After installing a new interim CEO earlier this month, Mozilla, the organization behind the Firefox browser, is making some major changes to its product strategy. The company plans to scale back its investment in several products, including its VPN, Relay, and Online Footprint Scrubber. Additionally, it will shut down Hubs, the 3D virtual world it launched back in 2018, and scale back its investment in its mozilla.social Mastodon instance. These changes will result in layoffs affecting roughly 60 employees.
Key Takeaway
Mozilla is refocusing its efforts on its flagship product, Firefox, and trustworthy AI integration, while making strategic changes to its product portfolio and organizational structure to ensure long-term sustainability.
Refocusing on Firefox and AI
In an internal memo, Mozilla announced that it will focus on bringing “trustworthy AI into Firefox.” To achieve this, the company will bring together the teams that work on Pocket, Content, and AI/ML. This shift in focus comes as Mozilla aims to refocus on its flagship product, Firefox, after years of diversifying its product portfolio. The organization’s leadership believes that this refocus is necessary to ensure Mozilla’s long-term survival, especially considering Firefox’s declining market share and the organization’s dependence on Google for income.
Product Strategy Changes
The internal memo also outlined specific changes to Mozilla’s product strategy. The company plans to scale back its investment in mozilla.social, acknowledging that a more modest approach would have enabled greater agility in participating in the Mastodon ecosystem. Additionally, Mozilla will reduce its investments in VPN, Relay, and Online Footprint Scrubber, while maintaining investment in products addressing customer needs in growing market segments. The decision to shut down Hubs reflects the shift in the market for 3D virtual worlds, with demand moving away from this technology.
Organizational Adjustments
As part of the changes, Mozilla will right-size the People Team and consolidate roles in the People and other support services orgs to offer the right level of support to its product portfolio. The company aims to optimize its organization to sharpen its focus in light of the changes.
Future Focus
Despite the downsizing and product strategy changes, Mozilla remains committed to innovation. The company sees an opportunity to bring trustworthy AI into Firefox, driven by the Fakespot acquisition and product integration work. By bringing together Pocket, Content, and AI/ML teams, Mozilla aims to support content within the Firefox Organization. The company has assured that there will be no changes within MDN, Ads, or Fakespot, as well as in Legal/Policy, Finance & Business Operations, Marketing, or Strategy & Operations.
