Ventures

In this episode of Ventures, I (https://www.reddit.com/user/wclittle) continue from last week’s screencast to discuss WebSockets, DNS, and Profile Picture AI. I talk about how you can get involved with the Q1 product and code cohort I’m leading (apply here: https://forms.gle/dtVA1bQ9xATRrPW29), how rare it is to actually be good at “product”, Prota Ventures slack group for investors and entrepreneurs, a deeper dive into how web requests are packed on the server side with Ruby on Rails, and the future of Rails vs. Low-Code/No-Code.Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-129 for more information. You can watch this episode via video here.   0:08 - Tee-up for the episode (a followup from last week’s episode). To train people in Product and Code. If you’d like to apply, read this and fill out the form: https://forms.gle/dtVA1bQ9xATRrPW29 0:24 - Rarity of being actually good at “product”0:43 - Teaching product and code - learning in parallel1:07 - Profile Picture AI → Referral link: https://profilepicture.ai/?ref=mttd2YgdG7X4XIdrOGrAFQkEl1j2 1:54 - Hit up will to join the Prota Ventures slack group if you are an entrepreneur or an investor (will@wclittle.com or will@protaventures.com)2:20 - More about DNS / (including ChatGPT’s definition of it)3:48 - What happens when a web request hits the web server. 4:40 - Multiple ways to transfer HTML/CSS/JS to the server. More here about Web Sockets. See: https://hotwired.dev/ 6:12 - Thesis: it’s better to learn Rails w/ ChatGPT vs. Low-Code/No-Code7:22 - Hit Will up at will@wclittle.com or apply for the cohort here → https://forms.gle/dtVA1bQ9xATRrPW29  

In this episode of Ventures, I (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wclittle/) record a short screencast walking through initial thoughts about how to teach both Web2 and Web3 software development and product management and design. I talk about how I’ll be pointing students to resources along the way rather than building tutorials myself, and instead act as a curator and opinionated guide for how to best learn product/software development in today’s rapidly evolving environment. I’d encourage you to join us at BanyanDAO to follow along → https://www.banyandao.xyz/. Feel free to join our Discord server → https://discord.gg/95JRuPaTP8 Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-128 for more information. You can watch this episode via video here.  0:06 - Intro1:20 - Outline of what we’ll cover this coming year3:20 - Example tutorial of the basics of computer science3:45 - Programs/languages4:00 - The difference between a compiled and interpreted programming language5:32 - Ruby / Database / Redis / Puma5:56 - Ruby on Rails walk-throughFeel free to email me at will@wclittle.com or find me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/wclittle) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wclittle/). 

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Scott Kveton (https://twitter.com/kveton, co-founder of https://jump.co) and I discuss how to bring real-world assets into the NFT space. We talk about Art Basel, why it's good that people are calling crypto "dead", the Jump.co features available today for customers/partners and their audiences, a comparison between NFTs and the early mobile market, NFTs for restaurant owners, and how ChatGPT/GPT-4 will revolutionize the industry. Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-127 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. You can watch this episode via video here.  1:13 - Tee-up for the episode, investing in Web3 since 2017, topics of interest each year. 1:47 - How Scott got into Web33:58 - About Art Basel and what happened this year, crypto as "bolted on" to the side of the event6:18 - Why saying "crypto is dead" means we have a lot more to teach the world 6:47 - NFTs w/ IRL assets, typical things that people think about. 7:04 - Scott teaching us about how to think about NFT/physical asset bridging. More about what Jump.co offers. 9:51 - Who are the partners / customers for Jump.co -- to start, for those who have millions of dollars of assets that want to get into the NFT space with their assets. 11:34 - Urban airship / push notifications - how Scott got laughed out of partner meetings (when people didn't believe in mobile) -- analogies to NFTs now. 12:20 - What might partnerships with big car brands look like? This is more applicable for people who have vintage cars (e.g. for people who may want to go in together and buy a car like this)13:00 - NFT drop for a restaurant, number of tables multiplied by available time. New revenue stream for restaurants. 14:02 - NFT marketplaces for time/place - e.g. the example of concerts 14:46 - Artist/athelete - first sale can go to charity, secondary sales royalty to fun the artist.15:43 - Real Estate / Property -- implications w/ Jump.co -- expanding beyond Real Estate to date. 17:50 - How flexible is Jump.co in terms of its white-label solution. What is the functionality of the product right now?20:15 - Importance of value-creation in NFTs and web3 things. Where does Scott see value-creation in the near future for NFTs in particular?21:30 - Macro crypto issues / regulatory clarity22:30 - ChatGPT / GPT-4 / AI-overloads interacting. How does Scott see AI interacting with NFTs/Web3? 24:22 - Where can people find out more about Jump? Check out https://jump.co // @Kveton on Twitter

