Kayvon Beykpour

Kayvon Beykpour was a prominent figure at Twitter, serving as the longest-tenured head of product and General Manager (GM) of Twitter's consumer division until the platform's acquisition by Elon Musk.1 His journey with Twitter began in 2015 when the company acquired Periscope, a live video streaming platform that Beykpour had co-founded.1

During his tenure at Twitter, Beykpour played a crucial role in shaping the platform's product strategy and culture:

Key Contributions

1. Product Innovation: Beykpour drove significant changes at Twitter by challenging long-standing assumptions about the platform's core features, such as the 140-character limit and text-based content focus.1

2. Cultural Transformation: He worked to transform Twitter's stagnant culture by building alignment at the leadership level, articulating a compelling vision, and bringing in entrepreneurial talent through strategic acquihires.1

3. Feature Development: Under his leadership, Twitter introduced several new features and products, including Community Notes, Spaces, Super Follows, Fleets, Communities, and Tipping.1

Career Highlights

• Periscope Co-founder: Before joining Twitter, Beykpour co-founded Periscope, which pioneered technology that influenced live video streaming features across various social media platforms.1

• Long-serving Executive: Beykpour spent over seven years at Twitter, becoming one of its most influential product leaders.2

• Departure: His tenure at Twitter came to an unexpected end in May 2022 when he was let go by then-CEO Parag Agrawal while on paternity leave, shortly before Elon Musk's acquisition of the company.23

Beykpour's approach to product development emphasized user-centric design, rapid innovation, and a willingness to take bold bets. His leadership was instrumental in revitalizing Twitter's product strategy and fostering a more dynamic and innovative culture within the company.1