Harnessing Data, Diving Deep, and Connecting Networks: Insights from Matt Ober of Social Leverage
When it comes to launching and scaling a successful startup in today's fast-paced fintech world, having a deep understanding of your industry, leveraging the power of data, and building a robust network are more crucial than ever. Matt Ober, General Partner at Social Leverage, a renowned venture capital fund, shares his valuable insights from his diverse career journey with Matthew Cheung, co-founder of Work in Fintech. Understanding the Value of Data and Automation Matt Ober emphasizes ...
NFT Events During Hottest Week In London
Benyamin Ahmed We might have just had the hottest week in UK history but that did not keep the London NFT crowd indoors. After attending Lisbon and NYC I was keen to participate in an event in my home town, London. I was fortunate to speak at not one but three London based events in the same week. On Tuesday 19th July, exactly one year after the launch of Weird Whales, I spoke to a full-house at web3 London in the stunning Microsoft Reactor building. https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/15...
Work in Fintech partners with the Centre of Fintech at the University of East London
Work in Fintech are delighted to partner with the University of East London and the Royal Docks School of Business & Law with the new Centre of FinTech. The Centre of FinTech aims to build a pipeline of talent that facilitates the global digital economy. Work in Fintech co-founder Matthew Cheung was invited to sit on the strategic advisory board of the new Centre of FinTech advising on course design and student career development, becoming an entrepreneur-in-residence and raising the profile ...
Harnessing Data, Diving Deep, and Connecting Networks: Insights from Matt Ober of Social Leverage
When it comes to launching and scaling a successful startup in today's fast-paced fintech world, having a deep understanding of your industry, leveraging the power of data, and building a robust network are more crucial than ever. Matt Ober, General Partner at Social Leverage, a renowned venture capital fund, shares his valuable insights from his diverse career journey with Matthew Cheung, co-founder of Work in Fintech. Understanding the Value of Data and Automation Matt Ober emphasizes ...
NFT Events During Hottest Week In London
Benyamin Ahmed We might have just had the hottest week in UK history but that did not keep the London NFT crowd indoors. After attending Lisbon and NYC I was keen to participate in an event in my home town, London. I was fortunate to speak at not one but three London based events in the same week. On Tuesday 19th July, exactly one year after the launch of Weird Whales, I spoke to a full-house at web3 London in the stunning Microsoft Reactor building. https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/15...
Work in Fintech partners with the Centre of Fintech at the University of East London
Work in Fintech are delighted to partner with the University of East London and the Royal Docks School of Business & Law with the new Centre of FinTech. The Centre of FinTech aims to build a pipeline of talent that facilitates the global digital economy. Work in Fintech co-founder Matthew Cheung was invited to sit on the strategic advisory board of the new Centre of FinTech advising on course design and student career development, becoming an entrepreneur-in-residence and raising the profile ...
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NFT.NYC 2022 Diary by Benyamin Ahmed, Work in Fintech Chief Evangelist
Day 1: Sunday 19th June, 2022
The conference doesn't officially start until Tuesday but we decided to come early in order to explore New York. My first time in NYC and the US. When I launched Weird Whales a year ago, I had no idea that my life would take such a turn.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1540670251121070085
I was closely watching the market and I knew a sell-out would yield some good pocket money but the additional benefits: huge media coverage, collaboration opportunities, speaking engagements and a global network of friends was a pleasant surprise and far more valuable than any ETH that I accumulated.
New York was the perfect place to stroll and reflect on what an amazing year it had been.
Day 2: Monday 20th June, 2022
I had an early start at 0830, filming with Dan Sickles. Dan is an award-winning director and was one of my early supporters. He is currently working on I’m New Here, a feature film about NFTs and crypto art containing a superstar NFT cast including Claire Silver, Pascal Boyart and Justin Aversano. I felt privileged to be on the same team, I truly believe that they are part of a movement that will redefine human civilization.
