Robert Kalin
Co-founder 2005Background
Robert Kalin was a carpenter, artist, and photography student at NYU who conceived Etsy after struggling to sell his handmade wooden computers online. He established the company's vision around handmade goods and artisan culture, eschewing the word 'user' because he didn't want to 'use' anyone. He served as CEO from 2005-2008 and again from 2009-2011 before being fired. His defining founding philosophy was that Etsy was 'a movement' against industrial consolidation, not merely a marketplace.
Role at Etsy, Inc.
Etsy possesses an iconic, specific founding story, rooted not in global ambition, but in the niche, frustrated 'maker' community of Brooklyn, New York. The company was founded in 2005 by Rob Kalin, an eccentric, anti-corporate 25-year-old carpenter and amateur photographer, along with his friends Chris Maguire and Haim Schoppik. Kalin was frustrated with the existing e-commerce options. He wanted to sell a wooden computer case he had built, but he felt that selling it on eBay (which was heavily dominated by liquidators and electronics) destroyed the artistic integrity of his work. He wanted a curated, digital craft fair. Working out of a small apartment in Brooklyn, the three founders built the foundational code for Etsy in exactly two and a half months. The foundational masterstroke of Etsy was not the technology, but the aggressive grassroots marketing. Kalin heavily utilized the engaged 'crafting' forums (like getcrafty.com) to directly recruit the very first sellers. The platform gained immediate cult status among women who made jewelry, knitting, and vintage clothing. However Kalin was a visionary artist, not a corporate CEO. As the company scaled, it suffered internal cultural clashes between the 'anti-capitalist' artisans and the venture capitalists funding the growth. Kalin was eventually ousted, and under subsequent, disciplined leadership (specifically Chad Dickerson and later Josh Silverman), the company transformed the chaotic energy of the Brooklyn craft movement into a profitable, publicly traded Wall Street juggernaut.