Web Masters

Jon Oringer, founder of Shutterstock, shares the story of building the first subscription marketplace for stock photography, setting the precedent for online creator marketplaces.

Show Notes

Shutterstock probably isn’t the first company that comes to mind when most people think of successful, billion dollar New York tech companies. Instead, the list includes names like BuzzFeed, Rent the Runway, and WeWork. But that’s only because most people don’t spend much time trying to find stock photography.

However, if you’re one of the few people in the world who regularly needs high quality photos, you know how important they are. You also understand and appreciate the challenge of getting good images.

Getting good images used to be a lot harder and more expensive until Jon Oringer, founder of Shutterstock, introduced the first subscription marketplace for stock photography. Even if you've never personally needed stock photography, the story of Shutterstock is important because it introduced a new concept of online, creator marketplaces. That concept has permeated dozens of other industries, from web design to music, meaning if you've ever downloaded so much as a song from your favorite band, you're benefitting from the model Shutterstock pioneered.

For a complete transcript of the episode, click here.

What is Web Masters?

Web Masters is an original podcast that explores the history of the Internet through the stories of some of its most important innovators. In each episode, host Aaron Dinin, a serial entrepreneur and digital media scholar, talks with Internet entrepreneurs who created important websites, tools, services, and features. Some are hugely popular, some you’ve never heard of, and all of them have impacted everything you do online. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Internet has enabled -- and continues to create -- some of the greatest business opportunities in history from the people who have proven they know how to build successful Internet businesses.