The Creator Driven Community

it's me

Welcome to Issue #11

This week didn't turn out to be a good one for long form writing.

But that doesn’t mean I quit working!

We’ll pick up with The “(Token) Game Theory” series again soon. I promise. But this week, the Alpha is the best I can do.

And let me say ‘**Welcome!**’ to the one new reader who slipped in under the wire when they subscribed last night (and from Yale.edu to boot!).


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Do you know a **creator** who wants to learn more about **Web3**? If so, please **share this newsletter** with them.


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## Welcome to the Alpha!

This is where I gather up all the things that were on my radar during the past week. If I feel they’re worth passing on, they end up here with a few thoughts of my own.

Usually, you have to follow a link at the bottom of the newsletter to get to this content. But some weeks, it’s the main event.

## From The Map is Mostly Water

[Start With Creation](https://simonsarris.substack.com/p/start-with-creation)

Simon Sarris shares some thoughts to consider…

**On waiting for permission**

…it is an error to wait around for inspiration, or to demand some feeling of readiness for an undertaking, or for a teacher or some other golden opportunity… stop waiting for others—for either their permission or instruction—and instead begin on your own, fumbling through, regardless of how ready you are

**On courting failure**

…there is value in pushing *learning* and *doing* as close together as possible… Failure is something you want to tempt... A meaningful first project should have sufficient difficulty that there is some real chance of failure… A chance of failure ensures your hands are firmly touching reality, and not endlessly flipping through the textbook, or forever flirting only with ideas.

**On building in public**

…if you are creating while learning in public, you may find others who come along and help you… People are *much* more willing to take an interest and help you along if you have already put in work yourself to show for it. It is annoying to humor someone dancing around the edges of creation, because most people never take any real steps, or worse, simply want you to do the work for them. On the other hand it is inspiring to help someone who has begun… Enthusiasm is contagious.

## [Dune Analytics: A Guide for Complete Beginners](https://mirror.xyz/phillan.eth/17VAXsMPpwJg4OQNBHKTYAQTWfJMwFuXZQDAxPStf0o) by [0xPhillan](https://mirror.xyz/phillan.eth)

In [last week’s newsletter](https://paragraph.xyz/@CreatorDriven/token-game-theory-part-1-launch) I mentioned [Dune Analytics](https://dune.com/). Here’s a guide if you want to learn more about the site and how to build your own dashboard.

## [Async](https://async.art/) Now Open to Everyone

* Full featured - No code NFT launch platform.
* Previously open only by invitation
* Create generative art pieces from individual elements
* Rarity controls
* Async takes 10% on the primary sale, 1% of all secondary sales (through their market)
* Creator royalties are automatically set at 10%

## MailChimp(Intuit) De-platforms Crypto/Web3 Writers

from [Decrypt](https://decrypt.co/107099/intuit-owned-mailchimp-is-banning-crypto-content-creators)

Many notable and popular crypto and Web3 newsletters got caught up in the sweep.

* Messari - Crypto analytics
* Edge - Wallet provider
* Decrypt - Crypto newsletter

It didn't stop at censorship. They completely locked the writers out of their accounts.

> Not only was there zero warning, we can't even access our subscriber lists.

Wow. I’m glad I chose a censorship resistant platform like [Paragraph](https://paragraph.xyz/@CreatorDriven/writing-with-paragraphxyz).

## Bored Apes are Going Vertical?

MagicEden, a popular NFT marketplace that came up inside the Solana block-chain, has proposed the building of an ApeCoinDAO Marketplace. Trades made inside the marketplace would be charged 0.75%. This is much lower than the 2-2.5% fees charged on OpenSea and LooksRare.

This is an incredible effort to under-cut MagicEden’s biggest competitors, not by simply offering a cheaper rate, but by also creating a more immersive experience for ApeCoinDAO members.

Look for this type of vertical integration to become a standard for larger projects in the near future It’ll be a white label product for everyone else not long after that.


