What’s happening in Iran right now is the defining political & humanitarian moment of the 21st century. But to understand what is happening today, we must start from the beginning.

Please note that this isn’t easy to read. There will be upsetting material. However, I will not show videos as they are too traumatizing for some. This article reflects my personal statements, and is only one voice out of many representing the cries of the Iranian people.

The Rise of Iran’s Islamic Era

Before 1979, the country of Iran (formerly known as Persia) was led by a hereditary monarch which they called the Shah (meaning “king” in Persian). Under the absolute rule of Shah Mohammad Reza of the Pahlavi dynasty, the Iranians lived a free life, with westernization being heavily adopted. Women received higher education, alcohol was legal, industrialization was booming because of Iran’s access to oil, and so much more.

But not everyone was happy. The Shah’s authoritarian reign over his people meant that he could make whatever decisions he wanted, and that angered many citizens. This was further intensified by the Shah’s close ties with the US and UK.

What is often called the Islamic Revolution was actually an Islamic coup d'état supported by Islamist factions, leftist groups, and received backing from foreign countries. The Shah was forced into exile as a result, and the first Ayatollah assumed power as Iran’s Supreme Leader.

There have been two Supreme Leaders since 1979: Ruhollah Khomeini who ruled for a decade before passing, and Ali Hosseini Khamenei who has ruled to this day. Every horror that you have seen come out of Iran is a result of theirs' or their compatriots’ work.

The Wrath of the Regime

For more than 4 decades, the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) has a “no tolerance” policy in everything that they do. Here are a few examples:

• The death penalty is used very often. Public executions are common to instill fear in the Iranian people.

• Countless innocent Iranians of all age demographics are killed by military intervention for participating in any type of protests.

• Children are brainwashed, forced to memorize the Qur’an and to remove critical thinking. The chant “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” is taught at a young age, and during times of war, children are also militarized.

• Media censorship is pervasive, with journalists imprisoned, nationwide internet shutdowns enforced, Islamic propaganda pushed, and Western-influenced culture restricted.

• The so-called “morality police” punish those who defy Islamic law, including through beatings, rape, and torture that have led to the deaths of women for disobedience.

• Iran’s juvenile justice system is appalling. Children under 18 can be executed for alleged crimes, often based on confessions coerced through torture, prolonged solitary confinement, and sham trials in which they are denied legal counsel.

And that was only BEFORE. What is happening in Iran now is so monstrous, directors wouldn’t put it in horror films. You are witnessing one massive concentration camp, with the Ayatollah personifying Hitler in the 21st century, and the unarmed innocent Iranian civilians facing persecution like the Jews did in the Holocaust.

In 48 hours, an estimated 12,000 Iranians were slaughtered. The total count from an Immortal Guard (established by the exiled Shah) on the inside mentioned above 30,000 deaths. Today, the true number could exceed 50,000. With countless body bags lacking identification, no official tally exists. Every day, hundreds if not thousands of Iranians continue to be killed for their desire to be free.

Here is a list of the disgusting reality happening in Iran:

1. Snipers from the IRGC shoot at civilians from the top of buildings.

2. The IRGC intercepts ambulances and enters hospitals, shooting wounded civilians to prevent treatment.

3. Hundreds of people that were killed were mutilated to the point where they were unrecognizable.

4. The Islamic Regime is using chemical weapons that causes paralysis, and contains toxic substances that are lethal.

5. To get a body back, the IRGC forces families to pay money and provide a box of sweets + a thank you note for murdering their loved one.

6. Afghan, Arab, and Iraqi militant groups and mercenaries have joined the conflict in support of the IRGC. They chant out Islamic slogans.

7. The internet has been shutdown since January 8. This prevents Iranians to post on social media or to get word to their families on the outside.

8. While Erfan Soltani was not publicly hanged due to social media and President Trump’s pressure, he was reportedly beat to death while in detention.

9. Civilians are trapped in their homes all day, only allowed to go outside for essentials. The IRGC monitors every word through Big Brother–style surveillance. If they don’t like something that was said, they will shoot the civilian.

If you are Iranian, chances are that you know someone who has been killed by the Islamic Regime. Close your eyes and imagine discovering that your parent, sibling, or child was killed as a big screen displayed all of the civilian casualties. THAT IS LITERALLY A SCENE OUT OF THE HUNGER GAMES.

The Islamic Regime will stop at NOTHING. There are no boundaries they won’t step over, no lines they won’t cross. It’s limitless cruelty, and its origin point stems from something much deeper. The regime are radical extremists that follow the Qur’an. In their eyes, they believe they’re the good guys and they are carrying out the will of Allah.

Persecution Leads to Wildfire

In Iran, the freedom of religion does NOT exist. And Christianity is no exception, as the Islamic Regime considers it a threat.

While the majority of Iranians do not identify as Moslem today, there has been an unbelievable surge of conversion to Christianity in one of the most persecuted places on the planet.

“Why is this important?” you might ask.

Throughout history, Christianity has grown most rapidly under persecution, driven by its message of hope, salvation, and the promise of everlasting life with Christ.

This isn’t statistics; these are eye-witness testimonies.

The biggest reason my parents never went back to their home country was that they became Christian. Being a Moslem convert in Iran meant having a target on your back (and death penalty according to Sharia law). Instead, my parents were a part of the founding group that created the Iranian Christian Church, where the sermons are viewed illegally by millions from Iran (and other parts of the Middle East).

In our church we had a call center where countless people would call in, as they cried, shared their testimonies, and begged to accept Christ as their LORD. I remember as a kid watching my dad as he conversed with Iranians on the other side of the world. Countless testimonies describe people receiving dreams and visions, experiencing miracles such as physical healings, and even hearing the audible voice of Christ.

My grandfather was part of an underground church in Iran and arrested for his faith. My parents personally knew Christians that were imprisoned & martyred at the hands of the Islamic government BECAUSE they were bold in their faith. Many people paid the ultimate price for their faith; and yet, despite that sacrifice, Iran has been and continues to be the fastest-growing Christian population in the world (per capita).

This is what the Bible declares about Iran: “’I will set my throne in Elam (modern-day Iran) and destroy her king and officials,” declares the LORD. ‘Yet I will restore the fortunes of Elam in days to come,’ declares the LORD.” - Jeremiah 49:38-39

The Lion Will Roar Once Again

For the Iranian people, this is their last fight. It’s do or die.

They are Lions, ROARING in the streets. Unarmed but still fighting for their freedom, they are undoubtedly the bravest people in the world. Prince Reza Pahlavi is a symbol of the Iranian people. He is the name that they are chanting inside that concentration camp, because they believe that he will restore Iran to its original design: the “Cyrus Cylinder”, the first recorded declaration of human rights established by King Cyrus.

Many are critical of Iranians asking for America and other countries to provide aid. But do you think we would ask for help if we knew we could take care of it ourselves?

Dear President Trump, please fulfill your promise on backing the Iranian people and help in establishing Pahlavi as the transitional leader. Every day there are more casualties, and we cannot afford to waste anymore time. You said it yourself:

President Trump, if you help save Iran from this nightmare, you will be the best president in recent history, and that is not even an exaggeration.

The Iranian people are deeply grateful to those who continue to speak out against these atrocities. Yet, much of this truth is suppressed by those unwilling to challenge certain narratives. Where are the voices championing “Free Palestine”? Where are the leftists? Why isn’t the media covering this?

Whenever you see a post about Iran, engage with it. Be a part of the conversation. Question what the media feeds you.

I am not sorry for speaking up when my people are being murdered and lack human rights.

Although, at the end of the day, I wish I had never written this to begin with.

To conclude, I urge you to listen to “Dobareh Misazamat Vatan” by Dariush Eghbali. It’s not just a beautiful song, but a promise to restore Iran to its former glory. I will translate the lyrics here:

I shall build you again, my homeland,
Although with bricks of my soul
I shall put columns under your roof,
Although with my bones

I shall again tell beautiful stories about you,
As desired by your young generation
I shall again wash away the blood on you,
With a torrent of my flowing tears

I shall build you again, my homeland,
Although with bricks of my soul
I shall put columns under your roof,
Although with my bones

Although dead for a hundred years,
I shall stand at my grave
To rip out the heart of the devil
With my loud roar

Although I am old, still
If there were a chance to learn,
I shall restart my youth,
Along my own young

I shall build you again, my homeland,
(I shall build you again, my homeland)
Although with bricks of my soul
(Although with bricks of my soul)
I shall put columns under your roof,
(I shall put columns under your roof)

➤ Imagine you’re a 21 year old, stuck at home because of COVID mandates. Not like you can physically move much anyways without feeling like absolute garbage.

➤ Once the body starts to fall apart, the mind floods with anxiety and depression. You begin to believe that you will never be able to escape this new reality.

➤ You look on social media, and all you’re being fed is content you relate with: fitness. Some are successful athletes who have built their journey into a digital-first brand, while others are kids younger than you who are catching up to your physique.

➤ And all you do is nothing but compare. You feel like you’re falling behind.

HOW I ADAPTED

Here’s my 10-step process on how I transitioned from a 5 Year hiatus to consistently lifting for ~3 months.

1. Reset your circadian rhythm. Your body is at its peak when it gets good sleep (especially during REM) at the right time. If you aren’t getting 7-8 hours of sleep on average, fix that. If you are sleeping at the wrong times, fix that too.

2. Learn to love cardio. Start by walking a few miles around your neighborhood. Enjoy the fresh air, clear your mind, step out of isolation. Next, progress to running & hiking. Train your body to run or hike at a conversational pace. Challenge your body to its limits, and experience a true runner’s high (this was me all of 2020-2023).

3. Begin performing body-weight or Exerbotics training. The slow, negative movements allow for the body to get the gains it needs without exerting too much physical stress. Think of it like rehabilitation, hence why this step is crucial.

4. Try body-based treatments. Physical therapy, acupuncture, wellness coaching, cryo/heat therapy, and more can all help with your health. Chiropractic care targeted my issues directly when I found the right provider in 2023, and my body has never been stronger. People say these physicians are fake, and a lot of them are. But legitimate professionals can help you with your body in ways that medical drugs with endless side-effects cannot.

5. Experiment with fasting. Maybe try daily water-based intermittent fasting (which I’ve been doing since 2024), or explore other options like liquid fasts, the Daniel Fast, occasional 24–72 hour fasts, etc. Let your body enter ketosis, improve its metabolic flexibility, and have an overall system reset. It’s so worth it.

6. Believe in something. Your mind needs PEACE. This is a part that tends to get overlooked a lot, so I want to put a lot of emphasis on it. Personally, I’m a proud follower of Christ, and I am confident I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Him. Very grateful and blessed.

7. Don’t go too hard. Now that you’re back in the gym (me starting 3 months ago), take it easy. There’s this stigma that athletes need to go in 5-6 times a week, but I’ve been going into the gym 4 days a week and have never experienced this level of growth before. Don’t train more than your body can handle; recovery always comes first (as we covered in step 1).

8. It’s all about tempo. Adding on from step 7, increase your sets & reps rather than the weights. Push until your muscles burnout, rather than straining your body and risking injury. Do what is best for YOUR body and where you see the most progress. It’s normal to feel small when starting out, but muscle memory is insane; you’ll catch up surprisingly quickly in strength & size.

9. Socialize, make friends. The gym is one of the most diverse and friendliest places on the planet. It couldn’t be an easier spot to meet other meatheads and get swole together. You’re living in your prime years, surround yourself with like-minded people. The gym isn’t just about your physical health, it’s about being part of a community.

10. Be cautious of what you consume. As an American, I live surrounded by toxic slop packaged in friendly boxes. Read the ingredients, learn how to track your macros and begin meal-prepping if you want to hit certain fitness goals. Some supplements are good like Protein, Creatine, BCAAs, Glutamine, Collagen, etc. Everything in moderation. Oh, and stay hydrated too.

If you’re going through something like this, remember that you’re not alone. There was a time I truly believed I would never gym again, and now I’m 27, slamming those weights. If I can, so can you.

I hope that my testimony has been your inspiration. Get those gains.

As Ronnie Coleman says: YEAH BUDDY! LIGHTWEIGHT, BABY!!!

Whether it's via remakes, reboots, or live-action adaptations, these newer versions are rarely better than the original. Nowadays, the bar is set so low that all you can hope for is that it’s not hot garbage.

What the hell was even Shrek 3. Toy Story 4 did not need to exist. Do you even remember the sequels to the Disney Princess category? And for the love of God, PLEASE DON’T RUIN INCREDIBLES 3 (if you know me, you know I love that series too much).

These are only a few examples of not-so-hot takes because it’s clear that the audience only cares for more content until they realize they don’t like it, and the cycle repeats.

This topic is so layered, but since this is a Twitter article, I promised I’d niche it down. What I will touch on is where these big franchises are committing an even bigger sin in today’s world — not leveraging social media properly.

No Risk, No Reward.

These legacy IPs merely adopted the internet. However, the next generation was born in it. Molded by it.

Many of these companies are led by boomers, steeped in traditional advertising and marketing methods that have been performed for a hundred years. Corporations prioritize a proven model. If there is no success story to that formula, then they maintain a risk-averse approach. But for tomorrow’s innovators, the web is a digital playground where these experiments can be performed.

Social media may be new, but in just two decades, it has reshaped the way we connect. Check Instagram or TikTok to see how people engage with content and share it with friends and family. What is required to get people to fall in love with your content?

Understanding your demographic, identifying what captures the attention economy, how to balance evergreen vs trending ideas, and properly integrating storytelling are all different variables that contribute to building a new IP.

So WHY aren’t these powerhouses taking a risk on creating something new via social media?

• They risk legal complications and prefer to avoid them.

• They don’t want to deal with any extra backlash from fans.

• It takes a longer period of time due to unnecessary middlemen.

• It’s costly, and they’d prefer to put their money towards something else.

• Investors and shareholders discourage them from trying, fearing the risk.

• They’re simply afraid to take the first step of trying out fresh short-form content.

• It’s not in their culture, and they lack a team empowered to experiment and fail fast.

So let’s be real for a second. Do we think these boomers that watched on a black & white TV and watched the moon landing know how to appeal to chronically-online-doomscrolling-zoomers?

Absolutely. These media franchises have decades of storytelling expertise and have an audience with levels of brand loyalty that smaller studios can’t begin to fathom! It’s why a Pixar clip paired with a new trend can easily blow up overnight. The problem is… they’re just too afraid to make the jump.

For example, take this photo on Disney’s Instagram account. They turned a clip from Turbo as part of a current trend, and it hit over 10M views & 400K likes. Why? Because it’s nostalgic and funny.

Now compare that with this post about a film of a new IP with no nostalgic bond. Only ~13K likes, but over 40 million followers. It’s clear no one gives a rip about an Elio poster. Since they were aiming at a younger audience, they could have used that slot to share an exclusive yet playful piece of content tied to the Elio film. They could have turned it into a whole mini-series of fun shorts!

