Company · Business software

CrowdStrike

A cybersecurity company that had a major outage in 2024.

Where CrowdStrike comes up1 episode or test

At a glanceA first-person apology beat CrowdStrike's passive first outage statement

CrowdStrike's first statement

Lulu's first-person CEO rewriteWon

CrowdStrike posted an improved apology hours later

From Lulu Cheng Meservey on CrowdStrike's outage statement

CrowdStrike's first outage message used passive voice and read as dodging responsibility. Its first statement said it was 'actively working with customers impacted by a defect'. Lulu Cheng Meservey said this is passive, third-person language that avoids ownership.
She described it as "the voice that companies use when they don't want to take responsibility for something". The original described a defect found and customers impacted, with no person owning the problem.
How I Write▶ 1:15:15
A first-person CEO rewrite of the crisis message owned the problem. Lulu rewrote the statement as the CEO speaking directly: 'I'm devastated', 'I am sorry', 'this is my responsibility', then 'here's what we know'. The lesson is to write crisis messages in first person and active voice.
The structure puts the apology and ownership first, then the facts.
How I Write▶ 1:15:15
CrowdStrike posted a much better version with an apology hours later. A few hours after Lulu's rewrite, CrowdStrike issued its own, much improved statement that included an apology.
The source presents this as evidence that the first-person, accountable framing was the better approach. It does not say the company used her text.
How I Write▶ 1:15:15