MongoDB CEO Max Schireson is stepping down as CEO in order to "be a better dad."
But he will not be leaving the company completely as he will serve in a vice chairman position at the database vendor.
"Earlier this summer, Matt Lauer asked Mary Barra, the CEO of GM, whether she could balance the demands of being a mom and being a CEO," said Scheirson, explaining his decision. "The Atlantic asked similar questions of PepsiCo's female CEO Indra Nooyi. As a male CEO, I have been asked what kind of car I drive and what type of music I like, but never how I balance the demands of being both a dad and a CEO."
Schireson has three children at home, aged 14, 12 and 9. His wife is a doctor and professor at Stanford.
Dev Ittycheria is filling the CEO position at MongoDB. The announcement that Dev Ittycheria is taking supports rumors that the company will likely announce an IPO in the near future. In fact, MongoDB frequently shows up on lists of companies expected to launch an IPO.
"An IPO is certainly a possibility for the company as we continue to grow," said Schireson in an interview.
According to Schireson, it doesn't make sense that only women in CEO positions are asked about a work-family balance. He said people often asked his wife how she balances it, but the same people would not ask him.
"Overall, I think that expectations of fathers are pathetically low," Schireson said. "If I spend an evening with my kids, they say, 'Oh, you're babysitting tonight.' If I'm able to make it three hours without them starving to death, I'm supposed to deserve a medal. It's doesn't make sense."
According to Schireson, while he did not feel pressure from his wife to step down, he did feel pressure on his wife who was taking "70 to 80 percent of the load at home."
"Right now, I choose to spend more time with my family and am confident that I can continue to have a meaningful and rewarding work life while doing so," he wrote in a blog post.
With Ittycheria taking over, many are questioning just how he plans on expanding the company. MongoDB has dealt with the perception that the database is not able to grow and handle more data, while remaining a fully operational database.
MongoDB started in 2007 under the name 10gen. Last year, the company announced the new name as well as a $150 million funding round in October.
