Etsy Needs A VP of Product
Image via CrunchBase
There are some companies that are just different, special, and doing something important. Etsy sort of defines that kind of company to me. They are trying to make it possible for creative people to make a living off of the things they make. And in the process, they have built a market where you can find amazing one of kind items that make great gifts or things you can wear with a smile on your face.
Etsy has grown a lot in the past three years and they are in the process of adding a few members of the team to help them deal with all of that growth. Maria Thomas joined earlier this year and is now the CEO. Rob Kalin, founder and the initial CEO, is now Chief Creative Officer. Chad Dickerson recently left Yahoo! and is Etsy’s new CTO.
That’s a killer team. And they have a few more slots on it. The next one up to fill is VP Product. Here’s the job spec.
I am telling you that this is a special company, a fantastic team, and an amazing job. If you are a world class product manager, think hard about doing this. If you want to take the next step, send your resume/CV/linkedin profile to [email protected].
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=1d6ebdaa-5457-4d2c-9591-f5f19b63e04d)
Comments (Archived):
Fred, their system is very impressive. Who is running PM now and why are they stopping? I really like what they are doing and like the idea of working for a company like that, but they are doing a great job as it is.
Rob Kalin, the founder, essentially ran product, but he does so much else that we really need someone focused full time on this.
Makes a lot of sense.
I agree with you 100%, they are a great company with a special method/niche. And, they desperately need some product help if they are to continue their success – the treasury, etc., is a great idea and has worked well, but I’d love to see how some applied creativity, packaging, etc. could help some of these artists even further. Glad you’re helping them get some visibility with entrepreneurial types!
Etsy is a wonderful resource and the interface is intuitive. And yes, there are some issues with keeping a level of quality, so the interesting and unique does not get buried in the mediocre, which always happens when you “open the doors” freely. Artist Joseph Beuy’s and his interest in driving a movement towards “everyone is an artist” was really the father of this kind of thing. (He also founded the Green Party). But anyone who has worked in the arts, knows the reality of trying to maintain the quality in any collection of “things”, without curation; it is very difficult. Eventually, the signal to noise ratio becomes impossible, with the noise drowning out everything else. At the same time, you want a platform where anyone can participate, providing an open system, as this benefits everyone and insures longevity of the company.The answer? Bring in a rotating group of 5-10 “curators”, (from different countries), each quarter. Have them choose a palette of Etsy stores to discuss and feature. (This is different than just featuring a store or product). This will create public access to a top level of less noisy stores. Having these curators rotate, allows for maximum freshness. Also, having the the store owners work with the curators would be educational for the product creators. The curators could come from all walks of life and be diverse.It also would be great to have Etsy featured in brick and motar retails spaces, either as a product line or in their own retail concept spaces. There is a move towards companies opening retail locations as “playgrounds” , (I am consulting on a huge retail project for a company that is doing this). Etsy would be a great brand for this type of thing. A few makers featured each month, a long with 1-2 curators. Workshops on featured “making” techniques. The ability for customers to customize their product choices in the retail space , and feature them on Etsy would also be great.
I just received this link from @rebang, about the future use of vending machines. somehow related to Etsy: http://blog.rebang.com/?p=1281The interesting thing here is the transformation of the role of brick and mortar stores. And again, the emergence of “concept stores” as “playgrounds”, by major brands, is a sure sign.