It’s not just about posting content; it’s about creating an experience.

Just. Be. Creative.

By contrast, look at many of the new and community-driven IPs: Claynosaurz, Chimpers, Nobody Sausage, Pudgy Penguins, NubCat, MeetQuack, and so many more. Every single piece of content from these smaller studios is designed to connect with a new audience. No one has ever heard of these brands before, so the top priority is ensuring how they can make YOU care enough to engage.

Chimpers, a fresh brand straight out of the crypto space, uses its cute cartoon chimps to tap into fun, viral trends while developing the story of its main character, Chimpi, and friends. This approach subconsciously builds brand awareness among the audience.

Or how about Claynosaurz, an emerging franchise that uses its cute clay dinosaur characters to build a lot of colorful and vibrant content to appeal to the masses. I mean, who doesn’t like dinosaurs (especially adorable ones)?

The similarity between these two shorts? Both racked up hundreds of thousands of likes and shares, and tens of millions of views by perfectly timing the attention economy, pushing their content to production with haste, willing to take a risk to infiltrate the algorithm and create new fans.

Sometimes, accounts even team up on content to give their audiences a chance to discover new flavors. Take this Pudgy Penguins x Nobody Sausage short, for example! Fun, engaging, and a signal of mutual validation between the two.

The Game’s Evolving. So Must You.

If traditional companies take away one lesson, it should be this: evolve with the times, or risk losing relevance with the next generation. Take Pokémon, for example. Why are they the #1 IP in the world, and are expanding now more than ever? Beyond their legacy, they continuously explore new ways to enrich their ecosystem.

And the irony of it all? The industry giants we know today STARTED as small studios that experimented with new technology and built something that cemented their footprint in history. Take Pixar's Toy Story, for instance, the first feature length film created entirely with CGI.

If people have the attention span of a goldfish and prefer to doomscroll TikTok/watch YouTube videos over using streaming services, I give it a decade (maybe even less) before the entire industry is flipped on its head.

There’s a cultural shift happening. Will the biggest entertainment franchises of our time participate in the future of content, or will they cower out? That’s for them to know and for us to find out.

This article reflects my personal views and opinions alone, and does not represent anyone else.

This was originally published on Twitter a few months back, but moving forward, I will be posting on multiple platforms.

That was the daily life of the average American in the 1970s—only 50 years ago.

Now, look at this iteration.

Wake up. Read phone over breakfast. Phone. Walk to your desk. Phone. On your laptop from whenever to whenever. Phone. Dinner from DoorDash. Phone. Netflix. Phone. Sleep with your phone in your hand. REPEAT.

Notice the difference? Technology has advanced at an unbelievable pace in the 21st century, granting humans instant access to everything through a smart device.

Why are humans always glued to their phones? It's simple—they're constantly connected to the internet.

So why does this matter from a marketing perspective?

Let's be real for a second: legacy media is dead. Traditional marketing methods are fading, with some becoming almost extinct. In today’s world, businesses are turning to digital marketing as the main solution to boost brand awareness, attract new customers, and drive revenue. The online marketing landscape encompasses a wide range of specialized areas; some of which include SEO, email/mobile marketing, online PR, display advertising, and many others.

Unlike other parts of the web, social media has become the primary hub for connecting with others, and it's where people spend most of their time absorbing information, discovering new brands & products, and more.

There are tons of different marketing niches you can explore within social media. But there's one that's really taken off in the past couple of years, and that's what we're talking about in this article—Social Media Management.

With that being said, let's explore.

If you were keeping up with social media in 2017, you probably remember Wendy's trending. The fast-food chain's bold strategy of roasting random Twitter users not only captivated the internet but also redefined the playbook for social media management.

For the first time ever, a bridge was formed that allowed both customers and non-customers to engage with the brand on equal, eye-level footing. These roast-fests allowed for a short yet authentic conversation between the average user and a multi-billion dollar brand, creating an emotional connection that inspired people to purchase their food.

Wendy's took it a step further by roasting their competitors, completely obliterating them on the timeline. The beef (pun intended) between the big fast-food establishments led to their tweets going mega viral, amplifying their brand presence more than ever before.

Adopting the meme culture, real-time responses, and collaborating with social media influencers are also examples of the avenues that Wendy's took to build a stronger community.

This move by Wendy's was a major culture shock, as these companies traditionally maintained a high level of professionalism. This innovative marketing approach pushed the boundaries of traditional strategies, enabling the company to venture into uncharted territories.

As a result, the profits were astronomical. Wendy's reported a 49.7% increase in net income, soaring from $129.6 million in 2016 to $194 million in 2017. During the same period, the company also surpassed the $10 billion mark in global sales for the first time in its history.

Ironically, the company attributed their profit boost to a "decrease in the effective tax rate due to revaluing deferred tax assets and liabilities at the lower U.S. corporate tax rate as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017." In reality, though, a major variable was their ingenious social media strategy that truly drove a surge of customers to their restaurants.

So, what actually is a Social Media Manager?

A social media manager (SMM), also known as an "intern", is a specialist responsible for managing a brand's (or individual's) social media presence.

Often known as an everything role, SMM demands constant, focused attention. An SMM expert is always connected, juggling a diverse set of responsibilities that adapt to the unique needs of the organization or client. Let's go over the different tasks required of an intern.

Note: The title "intern" doesn't actually reflect a traditional internship role. Instead, it's a versatile position where the person is involved in a variety of tasks across the brand, with a primary focus on social media.

As an intern, you're constantly immersed in various forms of content—whether it's trends, memes, or news—and converting it into engaging material tailored PERFECTLY for the brand's audience.

Absorb ➤ Create ➤ Curate ➤ Schedule ➤ Post ➤ Repeat the Cycle

Given the internet-intensive nature of this role, staying up-to-date with the latest developments is crucial. This will enable you to effectively harness these insights to enhance the brand's growth and maximize its potential for virality.

In my article on crypto-native IP, I explained the balance between creating timeless, organic content (Evergreen) and tapping into the excitement of hyped topics (Trends). Like I mentioned earlier, each brand has different needs. An Instagram account posting short-form animation content will tend to focus on evergreen content to induce a trustworthy and relatable response, while an X account posting meme or funny content induces a shocked response to gather more engagement in the short-term.

The most effective way to manage and release new content is by using a content calendar. Keeping all your ideas organized in your head can be overwhelming, so it's best to brainstorm, organize, and schedule posts in advance. Tools like Hootsuite, HubSpot, or Sprout Social can help streamline this process by offering features for planning, organizing, and automating your posts. Additionally, identifying the optimal times to post on various platforms is essential for maximizing the impact of important announcements.

Creating content requires a deep understanding of storytelling. Whether you're deliberately engagement farming or aiming for organic growth, crafting compelling messaging is key to capturing your audience's attention. A well-told story not only engages but also leaves a lasting impression, amplifying more awareness to your brand.

So what types of content can an intern create?

• Interactive Content: Capture your audience's attention with eye-catching images, GIFs, and animations. Foster deeper connections with your community by entertaining them through relatable memes. Boost user engagement by creating interactive polls, exciting giveaways, and thought-provoking discussions.

  

• Video Content: Create an emotional response from your audience by creating short or long form videos for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. Connect with your community in real time by live-streaming.

  With a sufficient budget, you can take things to the next level by producing a full-scale commercial.

• Audio Content: Host engaging podcasts on platforms like YouTube and Spotify to reach a wider audience. Engage with a live audience by hosting and recording Spaces on X, then repurpose the content into a podcast.

• Written Content: Publish articles, blog posts, threads, and newsletters to deliver comprehensive and insightful content to your audience.

• Educational Content: Share informative infographics, host insightful webinars, or push out comprehensive guides. Give your community exclusive behind-the-scenes content, organize live-streams, or offer step-by-step tutorials.

• Event-Based Content: Announce the launch of new products, features, partnerships, and activations.

• User-Generated Content: Share or repost content from team members, community members, affiliated partners, or other relevant sources.

There is significant overlap between the roles of a Social Media Manager and a Community Manager. Both are dedicated to building communities and creating content, yet the key difference lies in their focus—while a SMM is primarily centered on social media platforms, a CM takes a broader approach, engaging with audiences across various channels. If you are interested learning more about Community Management, you can view my article below.

Community Management: A Role-lercoaster

The ones posting announcements in discord/telegram servers, the ones hosting Twitter spaces, the ones that hop on 1-on-1 calls with you, the ones frantically running around to ensure that...

https://paragraph.xyz

Remember when I mentioned Interactive Content?

Ultimately, the best way to build a community is through active engagement on social media, particularly by responding to comments. Publicly, this often takes the form of images and GIFs shared as memes, fostering a more genuine and relatable atmosphere that helps strengthen connections with your audience.

Keeping your inbox open allows your community to reach out with private messages and questions, fostering a more interactive and supportive relationship. It enhances customer service, creating a two-way dialogue that builds trust and loyalty. It also creates opportunities for potential business ventures or collaborations.

As an intern, it's essential to monitor key performance metrics such as engagement, reach, followers, conversion rates, and more. This data is invaluable for refining strategies to better engage the target demographic.

You can either utilize tools like Hootsuite to gather the necessary data or collect it directly from the platform itself. This feature is available for business and brand accounts, which have the setting enabled by default.

Not much else I can shed on this topic, so let's move on.

As technology continues to advance and social media becomes a bigger part of the average person's daily lifestyle, the competition in the attention market is heating up, driving brands to fight for greater mindshare.

As I highlighted earlier in the article, the journey to success can vary based on your brand's unique needs. However, there are essential steps that serve as a solid foundation. Let's dive into those key instructions.

As an intern, communications between you and the executives need to be impeccable. It's crucial for you to align the brand's business objectives with your social media goals to ensure they work in harmony. Misalignment can lead to inefficient resource allocation, inconsistent brand messaging, low engagement, poor ROI, and even potential damage to your brand's reputation.

Few things are as crucial as knowing how to effectively attract and engage the right audience. These users are your most likely customers, especially if they aren’t already on board. To achieve this, you need to clearly define your target niche based on your brand and product(s). Consider factors like age, income, gender, race, and location. Nail down the buyer persona specifics before going on a marketing rampage.

Building a brand requires curation of the platforms where you want to establish your presence.

It's often wise to begin with one platform, focusing on growing your audience there before expanding to others. However, it's crucial to avoid over-reliance on any single platform. Remember, your presence on these platforms is essentially "rented," and your account could be suspended or deleted at any time. Moreover, the platform itself could face shutdowns or restrictions. For instance, many smaller brands and creators are currently anxious as TikTok faces potential shutdowns in the United States.

So, how do you choose which platform to use?

It's simple. Who are you targeting, and what content do you want to push out?

If you're an IP company, it's advised to use video-centric platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. For crypto and AI startups, use X. If your business primarily targets boomers, leveraging Facebook and SEO will give you the best ROI. Many more examples that I could post here, but you catch my drift.

As an intern, it's important to strategize effectively when planning the content you want to produce. A key priority is developing and maintaining a consistent brand voice. As I mentioned prior, open communication with the team is absolutely vital in this process.

Once you have a clear understanding of the brand voice, you can explore different content types to diversify your output, as outlined earlier in this article. From there, you can even use AI tools to streamline and enhance your content creation.

Being a Social Media Manager, this is what you'll basically be analyzing on the daily. What are the short-term trends coming into play, and how can you best use them before they turn into a fad?

Back in the day, hashtags were a powerful tool for tracking the latest trends. Today, their original purpose is out of style, with many being used more for spam than meaningful content, diluting the quality of what you’re searching for.

Algorithms are the most effective way to stay updated, but they often lead to infinite doomscrolling across platforms like Instagram, X, and many others. And this is what truly makes being an SMM unique. The more brainrot you consume, the greater the edge you gain over your competitors.

I'll keep this section short, but I have to say this because I think it's heavily overlooked.

One of the most irritating stigmas of social media management is its relentless focus on numbers. According to some brands, it's all about driving growth growth growth.

But the issue with prioritizing growth is that it often comes at the expense of fostering creativity.

Sure, you can have a million followers. But how many of those followers actually engage with your brand? How many of them actually become active users of your product?

I've come across accounts boasting hundreds of thousands of followers yet struggling to generate meaningful engagement. On the flip side, I've seen new accounts with modest follower counts but thriving, active communities—proof that people are genuinely invested in the vision and the value being created.

As an intern, what kind of legacy do you want to create for your brand as well as yourself?

Will you chase short-term metrics, driving up numbers with hype but leaving no lasting community? Or will you build something meaningful and unforgettable, a brand that resonates with people for a lifetime?

If we're stepping into an era where the gap between brands and their audiences is shrinking, what better way to form a bridge than by giving people a chance to connect with the team behind the brand?

The best part of leading a brand account is having the capabilities to tap into the expertise and insights of team members and advisors. Exclusively posting bullish content from the company account can come across as one-sided. However, when executives cultivate their own audiences alongside the brand they're building, it creates a much more dynamic presence.

I will use X (Twitter) as a case study to illustrate this point.

One of the best features that was added in recent times was the "affiliate badge", a distinctive icon that appears next to a user's name. As a result, it indicates that the user's account is, in someway, connected to the brand account.

For example, take a look at this picture.

Zagabond, the co-founder and CEO of Azuki, sports an affiliate badge that directly links him to his brand. Without this badge, people would be less likely to identify his affiliation with Azuki, as they'd be less inclined to explore his profile.

Clicking the affiliate badge takes you directly to the brand's account, streamlining the process and minimizing clicks. This enhances the user experience, making it easier for users to quickly access and learn about the brand.

At the same time, the brand account has a tab that shows all of the affiliates, making it convenient for users to identify who is on the team.

Now, not everyone may know the individual team members, but strong brand recognition holds much greater significance. By blending both, you can elevate your brand's awareness to new heights.

Unlike other platforms, X thrives on fostering interpersonal connections. While platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are heavily content-driven, X focuses on building personal interactions. This unique approach is precisely why X continues to see growth in its user base and why many startups pivot to this app to cultivate their communities.

To be honest, I think this is just the beginning. Other platforms are bound to follow this same trajectory in the near future.

We're moving back to humanization. Less corporate, more vibes.

The role of a social media manager comes with its fair share of challenges. As I’ve said before, this job is far from easy. To succeed, you must genuinely love what you do and consistently go the extra mile to reap the rewards of your efforts.

So, what difficulties you typically face?

Staying on top of everything can be incredibly exhausting. This isn’t a 9-5 job, it’s a 24/7 commitment.

You’re putting in early mornings and late nights, working weekdays and weekends alike. When a new trend emerges, you need to be ahead of it, finding ways to seamlessly integrate it into your brand if it aligns. Adaptability is key, as each brand requires a unique approach. And let’s not forget—your community constantly needs support and engagement.

Sometimes the handle comes loose from the door—and before you know it, you're facing trouble from your superiors.

