Stop Copying in Crypto Startup — How to Stand Out with Your Unique Edge?
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Stop Copying in Crypto Startup — How to Stand Out with Your Unique Edge?
Successful founders are not just great salespeople; they also know how to tell a story.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Marco Manoppo
Translation: zhouzhou, BlockBeats
Editor's Note: This article explores the path of entrepreneurship in the crypto industry, emphasizing that founders should define their direction based on their unique strengths and personal talents, rather than blindly following conventional industry paths. The author notes that successful founders are not just skilled salespeople—they must also possess belief and confidence to turn their vision into reality. The article also highlights that today’s entrepreneurial environment is fairer than ever before, thanks to AI tools, token democratization, and the power of online distribution, enabling founders from all corners of the globe to succeed.
Below is the original content (slightly edited for clarity):
Do you know this game? Finding your edge in crypto. This is a brief, slightly messy reflection on the "crypto game."
In fact, we can zoom out—and realize these ideas apply just as well to the "entrepreneurship game" more broadly. I hope this piece helps aspiring founders—or those feeling somewhat fatigued by the current state of crypto startups. I’m seeing more and more of them on my Twitter feed. So the goal here is to offer an obvious, yet slightly different perspective on how to approach the game we’re all playing.
Life and business are just games. That’s why so many smart people spend time in their youth playing games—strategy games, MOBAs, even MMORPGs. For me, MMORPGs were my favorite: exploring the world, gathering resources to grow stronger, rallying allies for quests, and eventually becoming a household name within the game universe. These were activities I spent countless hours on.
As we age, we often realize life itself is like a video game—no matter your preferred genre. Simply put, life is a game of decisions, self-actualization, and optimization. You make choices to get what you want out of life. And crypto? It’s really no different.
The Current Meta Game
Let’s assume the ultimate goal for most crypto participants is to make money and advance the field. Knowing that, how do you optimize the crypto game?
Some of you may already be familiar with the dependency path playbook for aspiring founders in crypto:
· Enter the space and try to get your name out there by:
(i) Working at a protocol, (ii) Attending conferences/events, (iii) Speaking on Twitter; publicly showcasing your work
Start building your own protocol: (i) Find a big idea with strong token valuation comps, (ii) Raise from a notable angel investor, (iii) Raise from a top-tier VC firm
Hit all technical and non-technical milestones leading up to TGE (Token Generation Event), maintain hype/momentum, grow the community, and gradually exit.
Sounds simple? Not quite. It requires getting into the right rooms, being around the right people, and often having the ability to forcefully shape narratives that align with investor expectations to drive momentum. This gives you enough runway to defend your product—and prove it advances the industry in some way.
Entrepreneur is just a synonym for salesperson, and salesperson is a colloquial term for storyteller. Pro tip: No startup makes sense when first founded. We (founders) are all imposters who must tell a story (i.e., fiction) to attract imagination and capital, pull the future into reality, and make the narrative coherent. Every company I’ve started made zero sense at inception… until it did.
Or didn’t. The only way to predict the future is to create it.
This isn’t lying. There’s a real difference between entrepreneurs and fraudsters: entrepreneurs believe their story will come true. It takes confidence… and a bit of delusion. It helps to be slightly detached from reality—to assume, for whatever reason, you’re the only one who sees the future, and that in this new world, your product/service will be needed and successful, despite overwhelming evidence (i.e., current reality) to the contrary. Call it a [reality distortion field], if you will. — Scott
The danger lies in becoming captivated by your own story.
In the process of convincing investors and other stakeholders, you may become a victim of your own delusion—especially in crypto, where it’s easy to be a “successful founder” without necessarily having a “successful company.”
If you’re a good enough salesperson, you might still profit from your time investment—even if the entire protocol/company remains in net loss. This is essentially an amplified version of zero interest rate policy.
Reminder: You can only do this if you’re in the right room, with the right people, and have the right support.
If you’re feeling tired of all this, keep reading.
Finding Your Role
Surprise! This game is the same across startups outside of crypto—but our industry amplifies the problem due to the dynamics of token capital markets. That topic deserves its own full article. The point is: you can choose to play within the current meta game, which is perfectly valid if you’re good at it (with the right credentials, background, connections, etc.). Or, you can opt out of the system and enter a new meta game.
I have founder friends who are genuinely exhausted by the existing meta game and have asked me: Is there another way to win in crypto?
The answer is yes. In fact, I’m more optimistic than ever that this is now possible.
Unless you’re building the next robot defense company, I believe the current startup environment is better than it’s ever been—with a fairer global playing field.
This shift comes down to three factors:
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The rise of AI-powered programming tools
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The return of token issuance democratization
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The power of online distribution now vastly exceeds offline signaling
In short—talented founders who may not excel in the current crypto startup meta game now have an unprecedented opportunity.
Smart founders from Romania or Vietnam, far removed from the kings of the current meta game, have a greater chance than ever before to win. It’s easier than ever to bootstrap product development, run digital marketing campaigns, launch tokens, and operate an extremely profitable and scalable crypto protocol or company.
So, if you're an aspiring founder navigating the crypto game, remember:
Leverage your unique advantages and unfair edges. Define your role based on your personal strengths, and resist the temptation to follow the crowd down the seemingly standard "basic template warrior" path.
Live an original life. Forge your own path.
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@ManoppoMarco