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## Getting Meta

Subscriber Count: **69**

Total Alpha Claims: **20**


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## Was this newsletter shared with you?

If so, you can [Subscribe here.](https://paragraph.xyz/@CreatorDriven/embed)

Alpha - Week Ending Aug 14, 2022

## Welcome to the Alpha!

This is where I gather up all the things that were on my radar during the past week. If I feel they’re worth passing on, they end up here with a few thoughts of my own.

## Frictionless NFT Credit Card Sales - [Paper.xyz](https://paper.xyz)

I attended a demo that was co-hosted by ThirdWeb and they were able to build a very basic NFT project, launch it and make it payable by credit card in about 20mins. This is a big unlock for creators.

* Customer can bring their own wallet or a wallet is created for them as a part of checkout
* Wallet seed phrase is securely held by [Magic.link](https://magic.link/connect) until the owner decides to claim it
* Paper provides an NFT friendly interface for users who don’t have their own wallet
* Can pay with credit card or crypto
* Paper takes 1% fee on top of credit card processing cost - No charge for Crypto payments (except gas, which goes to the network, not Paper)
* Users can pay with CC or ETH and you’ll be paid in whatever currency your contract requires.

## Dashboard for Your On-Chain Community - [Atomize.xyz](https://Atomize.xyz)

* On chain alternative to “link in Bio” solutions except for projects
* Requires an ENS Domain
* Add the official links and contract addresses to your projects profile and mint it onto the chain
* Atomize creates a visual dashboard that tracks the on-chain activities of your project
* Share your Atomize link “app.atomize.xyz/myname.eth” and followers can have faith that the info in the profile is verifiably linked to the project.
* Can only be changed if but the

## [A thread by Greg Isenberg](https://twitter.com/gregisenberg/status/1553742250848419840?s=20&t=IuZ3pbwm3TWzodMfuw9ZKQ) on Community Designers

* What is a Community Designer (CD)?
* Why does my company need a Community Designer?
* What is the difference between a Community Manager and a Community Designer?
* What does success look like for a Community Designer?
* What is community/market fit?
* The new 2022 marketing playbook

## [Sufficient Decentralization: A Playbook \n for web3 Builders and Lawyers](https://variant.fund/articles/sufficient-decentralization/)

By [Marc Boiron](https://twitter.com/boironattorney), Chief Legal Officer at dYdX Trading

24 pages focused on what DAO’s (and other large organizations) that are issuing tokens can do to prevent being labeled an unregistered security. The short answer is “avoid centralization.”

But if you’re a creator, centralization is impossible to avoid. What’s a creator with a coin or NFTs to do?

Regulators will apply the “Howey Test” to your tokens (remember, “It’s all Tokens”). And they’ll want to know if you can answer “No” to any of the following questions?

* Does your token involve an investment of money?
* Will many people buy it?
* Does it create an expectation of profit?
* Is the value of the token something that the buyers do not control?

The best hope you have, as a small creator, to avoid failing this test, lies in the answer to the third question.

Make your tokens about utility, not speculation.

This was NOT LEGAL ADVICE.

# New On The Radar

## [Cookie3](https://cookie3.co/)

**Google Analytics for Web3**

Web3+Cookies = Cookie3… Get it?

Alright, it’s not that clever, but their products are.

* AI powered engagement analytics = smarter allowlist selection and air drop qualifications
* Individual wallet analytics = major unlock for marketers to target specific customer profiles without necessarily violating privacy = the return of targeted ads
* Wallet based personalization

## [Socios](https://www.socios.com/usa/)

**Block-chain based fan loyalty, engagement, and rewards management platform**

Already forging major partnerships with teams and leagues in:

* MLSoccer
* Multiple International Futbol Clubs
* E-sports
* Mixed Martial Arts
* Motorsports
* the NBA
* the NFL
* the NHL

You and I are probably too small to even be considered as a client by Socios. BUT… There’s no reason we can’t learn from their play book.

