• Rebecca Liao on web3, politics, M&A, and skillsets
    Sep 26 2023

    https://www.saga.xyz/

    https://twitter.com/beccaliao

    https://rebeccaliao.com/


    Rebecca Liao is Co-Founder and CEO at Saga, a Web3 protocol for launching the next 1000 chains in the multiverse. The Saga platform allows developers to take a single tenant VM and automatically launch it on a dedicated blockchain, complete with fully provisioned validators and an optimally incentivized security structure.


    She is also a Co-Founder & Advisor at Skuchain, a currency agnostic blockchain for global trade and a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer for 2019. In 2020, the World Trade Organization named Skuchain one of the top three blockchain companies in trade and supply chain finance. Under her leadership, Skuchain’s platform grew to $5 billion+ in annual volume.


    She is currently Advisor to Sommelier Protocol, where she is designing their DAO to optimize for governance, platform growth & regulatory compliance. She is also a Fellow at the Stanford Program in Law, Science and Technology.


    She was a member of President Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, advising on China, technology and Asia economic policy. She also served on Secretary Clinton’s foreign policy team for her 2016 presidential campaign, responsible for Asia trade and economic policy. Prior to Skuchain, Rebecca was Director of Business Development and Head of Asia at Globality, Inc., a Softbank-backed B2B unicorn for AI-powered procurement of professional services. She began her career as an international corporate attorney at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and Fenwick & West LLP.


    Rebecca is also a writer and China analyst. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, Nikkei Asia, The National Interest, Bloomberg View, n+1, Democracy Journal, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, Times Literary Supplement, Chinafile, The Diplomat, Huffington Post, Dissent Magazine, The New Inquiry, the LA Review of Books, The China Story Journal, Tea Leaf Nation, San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Classical Voice. She regularly comments on China for Politico, Deutsche Welle and Channel NewsAsia and has also appeared on HuffPost Live and SiriusXM Radio.


    A graduate of Stanford University, where she studied Economics, and Harvard Law School, she serves on the Board of Advisors of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and is a Co-Chair of the Brookings Society. In the wake of rising anti-Asian hate, she co-founded, chairs and serves as an Executive Producer at The ACTION Project, a creative agency of Asian American Academy and Emmy Award-recognized creatives and leaders in entertainment, law, technology, business, education, and journalism leveraging our creative talent to shape the national narrative around our diverse community. She is also on the Board of Directors of Words Without Borders, Voices of Music and the Wagner Society of Northern California. She is also a member of the National Committee on US-China Relations.

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    54 mins
  • Laura Martin on life, marketing, real estate, and productivity hacks
    Aug 15 2023

    Laura, a self-employed individual since a young age, pursued various career paths including real estate finance and studying psychology. She eventually became the Chief Operating Officer at Matrix Mortgage, where she focused on growing the business and implementing innovative solutions to address housing issues.


    Laura and Ben discussed the importance of starting early and being self-sustaining in terms of career and income. They emphasized the value of exploring opportunities, monetizing skills, and having a side hustle, as well as the benefits of freelancing and incorporating a business.


    Laura and Ben discussed the importance of managing time, setting clear goals, and consistently advertising one's work. They emphasized the need to prioritize tasks, stay motivated, and not worry about others' perceptions while working towards their goals.


    Laura and Ben discussed the importance of time management and controlling impulses, particularly in relation to social media usage. They emphasized the need for follow-up and iteration in business strategies, while also highlighting the value of being genuine and organic in interactions.


    Ben and Laura discussed the importance of identifying tasks that only they could do in their business and delegating the rest. They emphasized the need to focus on activities that energize them and to delegate tasks that they dislike or are not good at.


    Laura and Ben discussed the importance of reflection and learning from past experiences. They also emphasized the need to work with one's natural rhythms and cycles, and to make smart financial decisions such as finding better paying work and investing in real estate.


    Laura decided to get into the mortgage business at a young age because her parents were successful real estate agents and she saw the potential for making money in real estate. She started working at a real estate office and became involved in mortgage deals, gaining knowledge and experience in the industry.


    Laura and Ben discuss the importance of managing expectations and not overpromising as a novice broker. They also emphasize the need to qualify leads effectively by seeking guidance from experienced individuals and trusting their instincts.


    Laura and Ben discussed the importance of building deep connections with experts in their field and providing value to them. They emphasized the benefits of being open and giving with information, as well as the value of networking and exploring new career opportunities.


