“The technology isn’t the challenge, it’s the imagination that we need to inspire in order to think about why we are actually doing this, what’s the purpose and who [we’re doing it for]” - Patrick Workman
There are builders in the world, and then there is Patrick Workman and the team behind Unlock Protocol. What makes talking to Patrick special is that has such a clear understanding of the technology that he is able to explain concepts in simple easy to understand ways. Talking to him was really refreshing because even though he understands the tech, the focus isn’t on how we onboard millions / billions of people into crypto, but on how we unlock value for people through experiences what are intuitive. Most likely by getting rid of talk about wallets, keys and crypto babble and just making a brands app the wallet.
This is really a fun discussion that goes into the world of music, retail, customer experience, and so much more. One thing that’s clear from the conversation is that they are building the technology needed to unlock opportunities, to unlock value, but to get there, as Patrick implies in the quote above, you just need to unlock your imagination.
SPECIFIC TOPICS WE DISCUSS:
Patrick is a builder who built his reputation and know how in the world of Web2 and comes to Web3 with a clear understanding of the challenges of the past, and the opportunities that the emerging web3 ecosystem provides. In our conversation he shares about:
- His perspective on FTX, the and how he sees the difference between Crypto and Web3
- How Unlock is giving NFTs super powers and additional functionality
- The difference between a subscription today, and what added value a tokenized subscription will enable
- How new business models for the internet will be created that migrate the economic models from attention to membership
- Moving past intermediaries through open blockchains and how this will inspire new areas of creative innovation
- How Unlock Protocol is taking people on a five stage membership journey, and how it relates to the memberships people have and value today (eg. Prime)
- The value of Open Memberships - starts around the 26.30 mark and this part is really important and really insightful so don’t skip it
- Experience vs. Tech and how they work together, and the types of experiments brands could take that are fit for purpose today
LINKS TO UNLOCK AND OTHER SERVICES WE DISCUSS IN THE PODCAST:
CREDITS:
- Host: Justin Peyton
- Guest: Patrick Workman
For more insights and deeper dives into the content, subscribe to the BRAND N3XT newsletter at https://brandn3xt.substack.com/
