This originally appeared as a Twitter thread on January 2, 2021.

I spent one month moonlighting as a metaverse dev, building Franky’s Tavern in Decentraland and I learned a lot in the process.

Here are some wisdoms and contemplations to share.

Holding land is good, building land is better

Speculating on virtual land as investment is great, and necessary. But taking the next step to build on that land is what connects you to the larger community of players, devs and designers.

It also adds value to the platform.

You don’t need land to start building

I don’t own any land, but that didn’t stop me. Make friends in the community, and see where you fit in. There are land holders who can’t build. Designers who can’t code. Coders who can’t design.

Find an opportunity and go for it.

“Perfect” is an illusion

Before Franky’s, I’d been making websites for 20 years, but I’d never done game design. I’ve never been a gamer. You might think “I don’t know enough” or “where do I even start?”

Don’t over think it. Just start.

See your build as a never ending WIP

Don’t think about your build as a “one and done” thing. The more time you spend iterating on your idea, experimenting, pushing yourself, the better it will get. You’ll see it, and other people will see it too.

Contemplate “how much time would I spend here?”

It’s fine to have grand ideas about players loving your build, but be realistic — how much time would you as the builder actually spend there, if it wasn’t yours?

Contemplate “would people come here without prizes?”

I don’t want to pigeonhole all projects — many are prize focused and that’s great — but for me, I want to engage players without the goal of prize reward. In my case, I see prizes as special / secondary experiences.

Attention now, profits later

I don’t own land. I’m not $MANA rich. Both would be great things, but not the point rn. Now: build an experience that people like, and a place where people like to go. I often think of a quote from @toxsam: "I'm planting seeds in the metaverse"

New year, new you

There’s nothing like a new year to help reframe your state of mind, to set new creative goals, and to start with a clean slate. There’s no time like now to join these virtual worlds, and contribute. We’re still so early. There’s a place for you.

I’ve already said this, but can’t say this enough

Just start. Try the Decentraland 3D Builder, try the SDK. Experiment. Join the community. Collaborate. Ask questions. Keep pushing yourself. And be sure to say hello if you run into me in the metaverse. 👋