LinkedIn has created a unique new role to deepen user engagement: Principal Puzzlemaster. The professional networking platform, owned by Microsoft, has hired Thomas Snyder, a three-time world Sudoku champion, to handcraft its suite of daily logic puzzles.
The 46-year-old, who joined full-time in October 2024 after initial consultancy work, is believed to be one of the few full-time puzzle builders employed by a major corporation. His mandate is to provide a shared, daily "brain warm-up" for LinkedIn's millions of users, fostering connections through playful competition.
A Strategic Play for Workplace Bonds
LinkedIn introduced its first games in 2024 and now offers seven daily puzzle titles, including "Queens," "Zip," and the latest, "Patches." Each game releases a new variation every day, accompanied by a leaderboard allowing users to compare their solving times with their professional network.
"It's a very intentional path we've taken," said Laksh Somasundaram, Senior Director of Product at LinkedIn. "When we look at the world's best workplaces and how connections and bonds are formed between colleagues, fun is always a core part of that."
The Human Touch in a Digital Age
Snyder, who serves on the board of the World Puzzle Federation, estimates he has created over 10,000 puzzles throughout his career. He authors or edits every new puzzle on LinkedIn, emphasising that the craft remains a distinctly human endeavour.
"We have a human author for every puzzle," Snyder stated. "AI is not yet there." He describes the best puzzles as thought-provoking and unique, akin to a great work of art, where computers can only assist with mechanics, not creativity.
From Biotech to Brainteasers
Snyder's career path is unconventional. Before puzzles, he spent over a decade in biotechnology, leading research teams in genomics and disease detection. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Harvard University and studied chemistry and economics as an undergraduate at Caltech.
"As a child, I wanted to be a video-game maker," Snyder recalled. He turned puzzle-making from a hobby into a profession in 2012, leaving science to launch Grandmaster Puzzles, which later led to work with clients like Netflix and, ultimately, LinkedIn.
Driving Engagement Through Shared Experience
The strategy mirrors a broader trend in digital media. The New York Times credited its 2022 acquisition of "Wordle" with bringing millions of new users into its ecosystem. According to games-industry analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Securities, such puzzles are effective because "the achievement of solving the puzzle... validates that the time was well spent."
Testimonials on LinkedIn itself suggest the approach is working. Joshua Lee, a software engineer in New York, posted about sharing weekly results with friends, stating, "The best products bring people together and drive conversations, not just activity and usage."
For LinkedIn, games are not the product but a means to an end. "LinkedIn isn't a games company, but we are a workplace connection company," Snyder concluded, "and games as a means of fun are a way to really get some of that dialogue."