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What Hundreds of Web3 Hackers Taught Me

"PR and events were never part of how I thought about marketing. Then I stood in a room full of blunt Web3 hackers, and it changed how I build."

So, as you already know, I'm a digital person. I work with Digital Marketing, Data, and Analytics. PR/events were never part of my job or how I thought about marketing positioning.

Alright? Hold that thought. Some context is needed here.

When we created EtherHub, my co-founder was THE crypto/Web3 guy. I was the exact opposite.

So he decided it was important that I attended one of the biggest Web3 events, and I got tickets to go to ETHGlobal NYC in 2025.

Well… that was intense.

From March to July, I worked purely on the EtherHub concept, created screens, learned about Web3, and thought I knew a good portion of it. Enough to get it right for our users, or ICPs.

Well, I was DEAD WRONG.

I arrived in NYC, attended a side event, met so many people, and started hearing Web3 terms I had never heard before. So they educated me.

By the time the main event started, I had spoken to so many people, heard stories about how they got into Web3, and learned that the people I met there were VERY closed off to new products.

They like privacy. They like knowing what people they trust are using. And they will rarely step into something if nobody they know is already there.

Well, shit. They found EtherHub VERY sketchy.

They had never heard of it. Of course, we were not live yet. The idea of a self-custodial, all-in-one app was not appealing at all. They already had their own strategies.

So I learned a lot about what they wanted, what they needed, and adapted EtherHub with my co-founder.

We got it working by September and submitted our application to be part of ETHGlobal Spotlight in Buenos Aires.

WE GOT ACCEPTED!!

If you do not know about that program yet, let me tell you: it is a huge opportunity to get your idea out there. You get a free booth at ETHGlobal and the opportunity to talk to SO MANY Web3 hackers.

And let me tell you something about Web3 hackers: these guys are BLUNT.

They will not hold back. They will tell you what sucks and what they want.

So, in November, we were there in Buenos Aires talking to HUNDREDS of them. Our app was live in beta, they tested it, we had swag, and it was amazing.

I was able to test so many theories. SO MANY features we were thinking about launching.

We changed our pitch many times and were able to get our priorities in place.

All this to say: getting the exposure, having real-time testers, and seeing people's expressions when we talked about a particular feature was priceless.

I would never have been able to get this kind of valuable feedback online.

The whole qualitative vs. quantitative thing? This was PURE qualitative feedback, in real time, from our ICP.

So, if you are thinking about building something, go outside.

Talk to the people who matter to you. Go to the events they go to.

If your ICP is bullish on soccer, go to a soccer game instead of a startup event.

Go where they are, not only where other founders are.

I swear it will be worth it.

And if you are also building a Web3 product, or think hackers are your ICP, go to ETHGlobal. The next one is in Lisbon, and it is a great excuse to enjoy some European summer, if I must say :)