#012: Ryan Carson - Founder turned VC on NFTs, Investing, and Tips for Living Well

Explicit content warning

11/11/22 • 62 min

Mack and Evan hang with former COO of Proof Collective/Moonbirds, Ryan Carson. He shares insights from +20 years of startup experience, his pivot to venture capital (121G Fund); how to make winning bets; & advice for web3 (collectors, investors, founders)
1:33 Introducing Ryan Carson
3:29 From Biblical beginnings to computer science and the through-line of empowering others
7:57 How NFTs as a vehicle for community/owning intangible things (thoughts, copyright) changes life and business as we know it
13:01 How Ryan became the COO of Proof Collective/Moonbirds and why he left
14:44 Is it important for startup founders to live/work closely together in real life?
18:37 Visualizing your funeral, prioritizing what matters, and practicing presence
20:38 “You’re addicted to thinking”: Mack, Ryan, and Evan share stories about meditation and the art of flow
27:29 “Why aren’t you asking him more about Moonbirds?” Ryan on markets; strategies for web3 companies (y00ts, Moonbirds, TFM)
33:34 The Creation of 121G and how Ryan picks teams to support
37:26 “Attention is the most important factor” Going deeper on what made Moonbirds a success
40:11 Mack: “I’d really like your perspective on our journey” (The Faceless Many NFT)
43:28 Ryan’s response: “It’s an attention game. Period.”
46:36 What if you love the founder or the product but it’s not the the right fit?
50:17 Startup experiments in structure, leadership, & value
56:05 Mack tells a story about Evan’s favorite shirt
57:11 Takeaways for web3 — what should we keep doing? What should we do differently?
58:32 A story “What do you want people to say about you?”

Enjoy!
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/FacelessLabs
👉Become a guest or sponsor: [email protected]
FOLLOW OUR HOSTS:
👋 Mack Lorden: https://macklorden.info
🚁 Alex Popovic: https://alexpopovic.info
☮️ Evan Mann: https://linktr.ee/conversationswithevan
🧱 Michael Shoup: @michaelshoup
🕵️ Mihir Kothapally: @mehere114
🧑‍🏫 Joe Devine: @highimpacttrdg
—
🧬ABOUT FACELESS LABS 🧬
Faceless Labs is a top web3 consulting agency and community incubator empowering crypto enthusiasts at all levels of experience with education, organization, and opportunities. We believe all people are the Many, and that the Many will Rise Up together.
👉Website: https://www.facelesscrypto.com
👉 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/themany
👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/faceless_labs
👉Medium: https://medium.com/@FacelessLabs
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/face...
🤝CONSULTING 🤝
If you're a business owner or artist looking to launch an NFT series or metaverse experience, we can help you plan and execute storytelling, utility, design, culture, community management, sales & marketing, and blockchain tech for your project.
👉Get in touch: [email protected]
—
✊🔥ABOUT THE FACELESS MANY🔥✊
8064 epic characters who represent the hero in all of us. Holding a Faceless Many NFT earns you $REVP (revPoints), which can be used in our marketplace to purchase virtually anything. TFM, the Faceless Allies, and the AI generated Villains of our Story, the Corrupted, are your ticket to the Financial Revolution. Get yours and Rise Up today!
👉Website: https://thefacelessmany.com
👉 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/themany
👉 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thefacelessmany
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/face...
Official Collections:
✅ https://frameit.gg/landing/thefacelessmany
✅ https://xoxno.com/collection/MANY-39af2c
✅ https://deadrare.io/collection/MANY-39af2c

Disclaimer:
Faceless Labs is not licensed to give financial or legal advice. Nothing on this channel should be construed as financial or legal advice. These videos are for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Previous Episode

#011: Taylor Mitchell - Side-Hustles, Ethics, and Best Practices for Content Creation

On this episode Mack and Alex interview content creator, social media advisor, blockchain & finance educator Taylor Mitchell. They talk about viral videos, content strategy, monetization in web2 vs. web3, the state of the economy and crypto markets, and which side hustles have been the best bang for their buck.
1:36 Taylor’s start on social media
7:15 “You can’t get good if you don’t get going”; dealing with imposter syndrome to deliver value
11:28 “WTF is the point of a price prediction?”
14:05 How to ethically handle offers for paid promotion
18:14 The dangers of an echo chamber for consumers, case study: QNT
23:03 “Trying to get this podcast cancelled by the XRP Army”
25:26 Leveraging longform to repurpose content; finding the right audience and business fit
27:13 Revenue generation on Tiktok vs. YouTube (case study Carterpcs) and lightly roasting Alex
32:19 Web2 vs. Web3 approaches to content and the perils of being de-platformed
39:39 Macroeconomics: Taylor’s position on the state of the market
46:45 Taylor’s crypto “buy list” (much smaller than a year ago)
48:28 Ranking side hustles - Amazon FBA, flipping furniture, Instacart, Medical testing, and more
51:10 Digging deeper on Amazon FBA/retail arbitrage
58:39 What’s it like to experiment with a content creator/launch house?
1:02:05 How many hours a day do you work? Creating a schedule and finding balance as an entrepreneur
1:06:40 Taylor’s book recommendations and links

