Welcome to the first episode of Lightspeed! Armani Ferrante joins Garrett and Mert to discuss what crypto wallets get wrong. Armani is a product genius and the founder behind Anchor, Backpack, xNFTs and Mad Lads. In this episode, we cover the innovations behind Backpack and xNFTs, why demand generation is everything, if projects should go multichain, how to build a community, why Armani decided to build on Solana, why most apps will launch their own chain and more!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:48) Wallets: The Gateway to Crypto

(04:01) Backpack: The Wallet’s iPhone Moment

(10:25) A Focus on Product vs Distribution

(16:19) Should Projects Go Multichain? 

(18:52) How Backpack Thinks About Distribution 

(21:52) Permissionless Ad

(23:09) xNFTs vs Native Apps

(25:00) Why Choose Solana?

(35:38) Metaplex and Why Neutral Standards Matter

(39:05) Why Armani Loves the Cosmos Vision

(48:47) Work-Life Balance & In-Person vs Remote

(55:46) Leadership Lessons from Building Backpack

(59:44) Rapid Fire Segment

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Follow Armani: https://twitter.com/armaniferrante

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Use code LIGHTSPEED30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023

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Resources

Backpack

https://twitter.com/xNFT_Backpack

Mad Lads

https://www.madlads.com/

https://twitter.com/MadLadsNFT

Anchor

https://www.anchor-lang.com/

https://twitter.com/anchorlang

Coral

https://www.coral.community/

https://twitter.com/0xCoral

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.