Hey there!

We're back with the 28th edition of Paragraph Picks, highlighting a few hand-selected pieces from the past couple of weeks.

Check them out & let us know which is your favorite!

Why The Community Is Not the Product

@beylin writes a critique of token incentives in communities, arguing that they undermine intrinsic motivation, erode genuine connections, and transform communities into transactional ecosystems.

Extrinsic incentives are the kiss of death for any real community.

The Path

@odellhussey.eth writes about his creative journey, from studying filmmaking to becoming a multidisciplinary artist and photographer, highlights the resilience and adaptability required to navigate personal and professional challenges.

We all have our own path to follow in this life and things rarely go according to plan, being flexible & open is the way.

The Value Accrual of Onchain Public Domain Memes

@mleejr writes about how the transition of Popeye into the public domain has inspired the creation of $SPINACH, a memecoin that leverages Popeye’s cultural legacy to exemplify the power of permissionless creativity and collective storytelling.

Public domain properties provide a fertile foundation for creativity because they are permissionless and free from restrictive ownership.

The Fat Meme Thesis

@naaate explores the idea that memes, as permissive and expansive cultural elements, can serve as valuable foundational ecosystems that encourage growth, creativity, and community building beyond traditional economic models.

While protocols may be fat, memes are even fatter—though they operate by different rule.

Creating Poetry With Aether - An AI Agent on Farcaster

@mkkstacks partners with Aether, an AI Agent on Farcaster, to co-create poems, hinting at the potential for collaborative creativity between humans and AI.

My poems, created with Aether's words, hint at a future where we accomplish things we couldn't do alone.

From PvP to WAGMI, why LP incentives matter

@kompreni writes about the importance of proper LP incentives and, when done well, how they reward market makers for providing liquidity, mitigate dump risk, and foster long-term participation.

LP incentives are a powerful tool to bring in new participants by expanding the liquidity of a token.

That's all we have for this week — what did we miss?

Let us know what you think!