Sam Yam leaves Patreon to lead Creator Product at OpenAI
Sam Yam, Patreon's co-founder, is joining OpenAI to lead Creator Product, and former product head Drew Rowny and former engineering head Shannon Ma are coming with him. The Verge reported the move on 23 September. Music Ally reports the same trio, and Yam's line that they will build with creators on that subscription platform and share early access to tools. He points readers to DevDay on 29 September. The product itself is still undescribed.
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Yam takes Creator Product, and two Patreon leads go with him
The Verge reported on 23 September that Sam Yam has joined OpenAI to lead Creator Product. Patreon's former product lead Drew Rowny and former engineering lead Shannon Ma are moving with him. Music Ally, in a page dated 23 September, names the same trio: Yam, the co-founder, president and CTO, plus Drew Rowny, the former head of product, and Shannon Ma, the former head of engineering. Both accounts place the move on that subscription platform's leadership leaving for OpenAI, not on a product that already has a name, a price or a launch list. The Verge notes that the three hires leave the product itself undescribed. Music Ally likewise does not describe the tools. What the two pages share is the people and the seat: Creator Product, led by Yam, with Rowny and Ma beside him.[1], [2]
The line they share is early access to tools
Music Ally quotes Yam writing that they will build together with creators and share early access to a new set of tools. The Verge's report, dated 23 September, bases the announcement on Yam's own message and says he will share early access to tools with creators and that he is starting that day. The subscription platform he is leaving is Patreon. Neither page lists the tools, and The Verge says the product itself is undescribed. The shared development is the promise of early access, not a catalogue. A reader who wants a feature list does not get one from either account on 23 September.[1], [2]
He points to DevDay on 29 September
Both pages point past the hire to a date. The Verge says Yam points to DevDay on 29 September. Music Ally calls that the developer event on 29 September and says Yam told followers to pay attention to it next week. The date is the same in both accounts, and neither account says the creator tools will be switched on that day. The Verge records the DevDay date as 29 September and notes that Yam is starting on 23 September. Music Ally, dated 23 September, treats DevDay as next week's event rather than as a launch it has already seen. The hire is the news of 23 September. The 29 September date is a pointer, not a product.[1], [2]