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Alex Shalash (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-shalash/, co-founder of https://www.metaengine.gg/) and I discuss metaverse infrastructure and interoperability. We talk about how MetaEngine started, the technical aspects of how their platform works, who should build on it, how GPT4/ChatGPT will change the game, and the future of online experiences. Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-126 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. You can watch this episode via video here.  1:17 - Tee up for the episode, Alex’s background, how he got into Web33:53 - Limitations of the Metaverse according to Matthew Ball https://www.matthewball.vc/metaversebook - How does Alex answer the question - “when will we have the Ready Player One metaverse?” 6:51 - Where is MetaEngine in the stack for building metaverses? Who should be partnering with them when building? Chat about https://www.improbable.io/ 9:01 - Is MetaEngine using Polygon? (Indeed, they were a seed investor)9:53 - Ideal customer profile for MetaEngine11:05 - Technical details Unity & Unreal vs. ME’s C++ / HeroScript 11:44 - GPT4 / GPTChat - implications for the Metaverse.14:12 - Talking to an AI and asking it questions - asking its opinion. Kids of the future.16:18 - Discussion about metaverse interoperability and financial incentives for centralized companies building games/metaverses. 20:15 - Consumers will optimistically expect to bring their gear to the best metaverses, and there should be incentives that allow this? (Yes and No)23:33 - What is Alex most excited about for the future of the Metaverse space?26:51 - More on the ideal customer profile. Ideal is that multiple projects will be using MetaEngine’s technology. 27:51 - Where can people learn more about MetaEngine and get a hold of Alex? https://www.metaengine.gg/ // https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-shalash/ 

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Phillip Tran (https://mobile.twitter.com/ptran, CMO at https://madworld.io/) and I discuss Web3 strategies for IRL and specific market verticals. We talk about how MADWorld is partnering with key brands, plans in LA and Miami this week, advice for new Web3 entrepreneurs, commentary on the current market, and recommendations for how those new to Web3 can get up to speed.Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-125 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. You can watch this episode via video here.  1:27 - Tee-up for the episode, never a dull moment in web3, background and introduction 3:49 - The story of starting MADworld → https://madworld.io/4:58 - What MADworld does / value proposition for the world. (Originally Web3 strategy, now key brand partnerships in a handful of verticals)6:06 - Plans this week in LA and Miami - what should folks expect in these cities this week (Nov 28, 2022 week)7:10 - Web3 strategies, the landscape/market has changed, what is Phillip’s commentary on the market and how it has changed Web3 strategies.10:40 - More about the four verticals that MADworld is approaching and partnering with brands (story from Ghost in the Shell).13:51 - Where does Phillip think the Web3 space is heading? What themes is he seeing?16:04 - More information about the products & product roadmaps that MADworld is working on. “Bringing global culture to Web3” – Also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e 18:05 - What advice does Phillip have for new Web3 entrepreneurs?20:17 - What different areas / projects is Madworld working on? Beyond anime and sports, moving into music and streetwear.23:30 - Music and Web3 / Music NFTs27:14 - For the person who is new to Web3, what resources / approaches would Phillip recommend to help them get up to speed and learn?30:22 - Where can people learn more and engage with Phillip / Madword?  → https://madworld.io/ – https://mobile.twitter.com/ptran // PhilTran.eth 