I also bumped into Scott Sornetta on the way out, one of the developers of the first blockchain and mentioned by name in the Bitcoin whitepaper.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1545789383349092352
In the evening we attended the VIP dinner at the Marriott Marquis where the Work in Fintech crew met in person for the first time. The VIP dinner was also great opportunity to make new friends.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6944978098597593088
I started working closely with Work in Fintech after I first featured on their podcast nearly a year ago.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/444S2oO6hLdwI4Abxak8bX?si=Og_1bUfVQhq3pkuIhIXOXA
Day 3: Tuesday 21st June, 2022
Conference kicks off.
Amazing start to the day to see my picture in Times Square.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1541089533156069379
We headed off to the iconic Radio City Music Hall where we listened to the opening speeches and insightful comments from Ryan Wyatt of Polygon Studios, Ivan Soto-Wright of MoonPay and David Pakman.
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539266909178322948
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539262527443550211
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539257634825637890
One thing I was constantly on the lookout for was not only content at the talks but also delivery. Watching these industry superstars delivering their talks was a valuable learning experience. The successful speakers delivered using a mix of industry insights, interactivity: getting the crowd to participate seemed key to maintaining attention and interjecting with comedy.
Inspired, I headed off to the Edison Ballroom where I was scheduled to deliver my talk.
https://twitter.com/WorkinFintech/status/1539332058237083653
I’m often asked if I get nervous at these talks. I think I’ve gotten past the nervous phase, I enjoy public speaking and can just zone-out when on stage and focus on my delivery.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1546171056477683713
In the evening we had dinner with Cameron Moulene and the Non-Fungible Films Executive Pass holders at The Grill, the best restaurant I have ever visited.
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539235336848609286
The Non-Fungible Films Executive Pass holders dined at some of the best restaurants, got dropped merch bags with Ledgers and NFF swag and also got invites to a party at The Marquee with 3LAU.
https://twitter.com/cameronmoulene/status/1539489250881716225
Day 4: Wednesday 22nd June, 2022
Cooltopia day!
Cooltopia was one of the side events I eagerly wanted to attend and it did not disappoint. Cool Cats did an amazing job creating a fun, immersive experience. An excellent example of a digital first brand making a presence in the physical world, a concept that all marketeers need to understand, known as ‘phygital’.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1547161072590880768
Cooltopia was packed with lots of fun events both physical and mental. It felt like an early iteration of a modern amusement park, I can only imagine how wild this will be in ten to twenty years with the adoption of AR/VR.
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539954793657126916
The family orientated fun day was also a respite from some of the other events that were geared towards adults only. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to ApeFest or other events hosted at clubs due to US age restrictions.
The lack of children in attendance at NFT.NYC was also worrying. I spoke to at least one family that said price was a concern with tickets costing hundreds of dollars. Perhaps, conferences need to start adjusting pricing for families as I believe many children would benefit hugely from the talks and experience.
In the evening, I had the opportunity to catch-up with the NFHeroes family.
Day 5: Thursday 23rd June, 2022
Final day of talks.
The SWAG that I distributed starts making its way around the city.
https://twitter.com/chombo_wombo/status/1540746347200094209
My friend Shaman from NFHeroes spoke about the inevitable breakthrough of NFTs into Hollywood.
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539638609640292353
Stopped at the Marriot Marquis and had lunch with Eugene Capon.
https://twitter.com/CaponDesign/status/1540117040299753472
After lunch, I had the pleasure of meeting Brad Levy, CEO at Symphony. Brad is a futurist and open to exploring all aspects of web3, metaverse and crypto.
https://twitter.com/WorkinFintech/status/1540040226529329152
I also bumped into William Entriken, lead author of ERC721, we joked that by a stroke of luck, he happened to be in the same place as the youngest ERC721 developer.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1540088861816229890
We discussed the Work In Fintech sponsorship scheme and how it was the world’s first B2B NFT. He was really impressed and supportive.
Before we left for NYC, my dad explained the concept of serendipity and how conferences were a great opportunity to increase your surface area of ‘luck’. Sahil Bloom refers to this as ‘Engineered Serendipity’.
