter in Brooklyn, New York, with Perry Chen and Charles Adler in 2009. By 2017 the platform had facilitated more than $3 billion in pledges to creative work. Strickler took over as CEO from Chen in 2014. The organization reincorporated as a public benefit corporation in September 2015, a legal structure that required it to weigh the impact of its decisions on society, not just shareholders. Strickler had been a vocal advocate for that shift.
The 2017 announcement was not a departure. Strickler remained on the board and took the chairman title, a role that kept him involved in strategic direction without running the operation day to day. The move signaled a deliberate separation of founder influence from operational management, a pattern common among startups that outgrow their founding teams.
The CEO Transition and Search Timeline
Strickler said he would remain in the CEO role until a successor was found, but the search took longer than many expected. The board did not name a permanent replacement until 2019, when Aziz Hasan, who had been serving as interim CEO, took the job permanently. The two-year interval meant the business operated without a permanent chief executive for a significant stretch, though Hasan's interim tenure provided continuity.
Why the Search Took Two Years
The delay was not publicly explained in detail. Strickler and the board did not disclose whether the search encountered difficulty attracting candidates or whether the board was simply thorough. What is clear is that the transition was not rushed. Kickstarter's governance as a public benefit corporation may have narrowed the pool of acceptable candidates, since the CEO would have to commit to the social mission as well as financial performance.
An Internal Successor
Hasan had joined Kickstarter in 2015 as a design and technology leader. He had worked closely with Strickler and the team. His promotion from interim to permanent CEO in 2019 was an internal succession, not an external hire. That choice reinforced the organization's preference for cultural continuity over fresh outside leadership.
Why Strickler Stepped Down
Strickler described his decision as a natural moment for new leadership. He had been CEO for three years, and the platform had grown from a small startup into a business that had processed billions in pledges. He argued that Kickstarter needed a leader who could take it into its next phase, one that he believed required a different set of skills than those he brought to the role.
No Crisis, Just Recalibration
He did not frame the move as a response to any crisis or internal conflict. Kickstarter was not in financial distress. There was no public scandal. Strickler's reasoning was strategic. He wanted to focus on the chairman role, which allowed him to guide the mission and governance without being responsible for daily execution. He had also begun to write and speak publicly about alternative economic models, including a concept he called Bentoism, which advocated for a broader definition of self-interest. That intellectual project may have pulled his attention away from operational management.
Strickler's departure as CEO was not a rejection of Kickstarter. It was a recalibration of his role within it. He remained the chairman and a public face of the organization, but he ceded control of operations to someone else.
Kickstarter's Public Benefit Corporation Status
Kickstarter reincorporated as a public benefit corporation in September 2015, a move that Strickler championed. The legal structure obligated the entity to pursue a general public benefit, in addition to its financial obligations to shareholders. For Kickstarter, that meant a commitment to supporting creative work and the communities that fund it.
How PBC Status Shaped the CEO Search
The PBC status had direct implications for the CEO transition. A benefit corporation's board has a fiduciary duty to consider stakeholder interests, not just shareholder returns. That constraint can make the firm less attractive to traditional tech investors who prioritize growth and exit strategies. It also means the CEO must balance mission and margin in a way that a conventional startup CEO does not. Strickler's successor would have to accept that framework.
A High-Profile Test Case
Kickstarter was one of the highest-profile businesses to adopt the PBC structure at the time. The move was widely covered in business media as a test of whether a for-profit entity could prioritize social goals without sacrificing financial performance. Strickler's departure as CEO did not change that commitment. The organization remained a public benefit corporation after the transition.
Strickler's Co-Founder History and Tenure
Yancey Strickler co-founded Kickstarter in 2009 with Perry Chen and Charles Adler. The three launched the platform as a way for creators to raise money from their communities, bypassing traditional gatekeepers like banks, publishers, and record labels. The model proved durable. By the time Strickler stepped down as CEO, the platform had hosted campaigns for films, music albums, video games, hardware products, and art exhibitions.
