When It’s Time for Founders to Step Down as CEO

In this episode of Startup Success, host Kate sits down with Tony Jamous, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Oyster, and Hadi Moussa, the company’s newly appointed CEO, for a refreshingly honest conversation on scaling a global company— and knowing when it’s time to bring in new leadership. Tony shares the personal journey behind one of the hardest decisions any founder can make: stepping aside as CEO, and why putting the mission ahead of ego sets great founders apart. And Hadi explains how he’s approached the transition to ensure a successful handoff. We discuss: The moment Tony knew it was time to hand over the CEO role How to manage leadership transitions with intention and transparency Communicating the change in a way that builds trust and signals strength Why global hiring is a competitive advantage in the age of AI Whether you're navigating growth, thinking about leadership evolution, or rethinking how to build a distributed team, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what it really takes to scale—with the right people, in the right roles, at the right time. ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Oyster at This episode is produced by Brenda Hernández Jaimes of Ellas Media Post-Production by Angela R. Chong of Amplify Podcasts

You can listen to When It’s Time for Founders to Step Down as CEO online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

When It’s Time for Founders to Step Down as CEO is an episode from Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors by Burkland.

This episode is 23:44 long.

This episode was published on May 5, 2026.

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