Jack Conte
Jack Conte is a musician-turned-entrepreneur who co-founded Patreon in 2013. As CEO, he built a platform that helps creators earn sustainable income from their work. A Stanford-trained musician, he's also half of Pomplamoose and Scary Pockets, and he still makes music today.
Jack Conte's Bio
Jack Conte is an American musician and the co-founder and CEO of Patreon, born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is best known for the musical duo Pomplamoose, which he performs with his wife Nataly Dawn, and he also co-leads the band Scary Pockets and founded the band Magaziine. Conte maintains an active career as a working musician alongside his business responsibilities.
Patreon launched in 2013 when Conte cofounded the company with his college roommate Sam Yam. The platform grew out of frustration: Conte saw platforms like Facebook monetizing creator content while the creators themselves saw little return. What began as a tool to promote his own music videos on YouTube became a direct-support model that hundreds of thousands of creators now rely on.
Under Conte leadership, Patreon has grown into the backbone of the direct-support economy, processing billions in creator payouts. He has become a prominent voice on platform accountability, publicly criticizing AI companies for training on creator content without compensation. His SXSW 2024 keynote addressed the tension between follower-driven social platforms and sustainable creator economics.
Conte also hosts the podcasts Digital Spaghetti and Dead Wax, and has built a personal brand around the intersection of music, technology, and creator advocacy.
Career Timeline
2004 — Started Pomplamoose
Founded the musical duo Pomplamoose with wife Nataly Dawn
2008 — Founded Magaziine
Founded the band Magaziine
2013 — Co-founded Patreon
Cofounded Patreon with college roommate Sam Yam to give creators a direct-support platform
2013 — Launched Patreon
Patreon officially launched, initially built to promote Pomplamoose music videos
2014 — Featured in Variety
Featured in Variety covering Patreon creator-partnerships strategy
2016 — Co-founded Scary Pockets
Co-leads the funk and soul band Scary Pockets
2019 — Led Patreon Through Restructuring
Led Patreon through team cuts amid creator economy challenges
2024 — SXSW Keynote Speaker
Delivered SXSW 2024 keynote on the Death of the Follower and the Future of Creativity
2025 — Launched Digital Spaghetti Podcast
Co-hosts the Digital Spaghetti and Dead Wax podcasts
Episodes
Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon (December 2024)
Patreon co-founder Jack Conte joins Guy Raz on the Advice Line to help three founders navigate growth at inflection points. Zac Parsons wants to scale Honeymoon Coffee Company nationally without losing its local identity. Rowena Scherer needs to broaden Eat to Explore beyond kids without diluting the brand. Melissa Spitz looks to expand Adventures in Handwriting into schools with limited marketing resources. Jack's advice centers on speed of iteration, sub-branding for new audiences, and letting parent demand drive institutional adoption.
Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon
Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community. First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers. Thank you to the founders of Honey Moon Coffee Co., Eat2Explore, and Adventures in Handwriting for being a part of our show. If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298. And be sure to listen to Patreon’s founding story as told by Jack and his co-founder Sam Yam on the show in 2021. Gilly Moon. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com.