esther crawford head of twitter blue is fired

Twitter’s product manager Esther Crawford is no longer working at the company after another wave of layoffs. Zoë Schiffer, a reporter for Platformer, was the first to report the news. Crawford was responsible for various projects at Twitter, including the Blue with verification subscription and the company’s upcoming payments platform.

Twitter Product Manager Esther Crawford Laid Off

Most of the remaining product team, including Crawford, were laid off over the weekend, as confirmed by Alex Heath of The Verge. This has led to speculation that Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, may be looking to install a new regime at the company.

Musk’s Plans for Twitter

In a recent interview, Musk said that he needs to stabilize the organization and ensure that it is financially healthy before finding a replacement for himself as Twitter CEO. He also stated that he would like the product roadmap to be clearly laid out before the end of the year.

Crawford’s Prominence at Twitter

Crawford was one of Twitter’s most prominent product managers under Elon Musk’s leadership. She even tweeted a picture of herself sleeping on the floor of Twitter’s office in a sleeping bag and eye mask, stating that sometimes you have to #SleepWhereYouWork when your team is pushing round the clock to meet deadlines.

Latest Round of Layoffs

This latest round of layoffs is the fourth one since Musk took over ownership of Twitter in November 2021. According to Schiffer, the layoffs affected “well above 50” people and were spread throughout multiple departments. The layoffs also included Martijn de Kuijper, the founder of the now-shuttered Revue newsletter platform that Twitter acquired in 2021.

Crawford’s Ambitions at Twitter

Crawford had been angling for a bigger role at Twitter shortly after Musk’s takeover, according to an inside look at Twitter from Schiffer, Casey Newton, and Alex Heath. She also commented on Musk’s massive layoffs that halved the company’s workforce last year, stating that drastic cuts were necessary to survive, regardless of who owned the company.