When I first joined Farcaster, I vividly remember feeling like I was breaking in and entering. I have no background in crypto and limited comfortability with social applications. My expertise lies in public health, with a passion for health tech. So how did I end up organizing FCNY, the largest IRL Farcaster community?
Shortly before joining Farcaster, I attended NFTNYC alone. I had no X account, no social media presence and zero connections in the crypto world. I braved the blistering heat simply because I wanted to see what was happening in the digital art world. I took some pictures with some famous artists because other people did, talked with some folks at Rug Radio, and left with some tote bags to use later for groceries.
The first day I joined Farcaster, I chose the username @serendipity, my favorite word and just dove right in and started casting. It was an experiment for me, having never truly been active on social media as myself before. A day in, I didn’t understand what was happening and it felt, and still does feel, like a more social version of crypto LinkedIn, which didn’t capture my interest.
What made me stay? I attended a Farcaster meetup in NYC.
My very first Farcaster meetup, I serendipitously found myself surrounded by early users who shared with me the Farcaster origin story. They talked to me about how everybody on Farcaster was a builder, founder, a group of chronic overachievers and hustlers like me. I liked the energy of the people I met that day and I decided to stay on Farcaster.
When I was 18-year-old, I almost died from cancer. Having a medical death sentence might have come out of the blue for most people but not for me. I knew something was wrong. I was a chronic go-getter and from a very young age, had a solid long-term plan, vision, and mission to revolutionize the world. By the time I was in high school, I was used to breaking barriers; creating a newspaper, organizing a cross country conference for an embassy, etc.
Being a serious person trying to change the world can be lonely, and I was nerd swiped when I heard I’d be joining a community of like-minded, driven individuals. From that point onwards, even if I didn’t cast every day, I went to nearly every meetup in NYC. I thrived on the energy of meetups, learning about people’s projects, and connecting with others who shared my mindset. 20 or so people, meeting in a random bar, no reservations just good old fashioned disorganized fun.
There was a running joke about the male-to-female ratio in tech, seeing that I’d often be the only woman in attendance. I naturally took on hostess roles at meetups doing little things like getting people to rally for dinner, so we wouldn’t leave hungry at 11 PM when the bar closes. I noticed more often the improvements that could be made to elevate the meetups in terms of inclusivity, diversity, and security. Friends began asking me to host my own meetups, but I always declined because I was too busy. My career remains in public health, where I consult on projects, am developing an AI-powered health navigation app, and evaluate multimillion-dollar loan proposals.
What changed? A Farcaster friend came to visit NYC.
When I first met this friend while they were visiting NYC, we visited a museum together. This time around, I knew more people in the community and asked if they’d be interested in attending a meetup. In three days, I organized community partners, giveaway donations from the community, a venue that would accept crypto tips, and created a check in variable NFT through Icebreaker to build your own FCNY archway. FCNY#1 was born.
I chose a venue for 30 people, expecting half the invitees wouldn’t attend. Out of 300 applications, I approved 67 and we had 100% attendance. This was a 168% increase from average Farcaster meetups. By night’s end, around 80 people had squeezed into the tiny room. Among the attendees, 34% of attendees were founders, 51% were builders.
That night, I realized I wasn’t the only one who felt the need for organized community meetups focused on genuine connections rather than corporate affiliations. I see FCNY as a public good, not as a full-time job. FCNY#1 was the start of what I like to call community in the front, networking in the back. Just simply human beings who met on Farcaster meeting each other in NYC.
You might be wondering what my end game is, the strategy I’m following, etc. but the truth is, I am simply helping a community of friends I have met on Farcaster.
For FCNY#2, funding was a serious challenge. With no crypto industry connections beyond the Farcaster friends I made in NYC, I needed to cover costs without charging attendees exorbitant fees just to attend, without even covering drinks. The average cost for a venue that can accommodate a group of about 100 people and fits our needs in NYC is about $11,000 and that’s with negotiations and not including food and beverage minimums and other fees. After pitching to over 25 venues and 15+ potential sponsors, I secured a location and enough funding.
FCNY#2 was another success, 97 attendees out of 100 approved from 500 applicants, a 44.78% increase in participation. We highlighted Farcaster artists, rented out a bowling alley at a famous celebrity’s sports bar, organized community donations for giveaways, and had IRL frame activations built by attendees. Real people using and building the ecosystem. My personal accomplishment was having a large uptick in female attendance and participation and ,most significantly, attendance from attendees' wives and long term partners, etc. who enjoyed the evening and joined the platform afterwards.
Despite the success, the current ecosystem can’t sustain funding for large-scale community meetups. I refuse to compromise the community’s integrity to make this happen or to charge exorbitant amounts to the community. Instead, until the ecosystem can support it again, I will focus on casual meetups and smaller, more intimate events like Onchain Summer Solstice bbq for art enthusiasts, /wellness meetups with cold plunge challenges and /tabletop nights. And I hope with time as more people join FCNY, they’ll want to co-host other interest (channel) based meetups.
Smaller events allow for quality experiences – like wagyu burgers and five artisan cheeses for BBQ, venues like a member only tabletop club, etc. I now have connection with various venues, boat lines, restaurants, attractions, buildings, ready to support whatever the community desires.
Though the meetups may be smaller for the time being, this was, in my opinion, only inevitable as the community continues to grow. Quality remains high and it’s about what we as a community want to do while creating memorable experiences together, and I’m here to make it happen.
And get ready, because FCNY#3 is coming—catch you at the next wellness meetup!
