Guide du marketing crypto d'a16z : comment les fondateurs peuvent éviter les pièges, de l'écosystème des développeurs à l'émission de jetons ?
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Guide du marketing crypto d'a16z : comment les fondateurs peuvent éviter les pièges, de l'écosystème des développeurs à l'émission de jetons ?
L'essence du marketing des cryptomonnaies est la coordination écosystémique.
Dédié à des analyses Web3 approfondiesSource : Marketing 101 for Startups : Token Launches, Memes, Reaching Devs & More
Compilation & translation : lenaxin, ChainCatcher
Editor's note :
This article is compiled from the "Web3 Frontiers" podcast produced by a16z, focusing on marketing differences between the crypto space and traditional tech industries.
The guests include Amanda Tyler, Claire Kart, and Kim Milosevich. They dive deep into practical experiences around reputation building, developer community management, talent recruitment, token launches, founder branding, along with effective strategies and common pitfalls.
ChainCatcher has compiled and translated the content.
TL&DR
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The biggest challenge in crypto marketing is the extremely small target audience.
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The uniqueness of crypto lies in its small size and low barriers to entry.
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The essence of crypto marketing is ecosystem coordination.
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The core of crypto event strategy is precise targeting.
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Crypto marketing requires redefining growth—developer communities thrive on precise value alignment.
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To build an influential brand in crypto, you must deeply connect with founders.
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When evaluating Layer2 strategy, resource endowments determine differentiation.
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Developer Relations (DevRel) should be deeply integrated into marketing.
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Success in developer ecosystems depends on closing the loop between product, economics, and community.
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The core of a token launch is balancing its dual nature—as both a marketing campaign and a financial product.
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The key to community strategy is clearly identifying who deserves long-term resource investment.
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Advice for founders: position yourself as a domain expert, not a product salesperson.
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For community-built projects, marketing can start earlier.
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Marketing team building should follow a dual standard: generalist foundation plus vertical specialization.
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High-quality content creation requires ongoing input and feedback from founders or the core team.
(I) Stepping Forward: The Founder’s Brand Leverage in Crypto
Kim Milosevich: As heads of marketing and communications, what role should we play? Should we step into the spotlight, or remain behind the scenes?
Claire Kart: Tech marketers often work behind the scenes, which can be effective. But in crypto, technical founders are often silent, causing teams to miss crucial visibility opportunities. In this early-stage industry, finding the right talent is like searching for a needle in a haystack. That’s why I chose to step forward—crypto relies heavily on marketing and community, and users want to hear directly from leadership.
Hiring is equally challenging. Although things have improved, top-tier crypto marketing talent remains scarce. Building a personal brand not only brings referrals but also attracts proactive candidates, significantly improving hiring efficiency.
Amanda Tyler: Building a personal brand on Twitter dramatically improved my recruiting effectiveness. This direct trust-building approach is ideal for early-stage startups. When candidates resonate with your values and journey, a simple “Let’s chat” becomes natural and powerful.
Claire Kart: People choose jobs more based on who they’ll work with than the company itself. While vision and work content matter, the deciding factor is often the team. An offer from an unknown startup might be ignored—but if it comes through a trusted connection, even early-stage companies get serious consideration.
(II) The Uniqueness and Core Logic of Crypto Marketing
Kim Milosevich: Is this phenomenon unique to crypto, or a universal rule? What fundamentally differentiates crypto marketing from traditional tech marketing?
Claire Kart: I think crypto is more like a cult of personality. Think Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg—they’ve invested heavily in personal branding, writing books, doing PR, etc. But in crypto, this cult of personality seems even stronger. Why? I can’t quite explain it.
Amanda Tyler: The distinctiveness of crypto lies in its small size and low barrier to entry. For example, in my twenties, I built a large Instagram following through a parenting blog. But when I entered crypto, I immediately felt the “big fish in a small pond” effect—it’s far easier to gain influence here.
The space consists of clearly defined subcultures. Newcomers can quickly identify target communities and key figures. In contrast, traditional spaces like Zuckerberg’s require higher barriers and more formal credentials. Crypto’s early stage offers unique opportunities for content creators.
Kim Milosevich: As a project, how should one differentiate and precisely attract the target audience?
