TLDR: I left my full-time job last week so I could dive into the world of NFTs and Web3. Heres’s my story and what this newsletter will be about.
Have you ever had that feeling
Where there was electricity in the air? Everyone in the office is buzzing with excitement for days on end and everything was clicking? Or maybe when you were playing a sport and your team was unstoppable and on a win streak? Or maybe when you were in Vegas at the craps table and the shooter was on fire, helping everyone come up big for the night?
With this description, I can only compare this to one previous experience — my first year on the Growth Marketing team at Uber from 2015-2016. The Uber office had those elements I mentioned above. My coworkers and I regularly stayed late at the office till 9pm or later and enjoyed it. We wore our Uber swag with pride, and all we could talk about was what was going on at the company. At that time, we knew that we were a part of something big…bigger than each individual…bigger than each team…possibly bigger than Uber itself.
Sometimes you gotta feeling, ya know? Not just for tonight…but maybe the next decade or more ;)
2009?! I feel old :(
Several years later, I felt it again, but with NFTs and the broader Web3 space. And the Web3 term for that is:
WAGMI (We Are Gonna Make It)
Now, this is a great term to describe the ‘feeling’, but unfortunately has been adulterated to the point where it’s clear that not all of us are going to ‘make it’. The below video’s intent may be good, but…….I’ll just let you watch the video.
randizuckerberg.eth 🤗 @randizuckerberg
Despite posts like the above, this energy has sucked many into the space. So much is happening, and whether you’re lurking, building, creating content, or even a skeptic, there’s a place for you.
Wait, how’d you get into NFTs?
1. On the personal side, I’ve always been a collector of sorts.
I’ve been collecting keychains of all the places I’ve been since I was 7, and now have over 300 keychains.
Since 2018, I’ve been a sneaker enthusiast, appreciating the lore behind Jordan, Tinker Hatfield, Yeezy, and collabs. At one point, I was falling asleep staring at StockX charts of price movements of the most recent drops. I’ve slowed down considerably, but I still enjoy un-DSing a new pair every now and then. IYKYK.
2. Thanks to my previous job at STEEZY, I was exposed to better understanding the power of community, the creator economy, and how culture is influenced by and influences…well…everything. Having the opportunity to work on a product and platform that focused on providing quality content, supporting creators, and prioritizing community, this experienced primed me to get NFTs quickly.
3. Because of COVID and my exposure to the sneaker ecosystem, I got introduced to the reselling community to eat up the extra time I had on my hands. Whether it was collectibles, PS5’s, or computer parts, I participated in a world where people bought and resold. This isn’t something I typically shared with others nor enjoyed after doing it for a while, but I found it to be an invaluable way to get exposed to new trends.
With these 3 factors, when I was introduced to NBA Topshot in January 2021, it just clicked. I came for the profits, but stayed for the technology and the rapid ascendence and adoption of the brand. I actually held onto almost everything (probably at a loss) and saw the potential for the concept of digital collecting actually making sense when merged with one of the strongest IPs in the world. Additionally, I quickly understood a future where physical experiences could be augmented by digital experiences, and vice versa. And that’s exactly what Dapper is working on! More on that in a future post ;)
Topshot led me down the rabbit-hole of exploring more NFTs in bits and spurts…then I stumbled upon this cat in August 2021, which has turned into my current digital identity, Cool Cat #1038. It’s not my most valuable NFT, nor is it necessarily the coolest despite the name. But this PFP and the Cool Cats helped me to truly understand the potential of the NFT space and that they were here to stay. More on the cats another day, maybe.
The TPan Mascot!
By this point, my interest in this space got more serious. I am someone that can get deeply interested in a topic and then fall out weeks or months later. I wasn’t sure if this was just another TPan fad or something more, but I continued to spend a growing portion of my non-working and non-sleeping hours on Discord and Twitter and often well past my bedtime (ask my fiancé about it lol). The wholesale behavior change was not lost and me and among other reasons compelled me to think more about how I enter full-time into the space. It wasn’t about if anymore, but when. Enough about the boring backstory though :)
Why a newsletter? Why should I subscribe? I already subscribe to 238 other newsletters.
