About Emmett Shear
Emmett Shear is an American Internet entrepreneur and investor, best known as the co-founder of the live video platform Justin.tv, which later evolved into Twitch. He served as the CEO of Twitch from 2011 to 2023, overseeing its growth into the world's leading video platform for gamers before its acquisition by Amazon. Currently, he is the CEO of Softmax, an applied developmental cybernetics research company, and has also served as the interim CEO of OpenAI.
Career
CEO
CEO
Visiting Group Partner
Visiting Group Partner
CEO
As Twitch has grown from an initial team of 4 to more than ten times that, there have been new challenges at every step.
My job now involves product design, hiring, legal work, hiring, management, hiring, strategizing, and hiring. And even a tiny bit of coding when I get the chance.
Angel Investor
Angel Investor
Part-time Partner
Advising YC startups on everything from fundraising strategy to technical approach to product decisions to hiring and firing. I hold office hours about weekly, and help with the selection process for new batches.
Founder
As CTO, I was responsible for coding, hiring, and technical management. Somehow I also wound up as our DBA. And the stats guy. And occasional product designer.
You wear a lot of hats when you start a company.
Founder
I wrote a lot of code. V1 was a one-page app way before they became fashionable, so I had to reinvent a bunch of frameworks. I also learned how databases work, Ruby on Rails, system administration, and more about browser quirks than any human should know.
Education
BS
BS - Computer Science
N/A
Skills
Core technical and professional competencies developed through founding and leading major technology platforms.
Startup Founding
Venture Capital
Strategic Planning
Executive Leadership
Team Management
Hiring & Talent Acquisition
Ruby on Rails
Python
PostgreSQL
Linux System Administration
System Architecture
Product Design
Live Video Streaming
Gaming Industry
Applied AI Research
Cybernetics
Internet Infrastructure
Domains
Artificial Intelligence, Applied Cybernetics, Live Video Streaming, Gaming, Internet Infrastructure
Venture Capital, Startup Ecosystem, Media & Entertainment
Tags
Visionary, Entrepreneurial, Technical Founder, Strategic Leader, Investor
Future of AI, Platform Scaling, Technology Development, Product-Centric
Frequently Asked Questions
A factual summary of Emmett Shear's career, focusing on his executive roles at Twitch, Softmax, and OpenAI.
How long was Emmett Shear CEO of Twitch?
What is Emmett Shear's current role?
He is currently the CEO of Softmax, an applied developmental cybernetics research company, a position he has held since February 2024.
Did Emmett Shear serve as OpenAI CEO?
Yes, he briefly served as the interim CEO of OpenAI in November 2023, following the initial removal of Sam Altman.
What was Emmett Shear's role at Y Combinator?
He has held multiple roles at Y Combinator, including Partner (2011-2016) and a Managing Director role (2023-2025).
Who acquired the platform Justin.tv/Twitch?
Justin.tv, the live video platform he co-founded, evolved into Twitch and was acquired by Amazon in 2014.


