Jack Conte hates the word “influencers.” As the CEO of Patreon, he would rather people call artists “creators” if what they do is build loyal fanbases willing to pay for what they do online.
While platforms like TikTok encourage their power users to sell doodads on the TikTok Shop, Patreon wants people to buy into the platform’s stars. To pay a few bucks a month to read what they write or listen to what they have to say.
It’s an idea that took root on a much earlier version of the internet. When Conte confounded the company with his college roommate in 2013, he was just trying to promote his band. Monetizing their videos on YouTube wasn’t cutting it, and Conte needed a platform that would allow his fans to support the band through more than just streams. Thus, Patreon was born, allowing Conte to essentially turn his band—and many other artists—into subscription-style services.
The company has charted impressive growth over the past decade and now pays out over $2 billion a year to creators who use its platform. And as the online creator ecosystem has morphed in recent years, Conte’s vision has evolved along with it: He’d like to set the “TikTokified” internet on a different course, away from content optimized to keep people on their phones and toward one that keeps people connected to artists they love.
For this week’s episode of The Big Interview, I spoke with Conte live in San Francisco for an event WIRED held in partnership with the city’s public radio station, KQED. During our conversation, the Patreon CEO talked about ChatGPT, Prince, and the differences between influencers and creators.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
KATIE DRUMMOND: Jack, thank you so much for being here.
JACK CONTE: Hello.