Setting the Record Straight: Gian Bochsler Reassures the ICP Community

The ICP community recently reacted to rumors about people leaving the DFINITY Foundation. This caused unnecessary worry about instability. Today, a clear and calm reply on X from long time contributor Gian Bochsler put things into perspective. Gian has always been very discreet not to say secretive, so his open response caught our attention. We reached out to him and asked if he could explain a bit more. Gian explained that not everyone who was mentioned in some post left the org. For example, he and Jan chose to leave voluntarily to work on new projects and challenges. Importantly, they are still aligned with Dominic Williams’ vision for ICP. He explained that many parts of ICP development have now reached maturity, so the team needs to be reorganized around new priorities. Also In today’s market, a leaner and more agile organization makes more economic sense. Technology and the world are evolving extremely fast, and to stay at the forefront of innovation you need to move quickly and decisively. In Gian’s words:
“You want a few small, Navy SEALs-like teams rather than one big organization…”He added that fresh people bring new ideas, new energy, and new perspectives. Over the years, an incredible base has been built, a unique environment that no other project in the space can match. For those who have followed ICP from the beginning, this is reassuring news. Gian’s departure from the DFINITY Foundation Council last year was not a break with the project, he is simply continuing his support in a different way. He shared with us that his relationship with Dominic is still excellent (they still spend time together) and his belief in the protocol and its mission is unchanged. In his own words:
“I’ve met many entrepreneurs, but Dominic is clearly on another level. Of course, as we say, the brighter the light, the darker the shadow… and it is not alsways easy to be around somone like Dominic…  but it is also an incredible opportunity you won’t find somewhere else. I deeply admire his vision and his relentless dedication to making it reality. He had to fight VCs and people who wanted to control him in order to stick to his vision with full integrity, he paid the full price and we all know the story but he is still here with an incredible advance. Nobody can imagine the attacks this man has endured, I was next to him and I can tell you that not only he had to cope with so much pressure he was still able to code and create in the middle of the strom, this guy I am telling you is made diffrently. In the end he will win for the community for his vision and deliver the only true answer to centralized Big Tech power.” We talked with Gian about many other topics, and as the conversation went deeper, we asked if he would be open to a longer special interview (in several sessions) that we could publish for the ICP community and supporters. He kindly agreed. More on that soon!