Joel Spolsky, the co-founder and former CEO of Stack Overflow, has stepped back from day-to-day operations to embark on what he calls a sabbatical—not retirement. In this Q&A, we explore his current roles, the companies he chairs, and the exciting projects he’s involved in, from Glitch to HASH. Welcome to a candid look at his busy post-CEO life.
What is Joel Spolsky doing after stepping down as CEO of Stack Overflow?
Joel remains chairman of Stack Overflow, but the heavy lifting is now done by Prashanth Chandrasekar, the new CEO. Joel still joins some customer calls and has a weekly meeting with Prashanth, but he’s deliberately freed up most of his time. He describes this period as a sabbatical, not retirement—because he’s incredibly busy with other ventures. He jokes that he’s enjoying discovering how little he knew about running medium-sized companies, as Prashanth reorganized everything for the better. Joel finds it satisfying to see that the best outcome is if Prashanth proves what a "bad CEO" Joel was by doing a much better job running the company. This shift allows Joel to focus on his other chairmanships and explore new areas like simulation software and simplified programming environments.
Why does Joel consider this time a sabbatical rather than retirement?
Joel lives in Manhattan’s premier Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC), yet he insists he’s not retiring. Instead, he views this era as a sabbatical—a break from the relentless CEO pace to explore new projects and companies. He points out that he’s "really, really busy" with a range of activities, from advising startups to building an open-source simulation platform. By calling it a sabbatical, he deflects the common question "So, how’s retirement?" and emphasizes his continued productivity. He wrote this update specifically to answer the flood of inquiries about his current pursuits. His schedule now includes board meetings, strategic planning, and even finding a mascot for his web apps (his dog Cooper volunteers). It’s a deliberate choice to stay engaged, but on his own terms.
What is Joel Spolsky’s role at Stack Overflow now?
Joel holds the title of chairman at Stack Overflow, but he has largely handed the reins to new CEO Prashanth Chandrasekar. He maintains a light touch: a weekly one-on-one meeting with Prashanth and occasional participation in customer calls. However, he deliberately keeps his involvement minimal to let the new leadership implement fresh ideas. Joel finds it rewarding to watch Prashanth "rearrange everything—for the better." He openly admits that he’s learning how much he didn’t know about running a company at this scale, and he sees the CEO transition as a success if Prashanth outperforms his own tenure. This hands-off approach aligns with Joel’s philosophy that founders should step aside when the company needs new energy and expertise.
What is Glitch and how did it evolve from Fog Creek Software?
Fog Creek Software, the company Joel co-founded, has been renamed Glitch, now a "friendly community for building the web." Under CEO Anil Dash, Glitch has grown to host millions of apps and raised substantial funding to accelerate growth. Glitch targets the quiet majority of developers who don’t need complex infrastructure like git branches or multistage deployments—they just want to write code and see it run. Joel believes every era needs a simplified programming environment, and Glitch fills that niche. It’s a web-based platform where developers can collaborate, remix projects, and deploy instantly. The transition from Fog Creek to Glitch reflects a shift from enterprise tools to empowering casual and professional developers alike. For more details, see how Joel’s other company, HASH, approaches simulation.
What is HASH and what problem does it solve?
HASH is an open-source platform for building simulations, especially agent-based models. It remains somewhat under the radar, but recently published detailed documentation. Joel explains that HASH helps model problems where you understand how individual agents behave but can’t predict the system-wide outcome. For example, a city planner could simulate traffic to justify a new bus line. Instead of assuming each bus removes 50 cars, HASH models each commuter as an agent deciding whether to switch to the bus based on time and cost savings. You can then run thousands or millions of potential bus routes to see which reduces traffic effectively. This approach works when no closed-form formula exists, making it ideal for complex adaptive systems. HASH’s open-source nature invites collaboration and customizability.
How does agent-based modeling work in HASH? Give an example.
Agent-based modeling in HASH lets you simulate individual behaviors to understand emergent patterns. Joel’s traffic example: you’re a city planner wanting a new bus line. Traditional methods assume each bus displaces 50 cars, but that oversimplifies. Real commuters decide based on personal factors: does the bus save time? Money? Is it convenient? In HASH, you program each "agent" (commuter, bus driver, traffic light) with rules. Then you run the simulation—like a Cities: Skylines game—and observe traffic flow. You can test thousands of route variations to see which genuinely reduces congestion. This computational approach is intense but powerful when analytical equations fail. HASH handles the complexity, providing insights into how small changes ripple through the system. It’s applicable to ecology, epidemiology, economics, and more.
Meet Joel Spolsky’s adorable mascot, Cooper
Joel introduces Cooper, his two-year-old dog, as a potential mascot. He whimsically invites any web app in need of a mascot to apply. Cooper appears to be a charming companion during Joel’s sabbatical, and the photos on Joel’s blog showcase his cuteness. While not a formal business decision, it reflects Joel’s lighter, more playful approach to his post-CEO life. Finding a mascot is just one of many small projects he enjoys. It also demonstrates how he balances serious boardroom work with simple pleasures. Cooper represents the personal side of Joel’s update—a reminder that stepping back allows room for joy and creativity.