Former Zynga SVP appointed as the new CEO of the start-up Kitchensurfing
Zynga Inc (NASDAQ:ZNGA) Product SVP Jon Tien has been tapped as the new CEO at Kitchensurfing, which is making changes in its top leadership following a $15 million Series B round in March. Tien will replace co-founder Chris Muscarella, who now will be the Executive Chairman of the board, says a report from TechCrunch.
Won’t be easy
Also of note, co-founder and CXO Bohram Cho is moving out of day-to-day operations into a product advisory role.
Kitchensurfing offers a new service that sends a cook to the kitchens of their customers. The chef will cook the meal for clients and also brings all of the required ingredients to prepare the meal. The service offers many flexible options including arranging a dinner party or a romantic evening for two. Pricing is based on the menu; starting from $25/person to $100/person.
It won’t easy for the ex-Zynga employee to run Kitchensurfing. The company needs to manage a community of chefs, who will source their own ingredients. Such operations could face similar issues as faced by Uber and other logistically difficult services. It too would be facing the challenges faced by any other startup including finding the right pricing, supply and demand and marketing on the consumer side. Tien, who comes from Zynga, has chosen to take the responsibility as he is used to consumer-facing challenges.
Zynga SVP has been an advisor for Kitchensurfing
Tien says that Kitchensurfing is trying to make a number big changes. He noted that the firm is working to standardize some of the menu items to make the selection easier, and “we’ve also been beta testing a few different supply and demand models for the product in New York.” Tien said he has received mainly positive feedback regarding the changes.
Tien, who has acted as an adviser for the company for some time, will consult with former CEO Muscarella, who notes that the board is confident in Tien’s ability to help the company grow.
Before joining Kitchensurfing, Tien worked with Zynga as the SVP of products. He was responsible for overseeing product management organization, analytics, user acquisition and product strategy. Tien is also known for his passion for food and is a highly experimental home cook.
