How I Built This with Guy Raz – Episode Summary: Advice Line with Jack Conte of Patreon

Release Date: January 16, 2025

Introduction

In this engaging episode of How I Built This with Guy Raz, host Guy Raz welcomes back Jack Conte, the co-founder and CEO of Patreon, to the Advice Line segment. Jack shares his extensive experience in building Patreon, offers invaluable advice to budding entrepreneurs, and provides tailored guidance to callers facing unique business challenges. This episode delves deep into community building, navigating saturated markets, and achieving product-market fit, all through the lens of one of the most influential platforms supporting creators today.

Building and Cultivating Community

The Essence of Community Building

At the heart of Jack Conte's success with Patreon lies the mastery of community building. When questioned about fostering community and generating buzz around a product, Jack emphasizes that "community does not happen for free." Instead, it requires work, effort, and intentionality (05:06).

Key Insights:

• Authenticity is Crucial: Jack advises founders to lean into who they are and fearlessly be themselves. Authenticity attracts a loyal and passionate following, as averting to appeal to everyone often results in resonating with none.

  Jack Conte (05:34): "Really leaning into who you are as a person and fearlessly being that person... If you're almost entirely unfiltered, you're likely to build an incredibly rabid, loyal following."

• Learn from Others: Observing and learning from other creators who excel in community building can provide valuable lessons and strategies.

Transitioning from Follower to Interest-Based Models

Addressing the challenge of breaking through in an oversaturated digital landscape, Jack posits that "the Internet has shifted away from the follower model into an interest-based model that's hyper-focused on discovery." This evolution makes it easier to break through but harder to maintain momentum.

Key Insights:

• Speed of Iteration: Jack underscores that finding product-market fit is about speed of iteration rather than rigid strategies. It's essential to test ideas quickly to determine what resonates with the audience.

  Jack Conte (17:00): "Product market fit is actually no strategy at all. It's speed of iteration."

• Building a Core Group: Once initial attention is garnered, the focus should shift to converting that visibility into a core group of super fans who are authentically connected to the brand.

Advice to Callers

Caller 1: Zach Parsons – Honeymoon Coffee Company

Background: Zach Parsons, calling from Evansville, Indiana, speaks about his multi-faceted business, Honeymoon Coffee Company, which includes four retail coffee shops, an Airbnb, a coffee roasting division, and a podcast.

Challenge: Zach seeks advice on expanding nationally by launching a coffee subscription service tailored for couples embarking on their marriage journey, blending coffee experiences with relationship rituals.

Advice Provided:

• Find Product-Market Fit Quickly: Jack emphasizes the importance of testing the product with real customers to swiftly identify what works and what doesn't.

  Jack Conte (17:52): "Find product market fit and the right strategy."

• Differentiation Through Storytelling: Both Jack and Guy highlight the necessity of a unique narrative that sets the product apart in a crowded market. Zach is encouraged to capitalize on the unique angle of supporting couples through their marriage with a coffee subscription.

  Guy Raz (20:21): "Find a way to tap into the wedding gift world... It might be worth exploring partnerships with bridal magazines and wedding websites."

• Segmentation and Targeted Marketing: Creating specific landing pages for different demographics can help in catering to varied audiences without diluting the brand.

  Jack Conte (39:25): "Put up landing pages for different demographics and markets."

Caller 2: Rowena Shara – Eat to Explore

Background: Rowena Shara from New York City introduces her business, Eat to Explore, an experiential cooking kit that inspires families to explore global cultures through food.

Challenge: Rowena faces the dilemma of adapting her product for all ages without confusing her existing customer base and seeks strategies to cultivate and grow her community.

Advice Provided:

• Enhancing Community Engagement: Jack recommends leveraging community-driven content and activities to transform fans into super fans.

  Jack Conte (31:50): "Pilgrimages, content creation, and creating collections of work are ways to cultivate a sense of belonging and identity among super fans."

• Product Diversification: Guy proposes an adult-oriented addition to the existing cooking kits, such as a cocktail mix card for each country, ensuring that the core brand remains intact while appealing to a broader audience.

  Guy Raz (35:05): "Offer an adult kit based around cocktails from around the world... every great, original idea is so original."

• Brand Segmentation: Jack suggests creating separate landing pages or even distinct brands for different demographics to prevent brand dilution and cater effectively to each segment.

  Jack Conte (40:01): "Put up landing pages for different demographics and markets."

Caller 3: Melissa Spitz – Adventures in Handwriting

Background: Melissa Spitz from Boca Raton, Florida, is the CEO and founder of Adventures in Handwriting, an interactive online handwriting program for children aged three and a half to six.

Challenge: Melissa aims to maximize marketing impact to grow awareness and credibility, especially as her program gains traction in schools, despite having limited resources.

Advice Provided:

• Direct-to-Consumer to Enterprise Transition: Jack advises understanding the distinct strategies required when shifting from selling directly to consumers (parents) to selling to organizations (schools).

  Jack Conte (50:25): "Selling to an enterprise is a different type of business with a different sales technique and customer base."

• Pilgrimage and Community Building: Emphasizing on pilgrimages and user-generated content can help in establishing deeper connections and increasing product adoption within schools.

• Brand Building: Investing in a strong brand narrative can naturally drive interest and credibility, making it easier to approach schools.

  Jack Conte (53:07): "Building a brand is crucial for creating impact and fostering awareness."

Concluding Insights

Towards the end of the episode, Jack Conte reflects on the perpetual challenges of marketing and brand visibility. He highlights that marketing is an ever-evolving challenge that requires continuous adaptation to new platforms and changing consumer behaviors.

Key Takeaway:

• Adaptability is Key: Whether it's shifting from long-form to short-form content or pivoting marketing strategies to align with current trends, maintaining flexibility is essential for sustained success.

Final Thoughts

Jack Conte imparts a poignant piece of advice reflecting on his journey with Patreon. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision and internal conviction over seeking consensus from disparate opinions, a lesson he wishes he had learned earlier in his entrepreneurial journey.

Jack Conte (56:57): "Figure out what you want to do, what kind of company you want to build... Use your own internal conviction as a North Star for your decision."

Guy Raz wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to explore Jack's original How I Built This episode for a comprehensive understanding of Patreon’s genesis and growth.

Notable Quotes

• Jack Conte on Authenticity in Community Building:

  "Really leaning into who you are as a person and fearlessly being that person... If you're almost entirely unfiltered, you're likely to build an incredibly rabid, loyal following." (05:34)

• Jack Conte on Product-Market Fit:

  "Product market fit is actually no strategy at all. It's speed of iteration." (17:00)

• Guy Raz on Differentiation Through Storytelling:

  "Find a way to tap into the wedding gift world... It might be worth exploring partnerships with bridal magazines and wedding websites." (20:21)

• Jack Conte on Brand Building:

  "Building a brand is crucial for creating impact and fostering awareness." (53:07)

• Jack Conte on Entrepreneurial Vision:

  "Figure out what you want to do, what kind of company you want to build... Use your own internal conviction as a North Star for your decision." (56:57)

Conclusion

This episode serves as a masterclass in community building, navigating saturated markets, and achieving product-market fit, all shared through Jack Conte’s wealth of experience with Patreon. Entrepreneurs and listeners gain actionable insights into fostering genuine connections, differentiating their brands, and adapting to an ever-changing digital landscape. Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting your entrepreneurial journey, the advice dispensed in this episode is invaluable for driving success and sustaining growth.

For more insights and episodes, listen to How I Built This on the Wondery App or your preferred podcast platform.