Meet the individuals behind the product: Betsy Kao

Meet Betsy, a senior software program engineer on our Engineering crew in San Francisco. Betsy tells us about constructing analytics merchandise for creators, how the crew evaluates utilizing new expertise in structure selections, and designing video games together with her good friend outdoors of labor.

Inform me about your journey that landed you at Patreon. 

I’ve recognized about Patreon for some time as a result of I’ve a ton of creator pals who use our platform as their major supply of revenue. I keep in mind at my final job a good friend requested, “what’s the best firm you’d go to subsequent?” My response was truly Patreon as a result of I knew that I needed to work on one thing that individuals all over the world get actual worth from.

What sort of artwork are your mates making?

A number of my pals are within the comics- and fine-arts-related areas. For them, Patreon is a protected area with their followers to get suggestions and check out early ideas earlier than they launch work out to the general public. I liked listening to about how Patreon is that this particular area for his or her communities and enthusiastic about how my work would make that have even higher.

What excited you in regards to the crew and in the end obtained you to affix?

Once I was interviewing with the crew, I discovered quite a bit about how vigorous the tradition is and the way artistic, wonderful, inclusive, and pleasant fellow Patronauts are. This actually checked all of the bins for me.

At Patreon we love creators and admire their grit, artistic course of, and reference to their audiences. How does creativity present up in your work at Patreon? 

A number of my teammates are artistic individuals themselves. Because of this once we construct options for creators, we’re typically placing ourselves of their sneakers and enthusiastic about the frequent wants throughout various kinds of creators. 

We now have to determine easy methods to construct options that work for a lot of various kinds of creators. We find yourself utilizing the data of various creator communities throughout the engineering and product crew in order that we discover a resolution that’s actually sturdy however versatile. This implies what we construct has to work for an enormous range of creators, whether or not they’re illustrators, podcasters, video creators, journalists or avid gamers.

What forms of persons are you working with? 

As a result of I’m an engineer working straight on bettering the product, I work very intently with product managers and designers. However one of many issues that’s so distinctive and particular about Patreon is that I additionally collaborate with individuals throughout the group to get enter, recommendation, and concepts about easy methods to assist creators. I’ve been speaking quite a bit not too long ago with our Creator Success and Neighborhood Happiness groups. They supply a ton of suggestions about our options, and we find yourself collaborating very intently to grasp how particular options may work or not work for creators they discuss to each day.

What sort of issues are you studying in your function? 

We’re at present revamping our creator analytics which is a really data-heavy engineering challenge. I’ve labored on analytics platforms earlier than, however I’ve by no means constructed one from the bottom up. There are a ton of technical design concerns and product questions we’re answering in rethinking analytics.

One of the vital thrilling components of this challenge is that we’re in a position to convey recent eyes to the applied sciences we’re utilizing for the general engineering design and structure. We’re continually evaluating state-of-the-art applied sciences and people evaluations have been inspiring, as they’ve pushed us to ensure what we’re constructing is really one of the best of what’s on the market.

What’s been shocking you latterly in regards to the work, creators, patrons, or the creator financial system extra typically?

I’m incessantly stunned by the variability and variety of creators on the platform. Due to this range, creators can actually get artistic with our instruments and merchandise to swimsuit their wants. This poses tremendous attention-grabbing challenges for us as a result of we’re not constructing for a one-size-fits all person.

We have to adapt our product to the immense scale and variety of the creator financial system.

What’s totally different about constructing for creators? 

Earlier than Patreon, I used to be primarily constructing enterprise expertise. It’s so totally different to construct for creators. Many firms don’t care as a lot about usability — they’ve fastened and set requirements about how they ship issues. For us, usability is a core ingredient of our designs. 

The opposite distinction is that function requests from creators include a excessive quantity of care. Creators care a lot in regards to the worth that they’re delivering to their neighborhood on Patreon and the time they’re in a position to spend on their artwork. They’re coming from a spot of genuine want to attach extra deeply with their largest followers.

Within the function releases I’ve been part of, my crew has gotten suggestions from creators that the brand new a part of our product is enabling them to make extra stuff, join extra deeply with their followers, or have time again to dream about their subsequent artistic endeavor. That’s an excellent significant influence to have versus the influence I felt I used to be having in enterprise companies. 

What would you say to a future teammate contemplating becoming a member of Patreon? 

The work is difficult however extraordinarily rewarding. When you love creators, it’s so fulfilling to know that what you’re constructing will straight enhance their lives.

Outdoors of labor, how do you spend your time? 

I’ve been studying piano once more which has been so enjoyable. I discovered piano once I was very younger however was by no means very severe about it. Just lately I’ve been selecting up songs and following no matter forms of music I’m it. I even have an engineering facet challenge that I’ve been operating with my good friend for a couple of years. We’re doing story-based recreation design —  she’s the author and artist and I’m programming the video games

Favourite creator on Patreon? Favourite creator not but on Patreon? 

I like Juniper Foxx, which is an animal sanctuary account that shares wonderful content material with their members. 

By way of creators not but on Patreon, I’m actually eager about seeing extra creators all over the world start to make use of Patreon. A number of my pals in Taiwan are artists however they’re utilizing different platforms. So I’m excited for the work we’re doing round internationalization with currencies, languages, and localization that’s making it manner simpler for creators in different international locations to make use of the platform.