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Nick Wilger (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-wilger/) and I discuss all-things low-code/no-code from the perspective of an aspiring tech entrepreneur. We talk about Nick’s background getting into the space, what founders need to know about tools like Bubble, how to think about “product” setups and roles, working with Figma, and more about Nick’s accelerator (https://effycientaccelerator.com) for training low-code/no-code developers.   Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-124 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. You can watch this episode via video here.  1:33 - Intro/setup for the show, Nick’s background getting into low-code/no-code3:37 - Previous show w/ Josh Hass (co-CEO of Bubble) → https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-63 // What was Nick’s story as a non-software engineer coming in to low-code/no-code?7:40 - From an education standpoint, describing the various parts of the tech stack when building a Web app9:00 - Webflow for front-end11:16 - Thoughts from Will about whether founders want to build the app themselves or outsource it (or find a CTO).13:33 - Wireframes/Mockups and product skills needed to get it ready for Bubble17:23 - Instead of finding an “engineer” co-founder, now in the modern era it’s all about finding a product/UX co-founder to tee up the Bubble engineering (which is 10x lower cost than traditional software engineers)19:30 - Nick’s thoughts about Figma, working with visual designers as part of the MVP build process21:50 - “Product things” create inefficiency. More info about an Overview Story and a UI Spec (and a flow chart) and why that’s important for communication between the visionary and the product person.23:40 - UX flow charts and project plans24:40 - Analogy of building a house from pictures that you take of a house. 25:26 - More information about https://effycient.com/ and https://effycientaccelerator.com // Contact Nick at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-wilger/ 

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Billy Schautz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bschautz/, https://mythicalgames.com/) and I discuss Mythical Games’ new NFT drop and upcoming game, NFL Rivals (https://nfl.rivals.game/). We discuss Billy’s background in gaming, NFT market conditions, Mythical’s tech stack and NFT dynamics, and the future of Web3 gaming.Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-123 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. You can watch this episode via video here.  1:36 - More about Billy’s background and how he got into Web3/games. 2:34 - Why would Billy leave Amazon/Twitch and go to Mythical games? 4:17 - What's the background/story of Mythical? 5:12 - More details about the NFT drop for NFL Rivals → https://nfl.rivals.game/ 7:40 - Thoughts about the bear market for launching an NFT collection. 9:37 - Is this an official partnership with the NFL? Nuances between EA/Mythical licenses. (Simulation vs. Blockchain arcade football)12:17 - Features of the NFL rivals game13:38 - More about the tech stack and how these NFTs work on Mythical’s internal blockchain w/ bridging capabilities to Ethereum mainnet.16:34 - More about the in-game marketplace for the game18:07 - Matthew Ball’s book about The Metaverse - thoughts on interoperability between games20:54 - Instagram/Reddit/Starbucks w/ Polygon NFTs21:13 - How is Billy/Mythical thinking about the value-add for the NFT community and the partnership with the NFL. 24:53 - Where does Billy see the Web3 Gaming industry heading? (incl. Mythical’s roadmap)27:35 - People can take action → https://nfl.rivals.game/ (find social media links there)29:30 - Check out https://alphi.xyz // What is the NFT drop mechanisms // https://RarityLeague.com 

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Beau Button (https://www.linkedin.com/in/beaubutton/) - President and CTO of https://atlasreality.com - and I discuss play-to-earn, Web3, and the Atlas Realty story. We dive into Beau’s background as a technologist and entrepreneur, about Atlas Realty’s two successful games, their upcoming game next year with a Web3 component to it, gamer experiences, metaverses, Polygon, and the future of the Web3 gaming industry. Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-122 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. You can watch this episode via video here.  Also, check out Bird Buddy → https://mybirdbuddy.com (AI-powered Bird Feeder; A portfolio company of Prota Ventures) // See this episode w/ the CEO → https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-23 1:37 - Beau’s background and story, software, entrepreneurship, eCommerce, content management, and ultimately in the video game industry2:06 - Is there a Web3 component of what Atlas Reality is working on?2:42 - What is Beau’s crypto story? How did he get involved in it?5:24 - More information about the two games…who is the audience?7:10 - What is Beau’s story as a founder / startup exec?9:22 - What technology stacks are they using to build these games? 10:14 - Is Beau more management or hands on keyboard?12:01 - What are the principles of Web3 that Beau is excited about / thinking about?15:19 - Commentary of Matthew Ball’s book on The Metaverse  (https://www.amazon.com/Metaverse-How-Will-Revolutionize-Everything/dp/1324092033) … commentary on interoperability. 17:09 - Deciding on interoperability protocols - how game makers would/could/should be approaching it.  18:30 - Focusing on the gamer…are we seeing sparks/interest in NFTs? 20:42 - Polygon getting a ton of attention (Reddit, Instagram, Starbucks) // https://polygon.technology/ // Commentary on blockchains/gaming. 22:22 - What are the things Beau sees coming in the future of the industry? Negative and positive. 26:10 - More information about Atlas Reality and their roadmap. (Atlas Empires / Atlas Earth)27:23 - Learn more at AtlasReality.com – and check out LinkedIn for Metaverse Mondays → https://www.linkedin.com/in/beaubutton/ 

