Facebook Open Graph Leader Leaves: Director Of Product Management Carl Sjogreen Plots Next Adventure

Josh Constine is a technology journalist who specializes in deep analysis of social products. He is currently a writer for TechCrunch. Previously, Constine was the Lead Writer of Inside Facebook, where he covered Facebook product changes, privacy, the Ads API, Page management, ecommerce, virtual currency, and music technology. Prior to writing for Inside Facebook, Constine graduated from Stanford University... ? Learn More

Facebook’s acq-hiring like crazy and retaining plenty of top talent, but today marks another post-IPO departure as Director of Product Management Carl Sjogreen told friends that he’s heading out to take some family time and “plot my next adventure”. However, he tells me there’s “no concrete ideas yet”.

Sjogreen’s exit follows director of corporate communications Barry Schnitt taking the top comms and public policy role at Pinterest, and CTO Bret Taylor leaving to found a new startup. Many suspected the social network’s IPO was designed to give liquidity to long-time employees, but it seems the pull of fresh challenges is outweighing high salaries and extra stock grants for some Facebookers.

Sjogreen once worked for Google where he spearheaded development of Google Calendar. He came to Facebook two years ago when it acquired the travel recommendations startup Nextstop he founded was acquired. Sjogreen helped mastermind the Open Graph app platform that’s key to Facebook pulling in content to enrich the feed, sit beside ads, and power ad targeting. He tells me the project was one of his proudest achievement at Facebook.

In his time with the company since 2010 he also worked on Facebook’s on-site app platform and the enhanced authorization dialog that makes sure users understand the apps they’re installing. The projects have reduced the friction of sharing to Facebook while still giving users control. Open Graph is turning Facebook into the only news feed we need, and propelling the ideal of “ambient intimacy” — indirectly and asynchronously staying in close contact with a large group of people.

Sjogreen tells me now he’s “Going to force myself to actually take some time off and then see where things go from there. Will almost certainly start something again, but other than that no concrete plans.”

Here’s the announcement Sjogreen shared with friends, printed with his permission:

“Today I announced that I’m leaving Facebook. The last two years here have been an amazing experience and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to learn from some of the smartest product and business leaders that are alive today. Mark, Sheryl, Chris, Bret, Dan, Mike — it’s because of you that I came to Facebook and I appreciate the privilege of being part of the company you have built more than I can express.

I’m planning to take some time off to be with my family, clear my head, and plot my next adventure. It’s a hard day for me to say the least — I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart and I’m excited to be starting something on my own again, but I will miss all of you at Facebook tremendously. Don’t be strangers.”

Facebook is the world’s largest social network, with over 845 million monthly active users. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2004, initially as an exclusive network for Harvard students. It was a huge hit: in 2 weeks, half of the schools in the Boston area began demanding a Facebook network. Zuckerberg immediately recruited his friends Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes, and Eduardo Saverin to help build Facebook, and within four months, Facebook added 30 more college networks. The original...

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