--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We built Patreon to be an open, flexible…" description: "\"We built Patreon to be an open, flexible platform. It's a tool. Why shouldn't we open it up to people who find utility in it?\" — Jack Conte" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/jack-conte-5709_find_we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible_1042252.jpg" --- # We built Patreon to be an open, flexible platform. It's a… ![“We built Patreon to be an open, flexible platform. It's a tool. Why shouldn't we open it up to people who find utility in it?” quote by Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/jack-conte-5709_find_we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible_1042252.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/jack-conte-5709_find_we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible_1042252.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/jack-conte-5709_find_we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible_1042252.jpg) > “We built Patreon to be an open, flexible platform. It's a tool. Why shouldn't we open it up to people who find utility in it?” [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He advocates for an open, flexible platform, encouraging broader access for users who find value in it **In simple terms:** He wants Patreon to be more open and useful Key Takeaway Promote openness and utility in platform design Themes platform design openness utility community building Mood optimistic strategic Type business technology When to use this quote - product strategy - open source - policy making Key Concepts software development user empowerment business models Questions to Reflect On - What risks arise from opening the platform? - How can you balance openness with sustainability? A Different Perspective Openness may conflict with security, privacy, or revenue concerns ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Built Patreon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/built-patreon-2442952/) [Find](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) [Flexible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flexible/) [Open Flexible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-flexible-2442953/) [Open People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-people/) [Patreon Open](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patreon-open-2442951/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Platform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/platform/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Why](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/why/) ## Related quotes > [You can't just say anything you want in the world and we don't want to build that platform.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/you-can-t-just-say-anything-you-want-in-the-world-and-we-don-t-want/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [“When you write, magic happens. Doors open. People smile and the world is a better place”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dapre/when-you-write-magic-happens-doors-open-people-smile-and-the-world-is/) [Alan Dapre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dapre/) > [If you can open people's hearts first, then maybe people's minds get opened after that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/if-you-can-open-people-s-hearts-first-then-maybe-people-s-minds-get/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [I like to open people's eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince/i-like-to-open-people-s-eyes/) [Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince/) > [My dancers must be able to do anything, and I don't care if they are black or white or purple or green. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-ailey/my-dancers-must-be-able-to-do-anything-and-i-don-t-care-if-they-are/) [Alvin Ailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-ailey/) > [In terms of writing and developing, TV is very open because TV needs stories. They need new pitches, and they need new ideas. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lexi-alexander/in-terms-of-writing-and-developing-tv-is-very-open-because-tv-needs/) [Lexi Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lexi-alexander/) > [I'm very open about my feelings and I'm very open about the people I have crushes on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananya-panday/i-m-very-open-about-my-feelings-and-i-m-very-open-about-the-people-i/) [Ananya Panday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananya-panday/) > [I'm still working out my opinions - it's always a question mark. I leave loads of space open, and people don't like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-i-a/i-m-still-working-out-my-opinions-it-s-always-a-question-mark-i-leave/) [M.I.A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-i-a/) > [Be careful who you open up to. Only few people actually care. The rest are just nosy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-careful-who-you-open-up-to-only-few-people-actually-care-the-rest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not open to many people. I'm usually quiet and I don't really like attention. So if I like you enough to show you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-open-to-many-people-i-m-usually-quiet-and-i-don-t-really-like/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I feel like it's been so crazy to get to open for people like Rascal Flatts, Lady A, Billy Currington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsea-ballerini/i-feel-like-it-s-been-so-crazy-to-get-to-open-for-people-like-rascal/) [Kelsea Ballerini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsea-ballerini/) > [I think art is definitely a great thing, and looked at as a way to open people up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-ray/i-think-art-is-definitely-a-great-thing-and-looked-at-as-a-way-to/) [Amy Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-ray/) > [If you're open with people and provide context for the decisions that your making, customers will stick with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mason/if-you-re-open-with-people-and-provide-context-for-the-decisions-that/) [Andrew Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mason/) > [Be careful with who you open up with, because only a few people care the rest are just curious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana/be-careful-with-who-you-open-up-with-because-only-a-few-people-care/) [Ana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana/) > [Maybe it's important to open up I people- people who are right there with you, not some thousand miles away in another universe. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-lee-o-malley/maybe-it-s-important-to-open-up-i-people-people-who-are-right-there/) [Bryan Lee O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-lee-o-malley/) ## More by Jack Conte > [Medium is like the Instagram of the corporate world. It's the layer that we want everybody to see, but not actually how it is.