ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Variant Fund is a venture capital firm that describes itself as “a first-check crypto fund investing in the ownership economy.” Jesse Walden and Li Jin, co-founders and general partners at Variant, join Unchained to discuss the ownership economy, issues with web2 and web3, NFTs, the future of work, and more. Highlights:
where Li and Jesse met and how their backgrounds as investors + founders led them to the crypto space
how Li’s investing niche, which she describes as the passion economy, ended up intersecting with crypto
why Li believes that web3 platforms will be better for creators than the current web2 ecosystem
why Jesse was so inspired by Bitcoin after working in the music industry for so many years
why Jesse believes that NFTs are the “port of entry” for the mainstream adoption of crypto
what other use-cases exist for NFTs outside of the JPEG or PNG meme (and why Jesse is so excited about music NFTs)
why Li believes that web3 tools can help fix the issues inherent to the “gig economy”
Li and Jesse respond to criticisms of web3 coming from Jack Dorsey and Moxie Marlinspike
how Variant Fund thinks about investing in crypto projects
what token allocation Variant Fund targets when investing in crypto projects
why mainstream platforms are experiencing backlash for integrating with NFTs and crypto
what trends in NFTs, DAOs, and the ownership economy Jesse and Li think will pop in 2022
Get Access to Premium Content
Sign up for a premium Bulletin subscription!
For becoming a premium subscriber, you’ll get access to:
a premium-only Discord group
premium-only interviews
the opportunity to ask questions
the chance to weigh in on guests for Unchained
and whatever other future offerings we add to the mix
The special launch price until February 14 $2.99/mo or $29.99/year. Starting on February 15, the price increases to $4.99/mo or $49.99/year.
Join now!
Get a Signed Book Plate!
Many of you have asked me how you can get a signed copy of the book. Here’s how:
Pre-order the book, which you can do at bit.ly/cryptopians.
Make a social media post about the book that includes the pre-order link, bit.ly/cryptoptians or to the book on any bookseller of your choice.
Send a copy of your receipt to hello@unchainedpodcast.com with the subject line, “signed book plate.”
In the email, include a pdf of your receipt + a screenshot of or a link to your social media post + the address to which you’d like me to send the book plate + the name of who you’d like me to dedicate the book plate to.
If you show a pre-order receipt that shows you bought more than one format of the book, such as an audiobook and a hardcover, you can get two signed book plates.
Finally, if you sign up for the Bulletin premium subscription plus do all the above to get a signed book plate, you’ll also receive a POAP.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Crypto.com: https://crypto.onelink.me/J9Lg/unconfirmedcardearnfeb2021
Beefy Finance: https://beefy.finance
Bosonic: https://bosonic.digital/
Alchemy Pay: https://alchemypay.org
Episode links
Li Jin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ljin18
Substack: https://li.substack.com/
Li Jin on the creator economy
The future of the creator economy
https://drive.google.com/file/u/1/d/1C3fBfPgWxf-zqezGlPFr7VXIetlHlnaZ/view
https://twitter.com/ljin18/status/1454096370281943041
What the creator economy is doing wrong
https://li.substack.com/p/legitimacy-lost
How to fix the “gig” style economy for creators
https://li.substack.com/p/the-creator-economy-is-in-crisis
How the creator economy could power universal basic income
https://li.substack.com/p/the-case-for-universal-creative-income
What labor should look like in Web3
https://li.substack.com/p/a-labor-movement-for-the-platform
Building the middle class of the creator economy
https://li.substack.com/p/building-the-middle-class-of-the
Other
Web3 is the “golden age” of content
https://every.mirror.xyz/y_WLA-Tk3VF5uPqHi-glDLVVfHxLUbjXakRI7SMISas
Transitioning to Web3 from a non-tech perspective
https://twitter.com/ljin18/status/1479111931977867275
Jesse Walden
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jessewldn
Website (no blogs since 2020): https://jessewalden.com/
Random Tweets
DAOs
https://twitter.com/jessewldn/status/1459014962207244290
https://twitter.com/jessewldn/status/1470406564582498315
NFTs
https://twitter.com/jessewldn/status/1473641606951669767
Music NFTs x Sound XYZ
https://twitter.com/jessewldn/status/1471148257892044812
Commoditizing a compliment
https://twitter.com/jessewldn/status/1465713306363117578
Writing
NFTs make the internet ownable
https://variant.mirror.xyz/T8kdtZRIgy_srXB5B06L8vBqFHYlEBcv6ae2zR6Y_eo
Product vs. Protocol
https://variant.fund/writing/balance-product-protocol-web3
Leadership in the ownership economy
https://variant.fund/writing/leadership-in-the-ownership-economyscaling-decision
How DeFi crosses the chasm
https://variant.fund/writing/how-does-defi-cross-the-chasm
Crypto’s Business Model is Familiar. What Isn’t is Who Benefits
https://variant.fund/writing/cryptos-business-model-is-familiar.-what-isnt-is
Narrative Economics
https://variant.fund/writing/narrative-economics
Progressive decentralization
https://variant.fund/writing/progressive-decentralization-a-playbook-for-building
Layers of blockchain computing
https://variant.fund/writing/layers-not-eras-of-blockchain-computing
Variant Fund
Variant Fund Twitter
https://twitter.com/variantfund
Variant Fund website
https://variant.fund/
Writing:
https://variant.fund/writing
Mirror Blog (Feb 2021 article on NFTs)
https://variant.mirror.xyz/
Variant Fund + Atelier joining forces
https://variant.fund/writing/atelier-ventures-and-variant-fund-are-joining-forces
https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/19/variant-debuts-a-new-110m-fund-for-crypto-startups-announces-li-jin-has-joined-as-a-general-partner/
Variant Fund team
https://twitter.com/spencernoon/status/1450500555961507844
Podcast: Play in new window | Download