Patreon is laying off 20% of its workforce, affecting 93 employees, CEO Jack Conte announced on Thursday.
In a public note, Conte called the decision “painful” and acknowledged it would be “a hard day” for the company, saying he was personally responsible for the cuts. Employees affected by the layoffs will be given at least 16 weeks of severance.
“I want to acknowledge how painful this will be for the kind, ambitious, hard working, and mission-driven humans who make up this company,” he wrote. “The people at Patreon are the core of our spirit and what makes our culture and business so special. Today will be hard for so many people, and as the person responsible for this decision and the decisions leading up to this, I don’t take that lightly. Please take the time you need today to support our departing teammates and yourself.”
“Patreon’s core business is healthy and strong, and we’re going to be a rock for creators for decades to come,” Conte added. “Hundreds of thousands of creators rely on Patreon for their livelihoods, businesses, and communities, and it can be nerve-wracking to see companies you depend on go through moments like this from the outside. So I want to be clear with all of you – the creators who bring Patreon to life – that this change allows us to continue building from a position of strength, no matter how the chaotic world around us continues to change.”
The note to staff also touched on AI, as the adoption of the tech has been at the core of many recent layoffs across industries. Conte made sure to let his remaining employees know that the decision was not made so that Patreon could replace staff with artificial intelligence.
“To be clear about the impact of AI on today’s decision: we are not making the above changes because we believe AI replaces humans,” he noted. “The more we have learned to use these new tools, the clearer it has become that they are not substitutes for the creativity, judgment, detail orientation, or craftsmanship that our teammates have in spades, nor do they replace the desire for human connection that all of us cherish so deeply. That’s my personal opinion, but more importantly, it’s the foundation of Patreon’s strategy: our product vision and business are both predicated on the value of human creativity and human connection.”
Patreon is a membership platform that allows creators to earn recurring income directly from fans through paid subscriptions. Used by podcasters, musicians, writers, artists and other creators, the service offers exclusive content and community perks in exchange for monthly memberships.
This news is just the latest in a week of layoffs, after Disney went through major cuts with both ESPN and Pixar being hit hard. Those cuts impacted several hundred employees across corporate functions, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and Disney Studios. Pixar alone lost 116 employees, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap on Tuesday.