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Gordon Meyer (https://twitter.com/gordonmeyerjr) and I talk about marketing, community building, and the effect that emerging technologies like Web3 will have on the future of growing startups. We talk about the aspects of Web3 that Gordon is most excited about, power shifts and disintermediation, the attention economy, and advice for entrepreneurs starting from the ground up.Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-121 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. You can watch this episode via video here.  Also, check out SUPLMNT →  https://suplmnt.com/ (A portfolio company of Prota Ventures)  // Hydration meets culture; amazing water bottles for holiday gifts and more. See this episode w/ the CEO → https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-691:50 - What is exciting about emerging technology? (Also background/introduction to Gordon)4:47 - More about the Web3 revolution 11:15 - Power shifts - power to the people - different types of artists. 12:10 - Attention economy - how does Gordon process the attention economy and value creation (from the perspective of entrepreneurs). 18:04 - What’s Gordon’s advice for someone to build a following if they don’t have a network? (Build a community or find a community)22:16 - How does Web3 change the game from a marketing and community building perspective?25:20 - What is Gordon excited about in the near-term future here?31:00 - Where can people find Gordon and Mamoru online? // https://twitter.com/gordonmeyerjr // https://twitter.com/MamoruDigital //  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonmeyer/ 

In this episode of Ventures, my guest Robbie Heeger (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheeger/) - President and CEO at https://endaoment.org/ - and I talk about how Endaoment allows crypto holders to create Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). We talk about how Endaoment works from both the donor side and the nonprofit side, the (very reasonable) fee structure, new token models in Web3 philanthropy, and the general practice of donating to DAFs in order to not rush the process of subsequently donating to nonprofits/NGOs. Visit https://satchel.works/@wclittle/ventures-episode-120 for detailed notes and links to resources (videos, articles, etc…) mentioned. You can watch this episode via video here.  1:20 - Tee-up for the episode. Why does Web3 matter? Why does venture building/investing matter?1:44 - Robbie’s self introduction and intro to https://endaoment.org/ 4:35 - How does Endaoment work (from the perspective of the donor)? 9:55 - Not all DAFs are created equal. How are Endaoment DAFs different? What types of organizations can be given to via Endaoment? 14:29 - How will Endaoment add additional coins/tokens to support internal DAF investing?18:23 - What is the fee structure for Endaoment? 21:20 - Dollars sitting in DAFs - Over $200B ($160B in 2020) → https://www.wealthmanagement.com/philanthropy/wealthy-use-loophole-reap-tax-breaks-and-delay-giving-away-money 23:30 - Does Endaoment allow impact investing? 26:30 - Whole new set of toys/tools to work with in Web3 regarding giving/philanthropy. New token models, etc…29:19 - Corgi in the video :) 34:10 - REST (https://iwantrest.com/) and ILAD (https://ilad.ngo) – as examples – what do nonprofits need to know to accept crypto via Endaoment? 39:39 - How does Endaoment KYC their nonprofits to ensure money is going to the right place?40:57 - Where can people find more? It’s giving season → https://endaoment.org/ // https://discord.gg/endaoment // https://twitter.com/endaomentdotorg