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Alpha - Week Ending August 6, 2022

## Welcome to the Alpha!

This is where I gather up all the things that were on my radar during the past week. If I feel they’re worth passing on, they end up here with a few thoughts of my own.

## **Programmable Cashflows** - [Superfluid](https://www.superfluid.finance/home)

* Send tokens from one wallet to another via a continuous flow over time
* Create an “Agreement” for payment and the money will stream from one account to another each fraction of time you designate. Send 1 ETH over the course of the year… One second/minute/day at a time and it’s all handled by a single transaction. Save’s a TON of gas for subscription payments.
* Also works for reward distributions. Can send regular rewards to multiple accounts with a single transaction
* Balances update in real time without transactions
* Terminate a stream at any time
* Or whenever the balance of the payor account goes to zero
* Have to send ERC-20 payment tokens into a smart contract to be wrapped for use
* Will run on any EVM (Ethereum based) blockchain - Still in Alpha release

Surfaced by LocalTourist

## Web3 YouTube comes to Lens? - [Lenstube](https://lenstube.xyz/)

* Lens App optimized for video
* Shorter videos stored on IPFS
* Longer videos stored on Livepeer
* Free to post
* I’ll be definitely be taking a closer look
* Not the first Web3 enabled video sharing site… but it’s the first to be connected to a social network.

Surfaced by LocalTourist

## **Building a Better Internet** featuring **Li Jin** on [Tokens, But How](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tokens-but-how/id1612691876?i=1000571467080)

I’m pretty sure Li Jin coined the phrase “Passion Economy”. Li was a partner at the VC firm Andreesson Horowitz, and is now the founder of her own firm [Atelier Ventures](https://www.atelierventures.co/team). In both roles she was/is focused on investing in Web3 and other Crypto projects. She’s putting her money behind startups that she thinks stand a great chance to support creators in Web3. So I try to pay attention to anything she puts out.

I recommend listening to the entire episode. But I wasn’t compelled to jot down some time stamps until I was about half way through. The times are rough… My dog and I were out getting some exercise.

* 38min - They begin a discussion about Web3 business models
* 45min - We won’t be able to rely solely on tokens. Most creators will need to layer new, Web3 business models on top of traditional ones.
* 48min - The challenge of owning your audience data outside of the context of where it was acquired.
* 57min - Li’s recommended reads.

## Minecraft Bans NFTs - [Minecraft.net](https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/article/minecraft-and-nfts)

* Minecraft is bound to reverse this decision… eventually.
* Any least one Minecraft-X-NFT project, [NFT Worlds](https://www.theblock.co/post/159002/nft-worlds-to-have-plan-of-action-by-end-of-week-following-minecraft-nft-ban), was effected by this decision
* NFTs can protect you from platform risk, but not if you build them on someone else’s owned platform.

## Web3 Chat with [WalletConnect](https://medium.com/walletconnect/say-hello-to-chat-a-first-look-at-our-new-api-f706ebf63a28)

WalletConnect is a tool that helps you connect any of the growing number of crypto wallet manager apps to a Web3 enabled site. Now they’re bring wallet to wallet chat functionality.

* Messages can be exchanged between any two wallets on any chain or device.
* Chat is an Opt-in feature
* All Messages are encrypted
* You can send money and messages together
* Does not use your actual wallet keys

Wallet messaging is one of the major unlocks to making Wallets the future of identity on the web. WalletConnect scored a big win with this.

## Mirror launches a paid subscription feature - [Mirror.xyz](https://dev.mirror.xyz/Jn62zF5n62BfowdaFgm3uIx3Fgp2vIR7b-HTSxKVXqk)

If you read [last week’s issue](https://paragraph.xyz/@CreatorDriven/writing-with-paragraphxyz) you know that Mirror is one of the few Web3 based blogging platforms. This feature moves them into the newsletter space. I’ve subscribed to their blog, so I’ll let you know how it works as soon as they make another post.

