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Patreon Welcomes Former Googler, Utkarsh Srivastava, as Senior VP of Engineering
We’re thrilled to announce that Utkarsh Srivastava has joined Patreon as our new Senior VP of Engineering. Utkarsh joins us with over a decade of expertise constructing shopper communications merchandise, and led groups at Twitter and, most just lately, at Google the place he elevated the messaging, video, and telephone calling expertise for Android customers all over the world.
The creator economic system is piping scorching and as we work to construct the area and assets for creators to make a world for his or her artwork and their members, we couldn’t be extra excited for Utkarsh to hitch our group.
Right here’s what he needed to say about Patreon and the chance forward:
Inform us about your self and a few of your achievements.
I got here to the US for graduate research at Stanford (I’m initially from India). I’ve been fascinated with laptop science for a very long time and love constructing software program. For the final decade or so, I’ve been targeted on constructing communications merchandise first at Twitter after which at Google. Twitter was a revolutionary communications product the place, for the primary time, we democratized the flexibility for creators to speak to a big viewers. My function was to enhance the standard of the principle feed based mostly on rating and relevance — it was a enjoyable challenge the place we have been in a position to actually concentrate on exhibiting customers essentially the most related content material to them.
For the final 5 years, I’ve been at Google the place I’ve labored on enhancing communication merchandise for billions of Android customers. We elevated the messaging expertise to be a a lot richer and safer one, and labored on top quality video-calling to assist individuals keep in contact in the course of the pandemic. We additionally innovated loads on the phone-calling expertise which may usually be forgotten within the smartphone expertise. We have been in a position to create progressive options like holding the road for you on buyer assist calls and blocking spam calls.
What drew you to Patreon?
The mission and the individuals.
I talked to Jack a very long time in the past when Patreon was simply getting began, so I’ve been following the corporate for some time. The corporate’s mission of being the go-to vacation spot for creators to run their enterprise their very own approach and construct a deep reference to their followers actually appeals to me. I’m excited to assist understand that imaginative and prescient.
I used to be additionally blown away by Patreon’s management group and their skill to place creators first. The origin story of the corporate with Jack being a creator himself, and the deep buyer empathy that comes from that’s fascinating. I’m satisfied that that is the fitting group to construct towards this imaginative and prescient.
What excites you in regards to the creator economic system?
I consider we’re nonetheless within the early days of a sea change in what number of creators there are, how they run their enterprise, how they join with their followers, and the way they construct a group. Patreon is on the forefront of this transformation and I’m excited to be part of it!
I even have a private reference to a budding creator — my 11-year-old daughter uploads her music movies on YouTube. She can be keen about saving wild tigers, so we had this enjoyable thought for her to gather funds to donate to this trigger through track requests from family and friends. It was a very enjoyable approach for me to look at her creativity up shut and private, and develop an appreciation for the way forward for the artistic economic system.
What’s one thing most individuals wouldn’t learn about you?
I’m an aspiring musician (though nowhere near the ability degree of any creator on Patreon!). I used to be briefly a part of a band and performed guitar at Stanford whereas getting my PhD. I’m considering of selecting up guitar classes once more — I hear that we now have common creator visits and performances at Patreon HQ, so possibly I can get some suggestions!
As you embark on rising the engineering group, what engineering values are you going to steer with?
I’m keen about constructing software program that’s each reliable and pleasant to make use of. Creators depend on us to run their enterprise, so we’ll proceed to work arduous to make it possible for our software program is accessible every time they want it.
Past that, we’ll work to make each interplay with our software program a delight — an absolute pleasure to make use of for creators and patrons alike. Constructing such reliable and pleasant software program takes expert engineering with a excessive degree of craftspersonship, and people are the attributes I’ll try to take care of and develop as we embark on rising the engineering group.