You can learn a lot from a monkey, and a doge. — Brands have always lived in the space between a product and a customer. What’s really changed in Web3? Two things, actually. And if you’re trying to build the community to support a Web3 project, you need to understand them, so you can put them to work for you. If you’re…

The secret is to separate the equity in your brand from the history of your brand. Here’s how. — The story of customer value at the core of every successful startup is meant to be something that lasts… that survives venture rounds and product pivots, market fads and marketing regimes. Once you find one that works you need to tell it the same way everywhere, and doing so over…

Both for what NFTs are changing, and for how people aren’t. — News just broke about our investment in Napster, as part of a syndicate taking the OG music streaming service private. I’ll share the highlights of that story here, touch on what’s happened in the music industry in the last few years, and describe the opportunity we see as NFTs change…

It’s not clickbait if you deliver… — We invest in companies that have achieved product market fit, shifting focus toward scaling their go to market model and operations. I’ve been through that painful process 10 times as either an active board member or an executive. Here are the 5 most important things I’ve learned, most the hard…

Helping employees grow isn’t just good practice anymore. It’s what it takes to get, keep, and create the best people. — Corporate training sucks. Think of the hours wasted on obligatory “Diversity Training,” mind-numbing “Innovation Workshops,” and cringe-worthy “Team-Building Exercises.” I’ve done them all, often with quiet disdain and outward enthusiasm. Expect you have too. It’s a shame, really. The Great Resignation is powered in part by people who’ve had enough…

5 ingredients and 5 steps to a hot bowl of love. — January is National Soup Month, (no, really,) and it’s no wonder. What do you need after the 4:30 sunset on a cold, rainy Tuesday more than a hot, delicious bowl of soup? That’ll warm your cockles, along with the respective cockles of those you love and/or are required by law…

Things are about to change, and maybe for the better. — The titans of today’s Internet got that way by getting early adopters to do what they wanted. To understand how Web3 startups are winning the race to create tomorrow’s Internet, you need to understand that while their strategy is the same, their tactics include a powerful new tool even the…

Whether you’re trying to figure it out, or explain it to someone else, try this. — Five percent of people — the vocal 5% who dominate Twitter and other social media — are obsessed with “Web3.” Another 5% are sick of hearing about it, leaving around 90% of people with no idea what those nerds are talking about. If you’re in that 90%, and just want…

Knock with your feet. — Most people want to be more powerful, in business and in life. We’re squeamish about saying it, but given the choice between some control over events and none, most would choose control. That’s the essence of power, really, and nothing to be ashamed of. The taboo of power keeps us…