Creativity and experimentation are essential to success. Your goal is to stand out, capture more mindshare, and stay authentic to your audience—all while avoiding anything that feels stale or uninspired. It’s about discovering your brand’s unique voice while staying closely aligned with your boss’s vision and goals.

As a result, being a social media manager means stepping outside your comfort zone and pushing boundaries. You have to take charge and make decisions even if that risks you getting in trouble. Because at the end of the day, you’re the driving force propelling the brand to break through its glass ceiling.

Even the homie AlexOnchain talks about this in his post, in which I quote:

Why does legal want to review your content? Well, actually they don't.

They want to focus on their actual work instead of babysitting your stupid ass.

They're scared, unsure and unfamiliar with what you're doing. They don't know why a meme is important and they don't want to get sued because of it.

Alex emphasizes that as an intern, it's essential to engage with and actively listen to your higher-ups, fully grasp the brand's messaging, and establish trust by diligently documenting everything.

Once you gain more autonomy on the socials, this challenge will become less significant, giving you greater autonomy to discover and innovate. Situational, of course.

Welcome to the internet, where anonymous accounts love to troll and grown adults act like children.

Like a Community Manager, a Social Media Manager needs to have thick skin. Your job is to defuse the situation as best as possible. You are the customer service. If you see someone acting up, place restrictions on them. If someone is upset with an issue, give them a reason not to be by finding a resolution to the problem.

In short, grow some balls and deal with it.

It's very difficult to manage your time across your entire life when you're constantly required to stay online, ensuring everything moves smoothly and while staying ahead of the curve.

I'm going to be real, this takes away so much of your outside life. Your friends will ask where you're at. Your family will ask you why you're on your desktop. You always need to have your phone by your side and be extremely flexible for any sudden changes.

This job is for the elite—it's a lifestyle that only a select few can truly handle.

I have less experience compared to some of these industry leaders who have been in this role for 5-10 years, whether they've joined established companies or built their own from the ground up.

I have the utmost respect for these interns. They have gone above and beyond with one vision in mind: to build a social media empire.

Explore their stories by clicking on each arrow.

Being an intern, you don't understand how much of an influence you have on the entire ecosystem. In today's era, you could even potentially be the difference between life and death of a brand.

Therefore, if you want to be a social media manager, YOU HAVE TO TAKE CHARGE.

You can't afford to be weak-willed. You can't afford to play follow the leader. You can't afford to be bad at communication with your team and community.

Pivot to creativity. Build content worth reposting. Create something worth leaving a legacy.

This role can change your life if you give it your all.

That's all I got. Until the next one, peace.

But there's a problem with the equipment you're using—it's harming the environment. As someone deeply connected to the outdoors, this doesn’t sit well with you.

So, you decide to take matters into your own hands, crafting your own gear that’s not only environmentally friendly but also of superior quality. Before long, you're selling it straight out of the trunk of your car; and to your surprise, fellow climbers love it. They're choosing your gear over what they’ve been using.

Before you know it, you’re on a new path—one that turns you into an entrepreneur and transforms your life completely.

This is the story of Yvon Chouinard, the Founder of Patagonia. Driven by purpose and innovation, Yvon’s story is just one of many where entrepreneurs encountered a problem they knew they could solve.

But we're not here to discuss just any company; our focus is on the dynamic world of crypto startups.

While traditional and crypto startups share many similarities, the economic conditions within the blockchain industry are undeniably more challenging and unforgiving.

In this article, we’ll explore the visionary potential within various crypto niches, examine the key factors involved in launching new crypto ventures, navigate the challenges faced by early-stage enterprises, and share inspiring success stories from some of the most accomplished Founders in the field.

Let's get down to business.

It all starts with a dream.

The emergence of a new industry with vast, uncharted waters creates limitless opportunities for fresh ideas and experimentation.

Before starting the first phase, you must be a visionary—someone who not only sees the bigger picture but also envisions the full potential of what could be achieved.

A true visionary possesses rare qualities that distinguish them from the ordinary, empowering them to lead in ways that others cannot.

• Being a visionary means fully embracing and harnessing your creative spirit.

• Being a visionary means understanding how to convert your vision into reality.

• Being a visionary means being light on your feet, quick to adapt, and unafraid to tackle challenges head-on.

• Being a visionary means being aware of your surroundings and keeping a close eye on the latest tech and cultural trends in your industry.

• Being a visionary means embracing a unique perspective that not only sets you apart but also inspires you to forge new paths and rise above the ordinary.

  

• Being a visionary means possessing the unique ability to help others see the world through your eyes, inspiring them to envision possibilities they may not have considered before.

The first phase in building a crypto startup is to develop a compelling idea—one that you're so passionate about, that you're willing to take the risks and invest your time, effort, network, and finances to bring it to life.

The crypto industry is divided into various categories, each designed to find the right product-market fit and deliver a more seamless user experience for blockchain technology. Let's quickly review some of them.

Types of Crypto Startups:

• Wallets: Digital wallets that store crypto and NFTs, offering users a secure way to manage their assets (e.g. Rainbow).

• Crypto VCs: Investment funds that focus on investing in companies and projects within the crypto space (e.g. a16z Crypto).

• Payment Solutions: Startups that help businesses and individuals make and accept payments in crypto (e.g. MoonPay).

• NFT Marketplaces: Platforms where users can buy, sell, and trade NFTs like digital art, music, memberships, or gaming (e.g. OpenSea).

• Gaming: Projects that combine gaming with blockchain, where players can earn and trade in-game assets that are tokenized (e.g. Axie Infinity).

• Real-World Assets (RWA): The digitization and tokenization of tangible goods such as real estate, collectibles, or intellectual property (e.g. Fabrica).

• Blockchain Infrastructure: Companies that provide the underlying technology for building blockchain apps, like developer tools, nodes, or security (e.g. Consensys).

• DeFi (Decentralized Finance): Startups building decentralized alternatives to traditional financial services like lending, borrowing, and trading without banks (e.g. Aave).

• Crypto Portfolio Trackers: Tools that help users track and manage their cryptocurrency investments by showing real-time prices, profits, and losses across multiple exchanges and wallets (e.g. Rally).

• Layer 1 and 2 Protocols: Blockchains that form the foundation for decentralized applications (dApps) and smart contracts, or solutions built on top of them to scale them faster and make them cheaper to use (e.g. Ethereum and Solana for L1, Polygon and Optimism for L2).

• Cryptocurrency Exchanges: Platforms where users can buy, sell, and trade crypto. These can be centralized exchanges like Coinbase, where assets are held in a custodial wallet, or decentralized exchanges like Uniswap, which enable non-custodial, peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries.

Part of this first phase is understanding your visionary potential. Remember, you'll be dedicating a substantial part of your life to this endeavor, so it's essential to invest time in research upfront to ensure you're heading down the right path. While numerous factors contribute to this, here are the ones that resonated with me the most:

The first variable to consider is the potential for revolutionary use cases.

As a visionary, you want to build a industry-shattering product that can solve problems impacting both the digital and physical worlds. What legacy systems do you plan on disrupting? In what ways will it improve transparency and security to ensure accountability and deter bad actors?

The second variable to consider is evaluating the societal/environmental impact.

It's of utter importance to understand exactly how your product will transform the world as we know it. How will your product enhance accessibility in different sectors? How will your product influence environmental sustainability?

The third variable to consider is understanding upcoming trends.

You'll want to grasp upcoming technological concepts, positioning your product to capitalize on a first-mover advantage. How will this benefit early adopters and investors? By monitoring these trends, do you think your innovation is likely to have a lasting impact?

The fourth and last variable to consider is growth of ecosystem development.

Crypto startups must prioritize community engagement in a way that traditional startups often do not. It's all about fostering trust, loyalty, and long-term success. What new opportunities will your innovation unlock for communities? How can you support community-driven initiatives?

It's time to move onto phase 2: converting from talking the talk to walking the walk.

Now that your vision is clear, it's time to chalk up your blueprint and roadmap. By doing so, this ensures that you are building your company on a sturdy foundation, not a shaky one.

Let me stress this: it’s absolutely critical. If you don't meticulously prepare your business plan at this stage, you might as well be playing Russian roulette with your company’s future.

From personal experience, I've seen firsthand how companies without a well-defined plan can quickly spiral into chaos. The long-term consequences can be devastating—ranging from mismanaged departments and poorly allocated resources to communication breakdowns, all of which can ultimately lead to the company's downfall. Why does this happen?

It’s because the shared vision never fully translates into an actionable roadmap.

Let’s dive into the roadmap itself—what exactly should go on this damn thing?

• Vision & Mission: A vision outlines your startup’s long-term aspirations and the impact you aim to achieve, while a mission defines what you do, who you serve, and how you’ll fulfill that vision. Together, they set the direction and strategy for realizing your goals.

• Timelines: Organization is vital for efficiency. Use calendars and charts from various tools to set clear deadlines on a weekly, quarterly, and annual basis, ensuring smooth and effective operations.

• Milestones: Take baby steps as you progress toward your most ambitious goals. Which brands are you aiming to collaborate with? How many daily active users do you envision? What targets do you have in mind for social media followers? When do you plan to conduct a contract audit, launch your testnet, or deploy the mainnet?

• Community and Marketing: Your community is the product. What platforms do you intend to leverage for your outreach efforts? What types of content do you want to create? Are there any exciting in-person activations planned to bring your community together?

• Legal: In the crypto world, staying compliant with government regulations is absolutely essential. Key examples include implementing KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) protocols to ensure transparency and prevent illicit activities.

  

• Feedback: Discovering the most effective methods to gather valuable user insights is key to continuously enhancing your product. Users also often have a desire to express their thoughts and feelings. This can be achieved through email surveys, in-app customer support options, or by allowing users to submit tickets via platforms such as Discord.

• The Next Generation: There’s no better time than now to start planning for the future. What features do you envision adding to your product as you grow? Are there new products you’re excited to develop? How do you plan to scale your offering to reach new audiences?

It doesn’t matter whether you’re jotting it down on a piece of paper, typing it into Apple Notes, or using any other tool. The objective is to have a dedicated place to capture all the important details, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Keep in mind to design your roadmap with flexibility. As your startup evolves, you'll need to be responsive to shifts in both the traditional and crypto economies.

This may involve adjusting your product offerings, modifying features, or revising your goals based on emerging opportunities and challenges. Maintaining an adaptable roadmap ensures that your startup can pivot and thrive in an ever-changing landscape.

To ensure your company's success in the third phase, it's essential to build a strong team of like-minded individuals who excel in their respective fields and bring significant value to the table. You'll be spending your days with these people, working late nights, jumping into endless Slack calls, constantly exchanging ideas, insights, and so much more.

In the early stages of a crypto startup, it's crucial to hire people who are already have relevant experience. The crypto ecosystem operates very differently from traditional industries, and the learning curve can be significantly steeper for those unfamiliar with its unique dynamics. Bringing on crypto-native talent helps your team hit the ground running, saving valuable time and avoiding potential missteps.

You also need people you can trust. I've seen firsthand how some individuals join startups, contribute little, siphon resources, and then disappear. You want teammates who are truly committed — ride-or-die type beat. People who aren’t there to manipulate or exploit, but to be a solid support system, helping to lighten the load and drive the vision forward.

That said, let's explore the ideal people you'll need to build a robust team.

• Co-Founder: You might have come up with the vision, but you'll most likely need someone to build it with you. Co-Founders are invaluable in early-stage startups, bringing skills to the table that fill gaps in the Founder’s expertise. They share the risk, bring fresh perspectives, and help drive the company toward its goals with diverse strengths.

• Onchain Devs: The hires you'll need the most, as they are the core builders of your product. These key team members will define your success, so it’s crucial to bring in the best of the best.

• Designer: Having a strong background in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design, especially in the crypto industry, is invaluable for product development. However, many Founders and marketers come with design experience, making a dedicated designer less urgent initially. For instance, I worked for a company where the Founder previously owned a design studio that served Fortune 500 clients.

• Community Manager: To build a thriving community, you'll need someone who can nurture, curate, and serve as the bridge between your team and its members. In the early stages, this role can often overlap with that of a Social Media Manager (SMM), Growth Marketer, or Business Development & Partnerships Lead, as these functions are closely aligned. A single individual can efficiently wear multiple hats, harnessing the synergy between roles to propel growth within the company’s ecosystem until additional hires are brought on board.

  I won't talk any more about this part as I wrote an entire article about it, found in the link below.

  Community Management: A Role-lercoaster

  The ones posting announcements in discord/telegram servers, the ones hosting Twitter spaces, the ones that hop on 1-on-1 calls with you, the ones frantically running around to ensure that...

  https://paragraph.xyz

  

• Legal Counsel: You'll need someone well-versed not only in traditional law but also in blockchain-specific regulations to expertly navigate the complex legal landscape of crypto, securities, and compliance. Ideally, they should have strong connections within the legal community, allowing them to tap into reputable parties for second opinions and additional guidance when necessary.

• Onchain Auditor: It's crucial to have a reliable and reputable third-party reviewing over the work of your developers. Quality and security are of the utmost priority. This would be a contract basis, not a full-time hire.

Phase 2 lays the essential groundwork for Phase 4, the last phase, which focuses on fundraising.

Let’s be honest—fundraising is no small feat, and in the crypto space, it can often feel like an uphill battle. This is particularly true in the early stages, where all you might have is a proof of concept and ambitious goals. It's a significant risk for potential investors to get involved, especially given that most startups don’t make it to profitability. For angels and VCs, investing in startups is basically gambling with a bit more research.

Keep in mind that investors are human too. During periods of extreme economic hype—like the bull run of 2021-22—they can be quick to invest millions into various projects and companies. This rush often stems from witnessing the success of other products, coupled with the influx of substantial liquidity into the markets.

So, who are the types of people that would potentially invest in your company?

• Bootstrapping: Use your own damn money. Get some skin in the game.

• Friends & Family: The people who trust you the most are those willing to invest in you early, stand by your side, and embark on the journey with you.

• Angel Investors: Whether publicly known or anonymous, seasoned entrepreneurs and crypto whales are eager to invest early capital.

• Venture Capitalists: Most VCs have exclusive branches specifically for investing in crypto-startups. These are the big guns that you need to talk to. These guys are sharks though, so be careful or you might get bitten.

• Grants: Collaborating with select projects, protocols, government agencies, or philanthropic organizations can unlock doors to grants that provide vital funding for your company. A list of grants programs can be found here.

  

• Crowdfunding: While this approach is not applicable for everyone, launching an NFT project and generating sales from the mint can provide a significant financial boost. However, involving numerous random individuals financially can lead to unexpected challenges down the road. Proceed with caution and be mindful of the responsibilities that come with this kind of engagement.

• Token Sales: A popular fundraising strategy in the crypto space involves startups issuing tokens representing utility or equity. This includes formats like Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), Initial DEX Offerings (IDOs), and Initial Exchange Offerings (IEOs), each differing in the platforms and mechanisms used for token distribution.