Alpha - Week Ending July 23, 2022

## NFT rental contract standard reaches final phase of approval process.

[EIP-4907](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4907) - is a backwards compatible token standard that allows owners of ERC-721 to rent their NFTs. The concept involves sending the NFT into a smart contract that assigns you as the “owner” and the renter as the “user.”

If you’re using NFTs to gate access or content you’ll probably have to update the logic in the wallet connection. If you want to allow your NFTs to be used by renters, then you’ll grant access to the “user” wallet. If you don’t want to allow it, you’ll grant access to the “user” wallet address only when it is the same as the “owner” address.

You’ll also need a clarify your fair use policies on the user agreement for your NFTs.

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Alpha - Week Ending July 9, 2022

## Welcome to the Alpha!

This is where I gather up all the things that were on my radar during the past week. If I feel they’re worth passing on, they end up here with a few thoughts of my own.

## The TILT Releases its [2022 Creator Economy Benchmark](https://www.thetilt.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/6.17.2022-TheTilt-R3-2022.pdf) Report

If you want to get meta about the creator economy, this is the report for you.

The Web3 takeaway… If you’re reading this, you’re already way ahead of your competition.

* A mere 2% of creators are using Social Tokens
* 1% are using NFTs.
* 29% of creators understand what the term Web3 means.
* Less than half of them have heard the term but couldn’t explain it to someone else.

## Game-ify Your Community - [In Before The Lock](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-before-the-lock/id1509551373?i=1000475785453) Podcast

It’s not too hard to start thinking about how to apply Web3 technology to the concepts discussed in this podcast.

* Ranking structures - @18mins
  * Since rankings change on a regular basis, a permanent, on-chain NFT may not seem like a good way to track them. But if you reset them on a monthly or seasonal basis, a non-transferable NFT would be a great way to commemorate a member’s achievement in reaching the top. It would also serve as an on-chain signal of reputation as the user enters other groups.


* Badges - @33mins
  * Most community platforms offer badging systems, but they don’t persist outside of that platform. If your platform provider already supports them, consider awarding your badges as NFTs. If not, consider awarding an NFT twin to lower your platform risk. If you ever have to move to a new provider, each user’s achievements will be easy to verify in the new system.
  * If a badge denotes a certain level of accomplishment or mastery, an NFT twin will also act as on-chain credentials
  * If you offer products and services, you can use the NFT’s as part of a custom wallet-connected experience.
* Rewards - @43mins
  * If you use NFTs as a part of your community reward system, they should definitely be transferrable. Leaning in to this Web3 feature gives your user complete control. They can use it, trade it or sell.

## David Spinks on What’s Working Today in Online Community Building

[7 Figure Small](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/7-figure-small/id1017418913?i=1000566839828) **Podcast**

* Jerod and David jump right in to the pro’s and cons of using Web3 to build a community at the 3:30 mark.
* At the 11:40 mark they got into a discussion about bringing advertising into your community and the trust that is required to do that. I think the potential for using tokens and on-chain governance opens the door to allowing your community to both participate in and benefit from this process.
* @ 26:00min they begin a discussion about building diversity into your community up front to ensure that its an inclusive space.

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Alpha - Week Ending July 2, 2022

## Welcome to the Alpha!

This is where I gather up all the things that were on my radar during the past week. If I feel they’re worth passing on, they end up here with a few thoughts of my own.

