We spoke to some of the smartest people in web3. Here’s what we learned, and what we still don’t know.

Li Jin on how web3 can shift power and ownership in the hands of network participants

Envisioning the future of human coordination with Cabin DAO founder Jon Hillis

Mirror’s Patrick Rivera on how tokens can unlock new publishing models for creators and communities.

Scott Kominers on why incentive design matters in web3

Gaby Goldberg helps us envision a world where user and platform interests are aligned.

Joyce Yang and Arthur Zubkoff of Global Coin Research on practical incentive design

Talk is cheap on web2 platforms. Trolls, baseless opinions, and unsolicited recommendations thrive because there is little social cost for being annoying, or just plain wrong. But what would social platforms look like if everyone’s actual reputations were on the line?

Nir Kabessa is exploring this question through his company Yup—a tokenized social network where users can earn money and clout for their taste. Through tokens, Yup incentivizes content curation across the web. It is a social platform where everyone has reputational skin in the game.

Nir’s insights are extremely valuable because he has already built a product that has integrated tokens in the user experience. He also happens to be one of our favorite thinkers when it comes to building sustainable tokenized businesses.

We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

If you work in the music industry you’ve probably heard of Water & Music. Founded by writer and researcher Cherie Hu, it is considered one of the most influential independent voices in music business journalism.

Today, Water and Music is structured as a research DAO. But just 9 months ago, it was a paid newsletter and community—a web2 subscription business. How did Cherie transform it into a thriving research DAO?

In this episode of TBH, we chatted with her to find out! We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is launching a token. Creators and companies think of a token-launch as a quick way to generate some buzz and monetize their existing community. As founders ourselves, we’d be lying if we said we haven’t considered it too.

However, this approach is shortsighted. Just launching a token may generate short-term hype and revenue, but almost never (by itself) leads to long-term commercial success.

Building a sustainable token-based business means exploring monetization models that go beyond the token launch itself. But what does that look like?

In this episode, we spoke to someone who has been exploring this question for quite some time: Tom Tirman, the co-founder of PARSIQ—which is often referred to as the “Zapier for blockchains." Tom is also the co-founder of IQ Protocol—a DeFi framework for renting wrapped expirable versions of digital assets. His experience building these web3 products along with his experience in the traditional finance world give him an insightful perspective on token-based business models.

If you’re a founder or creator who wants to understand how you can build a sustainable business through tokens, this episode is for you.

We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!