When we decided to build an NFT for Animal Spirits listeners, we had three primary motivations; Raise money for charity, help put Audiograph on the map, and give something special to our Super Fans.
A few years ago, my friend Tyrone Ross put me in No Kid Hungry. For some time now, I have been giving them (automated) money every month. So when it came time to pick a charity, they were first on our list. The fact that they accepted ETH makes the decision easier for us.
The first installation we sent to No Kid Hungry for 12.7 ETH matched The Giving Block. So that’s ~25 ETH, plus another six going their way, which puts us well over $100,000. This is one of the proudest achievements of my life.
Quinn emailed us in September 2021 from the audiograph trying to show us what he and his teammates are making. We had seen many transcription companies over the years, but what made them special was the mission behind it. They wanted to make it easier for fans to connect with their favorite creators.
The first step was building an audio-based product where a listener could more easily clip their favorite parts from an episode share it on twitter, We loved the team and wanted to join, but weren’t excited about the business. The product was fantastic, and we will continue to use it, but if they want us to be advisors and shareholders, we need to look for something different. After weeks of going back and forth, Quinn sent me this Slack.
While driving upstairs that night, Quinn and I talked about different possibilities. We spent some time rounding up half-hearted ideas about Web3 monetization for podcasters. The original thesis was that podcasting is seriously under-monetized and that crypto is the financial rail of the future. If they were going to build something in this space, it would make sense to do it on the blockchain. You can listen to the full story if you want. As far as getting the audiograph on the map, it’s hard to say that the mission was accomplished, but we’re trying. Ben and I are proud advisors and shareholders.
The third thing we wanted to do with this NFT was to give back to our audience who have given us so much. When we started the podcast, we had no idea what it would become. To say that it has gone beyond our wildest imaginations is an understatement.
When we came up with some ideas, the people at Audiograph were the first to think of Discord. I wasn’t very excited for some reason. I found Discord to be very confusing and I had a bad taste in my mouth from being rude on the first channel I joined. I also wasn’t thrilled with the amount of work it was going to be. My plate was already full, and it looked like a straw that would break the camel’s back.
What else could we have done that wasn’t a big lift on our end? Well, some fun NFTs were an easy place to start.
NFTs are a powerful tool because they are digital keys. It lets people unlock content from, in our case, all of our Google Docs where our Show Notes live. NFT also allows people to ask us one question a month via audiograph. Ben and I will record a video reply like a cameo. NFT also unlocks the ability to listen to one live show a month on our podcast recorder, Riverside. And finally, NFTs open access to our discord. And this is the most valuable key.
Discord is a big company. In September, it raised money at a valuation of $15 billion, or half the size of Twitter. For a high-level comparison, Twitter has 330 million monthly active users who send 500 million tweets per day (this number is from 2020). Discord has 140 million monthly active users who send 960 million messages a day.
I’ve been spending less time on Twitter lately, though I’m still hopelessly addicted. It’s not just a place that makes you feel great for reasons that are obvious to anyone who spends time there. I’ve only been into Animal Spirits Discord for a week, but my initial feelings couldn’t be more different from the expectations I was going for.
We wanted Sein, our Swiss Army Knife, to spend time there on our behalf; Let us know if anything interesting is happening and thank people on our behalf. that kind of stuff. Well, it won’t be necessary. The community doesn’t need us to work. Yes, if we leave, it will probably die, but as long as we come in and persevere, the sky is the limit.
We’ve had people talking about their careers and what they’re looking for, and I totally get it now.
Twitter can be toxic because it people stab each other all day for personal or business motivation. Discord, on the other hand, brings together communities of people with similar interests where the only motivation is to find people you can learn from and have fun with. In a world where people feel so isolated, it is no surprise that community has become the buzzword of the year.
I’m excited about where we go from here, and if you want to be a part of it, there’s still a lot of NFTs left, and all that money will keep going to No Kid Hungry. We are excited to see you in discord, and thank everyone who participated.
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