- Beast Journal
- Posts
- Weekly Beast #2
Weekly Beast #2
Discovering Real NFT Utility, Revolutionizing Education with AI, and a16z Crypto Startup School Returns
Gm friends,
Happy Thursday and welcome back to my newsletter.
We have a lot of exciting things to explore this week, so let's get to it.
(1) How Frank DeGods found the real utility people care about
Frank DeGods for nft now
People are more excited about the story of the garage than the lore. They want to see the behind-the-scenes - a bunch of people making a company in this weird world of Web3. Figuring it out along the way and being a part of that story is way more exciting than something like the Wizards of Cabrovia, you know what I mean.
The founder of DeGods, Frank, shared his incredible journey on how, through trial and error, he finally found the utility that people want.
DeGods was launched in 2021 as a builder project. However, the team struggled to find a utility that people would care about. They launched a marketplace, but no one used it. Then, they introduced a blogging tool for creators, and again, no one used it. Then, they launched a Reddit-style forum for Web3, but still, no one cared. In between these launches, they did community bonding activities to buy themselves some time.
In December 2021, when things were really capitulating, the team realized they had been approaching it all wrong. They had spent months building tools to create utility, but the real utility—the thing that people were intrinsically excited about—was being a part of this wild journey of building a business from a garage and making friendships along the way.
The culture and community are actually the intangible things that people are seeking in NFTs. The bigger the internet gets, the more you need to have a die-hard group of people who are excited about whatever you're doing. Without that, everything becomes a commodity. Their approach is now to build an excellent membership club. Time will tell, but it seems like the pivot has worked well, and they are balling.
(2) AI will revolutionize education through personal tutors
Sal Khan for Ted
AI will revolutionize the educational system in the biggest way we have ever seen. This will be done through personal AI tutors and teaching assistants—where one of them, called Khanmigo, is about to hit the market.
Education is the key to unlocking the world's potential. Sal Khan shares a study from 1984, which suggests that 1:1 tutoring leads to a massive improvement, turning an average student into an exceptional one. But how can we scale it and give a personal tutor to every student? Through personal AI tutors.
The product demo is worth watching, and Khan's excitement for the future is contagious. If done well, artificial intelligence has the potential to enhance human intelligence, and it's fascinating to witness all the progress.
Back in 2021, while I was in Southeast Asia, I stumbled upon the a16z Crypto Startup School. I had prior experience trading crypto, but this was the first time I truly immersed myself in the technology behind it. Concepts like network effects, community ownership, smart contracts, and blockchain layers fascinated me—it was at that point I had my "aha" moment, realizing, "Wow, this is the future." I watched all the presentations and shortly after, I started my NFT Instagram.
Years have passed, and a16z is back with the new program. The goal for this year is to assist Web3 builders in starting projects. The first 5 videos are out as a teaser, with more coming later this month. These guys often see things from a bigger perspective, which may greatly assist you in starting a new business in this industry.
That’s all for this week.
Much love.
Beast
Reply