SparkFun Officially Dropping AdaFruit due to CoC Violation

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overview of the Dispute

  • SparkFun published a brief, vague notice saying it is ending its relationship with Adafruit due to Code of Conduct violations, mentioning offensive/derogatory emails and “involving a customer in a private matter.”
  • Many commenters say the statement invites speculation by hinting at misconduct without concrete details, and that SparkFun could have quietly stopped carrying the products instead.

Adafruit’s Account vs SparkFun’s Account

  • Adafruit’s representatives claim:
    • SparkFun leadership and a former employee engaged in years-long harassment (hate/meme sites, photoshopped images) targeting Adafruit leadership, allegedly on company time.
    • Repeated private complaints were ignored; when they pushed again in 2025, SparkFun allegedly retaliated by cutting Adafruit off from buying Teensy boards (which SparkFun now exclusively manufactures) and invoking a “secret” CoC.
    • In response, Adafruit is discontinuing Teensy sales and working on an open-source, Teensy-compatible alternative.
  • Counter-links and gists are shared showing:
    • A former SparkFun employee’s “joke site” and later apology/transfer of the domain, which some see as overblown by Adafruit.
    • Email chains and social-media threads where an Adafruit leader uses confrontational language, contacts employers/partners of critics, and is accused of doxxing and harassment. Some readers conclude “both sides look bad.”

Code of Conduct and Communication Critiques

  • Large subthread debates CoCs:
    • Critics see them as vague, selectively enforced “HR for open source,” easily weaponized in interpersonal or political disputes.
    • Others argue a CoC is just codified “don’t be an asshole” and necessary for setting expectations, though bad CoCs and bad moderators are real risks.
  • Several commenters describe SparkFun’s public CoC-framed notice as unprofessional and potentially defamatory; others say being transparent about a broken partnership is reasonable.
  • Many think both companies should have handled this privately or, if going public, provided specific, evidence-backed details rather than insinuations.

Teensy / “Freensy” and Technical Impact

  • SparkFun now exclusively manufactures Teensy; Adafruit can’t buy or sell it and will sell through existing stock only.
  • Adafruit proposes an open-source Teensy-form-factor board (likely RP2350-based initially), adding features like SWD debug, onboard storage, LiPo charging, and open bootloader.
  • Some welcome an open alternative; others note Teensy’s strength is its high performance, peripherals, and polished software ecosystem, which will be hard to match quickly.

Customer and Community Reactions

  • Some declare they’ll boycott SparkFun; others, Adafruit; many say they’ll keep buying from both or just “who’s cheaper.”
  • Several worry about Teensy ecosystem fragmentation and collateral damage to PJRC, which appears caught in the middle.
  • A notable portion of the thread expresses fatigue with “open source drama,” viewing all parties as acting immaturely and urging them to stop litigating this in public.