Jack Dorsey on Bluesky’s Growth: Users Fleeing X, Not Flocking to Innovation:

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of X (formerly Twitter) and Bluesky, recently shared his perspective on Bluesky’s rapid expansion, suggesting that its growth is driven more by users abandoning X than by its own unique offerings.

Speaking on the In Good Company podcast, Dorsey stated, “I think people are running away from X, rather than running to something on Bluesky.” While this migration has boosted Bluesky’s user base, Dorsey acknowledged the challenge of building a platform primarily fueled by dissatisfaction with a competitor.

"We want people that are running to us for a particular thing that they couldn't do before," he said, emphasizing that long-term success requires genuine user attraction rather than just being an alternative to X.

The Evolution of Bluesky

Bluesky began as an internal Twitter project in 2019, when Dorsey was still CEO. By 2021, it became an independent public benefit corporation, with a mission to develop a decentralized social media network. Since then, the platform has gained traction, particularly as X faces increasing controversy.

Despite stepping down as Twitter’s CEO in 2021 and leaving its board in 2022, Dorsey remains an influential figure in the social media landscape. He highlighted Bluesky’s innovative algorithm store as a potential game-changer, allowing users to customize their feed experience—a feature he believes will be a long-term draw.

"That is a reason why people will run to it eventually," Dorsey explained. However, he admitted that current growth isn’t fueled by this feature. “What they care about right now is not being in X for whatever personal reason.”

User Surge After Trump’s Election

Bluesky witnessed a massive influx of users in November 2024, following President Donald Trump’s election, an event financially supported by Elon Musk. The platform officially launched in February 2024 with around 3 million users, but by year-end, it had skyrocketed to 25.9 million users, according to company data.

As X continues to evolve under Musk’s leadership, Bluesky’s future remains uncertain—whether it will sustain its growth through innovation or remain a refuge for discontented X users.