Let's turn our focus onto the actual pitch.

To really convince a potential investor that you're all in on your vision, you need to put together a strong visual and auditory presentation that shows them what that future looks like. I won’t dive into every little detail, but I’ll share the key information you need to know; this isn't in chronological order.

1. Sharing your Story: Hook, line, and sinker—introduce your startup with a compelling narrative that encapsulates its essence. Clearly articulate what your company is all about, highlighting your vision, mission, and goals. Describe the problem, show the solution (your unique selling proposition aka USP). This section should captivate your audience, drawing them into your innovative journey and showcasing the transformative impact you aim to achieve in the crypto space.

2. Goated Team: It’s always important for investors to understand the backgrounds of your employees and how their skills align with the company's needs. Your full stack developer worked at Meta and you're debating about putting him on the deck? Your VP of Product worked at Nintendo? You better add them!!!

   

3. Show the Data: Dig into the core problem and clarify how your crypto startup is uniquely positioned to solve it. Start by identifying the limitations or gaps in existing solutions—whether they fall short in addressing the issue or don’t exist at all—and emphasize how your approach fills these gaps.

   Rather than solely highlighting why you're superior to competitors, emphasize the innovative strategies you're implementing to drive massive customer growth.

   Use clear, digestible visuals like pie or bar charts to back up your approach, and make sure to address key market metrics: Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Available Market (SAM), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM). This will create a well-rounded, compelling case for your startup’s potential.

4. Tokenomics: If your company plans to integrate a token model off the jump, be sure to explain the strategy around the token, the supply & distribution, and the increase in value as the product continues to gain traction. Be sure to show any previous mints, airdrops, staking, volume, and any form of statistics that are related to this section.

5. Innovation: Showcase the cutting-edge technology you're building or the minimum viable product (MVP) you've already developed, highlighting its functionality and unique features. Having a demo on-hand is a plus.

6. Financials: The big question: so how do you make MONEY? Provide a clear breakdown of how funds raised will be allocated towards such as marketing, hiring, partnerships, and product development, emphasizing how each will drive growth and value for the project.

7. Go-To-Market (GTM): Curating a strategy to scale your company and attract users to your ecosystem through strategic partnerships, financial incentives, compelling content creation, and active community engagement.

In the life of a crypto startup, there is never an easy day.

As a Founder, you're navigating a true trial by fire, constantly pushed to perform at your highest level while managing intense pressure from all directions. This is the end all be all—if you're not giving it 110%, you're cooked.

So, what challenges are most common in a crypto startup?

• Founder Mode: Being a Founder, you have to be the head of customer service, active within the community, and being a visible, vocal leader, no matter the level of online engagement. Sure, you can delegate these tasks to other employees, but people want to listen to the one in CHARGE; your voice carries the most weight.

• Reputation: The last thing you want is to damage something you’ve dedicated years to building. A solid reputation is invaluable and plays a crucial role in your success. Associating with the wrong crowd or making a misstep can tarnish your credibility, ultimately jeopardizing your startup's future. So hey, don't have any skeletons in the closet.

  

• Legal Instability: While regulations are crucial, navigating them can be a major headache. It often feels like you're constantly looking over your shoulder, worrying that the government could hit you with lawsuits, fines, or even force you to shut down. On top of that, you’re stuck in an endless cycle of keeping up with evolving compliance standards and securing the necessary AML and KYC licenses.

• Market Volatility: If your company holds a substantial amount in crypto instead of stablecoins, it can create significant challenges for the stability of your business model and daily operations. This situation also complicates discussions with investors during fundraising efforts. In a bear market, liquidity often diminishes, causing delays in securing capital that can stretch far beyond your initial expectations.

• Adoption & Education Barriers: We are still extremely early, yet only a select few crypto companies have successfully achieved mainstream adoption. The majority of the world is still unfamiliar with this emerging industry. While this may not be an immediate challenge, it will be a bridge you will eventually have to cross.

• Competitive Landscape: Depending on how early you are in the game, you may not need to worry about this as much—especially since many companies struggle to stay afloat. However, the crypto space evolves rapidly, and staying ahead of the competition is not something to underestimate; if another player discovers the right formula, they could easily surpass you.

Even as someone who isn’t a Founder, I feel exhausted just looking at this list. That's a ton of struggles to go through. As if traditional startups don't already have enough problems, crypto startups experience the same things but on steroids.

The emotional toll for Founders feels like swimming upstream against a relentless current. No matter how hard or fast you push, the water keeps flooding your nose, ears, and mouth, leaving your body aching and desperate for a breath of fresh air. At times, it feels like you're drowning, and the question, will I ever reach the surface again? lingers in your mind.

Let's switch perspectives and enter the grappling mind of an entrepreneur.

In a space of unknown territory, I have this constant feeling of uncertainty, as if I'm walking on eggshells. I can't sleep at night. Will my startup still be standing tomorrow? Damn it, this anxiety feels all-consuming.

Everyone wants to succeed, and entrepreneurs like me hate the idea of failing; in fact, I fear it. All those countless hours I spent building, and all for what? For everything to go belly-up, leaving me to pick up the pieces? And if I fail, what does that make me? I don't want to be a loser, another Founder who couldn't make it.

I know burnout is normal. I've worked 80 hours this week and my brain is fried. But I've hardly spent any time with my family, neglected my health, and found myself without a moment to recharge. I'm exhausted.

Fundraising is hard as hell. I've polished this deck five times over by now and conversed with many investors, but none of them want to take a chance on me. This market is brutal and I'm not sure when we will get out of this bear. I feel demotivated.

My journey as a crypto Founder often feels lonely. Many of my family and friends don't understand the vision behind what I'm building, and their skepticism can be disheartening. Occasionally, they make light-hearted jokes about my work, but those comments hurts more than they realize.

I don't want to be crucified on social media. What if I post the wrong thing and it hurts my reputation? I saw all the FUD that hit other Founders, what if it happens to me too?

Who am I kidding, I can't even get 10 likes on a single tweet. No one even cares about what I'm building. I can't expect to keep building if there won't be any users to engage with my product.

I'm worried about the security of my product. What if there's a vulnerability? I've been compromised before and I felt sick to my stomach when it happened. I don't want to get hacked or scammed again.

My employees haven't been communicative enough, and they're complaining about the smallest things. I'm frustrated with the way they're acting, but I'm struggling to be the glue that holds everything together. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a leader after all.

I NEED TO KEEP INNOVATING. I CAN'T STOP. BECAUSE IF I PAUSE, EVEN FOR A MOMENT, I WILL FALL BEHIND.

There’s only so much I can say, so it’s best to hear directly from the trailblazers who have not only navigated the challenges but also achieved success in the process.

It's always inspiring to hear the stories of innovators who made it out of the trenches.

Learn more by clicking on each arrow.

You might be hesitant to embark on this journey, or perhaps you feel like you've hit a plateau in growing your startup.

SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU TO GET A GRIP.

I WANT YOU TO REACH FOR THE STARS.

WHO CARES IF YOU'RE SCARED TO START?

WHO CARES IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU FAILED?

FAILURE DOESN'T EXIST, IT'S JUST A FIGMENT OF YOUR IMAGINATION.

THE ONLY PERSON STOPPING YOU FROM TRYING IS YOU.

Just remember. Larry Page and Sergey Brin started Google out of Susan Wojcicki's garage. Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook out of his dorm room. Reid Hoffman started LinkedIn in his living room.

If they can bootstrap their companies out of small places, then you can too.

Welcome to the real world, where challenges are inevitable. That’s why you can’t afford to be the prey—you must become the predator.

Like a tiger poised to strike, always ready to seize every opportunity and conquer whatever stands in your way.

To conclude, I'll end with this quote by the Founder of Apple, Mr. Steve Jobs himself:

I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.

Godspeed.

Photos. Videos. GIFs. Stickers. Podcasts. Blogs. Articles. Webinars. Infographics. White-Papers.

There are so many different forms of content that exist in the 21st century, spread across countless industries.

What we are familiar with stems from established means: law, real estate, medicine, education, agriculture, the internet.

However, a new player has entered the game: the blockchain.

By being part of the crypto space in 2024, you are witnessing the birth, evolution, and integration of IP (intellectual property) and blockchain tech, as it begins to infiltrate the traditional systems we know today.

Doodles, Claynosaurz, Azuki, Pudgy Penguins. I call them the IP-Vengers.

Born through the world of crypto, these four NFT projects have managed to turn themselves into revenue-generating brands, reaching audiences worldwide through their playful, adventurous, and colorful content.

In this article, we will do a recap of who these brands are, explore the testimonies of creative leaders at work, and examine the paths they are taking through animation, partnerships, blockchain tech, and activations.

It's time to lock in.

PSA: Before I begin, I want to clarify that I have closer connections with some of the brands, teams, and communities than others. If you notice any imbalance in the information across the four brands, it’s simply because I have more familiarity with certain ecosystems. That said, because this is a case study, I will try to stay as impartial and knowledgable as I can.

The four brands we are learning more about are truly leaving a historic digital footprint in the crypto scene. Let's walk through their backstories and explore their strategies for reaching a loyal fanbase across the world.

By creating a colorful world, Doodles started as a collection of 10,000 NFTs minted on the Ethereum blockchain.

The brand has now evolved into a cutting-edge transmedia company dedicated to crafting interactive storytelling through innovative live + digital experiences and curated novel entertainment.

Doodles' vision is to inspire you to connect with your inner-child. To show you that you can do anything through the power of imagination. To raise the bar of what it means to tell a story.

Doodles doesn't want to be Disney, they aim to surpass it. Through the power of the blockchain, there is a mission to further unlock the hybrid interaction between what you experience IRL and digitally.

Doodles was founded by Evan Keast (Tulip) and Jordan Castro (Poopie).

Except there was one more. The dood behind it all, Burnt Toast.

Illustrator, Brand & Graphic Designer, Animator. He does it all.

Originally from Ontario, Scott Martin is the main artist and the third co-founder of Doodles. His previous work as an extremely talented freelancer allowed him to work with many companies like Google, Snapchat, Facebook, WhatsApp, DropBox, Samsung, et al., as well as building a massive following on Instagram with over 300K followers.

Furthermore, the legendary creative has even expanded into the fine art scene, with his first gallery show selling out at an average of $30K per piece.

Through Doodles, Scott's unique art style and attractive color palette are rapidly gaining widespread attention, serving as a catalyst for a groundbreaking artistic movement unlike anything the world has seen before.

One of the biggest IP moves in the crypto space, Golden Wolf.

In 2022, Doodles announced their acquisition of Golden Wolf, an Emmy award winning animation studio. With a decade long experience under their belt, Golden Wolf has created content for brand such as Netflix, SuperCell, Coca-Cola, and even Adult Swim's Rick and Morty.

Hit after hit, Doodles continues to make moves to integrate their IP into cross-platform storytelling. Keep an eye out on this one, it's something you don't want to miss.

Known as the "Skaters of the Internet", Azuki is a collection of 10,000 NFTs that minted on the Ethereum blockchain.

Currently the largest decentralized anime brand, Azuki is building out their own IP and lore while simultaneously allowing the community to participate in the process, including examples such as: community-led events, videography, art commissions, blogs, partnerships, and even co-creation through the use of the IP that holders of the Azuki tokens personally own.

Azuki's vision is to build the future of anime by harnessing the power of community and blockchain technology.

Through the use of the anime industry which is rapidly growing in today's era, there are many variables that this brand can use to onboard enthusiasts onchain. Azuki's style is a hybrid of Samurai Champloo and Cowboy BeBop, which is extremely appealing to those who are truly cultured in the ways of anime.

Chiru Labs, the parent company behind Azuki and its ecosystem, was co-founded by Zagabond, 2PMFlow, Hoshiboy, and Location TBA.

But wait, there's one more individual that made Azuki that much more impactful: Steamboy.

Originating from Ontario, Arnold Tsang, Art Director and the fifth co-founder, used his professional experience in artistry to create anime characters in a profile picture style with 469 traits across 13 trait categories for the Azuki project.

Tsang has achieved many things in his career, some of which include previously co-founding UDON Entertainment, being an Art Director at Blizzard Entertainment for over a decade, and now building his legacy through Azuki. The legendary concept artist worked on many games, some of which include: Darkstalkers: Chaos Tower, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo: HD Remix, Capcom Fighting Evolution, Overwatch, Overwatch 2, and Project Titan.

Through their stacked team, their strategic partnerships, and a fireball of a community, Azuki is not one you want to mess with.

Diving into a primitive world, Claynosaurz is a collection of 10,222 3D animated NFTs that minted on the Solana blockchain.

Playing by different rules, Claynosaurz managed to successfully mint their collection on a completely separate blockchain, in the heart of the bear market when many other projects who raised plenty of money gave up and walked away from their original visions. With pure passion and perseverance, Claynosaurz spent the next couple of years heads down building the legacy that we see today.

The mission of Claynosaurz is to focus on building fresh and innovative experiences through their characters and lore, shaping the future of entertainment.

With a diverse group of artists and animators, they strive to complete their mission through curated concept art and proper art direction. Each member on the team specializes in a specific department, eventually adding their work to a beautiful, final piece.

Like Doodles and Azuki, Claynosaurz also prioritizes community and what it means to own your Clayno, expanding into different sectors to push their IP. The framework in which Claynosaurz is experimenting in allows them to elevate their creativity to a level never seen before.

Through the power of the crypto industry, Claynosaurz are slowly and organically taking destiny into their own hands of becoming a transmedia brand. Why start in the traditional space of animation when you can spearhead the next generation of entertainment, support and collaborate with artists, and be a soundboard for other entities interested in learning more about the crypto space?

Don't fade these cute clay dinos, because soon enough they will have an empire of their own.

I am my Penguin, and my Penguin is me.

Home of the Huddle, Pudgy Penguins is a collection of 10,000 cute pengus minted on the Ethereum blockchain.

Rather than covertly onboarding the masses to crypto, Pudgy Penguins desire for the world to understand how forward-facing they are with the industry. With mentions of web3, blockchain, NFT, and an integrated digital collectible marketplace all on their website, the Pudgies are not ashamed of showing their true colors. Rather, they are focused on building a frosty world to reach the masses and let them know that being part of crypto is cool.

Pudgy Penguins' vision is to revolutionize the crypto space as we know it today. Through the power of community, Pudgies aim to share their IP with their holders and become the fastest growing crypto-native brand in the world; one that will appeal to both natives and traditional audiences.

Pudgies are laser-focused on the toy market, aiming to infiltrate traditional industries through strategic retail partnerships. At the same time, they offer Pudgy Penguins NFT holders the opportunity to license their digital identities, unlocking potential revenue streams.

Taking a page out of the same playbook as older toy brands such as Webkinz, Pudgy Penguins have connected their toys to Pudgy World, a Club Penguin-style online gaming platform with blockchain inoperability.

The gold-furred penguin who rebuilt the Igloo: Luca Netz.

