Former Reddit CEO says Ellen Pao was a scapegoat
Many Reddit fans were quick to blame recently departed CEO Ellen Pao for firing communication director Victoria Taylor and prompting a widescale revolt. However, it now looks like Pao might have been little more than a scapegoat. Yishan Wong, the CEO before Pao, tells redditors that co-founder Alexis Ohanian went over Pao's head to get Taylor fired. While Ohanian eventually admitted that he was responsible for the change in Ask Me Anything (AMA) strategy that led to the departure, his decision to confess after the fact shows a "stunning lack of leadership." He should have gotten out in front before Pao became a punching bag, Wong says.
Wong is no longer the insider that he once was, so it's hard to know exactly how things played out. Ohanian hasn't gone into the specifics of what happened beyond offering an apology. However, it's safe to say that Reddit's leadership compounded one big mistake by making another -- and it's not certain that either Pao's exit or moderation reforms will be enough to set things right.
Comment from discussion Kn0thing says he was responsible for the change in AMAs (i.e. he got Victoria fired). Is there any evidence that Ellen Pao caused the alleged firing of Victoria?.
