Manik Gupta steps away from Microsoft Teams after four and a half years

The former Corporate Vice President said he is taking time to reset as AI shifts from models to everyday products.

Manik Gupta, the former Corporate Vice President responsible for product, data science, and growth at Microsoft Teams, has left Microsoft after more than four years, marking the end of a period in which the collaboration platform scaled to more than 320 million users globally.

Gupta shared the decision in a LinkedIn post, pointing to the changing role of AI and his desire to explore what comes next.

In his post, Gupta reflected on his time helping to build Teams into what he described as a category-defining product. He wrote that working on Teams gave him the chance to combine consumer product thinking with the complexity of enterprise-scale systems.

Gupta wrote: “It has been the privilege to help build a category-defining product that serves over 320 million people, from large and small businesses to everyday consumers and developers.”

He added that the experience shaped how he thinks about product development at scale, noting that many of the lessons and relationships formed during that time would stay with him.

AI shift drives decision to reset

Gupta said his decision to step away was driven by the current phase of AI development, which he described as a broader platform shift rather than an incremental technology change.

He wrote: “With AI, we are in the early innings of a major platform shift.”

Gupta said he wanted the freedom to pause and reassess where meaningful product work now sits, particularly as AI systems move from experimental models into tools people depend on in daily workflows.

He added: “I’m convinced that the hardest and most interesting work in AI now lies in turning powerful models into products people can rely on every day.”

Gupta also acknowledged the leadership transition at Microsoft Teams, congratulating Russell Dicker and Sumi Singh on taking over responsibility for the product. He credited senior Microsoft leaders for their support during his tenure and said he plans to remain engaged with builders and operators thinking seriously about what comes next in AI.

Gupta wrote: “I’m excited to spend this next chapter exploring exactly where that leads.”

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