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Whatnot
Live stream platform & marketplace for collectibles
- 501-1000 employees
- B2C
- Marketplace
- Toys
- Social
- Social Media
- Consumer Goods
- Marina del Rey, CA
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Company mission
Whatnot missions is to enable anyone to turn their passion into a business and bring people together through commerce.
Some candidates hear
back within 2 weeks
54% employee growth in 12 months
Otta's take
Xav Kearney
CTO of Otta
The collectible toy market is large, and Whatnot has built a unique social platform that enables sellers to use livestreams to showcase their products and reach more buyers. The company’s focus is on collectible toys, some of which are rare and can cost thousands of dollars, and has also expanded to sports cards.
The idea of Whatnot was led by buyer trends. Instagram's live feature became a popular place for selling toys and trading cards, but of course was not set up to facilitate bidding or handling payments after a sale occurs. Whatnot combines live showcasing with follow-up sale capabilities, thus serving the community in a more novel way than established collectibles market players such as eBay.
The company has grown fast. It was established in 2019 and has already expanded from its original category - Funko Pop figurines - to Pokemon cards, pins, sports cards, and many more. There is still plenty of scope for expanding into new categories, as the company aims to establish itself as the go-to for this large niche, which will be facilitated by the strong levels of funding that Whatnot has raised.
Benefits
- Wellness: Health, dental, vision, and life insurance plans. We also cover some of the cost for your dependents as well.
- Compensation: Full-time Whatnauts receive equity, a WFH stipend to support your remote workspace and a monthly stipend to dogfood the app.
- Recharge: Flexible Time Off policy, holiday week off at the end of year, and paid parental leave after 1 year with us.
- Flexibility: Remote-first work culture. We provide a working environment where you're in charge of your time and schedule.
Company values
- Always listen to customers
- Move uncomfortably fast
- Prioritize impact ruthlessly
- Own everything and nothing
- Set crazy goals
- Provide extreme transparency
- Optimize for the upside
- Team over ego
- Figure it out
- Deeply understand why
- Have fun & be nice
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
Jul 2022
$260m
SERIES D
Sep 2021
$150m
SERIES C
Total funding: $484.2m
This company has top investors
Founders
Grant LaFontaine
(Co-Founder & CEO)Former Product Marketing Manager at Google, Project Manager at Facebook. Also co-founded Kit.
Logan Head
(Co-Founder)Experience in Engineering, including at Maker's Row, Factr, and Flight Club. Former Senior Product Manager at GOAT.
Endorsements
All
Hard working team (2)
Meaningful work (1)
Nice people (1)
Supportive management (1)
Clear values (1)
Whatnot is one of the most unique places I've worked at -- it strikes the balance of hiring people who are ambitious & low ego, which has built a strong culture. People genuinely are looking out for my best interest -- across my peers, manager & the leadership team.
Sales & Account Management
Nice people
Sep 2023
The work we're doing is helping support small business owners. One of my favorite anecdotes is that a seller quit their full-time job as a pharmacist in the UK to become a full-time seller on Whatnot. It reminds me of the impact we have & the responsibility we bear to help them manage their business on Whatnot.
Sales & Account Management
Meaningful work
Sep 2023
Everyone here puts in the work. It's refreshing to work on a team where everyone is carrying their weight and lifting each other up. The work ethic is unmatched which has allowed us to remain a competitive edge in this battle.
Sales & Account Management
Hard working team
Sep 2023
At Whatnot one of our core values is work hard and be nice, and the leadership team at whatnot genuinely embody this. They care as deeply about the users as they do about the team, and each individual within that team. Personal achievements and milestones are enthusiastically celebrated and time offline is encouraged and respected.
People, HR, Recruitment
Supportive management
Sep 2023
The team here are incredibly talented, whilst being super collaborative and really embodying the value of team over ego. Individual and team efforts are regularly celebrated and leaders are super close to the action!
People, HR, Recruitment
Hard working team
Sep 2023
At whatnot the cultural values truly run deep! All new joiners meet with our CEO and have the opportunity to discuss the journey and how each value came to be. These values underpin all we do and are the basis for how we approach everything from hiring to product development. Always listen to customers and Team over ego are my personal favourites!
People, HR, Recruitment
Clear values
Sep 2023