“Some of what we call "luck" is actually the macro result of thousands of micro actions. Your daily habits can put you in a position where "luck" is more likely to strike.
It's possible to increase your serendipity surface area and engineer your own luck.”
This is one of the main benefits of conference attendance in addition to the talks, parties, side events, food and opportunity to explore a new city.
At the closing pool party, I met some more Weird Whales fans.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1540108757543391235
To wrap up, it seemed fitting to thank NFT.NYC founder Jodee for organising such a brilliant event.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1540163808559353858
Day 6: Friday 24th June, 2022
Time to head home.
We had an amazing stay at The Knickerbocker and the trip was a success. New relationships formed and old solidified. There was little talk over the past few days around floor prices, portfolio values and bear markets.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1542113435114246145
Everyone that I met was truly into it for the tech and culture, like adventurous travellers that had discovered a new land, we were all excited and desperate to continue exploring.
I felt truly blessed to be working in such an amazing industry at such a critical point in its history.
The bear might have entered but the crypto revolution is far from over. I’m excited by the prospects that it will be something that consumes me for the rest of my life.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1546755497860153344
Check out the Work in Fintech website and follow us at LinkedIn, Twitter, Discord, Youtube, Instagram and TikTok.
Sign up the Work in Fintech Future of NFTs newsletter where we explore all the latest news and trends in everything related to NFTs, blockchain, crypto and the Metaverse.
NFT.NYC 2022 Diary by Benyamin Ahmed, Work in Fintech Chief Evangelist
Day 1: Sunday 19th June, 2022
The conference doesn't officially start until Tuesday but we decided to come early in order to explore New York. My first time in NYC and the US. When I launched Weird Whales a year ago, I had no idea that my life would take such a turn.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1540670251121070085
I was closely watching the market and I knew a sell-out would yield some good pocket money but the additional benefits: huge media coverage, collaboration opportunities, speaking engagements and a global network of friends was a pleasant surprise and far more valuable than any ETH that I accumulated.
New York was the perfect place to stroll and reflect on what an amazing year it had been.
Day 2: Monday 20th June, 2022
I had an early start at 0830, filming with Dan Sickles. Dan is an award-winning director and was one of my early supporters. He is currently working on I’m New Here, a feature film about NFTs and crypto art containing a superstar NFT cast including Claire Silver, Pascal Boyart and Justin Aversano. I felt privileged to be on the same team, I truly believe that they are part of a movement that will redefine human civilization.
I also bumped into Scott Sornetta on the way out, one of the developers of the first blockchain and mentioned by name in the Bitcoin whitepaper.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1545789383349092352
In the evening we attended the VIP dinner at the Marriott Marquis where the Work in Fintech crew met in person for the first time. The VIP dinner was also great opportunity to make new friends.
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6944978098597593088
I started working closely with Work in Fintech after I first featured on their podcast nearly a year ago.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/444S2oO6hLdwI4Abxak8bX?si=Og_1bUfVQhq3pkuIhIXOXA
Day 3: Tuesday 21st June, 2022
Conference kicks off.
Amazing start to the day to see my picture in Times Square.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1541089533156069379
We headed off to the iconic Radio City Music Hall where we listened to the opening speeches and insightful comments from Ryan Wyatt of Polygon Studios, Ivan Soto-Wright of MoonPay and David Pakman.
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539266909178322948
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539262527443550211
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539257634825637890
One thing I was constantly on the lookout for was not only content at the talks but also delivery. Watching these industry superstars delivering their talks was a valuable learning experience. The successful speakers delivered using a mix of industry insights, interactivity: getting the crowd to participate seemed key to maintaining attention and interjecting with comedy.
Inspired, I headed off to the Edison Ballroom where I was scheduled to deliver my talk.
https://twitter.com/WorkinFintech/status/1539332058237083653
I’m often asked if I get nervous at these talks. I think I’ve gotten past the nervous phase, I enjoy public speaking and can just zone-out when on stage and focus on my delivery.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1546171056477683713
In the evening we had dinner with Cameron Moulene and the Non-Fungible Films Executive Pass holders at The Grill, the best restaurant I have ever visited.
