Jeff Clarke joins our group with over 15 years of product engineering expertise, together with a number of years of constructing and main groups at Meta and Etsy. We sat down with Jeff to speak about what introduced him to Patreon, what excites him about his function, and his personal inventive endeavors.
Engineering for creators
Most of Jeff’s engineering profession has been rooted in merchandise for creators. Whereas at Meta, Jeff constructed cellular purposes for augmented actuality. At Etsy, Jeff and his group created merchandise for buyer-facing experiences, together with acquisition initiatives, landings, search, path-to-purchase, and cellular apps.
“Like at Patreon, creators at Etsy are very captivated with their enterprise. They’re people who find themselves attempting to make a residing making issues and wish the instruments that they’re utilizing to be easy,” Jeff says.
These earlier experiences, the suggestions from former colleagues now working at Patreon, and recommendation from his accomplice all led him to affix our group.
Creator-first tradition
Jeff and his group are constructing new instruments to develop the way in which Patreon helps our creators. “It’s actually thrilling to get direct suggestions from the people who find themselves utilizing our merchandise – to see how very important Patreon is to them and the way we are able to make their enterprise objectives extra attainable. It’s actually an unimaginable reward and is one thing I wasn’t capable of get at different corporations I’ve labored for.”
Considered one of Jeff’s different favourite components of the function is with the ability to give creators extra time to be inventive. “Eradicating friction is a extremely vital a part of what we’re constructing as a result of it is a creator’s livelihood. The extra we are able to do to scale back friction, the extra a creator can concentrate on their work.”
“We wish to guarantee all of the merchandise we launch work collectively. We’re always asking ourselves how we are able to align the longer term states of merchandise in ways in which enable them to reside collectively harmoniously, with out them being depending on each other,” Jeff says. “It’s all very thrilling, scary, and invigorating on the similar time. Nevertheless it’s additionally why I really like coming to work every morning.”
Life at Patreon
Since Jeff began at Patreon, he says he’s seen how our firm values are embedded in all the pieces we do.
Win Collectively: “I’ve seen that profitable collectively is prime of my thoughts for everybody who works right here. Instantly, I witnessed how welcoming individuals are with their time and their suggestions. Workers are prepared to clarify how issues work, and share how they assume we may very well be extra environment friendly, and the way issues might work higher collectively. It’s been a price that I felt the second I walked within the door.”
Make it Occur: Along with robust collaboration, Jeff additionally appreciates the dedication and follow-through from different group members. ”We’re nonetheless a comparatively small firm with a small engineering group that has bold objectives this yr. Whereas it’s difficult to perform a lot concurrently, I’ve been amazed by the way in which folks have labored collectively to determine inventive options. We’re all devoted to creating it occur and doing so in a thoughtful approach, which is equally as vital. It’s exceptional to see.”
Past the work
One cause Jeff gravitated towards Patreon’s mission is due to his personal expertise within the arts. After graduating from Columbia College along with his grasp’s diploma in theater, Jeff and some mates based an experimental theater firm.
“It’s a difficult approach to make a residing, I actually gave my mother a number of grey hairs throughout that point,” Jeff says. “Regardless that that’s not my life anymore, I nonetheless have mates in that world and have a number of empathy for the battle of the inventive class on this nation. That have provides me all of the extra cause to need these creators to achieve success. I’m honored to be a part of the method that does simply that.”
Though Jeff is constructing for all creators on Patreon, his favourite creator to maintain up with is Joseph’s Machines who makes surprising machines. “His work is so fanciful and distinctive, and it makes me smile each time I watch him.”