At a critical moment, Snap loses top spec executive

Snap has big plans to release the latest version of its AR glasses, Specs, later this year. Despite this hardware product being a strategic priority, the company recently reportedly fired one of the executives involved in the project over a dispute with Snap CEO Evan Spiegel.

Technology blog Sources initially reported that the company recently lost its senior vice president of specifications, Scott Myers, in a “detonation” with Spiegel.

When contacted by TechCrunch for comment, a Snap spokesperson said Myers “has decided to step down from his role at Snap.” The statement thanked him for his contributions and wished him “success in his next chapter.” The spokesperson also disputed the characterization of an “explosion” but did not provide further information about Myers’ departure.

The spokesperson added, “We can’t wait to bring the spec to the world later this year. We remain focused on disciplined execution and long-term value creation for our development partners, community, and shareholders.”

It’s unclear when exactly Myers left the company or what prompted the alleged “outburst.” When an X user asked Sources author Alex Heath about the nature of the reported controversy, he said it was about “strategy,” adding that he could not reveal more.

Snap has been teasing a commercial release of Specs for quite some time, but has signaled in recent months that it’s serious about launching the product. The company spun off its Specs team into an independent subsidiary, Specs Inc., in January, saying the move will “further enhance the focus and alignment of our operations.”

Myers joined the Snap team in 2020 and previously held positions at SpaceX, Apple and Nokia, according to his LinkedIn profile. In an interview with Tom’s Guide last summer, Myers called the development process for Specs “a whole new paradigm,” but also discussed the difficulty of getting its form factor right. “I don’t want to see anyone with wires coming out of the back of their head,” he joked.