Earlier this week, multiple reports suggested Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus is leaving the company after the launch of OnePlus 8T. As of Friday, this has become official as per the letter wrote by Carl Pei on the OnePlus forum.
Thank you. @PeteLau @oneplus https://t.co/2RD9AdyWhO
— Carl Pei (@getpeid) October 16, 2020
The message Carl Pei wrote read,
“After nearly 7 years at OnePlus, I’ve made the difficult decision to say goodbye.
I grew up spending tremendous amounts of time on the internet, building products and communities. Seeing that ideas in one’s mind could be turned into reality and impact people’s lives gave me lots of joy, and I knew early on that this was the path for me.
The world didn’t need another smartphone brand in 2013. But we saw ways of doing things better and dreamt of shaking things up. Better products. Built hand in hand with our users. At more reasonable prices. Fast forward to today, and OnePlus is a strong force to be reckoned when it comes to flagship smartphones. And with the new Nord product line, this success will continue into new market segments.
Having just turned 24 when OnePlus started, it’s where I spent most of my 20s, and also where I grew up. From nervously interviewing my first employee, to facing severe stage fright the first time I presented a product, to learning how to manage a team… The journey has been real. The things we’ve accomplished and learned, I can’t begin to imagine a more rewarding adventure.
Our community joined the movement before we even had a product, back when all we had were ambitions and ideas. From having hundreds of you show up to have ice cream with me, thousands attending our launch events, and tens of millions purchasing our products worldwide; I want to thank you all for believing in us throughout all these years.
And the team. The amazing people that I’ve been fortunate to fight side by side with. The friendships I’ve made here are the most precious parts of this journey. With them, the company is in capable hands.
I am eternally grateful to Pete for taking a chance in this kid without a college degree, with nothing to his name but a dream. The trust, mentorship, and camaraderie will never be forgotten. Thanks for the opportunity of a lifetime.
I’ve never regretted trusting my gut feeling, and this time it’s no different. These past years, OnePlus has been my singular focus, and everything else has had to take a backseat. I’m looking forward to taking some time off to decompress and catch up with my family and friends. And then follow my heart on to what’s next.
With gratitude,
Carl”
Carl Pei has been at the forefront of OnePlus since the beginning. He was an active face for the company who did amazing work to spread their objective and motto with the consumer and media. He was also responsible for creating great marketing for OnePlus Nord in India and Europe. He unveiled the OnePlus Nord in an exclusive interview with Marques Brownlee, a famous tech YouTuber.
The reason for his exit hasn’t been clarified, in the letter, Carl Pei writes that he is leaving the company due to his ‘gut feeling’. This may very well fit with multiple reports saying that Carl Pei will be working on a new venture. However, he wishes to take time off to slow down and shift focus back on relationships with family and friends before his next venture.
In 2013, OnePlus created hype and caught the attention of various customers and tech YouTubers by launching a ‘flagship killer’ phone which had the top of the line specs at an affordable price. The company has evolved a lot since then. They started as underdogs but now they are one of the biggest smartphone brands in the world.