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539235336848609286
The Non-Fungible Films Executive Pass holders dined at some of the best restaurants, got dropped merch bags with Ledgers and NFF swag and also got invites to a party at The Marquee with 3LAU.
https://twitter.com/cameronmoulene/status/1539489250881716225
Day 4: Wednesday 22nd June, 2022
Cooltopia day!
Cooltopia was one of the side events I eagerly wanted to attend and it did not disappoint. Cool Cats did an amazing job creating a fun, immersive experience. An excellent example of a digital first brand making a presence in the physical world, a concept that all marketeers need to understand, known as ‘phygital’.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1547161072590880768
Cooltopia was packed with lots of fun events both physical and mental. It felt like an early iteration of a modern amusement park, I can only imagine how wild this will be in ten to twenty years with the adoption of AR/VR.
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539954793657126916
The family orientated fun day was also a respite from some of the other events that were geared towards adults only. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to ApeFest or other events hosted at clubs due to US age restrictions.
The lack of children in attendance at NFT.NYC was also worrying. I spoke to at least one family that said price was a concern with tickets costing hundreds of dollars. Perhaps, conferences need to start adjusting pricing for families as I believe many children would benefit hugely from the talks and experience.
In the evening, I had the opportunity to catch-up with the NFHeroes family.
Day 5: Thursday 23rd June, 2022
Final day of talks.
The SWAG that I distributed starts making its way around the city.
https://twitter.com/chombo_wombo/status/1540746347200094209
My friend Shaman from NFHeroes spoke about the inevitable breakthrough of NFTs into Hollywood.
https://twitter.com/WeirdWhales/status/1539638609640292353
Stopped at the Marriot Marquis and had lunch with Eugene Capon.
https://twitter.com/CaponDesign/status/1540117040299753472
After lunch, I had the pleasure of meeting Brad Levy, CEO at Symphony. Brad is a futurist and open to exploring all aspects of web3, metaverse and crypto.
https://twitter.com/WorkinFintech/status/1540040226529329152
I also bumped into William Entriken, lead author of ERC721, we joked that by a stroke of luck, he happened to be in the same place as the youngest ERC721 developer.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1540088861816229890
We discussed the Work In Fintech sponsorship scheme and how it was the world’s first B2B NFT. He was really impressed and supportive.
Before we left for NYC, my dad explained the concept of serendipity and how conferences were a great opportunity to increase your surface area of ‘luck’. Sahil Bloom refers to this as ‘Engineered Serendipity’.
“Some of what we call "luck" is actually the macro result of thousands of micro actions. Your daily habits can put you in a position where "luck" is more likely to strike.
It's possible to increase your serendipity surface area and engineer your own luck.”
This is one of the main benefits of conference attendance in addition to the talks, parties, side events, food and opportunity to explore a new city.
At the closing pool party, I met some more Weird Whales fans.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1540108757543391235
To wrap up, it seemed fitting to thank NFT.NYC founder Jodee for organising such a brilliant event.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1540163808559353858
Day 6: Friday 24th June, 2022
Time to head home.
We had an amazing stay at The Knickerbocker and the trip was a success. New relationships formed and old solidified. There was little talk over the past few days around floor prices, portfolio values and bear markets.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1542113435114246145
Everyone that I met was truly into it for the tech and culture, like adventurous travellers that had discovered a new land, we were all excited and desperate to continue exploring.
I felt truly blessed to be working in such an amazing industry at such a critical point in its history.
The bear might have entered but the crypto revolution is far from over. I’m excited by the prospects that it will be something that consumes me for the rest of my life.
https://twitter.com/ObiWanBenoni/status/1546755497860153344
Check out the Work in Fintech website and follow us at LinkedIn, Twitter, Discord, Youtube, Instagram and TikTok.
Sign up the Work in Fintech Future of NFTs newsletter where we explore all the latest news and trends in everything related to NFTs, blockchain, crypto and the Metaverse.
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