Grant LaFontaine
Co-founder and CEO of Whatnot, a livestream-shopping marketplace that combines live video, auctions, and community-driven commerce across categories including collectibles, fashion, and electronics.
Live Commerce Could Exceed 30% of E-Commerce Within a Decade
Whatnot founder Grant LaFontaine argues that live commerce will become a major share of e-commerce because it gives small sellers a way to demonstrate products, build audiences and operate beyond the constraints of a physical shop. He says Whatnot’s growth—from a Funko-focused marketplace to a platform whose sellers span categories from collectibles to seafood—came from starting in a narrow community, generating demand before recruiting supply, and treating live selling as a primary business rather than an add-on channel.
Live Shopping Turns Sellers Into Digital Storefronts
Whatnot co-founder Grant LaFontaine argues that live shopping can address what conventional e-commerce misses: discovery, product education, and trust when buyers do not already know exactly what they want. Starting in collectibles, Whatnot built a marketplace around live sellers whose expertise and personalities are part of the purchase experience, rather than treating merchants as interchangeable inventory sources. LaFontaine says the model works only with the operational infrastructure—shipping, support, safety, and quality controls—that gives buyers reason to return.