Keith Coleman represents a increasingly common archetype in Silicon Valley: the big-company executive who founds a startup, gets acquired, and returns to a major tech company in a leadership role. His journey from Google product director to Yes, Inc. founder to Twitter VP of Product illustrates how talent moves through the tech ecosystem.
This profile traces Coleman's career, his time at Google building products used by billions, his entrepreneurial venture that became yesitsyes.com, and his impact on Twitter during a turbulent period in the company's history.
Connection to This Site
Keith Coleman founded Yes, Inc., the company that owned this domain (yesitsyes.com). When Twitter acquired Yes, Inc. in December 2016, this website was part of the deal. We've repurposed it to track tech acquisitions.
Career Timeline
| Period | Company | Role | Notable Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-2014 | Product Director | Gmail, Inbox, Calendar, Chat | |
| 2014-2016 | Yes, Inc. | Founder & CEO | Frenzy, WYD apps |
| 2016-2022 | VP of Product | 280 characters, threading | |
| 2022-Present | Unknown | - | Left during X transition |
The Google Years (2007-2014)
Keith Coleman joined Google in 2007, eventually rising to Product Director. During his seven years at the company, he worked on some of Google's most important consumer products:
Gmail
Coleman led product for Gmail, one of the world's most-used email services with over 500 million users during his tenure. This experience gave him deep expertise in building products at massive scale, understanding user behavior across demographics, and iterating on established products without alienating existing users.
Google Inbox
Coleman was heavily involved in Google Inbox, an ambitious reimagining of email launched in 2014. Inbox introduced features like email bundling, snoozing, and smart replies that later influenced Gmail itself. The product was praised for its innovative design approach. (Inbox was eventually discontinued in 2019, with many features migrated to Gmail.)
Other Products
His Google tenure also included work on Google Chat, Google Calendar, and various Android initiatives. This breadth of experience across communication and productivity tools would later inform his work at Twitter.
Why Google Experience Matters
Coleman's Google background made him particularly valuable for several reasons: (1) Experience with products serving 500M+ users; (2) Understanding of how to evolve established products; (3) Technical depth working with Google's engineering teams; (4) Credibility with both engineers and executives.
The Entrepreneurial Leap: Yes, Inc. (2014-2016)
In 2014, Coleman left Google to found Yes, Inc. in Palo Alto. The startup, backed by Felicis Ventures, aimed to create social mobile apps that would help people connect in real life.
The Vision
Yes, Inc.'s mission was to reduce the friction of spontaneous social coordination. The apps addressed a genuine problem: it was easier to message someone across the world than to quickly organize meetups with nearby friends. Coleman believed mobile technology should bring people together physically, not just digitally.
Frenzy (2015)
The first app, Frenzy, let users broadcast their availability and see when friends were free. Think of it as a "status" for real-world availability. Users could indicate they were "free for coffee" or "up for anything" and see which friends were similarly available.
WYD - What You Doing (2016)
The second app took a slightly different approach, focusing on real-time sharing of what you're currently doing. The goal was to spark spontaneous connections based on shared activities or interests at that moment.
Market Challenges
Yes, Inc.'s apps faced significant competition in the crowded social space. Apps like Swarm, Facebook Events, and various messaging platforms competed for the same use cases. The startup struggled to achieve the network effects necessary for social apps to succeed.
By late 2016, Yes, Inc. had not achieved product-market fit. The team was talented but the products weren't gaining traction. This set the stage for the Twitter acquisition.
The Twitter Acquisition (December 2016)
On December 1, 2016, Twitter announced the acquisition of Yes, Inc. The deal was structured as an acqui-hire - Twitter wanted Coleman and his team, not the apps. Frenzy and WYD were shut down shortly after the acquisition.
Why Twitter Wanted Coleman
Twitter was in a challenging position in late 2016:
- User growth had stagnated around 300 million MAU
- The company had cycled through multiple product heads
- Competition from Instagram and Snapchat was intensifying
- Investors were frustrated with the lack of product innovation
Coleman's experience at Google scale, combined with his startup founder perspective, made him an attractive candidate to lead product. Twitter made him VP of Product, reporting to CEO Jack Dorsey.
Read the full Yes, Inc. acquisition story →
Leading Product at Twitter (2016-2022)
As VP of Product, Coleman oversaw Twitter's product development during a transformative period. His tenure included several significant initiatives:
The 280-Character Expansion (2017)
Perhaps the most visible change during Coleman's tenure was the expansion of Twitter's character limit from 140 to 280 characters, rolled out in November 2017.
The decision was controversial. Twitter had long been defined by its 140-character constraint, which forced users to be concise and creative. Many argued the limitation was central to Twitter's identity.
Coleman defended the change using data: only about 9% of English tweets hit the 140-character limit, but the constraint was more problematic for languages like Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. The expansion was tested extensively before rollout.
The change ultimately stuck, though debate continues about whether it diluted Twitter's unique character.
Threading Improvements
Coleman's team improved Twitter's threading functionality, making it easier to compose and read multi-tweet threads. This enabled longer-form narratives on a platform built for brevity, changing how people used Twitter for storytelling and analysis.
Safety and Moderation
Under Coleman's product leadership, Twitter invested in safety features to combat harassment and abuse. New tools for blocking, muting, and reporting were developed, though Twitter continued to face criticism for its moderation approach.
Topics and Discovery
The product team introduced Topics and improved Explore features to help users discover content beyond their existing network. These features aimed to make Twitter more accessible to new users who didn't know whom to follow.
The Elon Musk Era and Departure
In October 2022, Elon Musk completed his acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion, taking the company private. The acquisition triggered massive changes:
- Approximately 80% of staff were laid off or left
- The company was rebranded from Twitter to X
- Product direction shifted dramatically
- Most of the pre-acquisition leadership team departed
Keith Coleman left Twitter during this transition period. As of January 2025, his next role has not been publicly announced.
