I believe to achieve the work I aspire to do, it has to be sent into the void. The internet might be a dark forest, but for once, I hope there is a hunter out there who is on the lookout for what I hope to do more.
I will begin by sharing some of my beliefs and, further down the road, explain where I hope to find space for us to collaborate.
In essence, networks with inherent value exchanges constitute markets. Flourishing markets do more than attract merchants and users; they become petri-dishes for culture. Historical precedents, like marketplaces and bazaars, have been cultural epicenters. Thus, to forge new, vibrant, internet-native cultures, establishing markets is a fundamental step.
Learning 1: Networks with inherent Value Exchanges are Markets
Learning 2: Culture forms around Markets
However, as I've learned time and time again, simply establishing a market or network is not sufficient for growth on its own. A market becomes appealing when its future potential is understood and when success within it can be imagined. Early markets are often rudimentary and inefficient, but remember, everything starts somewhere. Entering a new market early involves balancing reality with a certain suspension of disbelief. Hence, early adopters must have faith in the market's eventual evolution. This requires the sharing of compelling images, languages, ideas, concepts, and visions at the market's inception, all of which should resonate with those who will further develop and expand upon our initial market.
Learning 3: Markets require their own Language, Visuals, Ideas, and Vision that inspire others to join and build upon the initial concept.
The challenge in building a new market lies in its undefined potential - like shapeless dough with boundless possibilities. This very shapelessness, a strength in the long term, can initially impede progress due to the paradox of choice. Therefore, when laying the foundations of a new market, we must intentionally select seeds that attract the right community, provide a clear short-term outlook, and leave room for long-term evolution without being overly restrictive.
Learning 4: Markets are shapeshifting in the long term, but require deliberate short-term choices to define a clear, promising, and actionable direction.
When branding our markets, our objective goes beyond mere visual appeal or the crafting of a powerful value proposition. Essentially, we are defining an early lore that establishes the tone for the community we aim to attract. The creation of this lore, encompassing a mindset, vision, and narrative, is not just a pre-launch activity; it is a fundamental process that shapes the market's expansion. We are not merely salesmen; we are builders of culture.
Learning 5: Markets need lore and narratives more than a conventional "Brand".
Learning 6: Creating lore is an integral and open-ended process, not merely an add-on.
Markets are futile without the tools that create the "Goods" or facilitate their operation. I firmly believe in a symbiotic relationship where markets depend on tools that lower barriers to access, participate, and contribute. The right lore and narrative not only attract more participants but also stimulate demand for improved tools, thereby expanding the market's potential.
Learning 7: Tools are essential catalysts for market growth.
Tools are fundamentally means to accomplish tasks, goals, or purposes. My preference leans towards two types of tools, both aimed at empowering participants and contributors. Some tools are designed to simplify tasks to just a simple click, thereby saving time without compromising the user's control—a critical aspect of empowering tools. Essentially, truly empowering tools act as time-saving machines.
Learning 8: Empowering tools save time without compromising control.
Furthermore, there should be tools that enable us to utilize the time saved in new ways, such as sandboxes, creative tools, and builder tools, which empower us to conceive and contribute entirely new goods.
Learning 9: Empowering tools enables us to shape, ship, share our ideas.
Both types of tools are critical in market dynamics. Reducing barriers and saving time makes a market more accessible, attracting more participants. Yet, without tools that allow for the complete reimagining of the market itself, its growth will be stunted.
However, as markets expand, we must be prepared to relinquish control, allowing for true innovation. Therefore permissionless markets are fertile grounds for such innovation.
Learning 10: Innovation flourishes in permissionless markets where control is not a constraint.
While I favor permissionless markets over closed, regulated ones, it is crucial to acknowledge that, as of now, regulated markets tend to be more participant-friendly. They provide focused narratives and regulations that simplify user experiences. However, it's important to note that these regulations can constrain unbridled innovation. Therefore, permissionless markets, in contrast, are often more conducive to contributors, fostering an environment where innovation can flourish more freely.
Learning 11: Embrace progressive permissionlessness.
So, where do I hope to contribute in the future? With whom do I aspire to collaborate and expand upon the learnings and ideas mentioned above?
I aspire to work with world-class teams that are masters in their technological fields and are eager to rapidly deliver. These teams possess a clear understanding of the potential impact of their work, yet are cognizant that the vision for what it could be is too broad for initial launch.
These founders and teams recognize that design is not just an aesthetic tool but a process to articulate and manifest a narrative, vision, and language. This process is crucial for inviting early contributors and participants and for establishing a focused community and culture that grasps its potential without getting lost in the 'what ifs.' Equipped with the right concepts, ideas, and tools, a culture can start to expand beyond the initial vision.
How might we launch with a focused vision that attracts the right community to build with us, providing clear calls to action on what is possible and needed in the short term, while still leaving the door open to the long-term potential of our market?
I aspire to collaborate with world-class teams who are experts in their domain and field, and who have a deep profound understanding of their future market. These teams recognize the complexity and potential need for abstraction or simplicity of what they are building, and they know that despite the strength of their approach, vision, and technology, the greatest challenge often lies in accessibility.
Such teams are committed to identifying and mastering their core mechanics and to dissecting the user experience in order to fundamentally enhance it. I firmly believe that simply adding features often leads to superficial and bloated solutions. Instead, distilling a mechanic to its pure essence, thereby creating a fundamental building block with a clear, transparent feedback loop, is what will unlock true network effects
How might we launch tools that genuinely empower our users, focusing intently on delivering the core promise in order to unlock network effects?
Learning 12: Empowering Tools and Permissionless Markets are System Design Challenges
I prefer to ground my approach in systems design methods, I advocate for continuous, iterative prototyping to identify leverage points for impactful changes. Prototyping serves as a tool for generating and testing feedback loops, guiding us toward informed decisions about the future.
Learning 13: Iterative Continuous Prototyping facilitates real-time feedback and informed future planning.
Prototyping and testing in permissionless markets, which are inherently chaotic, provides valuable insights into both short-term developments and potential long-term challenges. In this context, prototyping serves as a tool for learning, inspiration, and the establishment of constraints.
Drawing parallels with game design processes, I emphasize playtesting and prototyping core mechanics first, refining them until they resonate. This approach mirrors the philosophy of empowering a community with a powerful mechanic, leading to interpretation, evolution, and innovation beyond our initial intentions.
Learning 14: Prototypes can sharpen focus on scope, serve as tools for learning, provide starting points for future builders to build upon, and enable real-time observation and learning.
TLDR: In my humble opinion, the best way to learn and change minds is not to ask for or wait for permission, but simply to prototype. The tools at our disposal enable us to become faster, more elaborate, and better with each passing day. Instead of spending time in the realm of theory, let's explore it in parallel through practice. This is where I hope to collaborate with you.
In closing, thank you for having come this far. By now, I hope to have given you a glimpse into my mind, my beliefs, and a hint of my conviction that the future is often already out there. We just need to continuously and iteratively prototype it until we arrive at the core mechanics and narratives that will unlock new possibilities for others. These are the ones who we hope will build and shape the culture around the markets where we build, participate, contribute, or initiate change.
If you're part of a team at the forefront of shaping new paradigms in permissionless markets, or if you're involved in creating time-saving, innovative tools and are looking for collaboration to refine your core mechanics through iterative prototypes and design processes, my DMs are open. I do occasionally read my emails at ramon@we3.co, but you can also reach out to us here:
RM
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