After more than eight years at Untappd, which I co-founded in September of 2010, I’ve made the tough decision to step away from the day to day.

I clearly remember the moment the idea for Untappd popped into my head (driving down the 405 freeway and my wife telling me “that just might work”) and the initial doubt that it would grow beyond a small group of beer lovers. But to my astonishment and delight, through many long nights and much personal stress, we grew from a rudimentary black and white prototype to an industry leading beer community and business platform.

Untappd’s first private beta landing page (2010).

Watching something grow from an idea to a community of more than 8 million people around the world is both mind blowing and humbling. There were many good times along the way but also a number of unexpected problems that I had never experienced before. Privacy, contracts, infrastructure — these were just a few of the things my cofounder and I had to overcome. Through perseverance and a lot of Google searches, we continued to grow and eventually were acquired in 2016. Needless to say, I’ve learned many lessons both good and bad along the way.

Outside the Untappd HQ in Wilmington, NC.

Now, 3 years post acquisition, I can see the future for Untappd and it is bright. The team in place is smart, talented, and has continued to grow the company from 2 to over 100 employees, all while diving into a number of different areas of the beer industry to truly become a leader in the space.

Knowing that Untappd is in good hands, I’ve decided it’s time for me to depart the company. I will be taking some time to recharge, relax, and focus on traveling the world with my family. I’m very excited for what the future has in store.

Many people helped to make this entire process possible, but I want to thank one of the most important, my wife, Melissa. Thank you for the unwavering support these past 8 years. Start up life has taken its toll, had its ups and downs, but through it all — a wedding, a baby, and everything in between — you’ve stood by me and for that I am forever grateful. Here’s to our future adventures together. I also want to thank my co-founder Greg Avola for taking this wild ride with me, Kurt Taylor for giving us the opportunity to focus on Untappd full time, and the entire Next Glass/Untappd team for all your hard work to grow Untappd into what it is today.

You can follow my adventures on Instagram at @timm3h, checkout my beer photos at @timdrinkingbeer, and find me on Twitter once in a while at @timm3h. If you’re on Untappd, be sure to send me a friend request!

Cheers!