    Laura and Ben had a conversation about the value of networking and building relationships in the startup world. They discussed how Laura's expertise in prop tech and her ability to connect startups with potential investors or partners made her a valuable resource.

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    56 mins
  • Tracy Greenan on Metaverse, Web3 & Digital Fashion | BGTV 019
    Aug 15 2023

    Ben and Tracy discussed Tracy's career journey, including her experience in fashion design, starting her own brands, and her recent venture into digital fashion. Tracy shared her excitement about her company exiting stealth mode and her interest in collaborating with web3 influencers in the digital fashion space. Tracy transitioned from knocking on doors to building a successful fashion brand by targeting independent boutiques and focusing on higher margins. She later recognized the advantages of digital fashion, such as environmental sustainability, limitless inventory, global talent sourcing, and avoiding logistical challenges, and emphasized the importance of embracing the digital renaissance to stay ahead in the industry. Ben and Tracy discussed the advantages and potential drawbacks of the metaverse and Web3 technology. They acknowledged that while physical items cannot be worn or used in real life, the younger generation, who have grown up in digital worlds, will be the target market for these technologies and will drive the spending power in the metaverse. Tracy discussed the use of AI in developing products and the merging of real-life and online worlds in the fashion industry. Ben mentioned the opportunity to crowdsource designs and attach royalties to NFTs, while Tracy emphasized the importance of choosing the right platforms and ensuring fair payment for designers. Tracy and Ben discussed the importance of understanding player preferences in gaming and the future of metaverse fashion. They also mentioned the potential for more sophisticated avatars, increased interoperability, and the ability for businesses to sell NFTs on their own websites.

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    40 mins
  • Leon Eisen, PhD
    Aug 11 2023

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/leoneisen/

    https://twitter.com/leon_eisen

    I am an inventor, serial entrepreneur, CEO and Chairman, Senator at the Grand Assembly of the World Business Angel Investment Forum (an affiliated partner of the G20 and a leading global angel investment organization), strategic adviser, and speaker with 20+ years of strong technology, business and leadership experience. I am an affiliated member of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK), a member of the Forbes Business Council, and an official mentor at the Israeli Export Institute.
    Passionate about healthcare digital transformation, I invented the world's first, awards-winning FDA-cleared wrist pulse oximetry monitor. To commercialize my invention, I founded Oxitone Medical and raised the first $1,000,000 seed investment in the middle of the 2008 economic crisis. I was leading the company as a CEO through product development and several investment rounds to the growth stage. The company, technology, and product received significant healthcare industry recognition resulting in a number of prominent rewards and Oxitone was included in the 2015 Global Digital Health100 companies.
    I hold a Ph.D. in physics from the Weisman Institute of Science (Israel) and studied entrepreneurship at the Harvard Business School. I have a long list of successfully delivered products, more than 30 patents worldwide, and published over 20 scientific publications.
    Combining my background in quantum physics with hands-on entrepreneurial experience and real-world business sense, I developed a winning QUANTUM BACKWARD THINKING business strategy that enables founders to create their OWN REALITY on demand with 100% predictive results.
    As an official mentor at the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute, I counsel early-stage startups and growth companies on the strategy of goal setting, optimal structuring, business models, board management, team building, business processes, R&D and product development, design thinking, regulation and other strategic issues, primarily in the artificial intelligence, digital health and medical device sectors.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Koko, Co-Founder of NGMI Lab, on delivering concise in-depth and summary reports on crypto projects.
    Aug 9 2023

    Co-Founder of NGMI Lab & OG Minter of NEO Tokyo & deliverer of data driven reports on crypto projects + insights on #web3, #crypto, and #blockchain.


    Did you know Koko was also an actor?


    Did you also know that we discuss the 7T's of investment analysis near the end?


    Loads of other alpha including the story of how NGMI got started, the shift from working with VCs to retail, and how retail can stop being dumb money.


    You don't want to miss this one folks! Especially those Citizens putting together your #gaming and #metaverse watch lists for the upcoming bull run.