From Second CEO to Last Founder Standing
Strickler became CEO in 2014, succeeding Chen. He was the second chief executive in the organization's history. Under his watch, Kickstarter expanded internationally, introduced new project categories, and pushed through the PBC reincorporation. He also oversaw the response to controversies, including high-profile failed campaigns and questions about the platform's responsibility for initiatives that did not deliver.
Strickler was not the only founder to leave an operating role. Charles Adler had left earlier, and Perry Chen had stepped down as CEO before Strickler took over. By 2017, Strickler was the last co-founder in a day-to-day leadership position. His move to chairman completed the separation between the founding team and management.
Company Performance and Cultural Standing at the Time
At the time of Strickler's announcement, Kickstarter had facilitated over $3 billion in pledges since its 2009 launch. The headquarters were in Brooklyn and the staff numbered several hundred. The operation was profitable, though it did not disclose detailed financial figures. The platform had become a cultural institution in the creative economy, known for launching efforts like the Pebble smartwatch, the Veronica Mars movie campaign, and the Exploding Kittens card game.
Competitive Position and Brand
Kickstarter faced competition from Indiegogo and other crowdfunding platforms, but it maintained a stronger association with creative and artistic work. Its brand was built on the idea that community funding could replace traditional patronage or corporate sponsorship. That positioning made it attractive to creators and to audiences who wanted to support independent work.
Scrutiny and Response
The platform's cultural standing was high, but it also faced scrutiny. Critics argued that crowdfunding shifted risk from institutions to individual backers, who often received nothing when campaigns failed. Kickstarter responded by introducing stricter guidelines and more robust vetting. Strickler's leadership had navigated those tensions without major regulatory or reputational damage.
What the Change Meant for Kickstarter's Future
Strickler's move to chairman and the eventual appointment of Aziz Hasan as CEO represented a generational shift. The organization was no longer a startup led by its founders. It was an established platform with a legal obligation to balance profit and purpose. Hasan's internal promotion suggested the board valued continuity and mission alignment over a fresh external perspective.
Two Years in Limbo
The two-year gap between the announcement and Hasan's permanent appointment meant the business operated in a kind of limbo. Strickler was still present as chairman, but he was not making day-to-day decisions. The board and Hasan, as interim CEO, steered the ship through that period. The lack of a permanent CEO for that long could have destabilized a less resilient organization, but Kickstarter's core business, processing pledges for creative work, did not require constant strategic reinvention.
The Founder-Chairman Boundary
Strickler's departure as CEO did not mark the end of his influence. As chairman, he retained a role in governance and mission. The question that remained open was whether a founder-turned-chairman could resist the temptation to interfere with his successor's decisions. In many founder-led businesses, that boundary is hard to maintain. Kickstarter's outcome, with Hasan taking full operational control in 2019, suggested the transition was clean.
Key Facts
- Co-founder and CEO stepping down: Yancey Strickler announced he would step down as CEO in 2017
- New role: Chairman of the board
- Successor: Aziz Hasan named CEO in 2019, after serving as interim CEO
- Company founded: 2009 by Yancey Strickler, Perry Chen, and Charles Adler
- Public benefit corporation: Reincorporated in September 2015
- Total pledges since launch: Over $3 billion as of 2017
- Headquarters: Brooklyn, New York
Kickstarter Leadership Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Kickstarter founded by Yancey Strickler, Perry Chen, and Charles Adler |
| 2014 | Strickler becomes CEO, succeeding Perry Chen |
| September 2015 | Kickstarter reincorporates as public benefit corporation |
| 2017 | Strickler announces he will step down as CEO; moves to chairman |
| 2019 | Aziz Hasan named CEO, after serving as interim |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Yancey Strickler step down as Kickstarter CEO?
Strickler said the company needed a leader with different skills for its next phase. He moved to chairman to focus on governance and mission while ceding daily operations.
Who replaced Yancey Strickler as CEO of Kickstarter?
Aziz Hasan was named CEO in 2019. He had been serving as interim CEO after Strickler's announcement.
Is Kickstarter still a public benefit corporation?
Yes. Kickstarter reincorporated as a public benefit corporation in September 2015 and remained one after the leadership change.
How much money had Kickstarter raised for projects by 2017?
Over $3 billion in pledges since its 2009 launch.
