Around this time last year we saw a stream of high ranking employees leaving Yahoo as the web portal reached new lows following the fumbled Microsoft deal. Now, we’re beginning to see a similar trend from MySpace, the once-shining social network that has been recently hit by stagnating growth, waves of layoffs (both in the US and abroad), and the ousting of its co-founder CEO. The latest member of the executive team to leave is SVP Engineering Allen Hurff, who annouced his decision to leave the company on Friday. A tweet he sent out that day confirms his departure.
Hurff was with the company for over four years, where he and former SVP Operations Jim Benedetto were largely reponsible for building up MySpace’s technology team (Benedetto left the company in March). Hurff also played an integral role in MySpace’s adoption of OpenSocial, serving as Chairman of the foundation. The OpenSocial platform, which allows for the integration of third party applications in MySpace, will likely play a key role in the site’s success moving forward, so this is a big loss for the social network.
Other key MySpace execs to leave in the last few months include CEO/Co-Founder Chris DeWolfe; E.J. Hilbert, MySpace’s Director of Security Enforcement; Amit Kapur, COO; and Steve Pearman, SVP Product Strategy. Kapur, Pearman, and Benedetto have teamed up to launch Blue Rover Labs, a still-mysterious venture funded startup.
Maybe he’ll begin to build something as successful as MySpace. Too bad for MySpace, but Facebook is doing a whole lot better then them. Facebook could always buy them out and do a redirect from their URL to Facebook.com
Someone who claimed they worked for myspace was answering people’s questions on http://www.anonboard.com pretty much all day yesterday and now he’s gone. Maybe it was Hurff?
Potentially breaking news on Hurff’s next move:
http://www.tren...ased-incubator/
Surprisingly, the 26th was also “technically” the termination date for all the employees who were laid off a couple weeks ago
Funny, I had read on the Facebook feed that Hurff didn’t make the cut a few weeks ago when the layoffs were announced.
One call to MySpace HR should take care of any confusion.
Go ahead and call. he left on his own terms – you don’t know what your talking about. Stop being such a hater.
He was part of the layoff…he didn’t make the cut
Give me a break!
I knew they were DOA when they started blocking embeds, Facebook was completely the opposite, totally embracing them.
uh, myspace kinda started the embeds, you idiot.
Allen Hurff is a good guy. He’s one of the most charasmatic, energetic guys I’ve ever met in this field and his passion for his work shows through.
Good luck to him going forward!
Ok, they are over the drain now. But have they started to circle?
Really great guy. Led his team well and he will do something amazing in the near future.
and he will be missed. he did great work and we all wish him the best of luck as he pursues his own ventures now.
They need a new CTO
i heard they just lost Nimrod Lev, the guy who started ksolo that myspace bought a few years ago.
Well people…I glad nobody checks sources…Alan Hurff WAS on the layoff list. Very nice spin… Alan is a smart guy but a winning little baby…MySpace is bloated because he hired way too many people..He liked to build his empire and Tech Crunch is letting him create his own PR story…Nice!
Jumps ship? not hardly…..
This guy is a dumbass.. As soon as he was hired, I knew the tide had turned for Myspace.
he was laid off weeks ago with the rest of us, I heard him talking about it THAT TUESDAY.
wtf!
This asshole was laid off so wtf man..
Allen Hurff put his girlfriend Allen Reyngoudt in charge of Google deal maintenance.
What’s gonna be with Amber now?
They need a new CTO
Ok, they are over the drain now. But have they started to circle?