From DJ to Product Hero — Wyatt Jenkins's career as a major influence in the tech industry started by spinning discs. And, for the first 15 years of his working life, Jenkins traveled the world, hosted residencies at nightclubs, and was — for the most part — a world away from Silicon Valley.
Jenkins’ passion for music and creativity eventually led to the creation of Beatport — an online shop for DJs to share music, remixes, samples, and more. It was the launch of this company that kick-started Jenkins’ interest in business, and ultimately, his eventual role in senior positions at various tech companies across the US.
Wyatt Jenkins is known for many things.
Since April 2020, he's taken on the role of Senior Vice President of Product at Patreon— a tech company built to support creative independents. Before that, Wyatt worked at the global imagery marketplace, Shutterstock. And, most recently, he led and developed Product teams at Procore.
Aside from his time at Beatport — a company he helped found in 2003 — Jenkins has served as a Vice President of Product and Senior Vice President of Product at every company he's worked for.
Procore was launched in 2003 as a tool for the construction industry. It was created when the founder — Craig “Tooey” Courtemanche — began building a custom home in California; soon discovering that the laborious, complex task had nothing by way of software support.
As often happens in The Valley, Procore’s founder moved to fill the gap himself. Today, Procore is used throughout the construction industry to facilitate collaboration, creation, and organization within all sorts of construction projects.
Wyatt Jenkins has been the SVP of Product at Procore since early 2020.
Patreon is an online subscription platform that launched in 2013. The company features a unique business model, where individuals can sign up, create, and sell custom subscription services through the platform.
This allows individuals to receive funding from anyone interested in their work or talents. For instance, someone writing comic strips, building a bicycle, or making YouTube videos could receive a steady income by offering exclusive perks to anyone who subscribes on Patreon.
Wyatt Jenkins served as SVP of Product at Patreon from 2017 to 2020.
Founded in 2003, Shutterstock is a site where users can browse and purchase stock photography, footage, music, and other resources for video and photo editing. It was one of the first tools of its kind, providing a one-stop solution for companies and creatives alike.
Today, Shutterstock remains one of the largest companies for this type of service. It's primarily used in marketing, though anyone in need of stock imagery and video can benefit.
Wyatt Jenkins served as VP of Product at Shutterstock from 2009 to 2014.
Jenkins is most active on Twitter (@wyatt_earp_) — his tweets and retweets are a combination of product news, music, and business insight. He’s also been interviewed by some of the world’s biggest publications, from Harvard Business Review to Mixpanel.
If you’re interested in learning more about Patreon’s unique business model and supporting independent creatives, check out Wyatt’s talk "Keep Creative, Stay Independent and Make Money" shared via Soundcloud.