## **Community Dashboard**

[Terminal by Forefront](https://www.terminal.co)

* A great example of the type of data that becomes accessible with open blockchains and smart contracts
* Beta launched this week with a limited number of large communities.
* Combines On-chain and Off-chain data - Off-chain info appears to be limited to Twitter stats
* Get the latest info on membership, treasury, floor price, governance and at least a dozen other project stats at-a-glance.
* [Calculate a project’s “Gini Score”](https://www.terminal.co/gini-playground) - a rating that shows the concentration of ownership of a given project.
* The interface is static - you can’t adjust the scale of any of the charts - but it’s an excellent start

## **No Code Airdrop Generator**

[Airdrpr](https://www.airdropr.com/)

* Beta is live
* Claims to be a “Web3 Marketing Stack”
* Use conditional logic to determine who qualifies
* Collect addresses of those who claim
* Analyze the progress of the drop
* Works with ERC-20, 721, 1155
* Thanks to Priyanka(OnlyADecadeLate) from the [fweb3 community](https://discord.gg/Bzdte9nGTZ) for sharing this project

## **The Real Changes Blockchains Bring** 

[After Crypto](https://www.fwb.help/wip/after-crypto-yancey-strickler-metalabel)

By Yancey Strickler, former CEO of Kickstarter, Web3 Convert, Founder of [Metalabel](https://www.metalabel.xyz/)

* The decline of platform lock-in

“Web3 data, for the most part, is platform-agnostic. Most actions taken on Web3-native tools result in some token or recognition appearing in your digital wallet — a secure folder that’s permanently yours and interoperable with other sites and platforms.”

* Distribution of ownership and influence outside an organization

“The value of most Web2 platforms comes from content created by people… Despite that fact, short of purchasing a company’s public stock, creators are almost never the owners of the platforms they use.”

“platforms and networks built on the rails of blockchains are able to distribute tokens of ownership to anyone they wish, whether they’re a founder, a full-time employee, or a valuable community member.”

* Permanent agnostic archiving

“Because a blockchain is a giant public ledger, it allows for agnostic permanent storage and provenance that will become even more important the older and bigger the Internet gets.”

## **What do NFTs have to do with books** (and other creative work)**?**

[NFTs for Books: How This Emerging Tech Can Reward Authors & Readers](https://bookriot.com/nfts-for-books/)

By Emily Wenstrom for [BookRiot.com](https://bookriot.com/)

* If you have a basic understanding of Web3, you can probably skip to the “**What do NFTs have to do with books?”** subheading.
* NFTs and Blockchains will make it easier to protect copyrights
* Smart Contracts will make collaborations and contractual obligations instant, transparent and trustless
* Royalties will create a resale revenue stream (this feature has a long way to go before it is reliable)
* “**Beyond Books: Fandom Bonuses**” - This section could apply to all creators…
  * First and special editions - Can you offer a special edition of your work? Early Access? It doesn't have be free, just limited to your most committed fans.
  * Signed copies - Is there a way to personalize a piece of your existing work to make it special for members of your community?
  * Swag and Bonuses (Multimedia) - This could be simple and free, like stickers. Or it could be a limited experience at a premium price.

The author goes on to discuss the hidden costs of NFTs, but this is always a perilous argument. When people talk about the costs of minting an NFT they’re referencing old data and don’t understand what assumptions have been made. Newer blockchain designs make NFTs cheaper for the environment, the author, and the customer. They also NEVER compare blockchain costs to those of using the existing publishing and distribution system. What is the environmental cost of shipping single books from warehouses to customers all over the world?

* Thanks to Todd3CR from the [$RISE Community](https://discord.gg/vYsT76p8bt) for sharing this piece.

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Alpha - Week Ending June 24, 2022

## Welcome to the Alpha!

This is where I gather up all the things that were on my radar during the past week. If I feel they’re worth passing on, they end up here with a few thoughts of my own.

## Read

**The Most Obvious Content Strategy That No One Uses:** [Curriculum Development](https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/curriculum-development/)

* Excellent article on developing a broader content strategy for those of us who publish a lot of “How To” content.
* Surfaced by: Anne Handley

**David Spinks Twitter thread** on [Building Great Communities](https://twitter.com/DavidSpinks/status/1359571013093101570)

* Thanks to LocalTourist for sharing this.

