When I was younger I remember my parents buying our first computer. It was a Compaq Pressario 5500. What a beauty. I learned how to take it apart, upgrade it, go Online, and surf the web, ofc.
What I don’t remember. The endless possibilities computers, the internet, or being Online, were promised to provide me.
I do remember, my time Online was limited due to the potential of “wasting” time on things “not valuable”. In other words, online was not presented to me as a tool of great opportunity, instead, a tool of great distraction. Not much different than the phone today, or the Vision Pro tomorrow.
When I got online, I did the thing, Napster, WINAMP, AOL chat rooms, flirt with girls. In truth, it’s sad to think how much time I squandered not exploring the depth of online knowledge. The other side, the internet was not primed with the wealth of information in existence today. Which grew with the rise of social media and blogs. Don’t believe those social media doomers.
After sometime, the Online became dull, I played Counterstrike at some point, but it required I go to my friend’s house to play.
I can’t recall a moment in my adolescent, young adult life, or even late 20s, where Online was sold to me as boundless knowledge and access, to grow oneself independent of institutions, “democratizing” the worlds education in such way Denzel Washington is the Equalizer. I was already ingrained with being Online was not what you do for a meaningful life.
From middle school on, computers, and online was nothing more than a product I used upto ~20% its utility, at most.
So, I took a walk. Alone. To explore things unknown. Moving Online. At great risk.
To use Online at >20%.
Today, I stand before many, in my mid 30s (yes, I took some years off), "reformed", and "baptized" from the holiness that is Online.
I did not just “go online”, I imbedded myself into communities inside this “online”. First it was an NFT community online, then it was a Twitter community online, now it’s a Farcaster community online.
I dropped out in search of something greater. The greener pastures that is, Online, and it did not disappoint. I can preach of my Online reformations. That’s not the point of this.
The point, more questions than answers.
Why was I only using Online at ~20% its utility?
What was my understanding, causing such misalignment in value between being online vs not?
If Onchain is the next Online, and if the majority of users utilize Onchain at 20% its value, and if those users never learn the value Onchain provides, what is the “reformation” process, “the walk”, they must travel to be become believers of this Onchain promise?
Which products bring people Onchain, without them knowing the promise Onchain provides?
A whole lot of what ifs and I honestly think this time it’s the same. But different.
Same as in, the middle of the road population, adopting Onchain will live oblivious to its value. As I did with Online.
Different as in, the middle of the road population, does not need to adopt new “get online” behavior, they need to do more “be online” behavior.
It’s harder to go from 0 to 1, than it is to go from 1 to 2. If you drive manual, you know this to be very true.
In other words, what is the new thing that being Online is layered with, providing Onchain value? Warpcast is a good modern day example of what this strategy may look like.
Where are the Napster, WINAMP, AOL Chat rooms, flirting with girls, $degen, blogs, social media, and so much more?
This is why it’s still so early. Based on these 2 things.
There are not enough products and/or organizations building innovative solutions in the market utilizing Onchain values.
There are not enough humans spending >50% of their time Online and/or 10% use products layered on Onchain tech.
I believe these to be true for the simple reason that I am a mid Online adopter, at least was. I am definitely an edge Onchain adopter. As many of you reading this are likely an edge too. So I am mapping my behavior as a mid as a universal truth of other mids adopting technology in the same way I would have as a mid.
The reason I don’t use any dates, the only thing that matters, where are those middle schoolers, where are they on their tech adoption journey, and what is the thing that they will want to do that brings value to their life?
The answer(s): Creator payments and status signaling on new interactive paradigms, leveraging AI, micro payments, and neck snapping cultural movements deeper into global society atop of new social prematives. It starts with art, moves into writing, and takes off with commerce in every industry.
More to come.