A rebound that not many thought was possible, because it was never done before — until now.

Pudgy Penguins was a dying ecosystem until Luca Schnetzler, a young self-made millionaire and entrepreneur, won a bid war on Pudgy Penguins for $2.5 million.

Through his experience in e-commerce and digital marketing, Netz played a pivotal role in not only reviving the brand, but evolving it into a full-on IP kingdom, targeting the entertainment and merchandising industries.

Through the acquisition of the Abstract Chain, Luca and the team have their pudgy fins set on consumer crypto: giving people a reason to use onchain technology that could replace traditional methods.

With one of the strongest communities and some of the brightest minds in the crypto space, Pudgy Penguins is not one that you'll want to ignore.

Chief Content Officer. Head of Socials & Content. Director of Content Strategy.

Many different titles that ultimately have the same meaning: the one in charge of everything related to content creation and curation.

The short and long-form content you now see today across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms is spearheaded by these particular individuals.

I'm honored to have them featured in this article, as they share their story of who they are and provide their insight of how things are done within their own brands.

Learn more by clicking on each arrow.

▼Cab (Claynosaurz)

I started my career as an animator at Sony Pictures Animation (where they made Hotel Transylvania, Surf’s Up, Angry Birds movies, and Spider-Verses) and eventually transitioned to creature-type work. Over time I became an Animation Supervisor, overseeing how the digital creatures for film & tv would move and come to life, and managing the teams of animators and acting as a liaison for the productions or directors to bring their vision to life. I’ve been involved on projects like Game of Thrones, Paddington 2, Fantastic Beasts franchise, His Dark Materials, Suicide Squad, for which I was nominated for an Annie Award (sort of like the Emmy for Animation) for excellence in Animation as a lead animator on King Shark! I’ve also been involved in music videos; leading award winning work on Kaytranada’s Lite Spots. 

Sounds like a mouthful, I know. 

TLDR: I come from an Animation and Storytelling & management background. 

So much of that translates back to Claynosaurz and my role here as a co-Creative Director. I help inform the overall direction the Creative & Art teams take, but it extends to many other things like product and vision. REALLY, my job is to give the artists space to do what they do best. But to make sure that everything we do at Claynos feels cohesive. That the direction & tone makes sense. Often times it’s people management and empowering them. 

Content is our superpower. And we knew that coming into the space. We knew we could lean on the power of our characters by creating universally relatable stories to bring awareness to our brand. And we establish a dedicated community of superfans along the way. Our goal is to make people fall in love with our characters, and for the content to speak to people on such a deep level visually and narratively that technology does not matter. We entertain. That’s how you onboard. 

How do we look at content here? Relatability. A bit of weird. Looseness. We understand you can speak differently to different audiences based on different platforms niches. It’s about being where the audiences are. You allow the fans to customize their own fandom experiences and find their pockets of niche and interact or discover a brand in a way that actually is very intimate with the ways that they interact with different digital playgrounds. 

We run a lot ideation sessions with the creative team. We always ask ourselves: “why would somebody share this?” “Who are we speaking to?” We try to avoid too many trends because we want people to love the characters because they relate. We put a ton of thought into “evergreen” content. Content that feels timeless & relatable. You’d be surprised how many ideas we throw out! 

We also find ways to leverage the fact that Claynos are dinosaurs. So when we have an idea for a story or Reel, we go think “What is it about the fact that they are dinosaurs that makes this better, funnier, more interesting?” So a lot of times we throw in anatomical limitations or differences that are actually packaged in a super relatable way or make people laugh. There’s a hook. 

We try things. A lot. Sometimes it doesn’t work. That’s ok! It helps us better dial-in the right stories that speak to people. We also leverage amazing community ideas as well, and will be doing a lot more of that! We have an open-door policy. Anyone at the company can and should pitch. That’s how you find pockets of magic. 

Every time an idea is pitched, we’ll go through a storyboard process. That lets us visualize the scenario. If we’re confident, then we go into 3D production. It allows us to quickly build a catalog of hundreds of stories and remain super flexible—-and FAST.

What’s incredible is web3 has empowered us to leverage socials and flywheel our collectors into those playgrounds. We build GOOD content. We compete at an industry level. Recently, we won 13 Collision Awards for our Instagram content, side by side with Pixar and Disney! That’s insane!! But we’re able to do that through community loops and we can take more risks than legacy brands.

This year, our goal with content is to start conditioning audiences to understand key characters and story points. To recognize patterns. But we also have plans to seriously leverage the community “Claynos” and feature our collectors in content as much as we can. It’s about finding the right balance!

It’s gonna be a wild year. 

When it comes to the content creation process, there's a lot of similarities, but not every company / brand does things the same way.

Every article you'll come across has their own secret recipe of showing you how they do things.

Since this is my article, I'll make this simple by showing you how I would do it.

There are 4 steps to executing content:

💡 Ideation: The first phase.

• Audience. What demographic are you targeting? Are they children, teenagers, young adults, elderly? Or a combination of all ages?

• Competition. Do a deep dive on who you're competing against. Who are they, what are they creating, and how can you do it better?

• Research. What type of content are you looking to create? Is it based off recent trends or is it organic? What emotions do you want the audience to feel?

  

• Strategy. What is the game plan of the goals you want to achieve? What channels will the content be published to? How often do you plan on posting?

• Brainstorm. This is your conclusion, combine them together. You have your target audience, you understand your competition, you know what style of content you want to create, and you understand your plan of action to achieve certain expectations set.

🖌 Creation: The second phase.

• Calendar. All of the strategizing you did for your game plan, transfer that information to your calendar. Having a content calendar is crucial because it allows the team to stay timely and organized, as well as have a resource to fall back on.

• Outline. Sketch out the wording & illustrations of the content on a whiteboard.

  

• Write & Design. This is where you go full-force. Headers / Sub-Headers? Script? Background Music? Effects? Lighting? Add them all.

🗒 Revision: The third phase.

• Draft. Formulate multiple versions as you begin to refine and polish up your masterpiece.

• Final Review. Ensure there are no mistakes, the tone is consistent, the message is clear, everything is fact-checked, and SEO is optimized.

📲 Publication: The last phase.

• Upload. HIT THE BUTTON AND SEND IT TO THE INTERNET.

• Distribution. Share the content through all of the appropriate channels like emails & newsletters.

• Promotion. Not necessary, but if needed, allow for paid advertising to boost your reach.

• Feedback. Review the overall sentiment from audiences and see what they liked which can be used for future content creation.

• Learn. Strengthen your future content strategy by analyzing the performance data (views, likes, comments, shares, etc.) on your content.

And then you do it all over again. ♻

Now that you know how content is created, how do you determine the type you want to produce, and how do you effectively balance it with other formats?

This is where we discuss further about the dilemma of organic vs hyped substance.

But before I begin to yap on this topic, let me present a brief definition of what Evergreen is:

🌲 Evergreen: Timeless, search-optimized content that stays fresh and relevant. It naturally resonates across all age groups, maintaining its appeal and effectiveness over time.

As a brand who produces animated short-form content, it's healthy to have a mix of the two styles. So let's talk outweigh the benefits of both.

When it comes to timeless content, there are a couple of things that make it stand out:

• Emotions: Joy, Happiness, Sadness, Anger, Frustration, Anxiety, Disgust, Surprise, Fear, Envy, Love, Amusement, Boredom. The human soul forms a response based off of something that happened, it's a cause and effect situation.

  

• Share: Is the content you're watching feel relatable? Don't you want to share that content with your family and friends that might also feel the same way? Humans are social beings, we want to share our experiences, emotions, and memories with others.

• Trust: If the content makes you feel a certain way and you enjoy sharing it with others, do you think you can trust the creator of that content more?

When it comes to timely content, there are a couple of things that make it stand out:

• Hype: With trends, the words, ideas, and memes that are currently buzzing on the internet or in the real world have the potential to absolutely skyrocket the growth of a brand.

• Adaptation: Understanding trends means understanding that your content has to have the capability to make changes and stay up to date with everything that's currently going on, to reach the audiences that truly care for that type of stuff.

• Data Analytics: By creating content around trends, you get a more clear idea of how the cycle of trends move, better allowing you to prepare for future content that you can leverage its growth.

Ultimately, you as a brand want to have a content portfolio that includes both, seasoned to the maximum. The rule of thumb is to have 80% evergreen and 20% trending.

This is one of my favorite parts to talk about, I absolutely love everything about Partnerships. Hell, I even want to be a Partnerships Manager in the future!

Partnerships is one of the greatest ways for a company to align with other entities on the same vision, and create something special + unique to the market.

Let's first address the reasons why Partnerships are important.

• Strategic Collabs: Brands that usually collaborate don't work in the same industry. For example, you won't see Nike working with Adidas, but you will see Nike collaborating with Apple. Why? Because they are in a different market. No competitors, hakuna matata.

• Sharing Knowledge: At the same time, brands that collaborate can share knowledge with each other because they understand that they will never be competitors. The more knowledge the collaborators know, the better they can understand a different market, and the more robust their teams can be when building a new product.

• Access to New Audiences: Partnerships properly and organically set up the stage for brand awareness and allows for a seamless entry for newcomers into a new world.

• Power of Trust: As a result, brands help each other boost their reputations through association. This allows audiences who are unfamiliar with certain companies and products have something that bridges the gap.

• Cost Efficiency: With the ability of two (or more) brands, all the costs are cheaper as there are multiple entities paying for it.

• Networking: With the help of a partnered brand, a door is opened to unfamiliar territory with networks that might not have been as easily accessible if they didn't have that partnership in the first place.

Now, let's take a look at who the IP-Vengers have collaborated with.

Pudgies are shooting a straight arrow towards mass adoption through their toy line. At a low cost, you can purchase a Pudgy Penguin figurine/plushy, scan a QR, and onboard seamlessly into Pudgy World (a partnership with Mystical Gaming), an online multi-player world that allows you to build your own igloo, take on quests, and participate in mini-games.

Because all of the partnerships listed here are in the same industry (retail), I won't go into depth explaining why they strategically chose them. Rather, I'll just show you some fun artwork they cooked up for their announcements.

Pudgy Penguins x Walmart

Pudgy Penguins x Target

Pudgy Penguins x Toys R Us

Pudgy Penguins x Big W

Pudgy Penguins x GameStop

Pudgy Penguins x Amazon

Pudgy Penguins x Lotte

With a blend of Japanese influence and modern hip-hop culture, Azuki breaks into the anime industry. Primarily targeting an adult demographic, Azuki adds formidable partners to their roster, steadily increasing brand awareness through their IP with these strategic collaborations.

Azuki x Ambush

Azuki x Bybit x Oracle Red Bull Racing

Azuki x BILIBILI

Beanz x IPX

AZUKI x K11 MOONCAKES

AZUKI x MUSEUM OF MAHOMES

Azuki x SATOSHI NAKAMOTO

Beanz x Brown

As Claynosaurz is the newest brand, they have not announced many partnerships at this time. Rather, they have turned their immediate focus to building out short + long form animation content and gaming. Considering how unique their product is, I am sure we will see more amazing collaborations in the near future.

Claynosaurz x Solana Mobile: The Call of Saga

Claynosaurz x Gameloft

The crypto space (including myself as a holder) is most familiar with Doodles' partnerships, as they are on a mission to onboard the masses. Through Julian Holguin (CEO at Doodles) and Brandon Rosenblatt (Head of Brand Partnerships at Doodles), they have successfully collaborated with household name brands, inching slowly towards a colorful future.

Doodles Records: Doodles x Columbia Records

Pharrell Pack: Doodles x Adidas x Human Race x Billionaire Boys Club x BBC Ice Cream

Doodles x CAMP

Doodles x Crocs

Doodles x G-Shock

Doodles x MNTGE

Doodles x AriZona

Doodles x Adidas Originals

When it comes to IP and the blockchain, the IP-Vengers have entered uncharted waters, trying to figure out the most seamless way to onboard the masses onchain.

As the 3/4 brands were founded and built on the Ethereum blockchain, each of them have decided to take different paths through various means.

Before we analyze the IP-Vengers further (and I don't want to get too techy), we have to ask the question: what is a Layer 2?

Layer 2: A Layer-2 blockchain is a secondary blockchain network that's built on top of a primary blockchain, or Layer-1, to improve its performance and scalability.

• Increasing Speed

• Maintaining Layer 1 Security

• Lowering Transaction Costs

• Reducing Network Congestions

• Overall Improving User Experience

But let's be real for a second.

The world does not care about the blockchain. They never did, and they never will.

Do you think anyone (besides developers and true enthusiasts) ever pauses and takes a moment to think, "wow! I love the foundations of the internet. Let me discover further." Absolutely not. And why would they? There's nothing attractive or entertaining about it.

But people DO care about search engines, social media, blogs, apps, video platforms, podcasts, etc.

By design, the blockchain is supposed to be hidden technology. And by building IP, content, and a seamless user experience on top of that technology, it's the perfect trojan horse.

So let's hone in on what the IP-Vengers are up to.

Previously known as Frame, Abstract was unexpectedly acquired by Pudgy Penguins' parent company Igloo. Through the strategic collaboration between Luca Netz (CEO at Pudgy Penguins), Cygaar (Head at Abstract), and other rockstars, they aim to build what they believe will be the future of crypto consumerism.

They've established their core pillars as: Community & culture, familiar onboarding experiences, app discoverability, and security & scalability.

The community and culture of Pudgy Penguins is one of the pillars of Abstract's foundation. Their cute and friendly IP meshed with the wonderful supporters, builders, and visionaries will be a major stepping stone to bridge the gap between blockchain tech and mainstream adoption.

Furthermore, they have recently written about their new and upcoming product, the Abstract Global Wallet (AGW).

Unlike other wallets like MetaMask or Backpack, Abstract's crypto wallet:

✅ Will have one-click logins with socials/email, easy 2FA approvals, and capability to fund wallet in seconds.

❌ Will not have a browser extension and will not have any seedphrases.

This is a major improvement in comparison to previous years, where the average person would have dealt with a lot of friction. A seamless and optimized user experience is of utmost importance, and Abstract is hyper-focused on making that reality happen.

TLDR, two words: consumer crypto.

For those who are further interested in Abstract, you can check out the link below.

https://abs.xyz

What is Abstract?

Discover Abstract, a highly scalable and secure Ethereum Layer 2 network focused on delivering a seamless consumer-centric blockchain experience. Built to foster community and culture, Abstract simplifies onboarding, enhances app discoverability, and leverages cutting-edge cryptography for optimal security and scalability.

Doodles brings the Stoodio back home to the Ethereum chain, built on Base.

In 2022, Doodles announced that they would build their product (Doodles2 now called the Stoodio) to Flow, a completely separate Layer 1 blockchain.

Doodles' history with Dapper Labs (the company behind Flow) made it a no-brainer decision, as Flow has had previous mass adoption success such as Top Shot and are currently in a partnership with Disney for a new product called Disney Pinnacle.

