Etsy is looking for a VP of Product

Fred Wilson posted today about Etsy looking for a VP of Product (description here) and described why he believes in Etsy:

There are some companies that are just different, special, and doing something important. Etsy sort of defines that kind of company to me. They are trying to make it possible for creative people to make a living off of the things they make. And in the process, they have built a market where you can find amazing one of kind items that make great gifts or things you can wear with a smile on your face.

When companies say they are “special” and “different,” sometimes they just mean they have a ping-pong table and they let you bring your dog to work. Etsy truly is special and different in a way that one very rarely sees (just search for “etsy addictive” or “etsy love” to see for yourself). I just spent several days in New York, mostly looking for a place to live and working out logistics for my impending move (I officially begin on 9/2), but also spending time with members of the Etsy team. Etsy is unmistakably an Internet company, but one that is connected to basic forms of human expression and social interaction that go back to the beginnings of human economies.

This is an incredibly unique opportunity and someone with whom I would be working very closely. If the people you’ve worked with would describe you as the best product manager they’ve ever seen, send your resume to work@etsy.com.

If you’re reading this and you’re thinking, “Etsy and the role sound amazing, but I love the Bay Area,” (or LA or Seattle or wherever you live) drop me a line (chad @ the domain of this blog). I was in your shoes not that many weeks ago. Moving to NY (hell, even to another house within the Bay Area!) seemed almost absurd. I had just begun some major renovations on my house in anticipation of establishing even deeper roots in the Bay Area. I had a great gig at Yahoo! and the phone was ringing off the hook with recruiting calls from interesting companies all over SF and Silicon Valley. My wife and I felt very established in the area after 10+ years, with a great group of friends and we enjoyed regularly running into people we knew walking around SF. On a purely mundane level, I had even ordered something fairly large (i.e. the kind of thing you wouldn’t move cross-country) online that would be delivered in three weeks just days before I visited Etsy. By the time that package arrived, I had already announced my decision. I was that inspired by Etsy, and am even moreso after this recent visit.