## Listen

Tokens, But How? [Betting on Consumer Tech’s Tokenized Future ft. Gaby Goldberg](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tokens-but-how/id1612691876?i=1000560636895)

* A discussion about how community ownership through tokenizationd can keep the incentives of the product and its users aligned.
* Gaby also has a [Web3 Reading List](https://gabygoldberg.notion.site/f7050e62461143d49345e7b46eb5576b?v=c02511c4230c44ce9a1a03c9757da524)

## Do

Go to the [Rinkeby Faucet](https://rinkebyfaucet.com/) and get some testnet ETH. Once my “ThumbsUpOnly” project goes live, you’ll be able to get some experience interacting directly with an NFT contract with fake ETH.

## Creator Tools

**Nifty Genrator** - <https://www.niftygenerator.xyz>

* Tool for generating Random NFT Image collections
* Limited to 999 files unless you own a Mycoverse NFT
* A preview of the NFT collection I’m building as part of NFT14 on testnet…

   ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/227d7219712f3cced8e0962a801341da)

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Alpha - Week Ending June 10, 2022

## Welcome to the Alpha!

This is where I gather up all the things that were on my radar during the past week. If I feel they’re worth passing on, they end up here with a few thoughts of my own.

Next week’s Alpha goes live tomorrow. And I update it as the week goes on. Check back as often as you like.

## Read

[Web3 Design Principles. A framework of UX rules for Blockchain… | by beltran](https://medium.com/@lyricalpolymath/web3-design-principles-f21db2f240c1#b386)

* From 2018 - 4 years later and we’re still waiting for better UX

**Song Camp** - [Camp Chaos](https://songcamp.mirror.xyz/HS0L3BHU4dNGGxuH_AUo7I3UJA5FpycGXL8fc05nmeQ)

* Innovative Music creator project
* Definitely deserves a spotlight/analysis

## Do

Alchemy - Road to Web3

* 10 week blockchain learning journey
* <https://alchemyapi.typeform.com/web3-pioneers>

## Creator Tools

**Tellie** - <https://join.tell.ie/>

* “Tellie gives independent creators the tools to express yourselves, build relationships, and make a living from your creativity.”
* Invite only
* Token gated websites
* Great overview of what it takes to [launch an NFT project](https://join.tell.ie/blog/how-to-easily-make-sell-nfts)

## Resources

**Filebase** - <https://filebase.com/>

* Can be used to store data on IPFS and other distributed storage systems
* Free tier available

**Remix** - <http://remix.ethereum.org/>

* Tool to write, compile and deploy Smart Contracts
* Free from Ethereum Foundation

**Open Zeppelin** - [Contracts Wizard](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/4.x/wizard)

* Very cool interactive ERC contract generator from OpenZeppelin
* Use it to build basic standard contracts - then edit in Remix

**Rinkeby Testnet** - [Faucet](https://rinkebyfaucet.com/)

* Distributes fake ETH to pay for gas when testing smart contracts on Ethereum’s Rinkeby test network
* Max 0.1 ETH per day

**Alchemy** - <https://www.alchemy.com/>

* Blockchain development platform
* Currently offering Road to Web3 10 week blockchain learning journey
* Create a free account and use it to get 0.5 Renkeby ETH every 24 hrs

**Total Annarchy** - [Issue 99](https://archive.aweber.com/newsletter/totalannarchy/MTE5NTQ1NTI=/ta-99-how-i-grew-this-newsletter-what-worked-what-didn-t-weird-metrics-i-use.htm)

* How Ann Handley grew her newsletter to 42,000+ in 99 Issues
* A great back issue that resurfaced in the RISE discord this week.

**Gaby’s Web3** [Job Board](https://web-3.pallet.com/jobs)

* You may not be looking for a job, but job Boards are a great way to discover new projects.

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