Snap's Squad Shakeup: Spiegel's Gambit for Agility Amidst Adversity

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Snapchat strutted into mid-September 2025 with an air of introspection and hardheaded resolve as CEO Evan Spiegel marked the platform’s 14th birthday by sending out a lengthy, candid open letter to employees—and made waves in the tech and business press. The big headline this week is Snap’s radical shake-up: the entire 5000-employee company is being reorganized into small, nimble startup squads of 10 to 15 people, hoping to bring that fast-moving startup energy back in a moment Spiegel himself dubs a crucible for the company. As Fortune India and TechCrunch highlight, every team will work in short 90-day bursts with hands-on leadership, as Snap tries to outmaneuver larger but slower rivals and regain agility in a fiercely crowded market.

Business Insider and Social Media Today report the source of this urgency—Snapchat’s U.S. daily active users just dipped two percent in North America, its most important market, while ad revenue for Q2 crawled up only four percent year-over-year. That’s a faint heartbeat compared to TikTok and Instagram, and Spiegel is transparent about the company’s “middle child” status: too big for scrappy underdog glory, but nowhere near the scale of trillion-dollar titans like Meta or Apple. Internal morale apparently tracks the stock chart, which TechCrunch notes is down 90 percent from its 2021 peak, but Spiegel is preaching comeback potential, calling the current valuation startup-grade despite the bruises.

Despite the rough ride, Snap does have bright spots. According to Snap’s own newsroom and Social Media Today, Snapchat+—the subscription service—crossed 15 million paying members, generating more than $700 million in annual recurring revenue. The company promises livestreaming, more premium features, and creator monetization tools to keep that subscription train rolling. And there’s a slew of updates drawing advertiser attention: App Power Pack pilots in India and the Americas are steadily boosting app installs, while Sponsored Snaps and Promoted Places are delivering big lifts in engagement and conversions for brands. According to Future Vision Computers, Snapchat maintains a significant edge with Gen Z users and distinct AR-driven ad formats that stand out compared to the more fatigued Facebook feed.

On the product innovation front, the next big bet is on AR glasses: Spiegel wants Snap’s Spectacles to leapfrog Meta and Apple and become the ultimate, wearable smartphone replacement. It’s not without skeptics—Social Media Today suggests Snap has ambitious timelines but technical hurdles remain steep. But for Snap, this could be the transformational move investors crave.

On social media, Snap’s squad reorganization, struggles, and bets on subscription and AR have triggered lively debates. Business press and everyday creators are dissecting whether Snapchat’s new chapter as a leaner bolder company will pull it out of its plateau, admiring the self-awareness while questioning if bold moves will be bold enough. For now Spiegel insists Snapchat’s advantage is its sense of fun and friendship—plus a smattering of AI in the mix—to make social media feel personal again. It’s a comeback script with high stakes, and all eyes are watching the next act.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI