Whitney Wolfe Herd returned in March to lead Bumble, the dating app she founded and took public, following the unexpected departure of CEO Lidiane Jones. In a New York Times interview, Wolfe Herd discussed the developments surrounding her return.
Wolfe Herd expressed that she had no plans to come back. Her initial time away involved contemplating her identity, supplemented by daily meditation and participation in board calls from a distance. This changed when Jones contacted her, admitting she felt overwhelmed. Shortly thereafter, Jones resigned.
Wolfe Herd dismissed any rumors of conflict between them, emphasizing that there was no discord. She mentioned that there is often an expectation of conflict, especially between women, but that was not the case here.
She acknowledged seeing her own past burnout reflected in Jones’s fatigue, noting similarities in their experiences. Wolfe Herd observed that Jones had made some of the same mistakes she had previously, like overworking and taking on too much.
Wolfe Herd, who announced via Instagram that she is expecting her third child, addressed Bumble’s challenges in the interview. With Bumble reporting a 7.7% year-over-year decline in first-quarter earnings, she noted that the company needs her back, stating that Bumble is, in many ways, an extension of herself, and witnessing its decline has been difficult for her.
