About this episode

The episode discusses the changes at Patreon and the creator landscape since CEO Jack Conte's last appearance, focusing on the impact of AI and social media.

A lot has changed on the internet, in the creator landscape, and at Patreon itself since CEO Jack Conte was last on the show in 2021. AI and platform shifts have stolen creator content and decimated artists' reach and revenue streams, and Patreon has made some pretty existential changes to the way it works in response. Read the full interview transcript on The Verge. Links: My thoughts on AI | Patreon I tried to prove I’m not AI | Howtown Patreon: Apple’s 30% tax is the price of staying in the App Store | The Verge Welcome to hell, Elon (2022) | The Verge Reality is losing the deepfake war | Decoder Elon Musk is steamrolling Wall Street to become a trillionaire | Decoder Incorruptible | Simon & Schuster Subscribe to The Verge to access the ad-free version of Decoder! Credits: Decoder is a production of The Verge and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Decoder is produced by Kate Cox and Nick Statt. This episode was edited by Xander Adams. Our editorial director is Kevin McShane. The Decoder music is by Breakmaster Cylinder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Nilay Patel

Guest: Jack Conte

Topics covered

• Patreon
• creator economy
• AI impact
• social media
• revenue streams
• platform changes

Keywords

• Patreon
• Jack Conte
• creator content
• AI
• revenue
• social media
• platform shifts

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Patreon, The Verge, Vox Media Podcast Network

Products: Decoder

More episodes of Decoder with Nilay Patel

• Dr. Jill Lepore on why the AI backlash is vital for the future · July 20, 2026 · 60 min
• Proton’s CTO: No company is going to jail for you · July 16, 2026 · 1h 24m
• Yes, even Nvidia's head of automotive is fighting for compute · July 13, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Why did Comcast ever buy NBC? · July 9, 2026 · 1h 3m
• Inside the big business of the creator economy, with Ali Berman and Raina Penchansky · July 6, 2026 · 1h 8m
• The CMO is a dying role, says Digitas' Amy Lanzi · July 2, 2026 · 56 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Decoder with Nilay Patel podcast page.