The Optimism Show

Jonny Mack is the Founder of Hypersub, a membership platform that helps creators and communities monetize and build together using programmable crypto assets.

Hypersub gives you access to your own payment solution, so you can never get banned.

(00:08) The challenge of early adoption: viral growth through community-driven value

(00:50) Building sustainable products vs. fast cash in crypto

(03:25) Timing in crypto: balancing innovation and market readiness

(06:07) Conviction as the ultimate competitive advantage for founders

(08:19) Why building on-chain is critical for crypto projects

(11:39) Hard truths about building and scaling in the creator economy

Connect with Jonny: Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/nonlinear.eth

Website: https://www.hypersub.xyz

Connect with Kris:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

Sam Kazemian is the Founder of Frax, a blockchain protocol focusing on creating a decentralized bank, leveraging AI to shape the future of on-chain finance.

(00:09) Introduction to Sam's journey: From Everipedia to Frax

(01:20) The birth of Frax: The vision of a decentralized central bank

(10:37) The big chain thesis and its impact on Frax’s long-term goals

(11:21) The role of AI in Frax's 2030 vision

(18:49) Bringing the next billion users to blockchain through AI

(25:43) Sovereign roll-ups, interoperability, and Frax’s Universal Interface

(30:31) Transitioning to a singular or AI-driven UI for blockchain interactions

(34:07) How Frax supports builders and projects in its ecosystem

(39:34) The importance of Frax's roadmap and ecosystem support for developers

(43:38) Utility tokens in the Web4 era: Frax’s token upgrade and the future of valuation

Connect with Sam:

Website: https://frax.finance

Connect with Kris:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

Ivan from Xocolatl Finance is building a revolutionary stablecoin based on the Mexican peso, aimed at empowering local builders and creating a DeFi ecosystem in Mexico.

With a background in logistics and product management, Ivan shares his journey of building Xocolatl, navigating community-driven development, and leveraging grassroots efforts to create an impactful project without VC backing.

(00:07) Introduction to Ivan and Xocolatl Finance

(00:23) Ivan’s background and the journey from logistics to Web3

(04:49) Why Xocolatl was created: A stablecoin for the Mexican economy

(05:32) Benefits of Xocolatl for Mexican builders and its real-world applications

(08:06) Navigating development without VC backing

(13:56) The future of stablecoins in Mexico and Latin America

(19:39) Challenges and opportunities for LatAm projects in Web3

(23:40) Ivan’s vision for Xocolatl and tokenizing the Mexican economy

(28:35) Advice for global builders creating stablecoins

Connect with Kris:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

Connect with Ivan:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/jaibo

Website: https://www.xocolatl.finance/

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

Limone.eth is a developer and co-founder of Urbe, a startup focused on innovating in the payments space, and a key figure in the ETH Rome community.

Limone.eth shares insights on turning hackathon projects into scalable real-world products, focusing on commitment, user research, and iterative development.

They highlight how hackathons can serve as a platform for experimentation, MVP testing, and feature expansion.

(00:08) How to move from building at a hackathon to scaling a real product

(00:24) Lessons learned from hackathons and commitment to projects

(04:49) Using hackathons as opportunities to iterate on ideas and build features

(05:15) Turning side quests into main projects through iteration and learning

Connect with Kris:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

Connect with Limone:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/limone.eth

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-staffa-8b3b79158/

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

Antimo is the Founder of /red, a design business helping web3 startups and companies scale by simplifying design while emphasizing creativity and efficiency.

In this episode we cover:

(00:07) Red Design Studio's scale and the value of non-compromise

(00:52) Distinction between design and art in web3

(06:10) Applying luxury strategy in design for unique branding

(09:08) Challenges and rewards of unique brand creation for founders

(11:27) Balancing growth with creativity in service agencies

(12:47) Long-term focus: what doesn’t change over time

(16:26) Steady iterations on Farcaster

(18:10) The necessity of charging for product sustainability in web3

Connect with Antimo:

- Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/antimofm.eth

- Website: https://antimo.fm/

Connect with Kris:

- Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

Find us on X: https://x.com/TheOptimismShow

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

Colin is the Co-Founder of Ponder, a web3 survey platform that provides unique insights and innovative polling features to help users gather meaningful data and drive engagement in real-time.

