Humans of Patreon: Tara Rajan

Meet Tara, Head of Creator Scaled Growth at Patreon and lifelong champion of creativity. With a background in psychology and a deep curiosity for what motivates people, Tara brings a thoughtful and community-first approach to helping creators grow their businesses. Tara is all about connection, creativity, and making sure creators can do what they love—and thrive while doing it.

Let’s dive into Tara’s world, where strategic thinking meets a whole lot of heart.

Explain what your job is if you were talking to a 5 year old.
Tara: I help our artists and creators make more money and reach more fans!

Who is your favorite creator and why?
Tara: Who? Weekly. Just a delightful, hilarious blend of pop culture and sweet friendship banter.

If you started a Patreon, what would it be and why?
Tara: Maybe a fantasy book club. I started one during the pandemic and it was a fun way to connect with loved ones long distance over books we loved (or didn’t love). With a Patreon, you could build out a wider community and even bring in authors to come talk about their work!

What’s one thing about working at Patreon that surprised you the most?
Tara: How creative everyone is! Nearly everyone has some sort of personal connection to the creator economy or the arts more broadly. Everybody’s reason for being here is so unique and creator-first.

If you could have any creator as your mentor for a day, who would it be and what would you learn?
Tara: As a former Psychology student, I’m a longtime Hidden Brain fan. I would LOVE to ask Shankar Vedantam my millions of questions and learn how to best tell engaging, research-based stories.

If you could instantly master one skill to help creators, what would it be?
Tara: Learning a bunch of different languages. We have so many incredible international creators and I truly wish I could first-hand consume all of their content.

If your job had a theme song, what would it be and which lyrics best describe your role?
Tara: With a Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles. Helping creators grow is a team effort and a shared passion here. It can be challenging, but it’s always fun… and working with a group of incredible, creative people is what makes me tick.

What is the best career advice you have ever received?
Tara: Keep your north star in sight, but always gravitate to solving the hardest problems you can find.

What are your words of wisdom to anyone trying to enter your field?
Tara: Don’t forget to hone your own craft! The best people in the space deeply understand creator pain points. Sometimes that means taking risks yourselves, and exploring what it means to be a creator in this crazy world.

Tara’s approach to scaled growth is rooted in empathy, creativity, and a love for stories. Her mantra of “solving the hardest problems you can find” is matched by her joy in the journey, always backed by a team of passionate people.

Stay tuned for more stories from the humans who make Patreon what it is!