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    44 mins
  • FamiliarCow on THORChain, Rune, and decentralized platforms
    Aug 8 2023
    • Ben and familiarcow had a conversation about Thorchain and its purpose of securing native assets without a trusted authority. They discussed how Thorchain acts as a middleware layer, allowing for the swapping of assets between different chains without the need for wrapping or issuing IOUs.
    • Familiarcow explained that ThorChain is an infrastructure that enables seamless cross-chain swaps between different cryptocurrencies. It uses an AMM similar to Uniswap, where native assets are kept native, and the network is secured by a decentralized set of validators and nodes.
    • Familiarcow and Ben discussed the economic security model of Thorchain, where validators stake a significant amount of Rune to ensure the network's security. They also talked about the incentive pendulum, which balances rewards between nodes and liquidity providers based on the network's level of security and liquidity.
    • Familiarcow discussed the main uses of Rune, emphasizing its importance in providing liquidity and security for the Thor Chain network. They also mentioned the efforts to integrate Thor Chain into various wallets, such as Trust Wallet and Ledger, to enable native swaps and increase adoption.
    • Familiarcow discussed the process of building relationships with other projects in the blockchain space, emphasizing the importance of offering a useful product and being persistent. They also mentioned the significance of community support and the impact of securing big integrations to gain credibility and adoption.
    • Familiarcow and Ben discussed the future of the industry, particularly the intersection of crypto and gaming. They acknowledged the importance of infrastructure and the potential for Web3 games, while also recognizing the value of crypto's sovereignty and the need for companies to create and provide value in the gaming space.
    • The discussion revolved around the question of whether blockchain gaming should be centralized or decentralized. They explored the idea of starting with a centralized game and gradually incorporating decentralized elements, such as profit-sharing and asset ownership, to create a more inclusive and community-driven gaming experience.
    • Ben and familiarcow discussed the importance of building a successful application before evolving it into a platform in the crypto space. They emphasized the need to prove product-market fit and gain users before focusing on building a marketplace or platform.
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    51 mins
  • SDC.eth | Part 2
    Jul 26 2023

    Ben and Sdc discussed their recent experiences and challenges in their respective projects within the web3 industry. They talked about team dynamics, accountability, and the opportunities that arise when constraints are lifted.


    Ben and Sdc discussed the challenges of work-life balance and accountability in the web3 industry. They explored the differences in expectations and schedules between web2 and web3, and the need for open communication and mutual understanding between team members and management.


    Ben and Sdc discussed the importance of focusing on one big thing in Web 3 and the need to team up with like-minded individuals to drive adoption and success. They also acknowledged the challenges of teaching and sharing knowledge in the Web 3 space, as well as the fear of financial loss and competition among individuals.


    Ben and Sdc discussed the importance of collaboration and partnerships within the Web3 community during difficult times. They emphasized the need to work together, share resources, and create a supportive environment to help each other grow and succeed.


    Ben and Sdc discussed the concept of gamifying the Web3 experience by incentivizing people to contribute to different projects through contract work and rewarding them with experience points (XP). They emphasized the importance of building relationships and alliances within the Web3 community to create a strong foundation for future growth and success in the industry.


    Ben and Sdc had a fun conversation where they went off on a side tangent and didn't get to the agenda. Ben expressed gratitude for Sdc's presence and looked forward to future episodes.

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    37 mins
  • WhiteCoco4U🧙🏽‍♂️ | BGTV 21
    Jul 20 2023

    WhiteCoco4U🧙🏽‍♂️ and Ben had a conversation about WhiteCoco4U🧙🏽‍♂️'s background and experience in the ordinals industry, as well as their interest in Bitcoin NFTs. They discussed how White got started in crypto, their trading strategies, and how they discovered Bitcoin NFTs.


    WhiteCoco4U🧙🏽‍♂️ spent hours researching and reaching out to people to start a project on inscriptions. He learned about ordinals, a protocol to assign value to Satoshi's, and started inscribing files onto the blockchain.


    WhiteCoco4U🧙🏽‍♂️ and Ben discussed the implementation of Ethereum-like features on the Bitcoin blockchain through the use of Ordinals. They explored the differences between Ethereum NFTs and Ordinals, highlighting the advantages of preserving digital art files on the Bitcoin blockchain for proof of ownership and longevity.


    WhiteCoco4U🧙🏽‍♂️ and Ben discussed the growth and advantages of different blockchain platforms for NFTs, highlighting the competition and options available to creators and communities. They also mentioned the development of the Extra Ordinals project and its upcoming drops, emphasizing the supportive and community-focused nature of the ordinal community.


    WhiteCoco4U🧙🏽‍♂️ and Ben had a conversation about their passion for the cryptocurrency industry and their appreciation for the NEO Tokyo community. They discussed their desire to connect with like-minded individuals and explore opportunities in the web three space.

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    44 mins