However, a new era has risen.

It's no surprise that migrating the entire product from Flow to Base is a smart decision, backed and built by the powerhouse Coinbase themselves. Out of any blockchain product in existence, Coinbase as an exchange has had the most success of onboarding the masses into crypto.

So, what is Doodles building on Base?

Let me tell you, collecting onchain never looked or felt more colorful.

Stoodio: Collector's Profile

Doodlesᵗᵛ

Super Pass (S1)

Doodles Premiere Packs

Doodles Certified Viral

Traditional Payment & Cracking Packs

Azuki introduces AnimeChain, a collaboration built by Arbitrum Orbit with the mission to bridge millions of anime fans onchain.

With Azuki's collector profile feature, the community can view their NFT holdings, emblems they've unlocked by achieving certain milestones, and badges they've received through participating in IRL or digital events. This user-friendly standard curates a strong community and drives them to interact with the brand to a new level.

As a result, the Azuki collector profile is a great way to get an idea of who has what. Tying that in with this new game is absolute genius.

Inspired by Azuki's original "arcade" style minting experience, Gacha Grab is a game designed to reward the holders of the Azuki community, while simultaneously allowing your average anime enthusiasts to be a part of the journey.

Here's how it works.

• Earn Credits: Holders of the Azuki, Beanz, and Elemental tokens can connect their wallets to the website to begin earning credits. The collection tier will impact the amount of credits you earn per day (E.g. OG Azukis gets 1000 credits, Elementals get 100, etc.). By creating a squad (multi-collection or OGs only), you earn a boost which increases the amount of credits you earn.

  

• Spin to Win: Gacha Grab is a slot machine that allows users to gamble for more credits.

  Simply spend 100 credits and press the play button to see what you win.

  It's a bit addicting.

  

• Collect Gachapons: The Gachapons have 3 different tiers of rarity: Esteemed, Grand, and Legend.

  The last 3 are much more difficult to pull. But the more squads you have and the higher rarity your NFTs are, the higher of chance you will have.

Collect ➜ Play ➜ Get Rewarded.

At the time of this post, the AnimeChain has not released much information on any current or future updates.

Tying your IP and content to in-the-flesh memories is one of the most efficient ways to close the gap between the digital and physical realms.

There is way too many crypto-native events to cover (and my brain is fried from writing so long), so I'm only going to highlight the best ones that I know of.

If I speak about an event that I attended, a separate box highlighted in red will be shown.

Doodles was already on a run when it came to the financial side of the tokens, but what really sent the brand to outer space was the brand awareness and traction they received from their event from SXSW.

A very fun mixture of activities, Doodles holders received a personal badge which contained NFC tech and was tied to a Doodle that they owned. They could scan their badge at certain booths and see their Doodle come to life. The first ever hybrid experience of the digital and physical to that degree.

Additionally, Doodles released a product completely unique to the crypto space called "Space Doodles," in which the owner of a Doodles NFT can swap their original token with a paired soulbound token of the Doodle going to space.

Because of this event, Alexis Ohanian (co-founder of Reddit and investor in Doodles) and Julian Holguin (CEO at Doodles) were red-pilled and became a part of the brand as it stands today.

Known as one of the most legendary moments in NFT history, co-founder and CEO Zagabond unexpectedly announces to holders in a club to check their wallets for an airdrop, which later became known as Beanz.

This unique airdrop completely changed the tides of how certain companies would appeal to their audiences, creating more of an interactive experience.

NFT NYC 2022 was an absolute banger. With over 2000 holders in attendance, Doodles did a couple of things:

• Collaborated with Shopify for physical to digital e-commerce via the Genesis Factory.

• Created a holders-only lounge where people could hangout, order drinks at the bar, and meet Burnt Toast the artist behind Doodles.

• Did a keynote where Julian spoke for the first time as the Doodles CEO live in the flesh, honing on the vision of Doodles' future and dropping some big surprises.

Alexis Ohanian announced his decision to led the raise in Doodles' first investment round along with his VC company, 776. Pharrell Williams announced that he would join Doodles as the Chief Brand Officer and spearhead the music production for the future Doodles Record, in collaboration with Columbia Records.

The team also stated that they would be dropping Doodles2, allowing you to mint and customize avatars + wearables, a cool digital collection that you can flex and even use as your digital identity.

Doodles at NFT NYC '22 was one of the most fun times I had, and it had all the hype (the floor price of the collection was above 20 ETH or $60K).

I remember some of the homies and I would cut in line, just so we didn't wait an extra 2 hours for the Genesis Factory or the Keynote (sorry!).

The amount of amazing, like-minded people that I befriended (some for life) was surreal to me. People that like Doodles, all in the same place.

I was at a party when Doodles made the announcement about dooplicators, a secondary collection claimable by Doodles holders; and I kid you not, it was trading for around $10K at the time of the release.

During the keynote, I remember standing in the front-left near the stage, as I freaked out talking to people and speculating on what announcements were to come. Julian, Poopie, Tulip, Burnt Toast. One by one, each came out on stage, as they spoke about the exciting things they have in store for the brand and the community.

It truly felt like a movie, and I'm proud to call these people my family.

Azuki brought about a mysterious vibe around their event in Vegas, building lots of speculation and hype around the possibilities of the big announcement.

It's important to understand that Azuki's event was completely on their own; there was no crypto conference where people could partake in other activities. There were many different events hosted by the community that members could attend: workshops, brunches, pool parties, morning hikes, etc.

Azuki rented out Hakkasan, the biggest nightclub in Vegas, with 5 stories of different activities the community members and guests could participate in. From the arcade-style claw machines, to an open bars, to the main dance floor and other shenanigans, Azuki dropped an amazing bomb of a trailer officially announcing Elementals while simultaneously re-creating the nostalgic "check your wallets" scenario.

Hakkasan was such a fun experience. From traveling & rooming with an Azuki community member, to exploring the different events set by the community, to watching the Elementals trailer for the first time.

I was able to meet some of the Azuki team for the first time in the flesh, as well as feast and adventure with many of the Azuki holders.

When it comes to crypto-native projects, each tribe has a vibe. And Azuki's "Skaters of the Internet" vibe is exactly a reflection of what you'd see online: anime enthusiasts, hip-hop enjoyers, fashionably dressed, two cool for school type beat. Oh, and definitely some legit skaters in there.

Without a shadow of a doubt, I felt at home with these peeps.

Doodles tackles on Art Basel Miami '22 with a new, fun concept unique to crypto-IRL activations: mini-golfing.

With a fun unison between OpenSea, Johnnie Walker, and TokenProof, Doodles builds out their biggest event yet. Spending millions of dollars in Westwood, they built out an insane 10,000 square feet immersive putting course, a Shopify store, a VIP holder lounge, a bunker bar by Johnnie Walker, a OpenSea lounge, and a dope DJ stage.

On the course, a challenging and competitive 9th hole awaited you. A hole-in-one won a Doodle!

I had such a fun time at this Doodles activation. After a full day at our own event, the Americana team and I would walk at late night to Doodles' to relax, play some golf, hang out with old and new friends, and just vibe over what we enjoy the most: Doodles.

I remember the ear-to-ear smile on my face as I was completely submerged in the colorful and musical putting experience. One of the women who was playing in our group actually got a hole-in-one and won a Doodles!

At the time, it was surreal seeing Doodles move up the ladder so fast. Mackenzie Keast (Head of Live Events at Doodles) was upping the expectations every time they did an activation.

While their events might seem like any other cypto-native one, Claynosaurz has spiced it up by bringing booster packs to the table. Across in person events at NYC, LA, and Paris, over 1600 attendees received booster packs as a party favor.

Through a collaboration with Cupcake Protocol, NFC chips were integrated within each booster pack and connected to a smart contract, which allowed for digital collectibles to be recieved.

Another phenomenal way to blend the physical and digital experiences, each card was redeemable for exclusive digital prizes. These booster packs consisted of a variety of cards with different tiers of rarity, with ranges from items such as pizza and tacos collectibles, to Artifacts and Spraycans.

The Artifacts and Spraycans were collaborations with different artists and Clayno's 3D Creative team, and have only been recently revealed. There are only 10 Spraycans in existence, with also a limited amount of Artifacts as well.

A giant step for Doodles, and an even greater step for the crypto industry as a whole.

Doodles pulls off a fascinating collaboration with CAMP Stores, an interactive and direct-to-consumer adventure for families. This allowed for a unique blend of physical retail and crypto-native IP, bringing the vibrant world of digital collectibles into a tangible, real-world experience.

The aspect of storytelling is greatly involved at CAMP. The main characters of the Doodles-verse were announced (Hap and Mello) at CAMP, and the audience had the capability to be a part of the story throughout the entire activation.

Furthermore, Doodles was in direct competition with tycoon brands and blew them out of the water. This was a groundbreaking moment, as no one in the crypto industry had gone to these lengths with the use of their IP. A physical experience targeting children is one of the most effective ways to create brand awareness, and Doodles was undoubtedly successful in their efforts to reach a new demographic.

Spearheaded by Brandon Rosenblatt (Doodles' Head of Partnerships), Sean Wotherspoon (Designer, Founder at MNTGE), and Uchida Ryunosuke (Head at 2G), Doodles did an unexpected collaboration with 2G Pop Up Store in the Shibuya district, Tokyo.

Doodles dropped a series of limited-edition merchandise, including: 4 1/1 Panels with digital certificates, vinyl figurines co-created with SK Lam, 50 signed Burnt Toast posters, and many smaller goodies.

This thoughtfully crafted collaboration allowed Doodles to connect with a new audience that typically wouldn’t have the opportunity to purchase their merchandise in person. Additionally, it offered global community members the chance to be the first to access exclusive items, making them feel valued and appreciated.

This was one of the craziest things that happened to me.

Near the end of our trip, my cousins and I were stuck in Okinawa due to a Typhoon for almost a week. We were exhausted, missed our international flights, and just wanted to get back to the mainland.

As we entered Tokyo, Doodles abruptly dropped an announcement that they were going to be in Shibuya the next weekend for a limited-edition and in-store only drop. This of course, made me extremely excited to which I responded:

Micah.

@micahonchain

WAIT I’M IN TOKYO THO WHAT

29

5:17 PM • Aug 7, 2023

Of course, you just know I had to be there. At the time I was working at Americana, and I called up my boss to see what I should buy. He told me just get as much as I could and use the company card. Everyone and their mother was sending me messages of things that they wanted me to buy for them. So I grabbed my adidas dufflebag, hopped on a train, and went straight for Parco mall in Shibuya.

Micah.

@micahonchain

We’re not finished, @doodles.

@AmericanaNFT is proud to acquire two 1/1s for our vault.

For us, Doodles was special from the beginning.

They brought our team together, and we couldn’t be more honored to be a part of their journey as they disrupt the entertainment world.

Micah.

@micahonchain

Bought 1 of everything for the @AmericanaNFT vault.

169

6:02 AM • Aug 12, 2023

After I acquired all the items, I did multiple things:

• Walked MILES to find a Japan Post to send the majority of the Americana items to the states, because Japan had a national holiday that weekend.

• Purchased a suitcase for the two 1/1s I acquired for Americana, and brought all of my stuff as well as those who requested for specific items. So 3 pieces of luggage total.

• Organized everyone's clothes to make sure nothing got put in the wrong boxes, while taking multiple trips to the US Post Office to distribute everything out.

• Had a checklist of everyone's venmos or ETH addresses, some people preferred to send money in different ways.

  

  Micah.

  @micahonchain

  

  gm
  
  It’s a blessing to put a smile on people’s faces.

  

  158

  9:08 AM • Aug 14, 2023

Needless to say, I don't think I'll ever be able to do that again. It was a lot of fun but definitely tolling.

That said, it's moments like these that truly make you feel connected to the brand. Seeing the IP of Doodles in a luxury toy store in Tokyo? Are you kidding me? From the perspective of being early, how is that not one of the coolest things you get to witness?

Walt Disney once said:

Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.

And that couldn't be closer to the truth.

What the IP-Vengers are building isn't just for the crypto space, it's for the world who desire a new and unique dream that they can laugh, imagine, and dream in, while simultaneously onboarding them to a system that will inevitably revolutionize the future.

THIS WEEK ALONE WAS THE BIGGEST WEEK FOR CRYPTO-NATIVE IP.

To illustrate my point more clearly, let's recap by addressing the elephants in the room.

As of this past weekend, Doodles premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for their new film, "Dullsville and the Doodleverse."

Some of the main characters from the film are voiced by celebrities, such as Coi Leray (Deysi), Lil' Wayne (Captain Stoke), and Swae Lee (Thirsty).

This marked a time in history as the most important event in all of crypto-native IP. From musicians, to actors, to executives of the biggest film studios globally, Doodles was shown in front of countless people and shared across many different platforms, while simultaneously being written about in major entertainment news outlets.

Claynosaurz form a ground-breaking partnership with Gameloft, one of the biggest mobile developers in the world. This was already mentioned in the partnerships section and there aren't many details about it at the moment, so won't talk about it further (although as a mobile gaming user, I'm over the moon hyped).

I was about to publish this article when Azuki all of a sudden dropped the last hit of the week, their acquisition of anime.com. Through a seamless experience of just 3 clicks, users can type in their email, verify with 2FA, and interact with a slot-machine raffle to obtain stickers, along with seeing and hearing fun and colorful effects.

For those who don't know that the website was acquired by a crypto-native company, the data of the stickers are recorded and are saved on a private testnet on AnimeChain (mentioned earlier), where eventually the users will be able to actually own the stickers in the form of digital collectibles. For many anime enthusiasts, this will be their first ever digital collectible, which is a massive breakthrough for the crypto industry.

The main characters and mascots featured on the website are Ayame and Deckey. Ayame is a girl with vibrant, multi-colored hair, while Deckey is a cat with a TV screen for a face, displaying RGB colors.

Chiru Labs' strategy, Full Stack Anime, integrates three key ecosystems—Azuki, AnimeCom, and AnimeChain—into a unified cultural blockchain infrastructure. AnimeCom operates independently, leveraging AnimeChain technology, while Azuki serves as the launch partner for the platform.

WE CAN DEFINITELY SAY THAT WE HAVE BROKEN THE GLASS CEILING.

THE SKY IS NO LONGER THE LIMIT, BECAUSE WE HAVE ENTERED THE COSMOS.

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS.

Now that you've completed this case study, what’s your final takeaway? Can you confidently say you're witnessing the emergence of crypto-native IP?

Because I'll conclude for myself: yes I am.

In all honesty, I barely scratched the surface of what these 4 have truly done; and I'm excited to see how what new obstacles they overcome, what dope entities they partner with, and what unique content they create.

Sorry not sorry that this is my longest article ever.

Later.

The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.

Okay, but can you create a reality of the same intensity through digital means?

It doesn't matter by what means you use to create art. The purpose of creating art is to take inspiration, experiment, pouring your heart and soul into it.

