Kevin Lin is departing Twitch after 13 years at the company.
The co-founder and COO for the last 10 years shared the news in a Medium post addressed to the Twitch community on Thursday, writing that he’s leaving to pursue his “next adventure” in the technology space.
“After many months of contemplation, I’ve decided it’s time to journey into my next adventure,” wrote Lin. “My life has been forever changed for the better by Twitch; it has been a source of hope, optimism, reflection, support, energy, sharing, friendship, and belonging.”
He went on to say that while he spent a lot of time alone growing up, video games gave him a “common language” and exposed him to new friends and languages. “Through games, we were bonded, impassioned by skill and having fun, focused on the same mission, stumbling into more similarity than strangeness.”
Looking ahead, Lin said, “I’m so excited to stretch my curiosity and to continue exploring a world where technology is a positive amplifier in our lives. I will build again. I hope to create something as remarkable as Twitch again, to build with amazing people who will challenge me, and to make the world we experience better.”
The Taiwanese entrepreneur co-founded Twitch, which was originally launched as justin.tv, a broadcast video website, alongside Emmett Shear — who serves as CEO — Justin Kan, Kyle Vogt and Michael Seibel, in 2007. Lin became COO of Twitch in 2008 and was tasked by Shear to build the partnerships team and connect streamers to the service. He stepped down in 2018 to focus on culture, strategy and innovation.
In Lin’s letter, he thanked his co-founders for “bringing me into the fold and for empowering me to shape a big part of my life with you.”
When contacted by The Hollywood Reporter, a Twitch representative shared a statement from Shear. “Kevin has been an incredible partner to me and the Twitch leadership team over his 12.5 year tenure and has been instrumental in building our culture and business. We’re grateful for all of the hard work and passion he put into making Twitch what it is today, and look forward to his continued contributions to the industry.”
Additionally, the below tweet from Shear was in response to Lin’s departure letter.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.