Nissue #50: Jane Nadaraja, Creator Marketing at Patreon, My Wife.

If you have been a faithful reader of In Search Of Lost Answers (or if you just know me in person), you know that for better or worse, Yelp has been a big part of the Nish experience. Indeed, the very first nissue featured Michael Ernst, the legendary designer behind Yelp’s logo and brand… who also happened to start work on the same day I did. I also interviewed Geoff Donaker — now one of the few humble venture capitalists in Silicon Valley — but back in the day my old boss and the COO of the company.

But most importantly, Yelp is how Jane Kwett came into my life. She likes to joke that we met on Craigslist (which, we did) and I like to still point out that she was my intern (it wasn’t her worst job), but it took over a decade, a stint in Bali, and a few relationships before we reconnected, fell for each other, then got married (love in the time of COVID-19).

Now she’s Jane Nadaraja, making waves at Patreon, while we make our home in San Anselmo. You’d think I would have asked these questions before but I have come to learn that it’s never too late, just later than it was. Happy Valentine’s Day, Jane!

Finding answers is better together.

Nish: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Jane: Sitting in the sunshine surrounded by people I love the most. We can be talking, laughing, swimming, playing, eating, drinking, napping…. But sunshine and love, that’s my perfect happiness.  

Nish: What was your worst job ever?

Jane: I got into tech startups very early in my career (thanks in part to you, Nish!) and was blessed to have a long run doing one of my favorite jobs in my 20s (more on that later) in one of the most amazing cities in the world (NYC). I guess you could say I was spoiled. 

After taking a year off to travel, I moved back to the States and settled in Venice Beach. I did some consulting at some early startups and met a lot of odd characters but my absolute worst job was at a “hot” buzzy tech company. My colleagues were brilliant with incredible talent, experience, and drive. The office was gorgeous, bright, and stylish in the heart of West Hollywood. Everything seemed limitless for a time and our prospects were bright. But behind this pretty veneer, every single person at the company was miserable and terrorized on a daily basis by a megalomaniac CEO. She blamed others for her mistakes, prioritized her personal needs, threw daily screaming tantrums (and several desk items) around the office, and regularly took credit for others’ ideas. It was so toxic.

I stuck it out for eight months but should have left earlier. In the end, the company collapsed in what some news outlets called a “garbage fire” a year or so later. While it was awful, I also learned that true leadership is incredibly important for a company to succeed.  

Nish: What was your first job ever?

Jane: A barista at Starbucks. 

Nish: What was your best job ever?

Jane: Being the Community Manager for Yelp in NYC. I was young, energetic, and broke but my job was to meet people, eat amazing meals, attend and host events, and experience everything New York has to offer. It was a dream. 

Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Jane: Impatience. 

Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Jane: Selfishness.

Nish: What’s some advice you’d give to yourself at 23?

Jane: Be kinder to yourself and don’t sweat the small stuff. 

Nish: What is your greatest extravagance?

Jane: Nice hotels [Editor’s note: I am made aware of this each credit card statement]. [Editor of the Editor’s note: I don’t hear you complaining!]

Nish: You have exclusive dinner reservations, excluding family and close friends, who are the 3 people (alive, dead or imaginary) you’d invite?

Jane: Cindy Sherman. My high school had a photography lab where I’d spend hours developing my own photos. I really fell in love with Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills and admire the complex stories she tells with an image. 

Carl Rogers. I received my degree in Psychology and loved it so much, I was close to having a completely different career! I don’t know how much I would have really enjoyed being a psychologist myself but Carl Rogers’ work on self-actualization theory inspired the idealist in me. 

Steve Zissou. I love scuba diving, Wes Anderson, and Bill Murray. So yea, Steve’s invited. 

Nish: What is the theme song of your professional life?

Jane: Jurassic 5 - Quality Control.

Nish: What is your motto?

Jane: “C’est la vie” whatever will be will be. Some might think that this isn’t particularly uplifting and sort of defeatist. I actually see this as a strength mantra. There are lots of things in life that we cannot control so why waste time worried about what might happen. I’d rather enjoy the now!

Nish: What is something you’re really excited about right now?

Jane: Celebrating the coming year in our new home in beautiful San Anselmo!

End Interview.

No wedding during Covid meant a cozy celebration with close friends.

There must have been something in the water in those early days of Yelp, since that’s also where I first met Dan and Paul Bragiel (Nissue #28) as well as Christina Brodbeck (Nissue #13). And if you look carefully at the photo above, not only will you spot Dan but two questionable characters from Nissue #42 as well.