Let's address the elephant in the room.

There's no such thing as a perfect piece, because there's always room to add a little more. And a little more. And a little more.

You could have the best tools known to man, and you'll still fail to achieve perfection. As humans, we are flawed by our nature. Art is a reflection of who we are; and if we aren't perfect, neither will our own creations be. Therefore, it doesn't matter if you create art on a physical canvas or on a digital whiteboard. It's still art.

So, how does this tie into all of this friction between the worlds of physical fine art and digital art?

Digital art destabilizes the boomer-esque and centralized foundation of how art is "supposed" to be. The circle of artists, brokers, and collectors from the traditional fine art scene see digital art as a threat to their ecosystem.

AND THEY HATE IT.

THEY HATE IT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT CONTROL IT.

THEY LOATHE IT BECAUSE THESE STUPID DEGENERATES THAT KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ART CAN BUY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF DIGITAL WORKS THAT YOU CAN JUST RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE FOR FREE.

They think that by refusing to accept this new concept or to believe that their way is superior, they can escape the inevitable outcome in the cyberspace.

For years, countless articles have undermined digital art while extolling traditional art.

But now, it’s our turn.

This article aims to demonstrate that digital art and NFTs not only expose the corruption within the fine art industry, but also revolutionize the way art is transacted through the power of blockchain technology. This article is not written to put down traditional art nor the artists and collectors who truly value said art (we love physical works!).

Let's dive in.

Alright, I'll make this part digestible. Don't fall asleep on me.

Digital art has been around for decades spanning back to the 1960s, and has quickly evolved since then. Algorithms, Pixels, Vector, Animation, 3D Modeling, Photography, and so many more branches of digital art exist and are being created daily on a global scale.

Within the past 20 years or so, people began to sell their digital art and receive commissions. For example, from 2005-2013, YouTube allowed users to decorate their personal channels with a custom template. These designs were outsourced by artists (from DeviantArt, Fiverr, eventually Instagram and Patreon) who specialized in making your channel seem as on-brand as possible, exactly the way you'd want it to look like.

If a social media platform existed, there was opportunities that allowed artists to freelance. You could request for custom emotes on Twitch, or get a new header on Twitter/Facebook, or even ask for a dope logo to increase brand awareness. Hell, you could even ask someone to make you a badass intro/outro for any of the videos you make and upload it to YouTube. Now, these tasks are becoming more and more valuable in the corporate world; I'm sure you've seen plenty of roles open for "Graphic/Product Design".

But this is only one avenue of digital artists making money. Other forms included selling prints, licensing their art, opening a store on platforms like Etsy, streaming, building an art blog, or creating educational content which teaches others how to draw.

Now, let's skip to the history of where NFTs come in.

As early as 2014, NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) have existed. But the world became aware of these onchain jpegs around 2017, starting with Larva Labs' CryptoPunks, a collection of 24x24 pixel art characters that were uniquely generated on the Ethereum blockchain.

At release, each Punk was available for purchase at the cost of 0 dollars, and choosing a character with the desired traits was first come first serve.

In 2020, Erick Calderon aka Snowfro created Chromie Squiggles, the first generative art collection that gives the minter a unique output instead of allowing them to choose the traits. In a way, each piece in the collection is a randomized "personal signature" of sorts.

Since the early days of NFTs, an endless amount of digital art pieces have been minted across many different blockchains (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, Tezos, etc.) in different formats (generative art, interactive art, 2D or 3D, GIFs, MP4s, etc.), taking the crypto space by storm.

I could keep talking about different aspects about other collections or artists that have left a digital footprint in the crypto art space, but maybe for another article.

Ownership. Scarcity. Authenticity. Storage. Liquidity. Transferability.

For centuries, these were only applicable for fine art.

However, as time has passed and we have entered a digital age, the blockchain was born. And with the power of technology, you can achieve each one of these variables at an evolved, faster, and more accessible scale.

But here's where things begin to differ. The digital world can execute better than the physical world in many aspects, and it does not allow room for the same amount of error that you experience by traditional means. And with the recent rise of AI, this has resulted in an over-saturation of online artworks, diluting the value of what could be worth something in the future.

This is one of the main reasons why traditional artists and collectors are repulsed by digital art.

If you look at the crypto art space, are people really buying up a piece for high prices because they just enjoy the art? Or are they buying it because it's a potentially good investment vehicle that can provide them a solid return in the future?

In terms of the % of people that focus on art vs finances, I will leave that up for you to decide. Nevertheless, the "player vs player" or the "musical chairs" for exit liquidity ideology that I see in the crypto art world is only symbolism of the traditional art world's dark side, and how many of those collectors don't actually care for or value the pieces they own.

I'm sure most of you have heard of the 7 deadly sins (and no, I'm not talking about the anime show). Gula (Gluttony), Luxuria (Lust), Avaritia (Greed), Tristitia (Sorrow), Ira (Wrath), Acedia (Sloth), and Superbia (Pride).

I want to focus on Greed and Pride.

Greed is an insatiable desire for material gain or social value, such as money, status, or power.

Pride is an excessive love of oneself, or an excessive desire for one's own self.

In the fine art industry, these two variables are everything. This explains why it is one of the most corrupt and unrestricted markets in the world.

We're talking about money laundering, tax evasion, theft, deceit, stepping on other people, hype and market manipulation, false-positive reputations, wrongful treatment of assistants, etc.

But you see, the majority of people in these circles thrive in this ecosystem. At the sacrifice of their own morality, they gain the world and everything in it. As long as they have the power and wealth, this oligarchy is willing to invest in anything.

For example. Banksy's auction stunt, where he shredded his piece post-sale, highlights human behavior: will eagerly buy art with demand, confident they can resell it for profit, regardless of its condition. And sure enough, the artwork was re-sold to a new buyer for $25.4 Million. You think they bought it for millions because they enjoy the art?

Ironically, the decentralization and transparency of the blockchain has damaged these immoral ideologies within the fine art world. It's public, visible for all to see. It tracks every transaction, as an artwork is minted and tied to a set of letters and numbers; a digital certificate of authenticity.

No more can the artwork be impersonated. No more will the provenance of the piece collect dust. And no more will there be a need for art brokers that take advantage of so many people.

Crypto is for the people.

Compared to any industry that exists out there, crypto is the best when it comes to community. From a personal experience, the capability to network with like-minded visionaries from all different backgrounds and wealth statuses.

I don't have to buy into a club worth millions of dollars and act all high and mighty to connect with people who are already wealthy and well connected. I can be myself and have genuine conversations with people through the click of a single button.

People underestimate the true power of community. Because the reality is, you will never meet more down to earth people who believe in something. And by being part of a solid group of ambitious builders, that's all you'll need.

One of my favorite parts about writing articles is that I can share different perspectives than just my own. Below are a handful of testimonies from some wonderful and well-known faces within the crypto art space, who truly have a passion for digital art and the way it has impacted their lives.

Let's dive in.

▼Jonooo

I spent the first chapter of my professional career working in the music industry. Originally as a Tour Manager / Manager for artists such as TLC, Charlie Puth and Kali Uchis. With this experience, I understood the value of NFTs as a way for artists to crowd source funds, sustaining their career without having to give up ownership to a major label. It was a true light bulb moment and i've been a part of the Web3 community ever since. 

I discovered the digital art scene through platforms like hic et nunc. I could feel a culture of unbridled creativity and soon started to develop my own "taste" for art. I credit the acquisition of "no bad trips" by @adhd143 as the true catalyst for my digital art journey. 

I collect digital art as a means of expression and connection. I grew up exposed to the arts and culture but never truly explored my own taste. Having the ability to connect directly with artists through social channels, talk to them about their background and practice, makes the process of experiencing their work much more intimate. I am usually drawn to an artist by their work, but on special occasions, I build a friendship as well. We have an incredible network of artists exploring digital art from all over the world. It brings me immense joy and fulfillment to feel connected to human beings from all over the world through art!

Onchain art is not going anywhere.

From the evolution of digital & crypto art, to unraveling the corruption of the fine art world, to the power of community superseding the oligarch of the wealthy. There's no doubt in my mind that onchain art will pave the way for the trad art industry to embrace blockchain technology, revolutionizing how physical pieces are authenticated and transacted between parties.

Digital artists will continue to create, builders will continue to find ways to help artists grow and showcase their colorful works, collectors will continue to collect art whether they truly have a sentimental tie to it or whether it's for financial reasons, and blockchain will continue to be adopted by the masses, revolutionizing the way we interact with the internet.

To the fine art world. If you're reading this, adapt or fall behind.

But I'll conclude by saying this.

I LOVE ART. IT'S SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL, EXPRESSIVE, DETAILED AND IMPERFECT.

Whether it's a physical or a digital work, I couldn't care less. It's all about what you see on the canvas, how you interpret what you've downloaded into your mind, and how it impacts your soul.

As Deidara (Naruto) says:

Art is something that blossoms for an instant before withering away. Art is beauty that lasts for just a moment. To me, the essence of art is - an explosion!

I’d like to express my utmost gratitude for the talented artists who permitted their beautiful work in this article; especially Other World, whose art is the poster for this written piece.

Other World’s Dark Art style is truly magnificent, and was chosen as the cover art to illustrate the intensity of the battle between the physical + digital realms, as well as the consumption of humankind’s sinful nature.

A massive thanks to Rob (RDToTheMoon) who took the time to hand-select collectors for testimonials, as well as write his own.

A heartfelt appreciation for Suzanne who provided invaluable feedback on this article before its publication. For more insight on this subject, please check out her thread The Bull case for Digital Art below.

SuzanneNFTs

@nf_suzanne

The Bull case for Digital Art. A thread 1/10

1,522

1:11 AM • Jul 30, 2023

Yup, that’s us. Community Managers.

Chances are, if you’ve ever bought into a crypto/NFT project which has some form of community (in which 99% of them do), you’ve come across a community manager.

But before we go down the rabbit hole, we have to first cover the foundation: community.

It’s pretty obvious that community is important in all aspects of society, developing a sense of identity or belonging over like-minded interests, values, and beliefs. 

Yes, but what sets crypto communities apart?

• The community offers valuable feedback and ideas, influencing the direction and enhancement of the product. 

• By spreading awareness and educating potential users, the community drives the adoption of the product being used. 

• They also have an influence on the market price by discussing market trends, as well as minting, buying, and selling tokens / NFTs which are part of the company’s ecosystem.

Now that we got that clarified, let’s move on.

Okay, so what in the world do Community Managers even do?

In traditional industries, a community manager acts as a liaison between an organization and its audience, fostering and nurturing digital relationships between a brand and its consumers.

Typically part of the marketing team, they possess a comprehensive understanding of the organization, including its products, structure, competitors, brand voice, storytelling, and strategies.

A community manager primarily focuses on facilitating communications, but they also spend time analyzing and gathering feedback. Additionally, they have some opportunities to be creative with various tasks they wish to execute.

In our crypto world, imagine it as described above, but on steroids.

What is the true value of a community / growth role?

The true value is among some of the top roles in any company, such as a CEO, a VP of Operations, Head of Product, etc.

Companies can create a wonderful product, but they cannot reach their audience without some form of Community Lead (whatever title you'd like to call it), someone who is able to understand the vision and properly communicate that to the proper audience. A CM position is a hybrid of a Head of Growth/Community and Marketing/Storytelling role.

As AI continues to evolve at such a fast pace and will soon take over many jobs (such as engineering work), one thing it cannot take over is creativity. There is a necessity for human imagination in any industry.

Only recently are roles that consist of communicating with people on a individual or audience basis becoming extremely valuable in our crypto industry — and it will continue to boom.

Believe it or not, Community Management is one of the most important roles in the crypto space. Why? Let me give you an example.

If you've got a big farm with lots of land and you want your crops to be plentiful, how do you make it happen? 

You tend to their needs by providing the resources, being consistent with their care, protecting them from potential damage, and giving them the time to grow.

Crypto and NFT communities thrive when they have a clear purpose and compelling reasons to connect. This connection can be to the product being developed, to the team behind it, or even to each other.

CMs are the ones that tend to their community; and they are the ones that provide the resources, consistently communicate with the community, protect them from any liabilities, and curate an ecosystem of organic growth.

Tending to your community everyday isn’t easy. But it’s well worth it.

Being a community manager means being the messenger. 

It is your job to ensure that the communications are effortless between the two parties, both top-down and bottom-up. 

A direct line to both the community and the team, you get to witness two different perspectives, two different goals, two different worlds.

With this role, you get to feel the community's excitement and passion while also getting a grip on the team's strategic and day-to-day tasks.

Make no mistake — managing communications with both a public audience and a private company is trickier than it seems. We'll explore this more later in the article.

Let’s talk about the best parts about being a community manager.

As the crypto space continues to drive technological innovation, you have the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking projects that have the potential to revolutionize the world.

In fact, you get to be part of a vision you've believed in from the beginning, witnessing and contributing to its entire journey. It's a rare opportunity to work and have influence on a product that you're truly passionate about.

There’s most definitely a lot of incentives within each ecosystem, where you can have a strong salary and the opportunity to receive equity, bonuses, tokens / NFTs, or beta access to the product being built. The more successful the project, the more you profit.

You thought Working from Home (WFH) was cool in the traditional industries? Most startup companies in crypto break the 9-5 barrier. You work on your own time, have unlimited vacation, and can do whatever you basically want as long as you get your tasks done efficiently on time. Massive corporate culture upgrade.

Being a CM, you gain skills in problem-solving, community building, marketing, customer support, content creation, and so much more.

As a content creator, you develop engaging content; from social media posts to educational resources. This also ties into event organization, where you have online or offline events such as AMAs, meetups, and other fun activities designed for the community.

Had to save the best for last! From in-person meetups to hopping on a zoom or discord call, it’s fantastic to engage with a global community of passionate members. You get to bond with people and hear their stories on their cultures, backgrounds, reasons for entering the crypto space, and so much more.

Your community also has their own networks, and if they see an opportunity, they will facilitate connections for you.

They are the ones that thank you for your hard work, they appreciate your efforts of relaying communications to the best of your ability, and they’ll even defend you from other folks who are attacking you.

Obviously, not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Let’s talk about some of the obstacles encountered as a CM.

Alright, I’ll give it to you straight: People can be a complete ass sometimes.

On the internet, it’s very easy to dehumanize others and treat them like absolute garbage. When there are financial incentives mixed in with a project, and members have financial ties in these projects, the behavior of some people can become very nasty and unacceptable.

Some people just love to pick a fight, what can I say?

Progress is never linear, everyone knows that. But the pressure to release updates isn’t easy, especially when the team isn’t ready to provide any updates.

Shuffling between platforms like Discord and Twitter to tend to the community, communicating with the team via Slack, hopping on Zoom and Google Meets calls, getting your photos and videos from Figma, the list continues.

