In this episode of the Slow Hunch, I spoke with Jay Graber, CEO of Bluesky.

Originally conceived as an initiative within Twitter under Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was designed to transform Twitter from a closed platform to an open protocol-based network. Jay initially joined as an external researcher before being selected to lead the project, ultimately negotiating for Bluesky's independence before Elon Musk’s acquisition.

Jay believes thoughtful systems design can reshape our online experiences. With Bluesky, she wants to prioritise user choice, portability, and the ability to vote with their feet if the platform makes changes they don't like.

This was a conversation about social media’s “adjacent possible” - a potential shift from closed, monolithic platforms toward open, extensible systems that encourage experimentation and innovation at all levels.

Hope you enjoy!

Chapters:

• 00:00 Cold open
• 04:00 Jay’s background: from systems theory to digital rights activism
• 08:35 Trade-offs in systems design
• 16:19 The AT Protocol (atproto)
• 17:19 Bluesky’s origin story
• 25:26 How Bluesky differs from earlier decentralized social attempts
• 28:01 Giving users the ability to pick feeds and moderation
• 30:16 Early days of Bluesky
• 32:50 Public launch
• 37:24 Social media’s adjacent possible
• 46:13 Closing thoughts