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/medium-is-like-the-instagram-of-the-corporate-world-it-s-the-layer/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [Patreon, is, has been and will continue to be a creator-centric organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/patreon-is-has-been-and-will-continue-to-be-a-creator-centric/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [There's a tendency for young musicians - I certainly was guilty of this - of wanting to know what they sound like, before making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/there-s-a-tendency-for-young-musicians-i-certainly-was-guilty-of-this/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [I got to compose for a full symphony orchestra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/i-got-to-compose-for-a-full-symphony-orchestra/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [Unless you've given up your business to a record label, there's no such thing as just being a musician anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/unless-you-ve-given-up-your-business-to-a-record-label-there-s-no/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [We want to make a living doing what we like to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/we-want-to-make-a-living-doing-what-we-like-to-do/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [I love the idea of shifting power away from institutions and toward individual creative people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/i-love-the-idea-of-shifting-power-away-from-institutions-and-toward/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [It's so embarrassing to just not feel valued as a creative person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/it-s-so-embarrassing-to-just-not-feel-valued-as-a-creative-person/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [I couldn't possibly be any more open or public about my role as CEO at Patreon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/i-couldn-t-possibly-be-any-more-open-or-public-about-my-role-as-ceo/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [People like my videos, some of which can cost me thousands to make. So I just ask, 'How about giving me $1 to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/people-like-my-videos-some-of-which-can-cost-me-thousands-to-make-so/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [I don't get a work-life balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/i-don-t-get-a-work-life-balance/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [One lesson I learned with Pomplamoose is that there will always be haters. Part of achieving some level of success is learning to tune…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/one-lesson-i-learned-with-pomplamoose-is-that-there-will-always-be/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [We want Patreon to be safe, and we have no tolerance for hate speech. That's something I think other platforms have been behind on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/we-want-patreon-to-be-safe-and-we-have-no-tolerance-for-hate-speech/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [When I was 6 my dad taught me the blues scale, and I started writing songs and improvising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/when-i-was-6-my-dad-taught-me-the-blues-scale-and-i-started-writing/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) > [If your company is mostly men, make sure to have women on the interview team. While you don't want to 'tokenize' someone for their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/if-your-company-is-mostly-men-make-sure-to-have-women-on-the/) [Jack Conte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) [Explore all 100 Jack Conte quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/) ## More Find quotes > [It's those moments, those odd moments that you look for and sometimes by creating this kind of loose atmosphere you find those little moments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/it-s-those-moments-those-odd-moments-that-you-look-for-and-sometimes/) [Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/) > [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/) [Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/) > [Consumers can choose organic cotton grown without pesticides, but it uses more water and requires more land than conventional crops. Organic cotton can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/consumers-can-choose-organic-cotton-grown-without-pesticides-but-it/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [You will find that the more successful the individual, the less inclined he is to make excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-joseph-schwartz/you-will-find-that-the-more-successful-the-individual-the-less/) [David Joseph Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-joseph-schwartz/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [They will find somebody younger, somebody funnier, somebody more engaged. As long as the court genre is viable, people are going to be looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-sheindlin/they-will-find-somebody-younger-somebody-funnier-somebody-more/) [Judy Sheindlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-sheindlin/) > [I think I need the demons in order to write, but the demons have gone. It bothers me a lot. I've tried and tried,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-wilson/i-think-i-need-the-demons-in-order-to-write-but-the-demons-have-gone/) [Brian Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-wilson/) > [I'm very fond of classical music, especially Mozart. I find it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guler-sabanci/i-m-very-fond-of-classical-music-especially-mozart-i-find-it-relaxes/) [Guler Sabanci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guler-sabanci/) > [Failure to find a way to incorporate political Islam in democracy, however uncomfortable its ideology is for secular liberals, will mean we have given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-blunt/failure-to-find-a-way-to-incorporate-political-islam-in-democracy/) [Crispin Blunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-blunt/) > [Reading counts as partying, even if you're not enjoying it! Even if someone's forcing you to read, you can find a way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-w-k/reading-counts-as-partying-even-if-you-re-not-enjoying-it-even-if/) [Andrew W.K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-w-k/) > [George Roy Hill, Redford, and I have been looking for a script to do together for 13 years. We haven't been able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/george-roy-hill-redford-and-i-have-been-looking-for-a-script-to-do/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [People from all walks of life that you might find as a King Diamond fan - you don't look a certain way; you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-diamond/people-from-all-walks-of-life-that-you-might-find-as-a-king-diamond/) [King Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-diamond/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [For me, I like to be different. I didn't want to imitate another wrestler. I always try to find something from other genres, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shinsuke-nakamura/for-me-i-like-to-be-different-i-didn-t-want-to-imitate-another/) [Shinsuke Nakamura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shinsuke-nakamura/) > [For young people in the U.K. who find themselves without anywhere to live - perhaps they have left the family home after a relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-viner/for-young-people-in-the-u-k-who-find-themselves-without-anywhere-to/) [Katharine Viner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-viner/) [Browse all 11,342 Find quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/find/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We built Patreon to be an open, flexible platform. It's a tool. Why shouldn't we open it up to people who find utility in it?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Conte" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible-platform-it-s-a-tool-why/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Find" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible-platform-it-s-a-tool-why/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/jack-conte-5709_find_we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible_1042252.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/jack-conte-5709_find_we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible_1042252.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/30c/jack-conte-5709_find_we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible_1042252.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We built Patreon to be an open, flexible platform. It's a tool. Why shouldn't we open it up to people who…” — Jack Conte", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jack Conte", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-conte/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We built Patreon to be an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible-platform-it-s-a-tool-why/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-conte/we-built-patreon-to-be-an-open-flexible-platform-it-s-a-tool-why/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```