Being online for 8-12 hours a day can be stressful and exhausting. This is no 9-5 job, the concept of work-life balance is situational based on how much you can handle. And in 99% of cases, you don’t know what that balance looks like (until you do).

Community Managers are the ones that take care of all of the precautions to ensure that your wallet isn’t drained because some stupid link was posted in discord. 

They are also responsible for making sure that their social media or announcements channels aren’t compromised. 

At the same time, community managers are one of the roles that tend to be the most targeted when it comes to impersonation or even having their accounts hacked, so the community could be emotionally and financially manipulated by the hackers.

This one is never easy. As a CM, you want to do more community-focused efforts; but the team has other ideas on what takes priority, and if that is even operable with the community’s interests. 

Out of the negatives I’ve mentioned so far, this is one that has some of the most amount of friction. 

Which transitions into my last point…

This is probably one of the more difficult ones to talk about. The reality of the situation is, there is only so much you can do as a community manager. If your team is uncooperative, it will make your life significantly more difficult.

You can have the coolest people on your team, but if they fail to communicate with you and provide you with the resources that you need, it makes it extremely tough to be on the front-lines of the community.

The community will be constantly asking for information from you, and you won’t be able to provide them with the information that you need, because (1) you have your hands tied behind your back, and (2) the team doesn’t value the community enough to be transparent / provide continuous updates.

That said, I don't want you to get all your information solely from me — I'm just one individual.

Curious to hear from others, I asked a few community managers from different companies / projects across our crypto space, to share their stories about the highs and lows in this dynamic role.

Click on the arrow to read the full story.

Unlike other crypto-native projects, Azuki stands out for its exceptional support system, setting a benchmark for how a community manager should be treated and valued.

By delegating certain tasks to different roles and allowing for an easy streamline of communication, the community department is able to get things done a lot more quickly and efficiently.

Their system is broken into multiple parts:

• Dem: Head of Community

• Rose: Community Manager

• Aez: Community Lead / Support

• Community Mods (Discord)

Dem leads the community department, serving as the primary decision-maker on all community-related matters. While he handles a variety of responsibilities, his main role is to communicate directly with the founders (though others can also reach out to them, this is his specific duty). Additionally, he channels feedback, helps develop community strategies, and conducts one-on-one calls with community members.

Rose and Aez manage a diverse portfolio of projects, prioritizing community engagement on both Twitter and Discord. They offer valuable insights into current sentiments, advise on launch strategies to ensure positive feedback, lead and participate in Twitter Spaces and Discord stages, and create engaging dialogues for community members. Additionally, they develop comprehensive sentiment reports and community strategies. 

Rose oversees the entire moderation team, which is structured and managed by the lead moderator, Hana. Along with a global team providing 24/7 coverage, the community moderators are trained under Rose's guidance. Their responsibilities include ensuring the security of the Discord server, assisting with support tickets, maintaining order to prevent excessive FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt), directing content through the appropriate channels, and being on standby during the team's off hours. Additionally, the moderation team actively engages on Twitter to interact with the community and gather sentiment.

Chiru Labs, the parent company of Azuki, is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, where most of the team operates. This central location facilitates seamless communication. For team members across various time zones, the company employs Slack, video calls, and other communication tools to ensure effective alignment and coordination.

If other companies and projects (that could afford to build out a bigger support system) followed this trajectory, it would catapult their community to the next level. 

If you’re looking to become a Community Manager, this section is definitely worth reading.

You need to be in tune with what is going on in crypto on a daily basis, because crypto is a very fast moving industry with hundreds of things happening per week. If you’ve been in this industry, you understand that missing a day feels like missing a week, missing a week feels like missing a month, etc. 

The more you are knowledgeable about the foundation of crypto, the better. If you understand other branches (DeFi, NFTs, Memecoins, Leverage, etc.), you give yourself a major advantage over both competition and your daily work-life.

Usually a couple of years experience in the crypto space is what is required on resumes (as it should be since most applications are for start-ups).

This is a given. Know who your community is, and if they align as also being a target audience for the product that your company is building. Research and analyze to get an idea of the community’s needs and interests, and see if that lines up with your target audience. The more you understand your community, the easier it is to streamline communications between the two parties. 

This isn’t the company’s job, this is for YOU to take the initiative on. Brainstorm, outline, rough draft. Build it out, take it to the team for review, and then finalize it. 

Setting these clear guidelines will help strengthen the communications with your co-workers on what you need. 

Discord, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, Telegram, Warpcast, etc. Whatever the job role consists of, know those social platforms from the back of your hand.

If you’re more of a Social Media Manager like Twitter, Instagram and Warpcast, know how to be a reply guy, answer DMs and communicate messages to the team, understand memes, have an approval process for drafting up official posts all the way to actually sending them out, etc.

If you’re more of a Discord, Telegram or Reddit moderator, be quick to responses, understand how support tickets work for receiving feedback or ensuring users can get the proper assistance, make sure to have a security auditor to ensure that the servers / socials cannot get compromised, know how to post announcements and not spam users with the @everyone tag, etc.

You should familiarize yourself with business platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Suites, Zoom, etc. This is important when communicating with your team. Understand the basic features so you don’t waste extra time on the job. Being educated on design and editing softwares like Figma, Adobe Suite, ProCreate, FCPX, etc. is good to have in your pockets.

Pretty self-explanatory, don’t need to say much more than that.

In the crypto space, you need this. You have to be light on your feet, being able to be flexible and spontaneous if necessary, to wing it, and to do things on the fly if requested.

A lot of times, you might feel under pressure. You need to be able to operate under that pressure in a start-up environment.

You’ll be typing a lot in this role. You’ll need to be good at writing for sure, or at the very least have the basics down and rapidly improve.

Always need to have a positive attitude (and mindset) in this line of work. A lot of things can break or completely flip a 180 when you last expect it to. And because you’re talking to many people, you need to have a smile on your face even if you don’t feel like it at times.

One of the biggest issues that Community Managers fall on is that they don’t know how to set boundaries. So I’m going to teach you how.

In the last couple of years, even getting a high 5-figure salary as a CM position was mind-blowing. Companies back then did not value positions like these as much, as community management was still a newer role in the crypto space.

Now, we’re seeing companies begin to ramp up the salary by two, maybe three fold.

Know your worth. Don’t settle for less. Understand the tasks of what the company wants and if the price is an under-ball, negotiate. 

I can’t help you with the negotiations though, that is something you’ll have to learn on your own.

As mentioned with Azuki, the company that you’re working for needs a strong foundation when handing over tasks to the community department. 

Ideally, you should have another person in the community dept that can help you with things that you cannot get done on your own, or an appointed higher-up that can take certain issues to the executives and ensure that things that are out of your control can be handled.

At the same time, do not overwhelm yourself with more tasks than you are given. In a start-up world, you have to be multifaceted; but that does NOT mean you have to push yourself to do the extra mile every time. You can help with partnerships, you can help with social media management, you can do this and that. But you should not add those to your role if that’s not what you’re being paid for. Communicate to the higher-ups that while you may be able to assist, you will not do their work for them.

Furthermore, if you have community members who truly align with how you execute, don't hesitate to promote them to a moderator position (paid or unpaid) and delegate them tasks as well; they would be honored to help be a part of that journey and understand that you are not a robot, you need rest.

Being on Twitter, Discord, and other platforms 8-12 hours a day non-stop staring at a screen is unhealthy for you.

Learn to set timers and get up every 20-30 minutes, stay hydrated, go on a daily walk and clear your head, and do other activities in between work.

The last thing you want to do is ruin your mental and physical health for the sake of a job. Your eyes need rest, give it to them.

This is one of the harder things to maintain, because we reside in a very emotional ecosystem. But you need to keep your head on straight, trying to stay as unbiased as possible and not allowing people to anger you. 

Breaks really do help with this boundary.

But we also have the next section to help prevent this.

As a CM, you (and community moderators you delegate tasks to) have a ban hammer for a reason. Discord gives you multiple options: timeout, kick, or ban. 

Use a 3 strike rule to warn members and keep track of their behavior. As the person in charge, it is up to you on how you set those rules.

Stick by those rules and try to be as unbiased as you can.

This is pretty obvious. You (as not just a CM, but individually) have a reputation to uphold. Whatever you put on the internet stays on there forever, and can sometimes come back to bite you in the butt.

Treat everyone with respect, and try your best not to lose your temper when things are heating up between you and another party.

This is a major key alert right here. It is none of the community’s business to know about what goes on in your personal life more than what you feel comfortable sharing.

Do not be quick to trust anyone. Keep yourself on guard at all times. Not much more needs to be said on this.

Wow. This was a long article to write, if I’m being honest. Took days. Was about to yeet myself off a cliff. 

I wanted to make sure I covered as much as I could so you could get all the education you need in one place. If you know of anyone who wants to learn more about Community Management and might even be potentially interested in pursuing this role, please share this article with them.

And if you become a Community Manager, just know:

I’M PROUD OF YOU.

But have you ever made a lasting impact that reflects your unique touch?

NOW THAT IS SOMETHING SPECIAL.

Hey, the name's Micah. I'm 25 years old and a Persian-American who was born and raised in the Bay Area (specifically, the home of tech known as Silicon Valley).

Since I was a kid, I have never been academically inclined. Sure, I excelled at homework and projects, but I always came short on tests and that would always dramatically bring my score down.

I possessed skills that remained untapped and unrefined within the confines of conventional academia, and I often felt constrained. The traditional legacy system of education seemed to limit the expansive potential of unique individuals, including myself.

As I approached the end of my university journey, I set a new goal for myself: to achieve financial freedom and break away from the 9-5 world. But the question was - how?

In late 2017, I first came across crypto through the Bitcoin run to almost 20K. Not too long after, a friend of mine from college (shoutout my boy Alex, love you g 💜) introduced me to stocks and crypto through the power of Robinhood and Coinbase.

I remember laying on my bed looking at Bitcoin when it was down to $3K per coin. I wanted to buy so bad, but DAMMIT. I just knew my parents would kill me if I used rent money to buy some intangible + volatile digital currency.

So I didn't buy. But I kept an eye on crypto for the next couple of years, and even saw an article about CryptoPunks in late 2020 (which I clearly didn't click on 🥲).

When early 2021 came about with the GameStop short squeeze, I took my first dive into stocks and became exit liquidity to AMC shares. So then I tried other stocks which barely moved, and then I got tired of those so I tried playing around with calls / puts, eventually taking a loss at all of them.

But it was extremely valuable for me, as I was on constant calls with another one of my close friends from university (love ya Slater 🤍) who was up $50K on Churchill Capital shares and calls before the merger with Lucid Motors. I told him to sell, but he roundtripped -- a common theme in my own future endeavors.

In July of 2021, I was a recent graduate from university and in my first ever 9-5 job (which I absolutely HATED and quit not too long after). I officially ventured into NFTs by following many influencers on Twitter, joining discords, and browsing OpenSea. Not too long after, I bought my first ever jpeg for .2 ETH ($600 at the time 💀), a SupDuck. I still remember purchasing it and thinking "what the hell is wrong with me?"

But man, did it feel satisfying. And once I copped my first jpeg, down the rabbit hole I went.

From there, I met my first ever friend (S/O my boy Mr. Cookies 🍪) who sent me an early invite link to the discord of a new NFT project by the name of Doodles (or the original name, DoodleDAO). I loved the art, the vibes with the couple hundred of people in the discord were fantastic, the team was proactive, and a vision was set that seemed like it had a bright future (spoiler alert: it did).

As someone who is skilled in humanizing others and understanding the power of connecting with folks, I immediately began networking with anyone and everyone. This space was unique in comparison to other industries; there was no explicit social order dictating who could talk to whom. It seemed as if everyone was on an equal footing, irrespective of their age or socioeconomic status; a unity forged by a shared belief in the transformative future of blockchain technology.

Through the power of the Doodles community (and thank you to Jake Frey for taking me in), I landed a job as a Community Manager at Americana, a company that pioneered the RWA (Real World Assets) space by bridging higher end physical collectibles onchain.

And so I continued on through the rest of the supercycle, networking with many wonderful people and making amazing friends, building my own alpha group called the Nobody Server (now deprecated), attending fantastic IRL events, as well as round-tripping hundreds of thousands of dollars and learning many other lessons along the way.

Fast forward to today, and I have been spending the majority of my time on Farcaster. As this space evolves, there is a necessity for people to adapt, and I adapted to what I think will be the future of social & blockchain tech.

So what kept me around? Was it the money? No, it was the community. I felt like I belonged somewhere with people who understood and were passionate about the same things I was; something difficult to find in other parts of my life. I felt at home. 🏠

So has my goal changed over the course of the years? Absolutely. I want to leave a legacy, and for people to remember me for years to come. And it's going to be fun doing it. The financial freedom aspect will come at it's own time (in God's will).

As Straw-Hat Luffy says:

If it's a boring adventure, I don't want to do it.

• I absolutely love LoFi, been an avid listener since 2015. 🎶

• A huge foodie, I eat everything and anything (almost). 😋

• An Otaku of course -- can't you tell? 🍥

• Working out is something I truly love, I used to be a (not professionally) bodybuilder for 6 years but had to stop due to some health issues (don't worry, I'm good). I currently do a lot of walking and running, but I do miss going hiking and swimming. 🏋🥾 🏊

• LOVE TRAVELING. I value memories > materialistic things, so traveling is the best bang for my buck. Gone to many places such as: Japan, Guatemala, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Switzerland, Mexico (incl. Baja California + Catalina Island), Luxembourg, Turkey, Canada (both sides) and other places in the US like Alaska, Hawaii (Oahu and Maui (2x)), New York, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, etc. Still have a big bucket list of places to go, especially tropical ones! 🏝

• Haven't been playing much and I'm pretty damn rusty, but played the piano for well over a decade and deep down I really do love playing it. 🎹

• Got my blackbelt in Taekwondo at age 14. Yes, I know, I was 14. But I was put in the adult class so I was still working my butt off to get that belt. 🥋

• I used to be a speed reader and read hundreds of pages a day as a kid -- my mom literally took me to a class where I would learn to slow down (didn't work LMAO). 📖

• I'm also a fast eater; one time in HS, my friends and I were at In-N-Out, and as I started eating my burger, one of my homies timed me. 💀 Trying to learn how to slow down since.

• Huge fan of Mario games ever since I was a kid (that's all my parents would basically let me play because Pokémon was out of the picture smh). Mario Kart Wii is my favorite, but I love Super Mario Galaxy (and #2), Super Smash Bros. Melee / Brawl, Super Mario Bros (OG one) and the revised ones, and so many more. 🎮

• I have a cat named Marbles that I love dearly. I'm a cat person all the way (sorry dog people). 😹

• I LOVE TAKING RISKS. THE THRILL. But you probably knew this one considering I'm in crypto. But I also do love rollercoasters and am not of great heights. 🎢

• I'm a follower of Christ and not ashamed to say it. God has blessed me since day 1 and I'm always happy to talk about it. ❤