Julian Gutman, Instagram product leader, to join Patreon as CPO

January 5, 2021

Julian Gutman, seasoned executive working with global brands like Instagram, Facebook, Google and Ticketmaster joins Patreon as Chief Product Officer.


We’re excited to announce that Julian Gutman will be joining Patreon in Q1 as Chief Product Officer where he’ll be leading our Product and Engineering organizations. Julian is currently Head of Product for the Home experience of Instagram, where he is responsible for the Instagram Feed, Stories, Ranking, Video, Profile and Interactions. As we embark on the next chapter of helping Creators deliver unique content and connection with their fan communities, we’re excited for Julian to join the leadership team and help define this product transformation.

Headshot of Julian in collared shirt and dark sweater

A native New Yorker and NYU Stern alum, Julian also brings his experience leading teams and organizations at Facebook, Ticketmaster, and Google along with a mobile development studio, which he co-founded in 2011. For over 10 years, Julian has been helping to connect billions of people online in ways never imagined, transforming relationships around the globe. Through this work, more people than ever before have been able to creatively express themselves, connect with their audience, and engage with their communities.

In Julian’s words, “We’re in the very early days of a cultural transformation driven by individual creators. There is a reimagining of how creators will be compensated for their craft, how they’ll engage with their fans on a daily basis, and how this community of passionate fans will connect with each other. Patreon was ahead of the curve on this transformation and is the leader in this rapidly growing space and I can’t wait to start building with the team.”

We can’t wait for Julian to get started! In the interim, we had the opportunity to learn a bit more about him…

Tell us about yourself along with some of your previous achievements.

I’ve been in love with computers and technology since I got my first computer when I was 8, but growing up in New York I was equally interested in business and culture. I’ve been very fortunate to be part of organizations that have lived at the intersection of all three throughout my career, from helping build products and organizations at Facebook and Instagram during their hyper growth phases, starting a mobile development studio as the App Store was taking off, and helping Google grow in the early days through strategic partnerships.


"There is a reimagining of how creators will be compensated for their craft, how they’ll engage with their fans on a daily basis, and how this community of passionate fans will connect with each other."


As a seasoned executive working in the product arena with global brands like Instagram, Facebook, Google and Ticketmaster, what drew you to Patreon?

There’s a consistent set of characteristics that draw me to new opportunities: mission-driven companies that align with my passions, a leadership team that’s both mission-obsessed and committed to delivering excellence to our customers, and a company culture that aims to be special. As I spent time with the Patreon team, all three were jumping off the page.

I’ve always been extremely passionate about culture and the people that create it, which is what drew me to organizations like Instagram, Facebook, and Ticketmaster. I’ve never met a company more obsessed with this mission than Patreon, which isn’t surprising considering that Jack Conte himself is a creator.

As I met more of the leadership team, it became clear how committed they all were to the mission and to building an incredible product and durable company for creators and their fans. And we all shared a desire to build a company with a very strong culture that reflects the creativity and excellence of the creators we serve. It’s a rare thing to see so many of those factors align.

What excites you about working at Patreon?

Broadly, I believe we’re at the start of one of the greatest periods of cultural flourishing in history, driven by individual creators.

We’re in the very early days of how this is going to manifest. How creators will be compensated for their craft, how they’ll engage with their fans on a daily basis, and how this community of passionate fans will connect with each other.

Patreon is fascinating because it’s so multidimensional. It’s about helping creators deliver unique content, engage with fans, build community, sell merchandise, and so much more.

I’m excited about the products we’re going to build to power this cultural transformation. To deliver on this promise we’re going to have to pioneer products and technology across a wide range of areas including video, audio, social, payments, and e-commerce. I’m also looking forward to building out the organization with the level of talent and culture that’s going to be up to this task and is as diverse, creative, and excellent as the creators and fans we serve.