CEO denies rumors that Cyanogen is shifting focus to apps

You might recall back in March when Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster claimed his company was going to, and I quote, “put a bullet through Google’s head.” Their goal is to create a version of Android free from the “tyranny” of Google, but before anyone could say viva la resistance, word came down the pipe that Cyanogen was having to axe a full fifth of their employees.

As we reported this weekend, multiple sources indicated that this brutally executed 20 percent reduction in staff didn’t bode well for the future of Cyanogen’s OS game. The company reportedly had made the decision to “pivot” their profit-based operation to apps.

McMaster has taken social media today to refute these claims. “We are an OS company,” the CEO proclaimed, “and our mission of creating an open Android stands.” He confirmed the previously reported layoffs, explaining that “startups and disruption are brutal.”

If Cyanogen is going forward with their OS ambitions, it will now be with a staff numbering barely over 100. Whether or not the company will be able to achieve the Google-aimed headshot they’re seeking remains unclear, but one thing is certain: the bravado that Kirt McMaster has become renowned for remains intact.

What are your thoughts regarding the future of Cyanogen? Are they on the right track, or did they go astray at some point? Let us know your take in the comments below!