"A significant error": The CEO of Sonos discusses the issues with its app and the challenges involved in resolving them.

      On May 7, 2024, Sonos introduced an updated version of its software designed to simplify music and Sonos system management for users, requiring fewer taps. What unfolded afterward can only be termed a disaster. Upon first launching the new app, Sonos users were not only met with an unfamiliar interface, but many also found their systems unresponsive and essential features like alarms and access to play queues had disappeared.

      As days and weeks went by, it became evident these were not just fleeting issues. Sonos’ CEO, Patrick Spence, spent the subsequent summer and fall issuing apologies and assuring customers—and presumably his board—that the company's top priority was to address the broken app. However, eight months post-launch, the app still faced major issues, leading to Spence’s dismissal on January 13, 2025, with board member Tom Conrad stepping in as his successor that very day.

      Tom Conrad’s background includes senior engineering and product roles at companies like Pandora, Snapchat, Quibi, and Apple, making him a solid choice as Sonos’ interim CEO. Yet, the transition has not been seamless.

      During our conversation on his 116th day in the position, Conrad described the period as quite challenging, including his family’s move from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara—a short distance on the map that became a mini odyssey complicated by severe wildfires, four different AirBnBs, two flat tires, and a burglary at their L.A. home. To top it off, his dog got skunked.

      That was before we even began discussing his main task: to fix the malfunctioning Sonos platform so users could genuinely enjoy their music again.

      Our brief discussion covered various topics: the company, its products, the now-defunct Ikea partnership, and, of course, the app—and why, one year later, our Sonos systems remain problematic.

      Too many silos

      When Conrad arrived, he found that Sonos’ internal teams operated in silos based on product category (like headphones and home theater), making it challenging to prioritize tasks, share resources, and ensure a consistent user experience.

      “First, I dismantled that structure and reassembled the team into hardware and software design, followed by a thorough inventory of all ongoing projects, many of which, it turned out, were not adequately staffed for success.”

      Conrad reduced the list of “dozens” of projects to 11 well-resourced initiatives. “It changed the atmosphere inside the company almost instantly.”

      A neglected core

      It became evident that the overwhelming number of projects and silos contributed significantly to the decline of Sonos’ core software platform. Since 2019, Sonos had rolled out many new products, including Dolby Atmos soundbars, two types of portable speakers, a Sonos-developed voice assistant, and its first wireless headphones, along with a major push into the professional installation market. “The company’s investment in the core software,” Conrad points out, “was insufficient.”

      While the app redesign disaster of 2024 is the latest consequence of this neglect, Conrad believes it has been responsible for the reliability and performance issues that have gone unaddressed since 2019 or even earlier.

      No more trust

      Clearly, a customer base that can't effectively use your product is detrimental for any company. “No one wakes up thinking, I want to spend my time in the Sonos app today,” Conrad quipped.

      He is forthright regarding the disparity between how the app should function: “We owe it to our users to ensure the experience is fast, reliable, user-friendly, and mainly unobtrusive,” versus its current state, “The unfortunate truth is that Sonos still fails too frequently.”

      However, the most severe consequence of the redesign debacle has been the loss of trust. “The app rollout last year was a significant error. All the goodwill our customers typically extend when they encounter small issues—it's no longer granted.”

      Legacy remains Sonos’ biggest strength … and its greatest weakness

      Conrad is beginning to come to terms with a difficult truth: long-term Sonos customers still use wireless speakers and components that date back to 2010 or earlier and expect them to continue functioning—“even though the iPhone 4 they purchased the same year has been consigned to oblivion.”

      He noted that Sonos products are “sensitive to the specifics of your home network in ways that nearly nothing else you own is.” We talked about the intricacies of Wi-Fi and how, long before mesh routers like Eero or Orbi were available, the company developed its own mesh network, called SonosNet.

      For a moment, it seemed as if Conrad might be attributing the company’s performance issues to customers’ networks. Though fair, we are in a distinctly different Wi-Fi landscape than when Sonos launched its first product in 2005. He acknowledged that despite these challenges, Sonos must own the solutions. “We promised our customers we would synchronize audio