Aw shucks, I don’t blame you. There’s a lot of great content out there.
Here's my thesis about NFT content — There are 3 categories of content from individuals in the space:
Philosophers: These are some smart people. Half the stuff goes over my head because it’s so brilliant. And you should follow them. Example: 6529
OG’s: These people have been around the block. The content produced here is a mixed bag to the average person — sometimes high quality, sometimes confusing and full of memes. You have to be ‘in it’ to really appreciate and understand it. Examples: Farokh and KBM
NFT Projects: IMO, this is the most interesting bucket but also creates the most noise depending on which project(s) you’re consuming from since it’s such a nascent space. Examples: BAYC (good) and Bored Bunny (bad)
And of course there are the standard newsletters and publications that provide a general overview of what is going on in Web3 and NFTs. These are great, but are only the tip of the NFT iceberg. Example: NFT Now and all the mainstream publications
My thesis is not a critique on the existing content in the space, but rather pointing out that there is still opportunity for other types of content to be made.
ALSO, it’s been a personal goal of mine to write more for the past 3 years and I’ve written a total of 2 pieces of content (here’s one of them). So since I intentionally don’t have a full-time job anymore, I’m creating this Substack and…
I’m. Going. To. F*ckin’. Write.
My brain guilt tripping me when it comes to writing.
Alright, somehow I’m still reading. What are you going to write about?
Continuing with my thesis, therein lies the TPan wedge:
Professional experience + personal experience + a dash of humor and swearing + “IDK dude, but here’s what I’m noticing” = this newsletter.
Sure you’ve heard about Bored Ape Yacht Club’s $4B valuation, but have you heard about their most recent merch drop? I’ll write about that and how I believe they created a triple token gate of sorts, redefining what digital and physical exclusivity looks like.
Sure you may have heard of Azuki but have you heard about their NFT LA x April Fool’s airdrop? I’ll write about that and how I believe Azuki has redefined what next level experiential marketing looks like that Fortune 500 companies would pay millions for.
But let’s take a step back and let’s briefly talk about NFTs in general:
“NFTs are a ponzi scheme”
“NFTs are going to change the world”
“NFTs are celebrity cash grabs”
“NFTs are the future of creating and owning”
NFTs are ALL THE ABOVE
(at least to a degree)
Let’s put those notions aside, and agree that regardless of what we believe about NFTs, there are some fascinating things happening in the space from a cultural, community, and growth POV. THAT’S what I want to write about.
No matter what you do for a living or what industry you work in, it would be wise to poke around in this space a little more. When I or someone with my professional background sees a chart like this, we think “Holy shit! What’s going on here?!” and dig in. I want to bring you along and share with you what I’ve dug up :)
Dune is a great tool, check it out here for more charts on Opensea here
I’m not going to pretend like I know everything in this space, and keep in mind these are my thoughts and opinions. However, I want to provide value to you by connecting dots and sparking more ideas and thoughts around NFTs and how you might be able to apply some of these concepts, or just learn something new.
I’m sold. What else are you going to do?
Glad you asked! Honestly, I don’t know and I’m ok with that. This is the first step of several. I’m excited that I did not leave STEEZY (love you guys!) to immediately join another company or project. This is the first time I’ve done this and I’m scared as hell, but my excitement overshadows the fear and uncertainty. Additionally, I’m grateful to be in a situation where I can forgo a steady paycheck for a period of time and explore a space I’m deeply interested in, with full agency and autonomy.
In short — I’m betting on myself.
And this is what betting on myself involves for now:
Writing more through this newsletter (my goal is to create one long and one short piece of content every week), LinkedIn, and Twitter
Meeting a lot more people in the Web3/NFT space, as well as reconnecting with people I know that are also interested in this space
In the future it may involve:
Creating content in other formats
Building a product/company of my own
Joining a company/project in the space
Consulting/advising
Maybe this newsletter will provide enough value to have a paid version
Shit…I don’t know ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So if you’re up for it, subscribe to your 239th newsletter and join me on this crazy ass journey. It’s going to include acronyms, some humor, and some swearing.
And please — Ask questions. Share feedback. Let me know what you’d like to learn about.
WAGMI.
