Camille Hearst

Head of Fan Monetization at Spotify

Head of Fan Monetization at Spotify; previously Head of Product for Creators at Patreon, Product Marketing Manager at YouTube, and second PM on iTunes at Apple; former founder of Kit (sold to Patreon).

The Growth Architect The Operator

Dimension Profile

Strategic Vision 60%

Execution & Craft 60%

Data & Experimentation 40%

Growth & Distribution 60%

Team & Leadership 40%

User Empathy & Research 70%

Key Themes

creator economy monetization fan monetization strategy Apple product culture Steve Jobs elevator test creator platform building early iTunes product management

Episode Summary

Camille Hearst, Head of Fan Monetization at Spotify and former Head of Product for Creators at Patreon, shares her unique perspective from being the second PM on iTunes at Apple through building creator platforms at YouTube, Patreon, and now Spotify. She discusses creator economy monetization strategy, the cultural intensity of Apple under Steve Jobs, and the challenges of building products that serve both creators and fans.

Leadership Principles

→ At Apple, you better be prepared to talk about what you do — Steve Jobs had a habit of asking people in elevators and those without good answers sometimes didn't last
→ Fan monetization requires understanding both creators and their audiences — you're building a two-sided experience
→ Moving from creator tools to fan monetization means shifting from supply-side to demand-side product thinking

Notable Quotes

"Steve Jobs lore was that if you were in an elevator with him, you better be prepared to talk about what you do at the company because he had a habit of getting in the elevator and looking at you and saying, 'What do you do here?' And there were also rumors that people who had not given him a good answer, that ended up being their last day at Apple."
— On the legendary accountability culture at Apple

Want to know how you compare?

Take the Assessment