Third waves are generally a reaction to the things that came before them. This creates conditions for members to give off a superiority complex, especially when it’s where the cool kids or smartest kids are hanging out.
“Third Wave Coffee” had this problem too, at least through the mid 2000s. There was an issue with mean baristas. Customers felt judged, like they had to look or order a certain way to get good service.
Coffeeshops had to work hard to turn this around. Teams were retrenched. Greater emphasis was put on training and customer service. By 2010, the overhaul was mostly complete, and it was considered passé to have pretentious baristas.
The branding shift from crypto to web3 is similar. The word "crypto" is a little scary, whereas "web3" simply implies progress. The web3 community has embraced friendly irreverence too: the memes, bright colors, emojis, saying gm/gn all the time. Be overtly nice can be powerful in driving adoption.
Third waves gain followers by serving as an umbrella for movements that have disparate origins but common ethos. They build large tents that attract people who don't fit in neatly in other camps.
“Third Wave Feminism” embraced individualism and diversity. As Elizabeth Evans wrote, "the confusion surrounding what constitutes third-wave feminism is in some respects its defining feature". It picked up unfinished work from second wave feminism, but also sought to dismantle the machine and rebuild it better.
Web3 has grown more inclusive as it's moved beyond a critique on fiat currency and traditional finance. Its tent now includes people reacting to privacy, data ownership, governance of common goods, the 9-to-5 job, creators' and artists' rights, consolidation of FAMGA power, and more.
Third waves eventually reach a tipping point where they are the default easiest option for new builders. They become easier to implement and more practical than alternatives.
The “Third Wave of Democracy” gathered momentum in the mid-1970s. Autocratic regimes started falling around the world and democracies took their place. Newly prosperous nations transitioned to democracies. The number of democracies increased rapidly through the 1980s.
The third wave offered a variety of "constitutional templates" to draw from. Choosing democracy granted countries a higher degree of interoperability with the rest of the world.
True, some democracies exist only in name and others are backsliding. But in its first and second wave, democracy was highly tenuous. Now, following the third wave, it is the default model of governance for the modern state.
For Web3 to experience such an inflection point, it needs to be easier to build, govern, and interoperate than other technologies.
Third waves are generally a reaction to the things that came before them. This creates conditions for members to give off a superiority complex, especially when it’s where the cool kids or smartest kids are hanging out.
“Third Wave Coffee” had this problem too, at least through the mid 2000s. There was an issue with mean baristas. Customers felt judged, like they had to look or order a certain way to get good service.
Coffeeshops had to work hard to turn this around. Teams were retrenched. Greater emphasis was put on training and customer service. By 2010, the overhaul was mostly complete, and it was considered passé to have pretentious baristas.
The branding shift from crypto to web3 is similar. The word "crypto" is a little scary, whereas "web3" simply implies progress. The web3 community has embraced friendly irreverence too: the memes, bright colors, emojis, saying gm/gn all the time. Be overtly nice can be powerful in driving adoption.
Third waves gain followers by serving as an umbrella for movements that have disparate origins but common ethos. They build large tents that attract people who don't fit in neatly in other camps.
“Third Wave Feminism” embraced individualism and diversity. As Elizabeth Evans wrote, "the confusion surrounding what constitutes third-wave feminism is in some respects its defining feature". It picked up unfinished work from second wave feminism, but also sought to dismantle the machine and rebuild it better.
Web3 has grown more inclusive as it's moved beyond a critique on fiat currency and traditional finance. Its tent now includes people reacting to privacy, data ownership, governance of common goods, the 9-to-5 job, creators' and artists' rights, consolidation of FAMGA power, and more.
Third waves eventually reach a tipping point where they are the default easiest option for new builders. They become easier to implement and more practical than alternatives.
The “Third Wave of Democracy” gathered momentum in the mid-1970s. Autocratic regimes started falling around the world and democracies took their place. Newly prosperous nations transitioned to democracies. The number of democracies increased rapidly through the 1980s.
The third wave offered a variety of "constitutional templates" to draw from. Choosing democracy granted countries a higher degree of interoperability with the rest of the world.
True, some democracies exist only in name and others are backsliding. But in its first and second wave, democracy was highly tenuous. Now, following the third wave, it is the default model of governance for the modern state.
For Web3 to experience such an inflection point, it needs to be easier to build, govern, and interoperate than other technologies.
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