Leadership Style and Philosophy
Based on interviews and reports from his tenure at Google and Twitter, Coleman's approach to product leadership emphasized several principles:
Data-Driven Decision Making
Coleman frequently cited data in product decisions. The 280-character expansion was justified with usage statistics. This Google-influenced approach brought analytical rigor to Twitter's product development.
Iterative Evolution
Rather than revolutionary changes, Coleman favored iterative improvements to established products. This was evident in his Gmail work and at Twitter, where changes were tested and rolled out gradually.
User Research
His teams invested in understanding user behavior through research, not just metrics. The 280-character analysis, for example, examined how character limits affected different languages and use cases.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Coleman's background spanning consumer products, mobile apps, and social platforms enabled him to work across engineering, design, and business functions.
Legacy and Impact
Keith Coleman's career illustrates several patterns common in tech leadership:
The FAANG-to-Founder Pipeline
Like many founders, Coleman leveraged big-company experience to build credibility for his startup. His Google background helped Yes, Inc. raise funding and recruit talent.
Acqui-Hire as Career Path
The Yes, Inc. acquisition shows how acqui-hires can advance careers. Coleman went from running a small startup to being VP of Product at a public company with hundreds of millions of users.
Product Leadership in Turmoil
His Twitter tenure shows the challenges of leading product at a struggling company. Despite significant changes, Twitter's fundamental growth challenges persisted.
280 Characters
Whether you love it or hate it, the character limit expansion is Coleman's most visible legacy. It permanently changed how people use Twitter and remains controversial years later.
Frequently Asked Questions About Keith Coleman
Who is Keith Coleman?
Keith Coleman is a technology executive who served as VP of Product at Twitter from 2016 to 2022. Before Twitter, he was a Product Director at Google where he led Gmail, Google Inbox, and other consumer products. In 2014, he founded Yes, Inc., a startup that created social mobile apps. Twitter acquired Yes, Inc. in December 2016, bringing Coleman on board as a key product leader.
What did Keith Coleman do at Google?
At Google (2007-2014), Keith Coleman served as Product Director. He led product development for Gmail, one of the world's largest email services with over 500 million users. He was also heavily involved in Google Inbox, an innovative email client that introduced features like bundling and snoozing. Additionally, he worked on Google Chat, Google Calendar, and Android initiatives.
What did Keith Coleman do at Twitter?
As VP of Product at Twitter (2016-2022), Coleman oversaw major product changes including: the expansion from 140 to 280 characters (2017), improvements to threading functionality, safety and moderation features, and the Topics and Explore features. He reported to CEO Jack Dorsey and led the product organization through a challenging period of stagnant growth.
What was Yes, Inc.?
Yes, Inc. was a startup founded by Keith Coleman in 2014 in Palo Alto, California. The company created social mobile apps including Frenzy (for organizing meetups) and WYD (What You Doing) for real-time social coordination. The startup was backed by Felicis Ventures. Twitter acquired Yes, Inc. in December 2016 primarily to bring Coleman and his team to the company.
Did Keith Coleman create the 280-character limit?
Yes, the expansion from 140 to 280 characters was implemented under Keith Coleman's product leadership at Twitter and rolled out in November 2017. Coleman championed the change, citing data that only 9% of English tweets hit the 140-character limit while other languages were more constrained. The decision was controversial but became permanent.
Is Keith Coleman still at Twitter/X?
No, Keith Coleman is no longer at X (formerly Twitter). He departed following Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter in October 2022, which resulted in significant leadership changes and approximately 80% staff reduction. As of January 2025, Coleman's current role has not been publicly announced.
How much was Yes, Inc. acquired for?
The acquisition price for Yes, Inc. was never publicly disclosed. Based on typical acqui-hire valuations and the approximately 7-person team, industry analysts estimated the deal was in the $10-30 million range, though this is unconfirmed. The deal was structured as an acqui-hire, meaning Twitter primarily wanted Coleman and his team rather than the Yes, Inc. products.
What is Keith Coleman known for?
Keith Coleman is best known for: (1) Leading Gmail product at Google for 500M+ users; (2) His role in Google Inbox's innovative design; (3) Founding Yes, Inc. and its acquisition by Twitter; (4) Expanding Twitter's character limit from 140 to 280 characters; (5) Serving as VP of Product at Twitter during the Jack Dorsey era.
Where did Keith Coleman go to school?
Keith Coleman's educational background has not been widely publicized. His professional career has focused on product management roles at Google and leadership positions at Yes, Inc. and Twitter. In Silicon Valley, his track record at these companies has been more prominent than academic credentials.
What happened to Frenzy and WYD apps?
Both Frenzy and WYD were shut down shortly after Twitter's acquisition of Yes, Inc. in December 2016. The apps were discontinued within weeks of the deal closing, as Twitter was primarily interested in the team's talent rather than the products. This is typical for acqui-hire deals.
Why did Twitter acquire Yes, Inc.?
Twitter acquired Yes, Inc. primarily to bring Keith Coleman on board as VP of Product. At the time, Twitter was struggling with stagnant user growth and had cycled through multiple product leaders. Coleman's experience leading Gmail at Google scale, combined with his startup background, made him attractive for the role. The acquisition was structured as an acqui-hire.
What is yesitsyes.com?
yesitsyes.com was the official website of Yes, Inc., Keith Coleman's startup. The domain was part of the Twitter acquisition in December 2016. After years of dormancy, it has been repurposed as a tech acquisition database and analysis site (which you are currently reading). The domain's history as an acquired company inspired its focus on tracking acquisitions.