https://taylormitchell.info/
Enjoy!
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/FacelessLabs
👉Become a guest or sponsor: [email protected]
FOLLOW OUR HOSTS:
👋 Mack Lorden: https://macklorden.info
🚁 Alex Popovic: https://alexpopovic.info
☮️ Evan Mann: https://linktr.ee/conversationswithevan
🧱 Michael Shoup: @michaelshoup
🕵️ Mihir Kothapally: @mehere114
🧑‍🏫 Joe Devine: @highimpacttrdg
—
🧬ABOUT FACELESS LABS 🧬
Faceless Labs is a top web3 consulting agency and community incubator empowering crypto enthusiasts at all levels of experience with education, organization, and opportunities. We believe all people are the Many, and that the Many will Rise Up together.
👉Website: https://www.facelesscrypto.com
👉 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/themany
👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/faceless_labs
👉Medium: https://medium.com/@FacelessLabs
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/face...
🤝CONSULTING 🤝
If you're a business owner or artist looking to launch an NFT series or metaverse experience, we can help you plan and execute storytelling, utility, design, culture, community management, sales & marketing, and blockchain tech for your project.
👉Get in touch: [email protected]
—
✊🔥ABOUT THE FACELESS MANY🔥✊
8064 epic characters who represent the hero in all of us. Holding a Faceless Many NFT earns you $REVP (revPoints), which can be used in our marketplace to purchase virtually anything. TFM, the Faceless Allies, and the AI generated Villains of our Story, the Corrupted, are your ticket to the Financial Revolution. Get yours and Rise Up today!
👉Website: https://thefacelessmany.com
👉 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/themany
👉 Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thefacelessmany
👉 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/face...
Official Collections:
✅ https://www.frameit.gg/landing/thefac...
✅ https://xoxno.com/collection/MANY-39af2c
✅ https://deadrare.io/collection/MANY-3...

Next Episode

#013: Carrie "MsNFTy" Lyn & Mikee Trompeta: How to Win Web3 Events, Educating the Underserved, & Onboarding Magic Johnson

1:26 Mikee’s intro: JDM Labs
2:53 Carrie’s intro: MsNFTy and The Creative House
4:18 The importance of educating influential people; “Breaking bread” as a strategy
8:16 The opportunities and challenges of investing in a foster child’s future
13:10 - Blockchain solutions for non-profits; The Giving Block, mind-blowing stats on crypto donations
18:08 Digging deeper on Carrie’s epic dinners
19:22 Modeling a better approach to onboarding; Evan tells a story from NFT.NYC
22:47 Helping celebrities who enter the space do better (deliver value & avoid reputational damage)
28:06 Doxxing and anonymity; Where is the line for founders?
36:44 - Magic Johnson’s Neighborhood
45:40 Practically what does implementing this vision look like?
49:53 “Web2.5”: centralization as a spectrum and user experience as a bridge to web3
55:20 Alex’s analogy for folks struggling with Blockchain: “Are you a mechanic?”
59:27 The actual value? Owning your intellectual property
1:08:28 Carrie’s contact and advice: “Don’t follow the crowds
1:10:25 How to produce a great web3 event
1:16:04 Mikee’s take on the state of smart contracts—who’s doing cool stuff? (Chainfaces NFT)
1:18:48 “The Floor is Lava”: Evan’s smart contract game idea; What games influenced “The Corrupted”
1:24:35 “If you could give a piece of advice...”: Staying safe in web3
1:32:59 How to get in touch with Mikee & JDM Labs

--
CARRIE "MsNFTy" LYN: is a web3 architect and founder of The Creative House agency. She has worked with brands like Lamborghini and Beauty Blender, and developed educational resources for foster youth in Los Angeles County in partnership with Yuga Labs launching soon.
twitter.com/MS_NFTy
https://msnfty.io/
MIKEE TROMPETA: with 20 years of software architecture, design, and development experience, Mikee is the founder of JDM Labs, working with his team to launch revolutionary smart contracts and Web3 DApps. Together they are building the world of Magic Johnson's Neighborhood
twitter.com/mikeejt
twitter.com/JDMLabs
jdmlabs.ios
__
Enjoy!
SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/c/FacelessLabs
👉 Guest or sponsor: [email protected]
FOLLOW OUR HOSTS:
👋 Mack Lorden: https://macklorden.info
🚁 Alex Popovic: https://alexpopovic.info
☮️ Evan Mann: https://linktr.ee/conversationswithevan
🧱 Michael Shoup: @michaelshoup
🕵️ Mihir Kothapally: @mehere114
🧑‍🏫 Joe Devine: @highimpacttrdg
—
🧬ABOUT FACELESS LABS 🧬
Faceless Labs is a top web3 consulting agency and community incubator empowering crypto enthusiasts at all levels of experience with education and opportunities. We believe all people are the Many, and that the Many will Rise Up together.
👉Website: https://www.facelesscrypto.com
👉 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/themany
👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/faceless_labs
🤝CONSULTING 🤝
Looking to learn about or launch an NFT series? A metaverse experience? Reach out! We can help plan and execute storytelling, utility, design, culture, community management, sales, marketing, and blockchain for you.
👉 [email protected]
—
✊🔥ABOUT THE FACELESS MANY🔥✊
8064 epic characters who represent the hero in all of us. Holding a Faceless Many NFT earns you $REVP (revPoints), which can be used in our marketplace to purchase virtually anything. TFM, the Faceless Allies, and the AI generated Villains of our Story, the Corrupted, are your ticket to the Financial Revolution. Get yours and Rise Up today!
✅ https://beacons.ai/thefacelessmany