Oh Process Journalism, how lucky we here at TechCrunch are that we get to practice you. Anyways, here’s what I got: That “Marissa Mayer” account that went up on Flickr earlier today isn’t actually Marissa. While Mayer does have a personal Flickr account, it’s currently set to Private: We should have known she would never use a corporate Google photo on a Yahoo account!
Note: Yahoo PR *still* hasn’t responded to Anthony Ha’s email request for clarification.
While we’ve also learned that the increase in Flickr hiring started well before Mayer arrived, there is one key development that can be attributed to the new CEO: The hunt is on for a new, executive Flickr Product Head, because the site is currently being held together by Product Director Markus Spiering. Spiering is presently the de facto Flickr lead within Yahoo despite answering to Flickr General Manager Douglas Alexander.
Mayer is hoping to fill the position via acquisition, and is currently sniffing around the startup ecosystem for likely candidates; as it will probably be difficult to find the talent the company is looking for through a simple hire. The strategy is to have an entrepreneur in charge. And there are rumors that much of the existing team is being completely reorg’d, which is big company speak for dismantled.
Flickr, founded by Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake in 2004, has had tumultuous leadership and cultural change before being left in its current beleaguered state — going from the guidance of its original founders, to PM Matthew Rothenberg to Spiering. The changes left it slow and vulnerable to more nimble and mobile focused competitors like Instagram.
The product is the number one thing The Internet would like to see Mayer fix during her tenure at Yahoo, so it’s no surprise she’s made it a priority. Now if she’d only make her real account public.