Discussion:

(00:36) How to effectively approach distribution with limited resources

(04:19) The importance of building in public and crafting a consistent narrative

(05:15) Balancing founder intuition with user feedback

(08:47) Launching predictive polling and its impact on user insights

(12:02) Key strategies for collecting actionable user feedback

Connect with Colin:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/cojo.eth

Website: https://www.weponder.io/

Connect with Kris:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

In this episode of The Optimism Show, Kris Gligoroski chats with Nikita Kolmogorov, aka Borodutch, a crypto veteran and founder of Lunchbreak.com.

Nikita shares his journey in crypto, tips for fundraising during a bear market, and advice on staying relevant to VCs by aligning with trends.

(00:08) Nikita’s journey in crypto and the story behind Lunchbreak.com

(02:33) How the funding landscape has changed from past bull markets

(04:28) Current trends for Web3 companies raising funds

(07:27) How Web3 companies can attract VC attention during bear markets

(09:27) The importance of building and staying resilient until the bull market

(10:49) Mistakes to avoid when fundraising in Web3

(13:58) Why it’s crucial to raise capital with future rounds in mind

(16:26) Communicating big visions effectively to VCs

(21:15) Evolving and adapting the pitch for different VCs

(25:17) Knowing when an idea is not fundable and when to pivot

(28:20) The unpredictable nature of trends in the VC world

Connect with Nikita:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/warpcastadmin.eth

Website: https://www.lunchbreak.com

Connect with Kris:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

Twitter: https://x.com/TheOptimismShow

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

Pedro Oliveira is the Co-Founder of Talent Protocol. The protocol works with trusted data sources - like GitHub, Coinbase or LinkedIn - to bring reputation onchain as verifiable credentials and as a reputation score.

With data from 1M+ builders already indexed, Talent Protocol is being adopted as the industry standard by top players like Base, and within 3 months of launch 25+ apps have integrated the Talent API, reflecting growing interest from recruiters, job platforms, and developers.

The $TALENT token encourages all participants to continuously improve the data that powers the protocol, making sure that finding and rewarding top talent gets easier as we scale.

In this episode, we cover:

(00:07) Web2 vs. Web3 developers and their challenges in different regions

(04:17) The inevitability of crypto and its adoption across regions

(06:20) Enhancing builder trust and verification with Talent Protocol’s humanity check and builder score

(07:16) Future possibilities in HR and software development ecosystems

(09:48) Interoperability between platforms and the potential for a more open future

(10:54) Lean team structures and the importance of slow, thoughtful hiring

Connect with Pedro:

- Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/talent

- Website: https://talentprotocol.com/

Connect with Kris:

- Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

- LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

Nikita Kolmogorov( Borodutch) is the Founder of Lunchbreak, a platform revolutionizing attention by enabling direct payments to individuals for their engagement, eliminating traditional ad middlemen.

In this episode, we cover:

(00:15) How Lunchbreak redefines paying for attention directly

(04:45) Key insights from building and launching Lunchbreak in a bear market

(10:57) The rapid iteration strategy and adapting to market trends with Lunchbreak

(13:24) The importance of gamification and the value of points within Lunchbreak’s ecosystem

Connect with Nikita:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/warpcastadmin.eth

Website: https://www.lunchbreak.com

Connect with Kris:

Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]

Antimo is the Founder of /red, a design business helping web3 startups and companies scale by simplifying design while emphasizing creativity and efficiency.

In this episode we cover:

• (00:07) The concept of "Ivory Tower Design"
• (02:01) Explanation of design systems and their purpose
• (08:30) Advice for blockchain and web3 companies on avoiding "Ivory Tower" tendencies
• (11:29) Recognizing corporate mindset in startups and avoiding it in early-stage companies
• (13:16) The importance of adapting to web3 culture and avoiding overly corporate attitudes

Connect with Antimo:

• Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/redantimo
• Website: https://x.com/redesignstudio

Connect with Kris:

• Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/thekris
• LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thekrispartner

For sponsorships and collaboration: [email protected]