In the same year he left Facebook, Moskovitz co-founded Asana, a workflow and project-management platform. Although he initially expected to focus on engineering, circumstances pushed him into the chief executive position. “One thing led to another and I was CEO for 13 years,” he said on the podcast, adding that constant public visibility conflicted with his preference for quieter work.
Earlier this year, Moskovitz relinquished day-to-day oversight and became Asana’s chairman. He still controls approximately 53% of the company’s outstanding shares through a combination of Class A and Class B stock, maintaining significant influence over strategic decisions.
Reflecting on the period, Moskovitz said he assumed the role would become easier as Asana matured. Instead, he contended with a string of disruptive events, including the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic and heightened public debate on racial justice. Those developments, he explained, shifted the CEO’s focus from building products to responding rapidly to external challenges.
Moskovitz’s remarks highlight a broader conversation about introversion in leadership. Several prominent executives—among them Meta’s Zuckerberg, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Berkshire Hathaway chairman Warren Buffett—have described themselves as introverts despite holding highly visible positions.
Susan Cain, author of the best-selling book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking,” has long argued that corporate cultures often overlook introverted candidates for senior roles. Cain notes that introverts typically favor low-stimulus environments, take fewer unwarranted risks and devote more time to careful decision-making. Those traits, she says, can translate into sounder judgment and heightened creativity.
Cain also points out that introverted leaders tend to seek solitude, which can foster original thinking and innovative problem-solving. However, because fast-moving workplaces often reward extroverted behavior—such as spontaneous speaking or visible enthusiasm—introverts may struggle to secure or remain in top positions. “This two-tier structure of how we view personality leads to a colossal waste of talent,” Cain has written, urging companies to balance different working styles.
For Moskovitz, the occupational pressures were compounded by public scrutiny that intensified as Asana grew and listed its shares on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020. He said the expected transition to a more stable operating environment never arrived, leaving him to “put on this face day after day” while confronting an unpredictable landscape.
As chairman, Moskovitz continues to shape Asana’s long-term strategy without handling daily operational demands. The company has not announced a permanent successor; interim leadership is expected to maintain its focus on making collaborative work more efficient for enterprise customers.
While Moskovitz’s personal adjustment underscores the challenges some introverted founders face when steering rapidly scaling firms, it also illustrates how alternative leadership structures can allow them to contribute at the highest level without absorbing every managerial responsibility.
Crédito da imagem: Stefanie Keenan | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