Amanda Tyler: The biggest challenge in crypto marketing is the tiny target audience. In 2023, only 23,000 developers were actively involved in crypto each month—projected to reach 30,000 in 2024. Out of 28 million global developers, less than 0.1% engage with crypto. In such a niche market, marketing must focus on three core developer needs:
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Technology: solving real problems like composability in Rollup ecosystems
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Economics: exploring sustainable funding models for public goods development
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Value: crafting a compelling and unique value proposition for developers
Claire Kart: Crypto marketing requires redefining growth—developer communities center on precise value resonance. Economic incentives are just the starting point. Real growth comes from building a technical utopia where developers find professional purpose and belonging. Once achieved, they naturally drive ecosystem expansion.
We must abandon the internet-era obsession with scale and instead adopt a "depth-first" mindset: understand each core developer’s technical preferences—even their pet’s name—and perfect the experience for the first 10 users. Tech idealism itself is the best medium for virality. In this space, 100 deeply engaged participants are far more valuable than 10,000 superficial users. True growth stems from these seemingly non-scalable deep connections.
(III) Growing in Ethereum’s Shadow: Positioning and Strategic Trade-offs for Layer2
Kim Milosevich: Do Layer2 projects need to deeply align with Ethereum’s community culture to market effectively?
Claire Kart: Amanda has much deeper experience in Ethereum ecosystem operations. Before joining Aztec, I worked at another Layer1 and have been reflecting on this recently—Ethereum community sentiment shifts like tides, sometimes full of world-changing belief, other times skeptical due to foundation decisions. As a Layer2, we’re still figuring out the optimal balance for leveraging Ethereum’s momentum.
Amanda Tyler: The Rollup ecosystem extends Ethereum’s culture. Its openness fosters a unique “coopetition” dynamic—every Layer2 strengthens Ethereum collectively. This means marketing must balance dual positioning: highlight commercial value while emphasizing the core mission of scaling Ethereum. The strongest proof? Technical integration—like using ETH as default gas payment. That speaks louder than any slogan, demonstrating true symbiosis with Ethereum.
Kim Milosevich: Is the rise of the Layer2 ecosystem reshaping developers’ perception of Ethereum’s value?
Claire Kart: When assessing Layer2 strategy, resource endowment determines differentiation. Well-funded projects like Coinbase’s BASE can leverage corporate resources to build independent brands. Resource-constrained Layer2s, however, must tightly align with Ethereum to borrow its credibility for cold starts. This resource-driven marketing choice reflects the “Matthew effect” in crypto—“the rich get richer.” Emerging projects must use leverage wisely.
(IV) DevRel × Marketing: The Synergistic Engine Driving Ecosystem Growth
Kim Milosevich: How should community management and Developer Relations (DevRel) strategically align with marketing?
Claire Kart: I’ve experienced two team models. In a full-funnel marketing setup, DevRel focuses on mid-to-late conversion, supporting developers already familiar with the project and ready to deploy. At Aztec, due to high product complexity, DevRel is embedded within the product team. While enabling deep collaboration, this model faces two challenges: ensuring consistent user targeting and preventing disconnect between marketing acquisition and developer support.
Amanda Tyler: Developer Relations (DevRel) should be deeply integrated into the marketing system. Developer documentation—the primary touchpoint—must maintain consistent tone and conversion pathways. Today, DevRel is evolving into a content creator role, producing programming tutorials that solve tooling pain points. We’ve found such content boosts developer engagement, proving the industry needs interactive formats that break down information silos. This evolution demands stronger marketing thinking and execution from DevRel.
Kim Milosevich: How should blockchain projects design effective on-chain developer support strategies?
Claire Kart: Success in developer ecosystems hinges on closing the “product-economics-community” loop. In privacy tech, for example, the field’s specialization naturally filters the right developers. During cold start, pursue both commercial potential and track early developers closely, offering high-value support—media exposure, strategic advice—at critical moments. This deep operation isn’t scalable, but it’s essential for building moats.
Amanda Tyler: The essence of crypto marketing is ecosystem coordination. It’s not just uncovering developer stories—it’s proactively identifying needs and driving product iteration. The core is empowering developers to succeed: intervene on GitHub, Twitter, etc., solve real build challenges first, then amplify once the project matures. This “empower first, amplify later” closed-loop model is the true path to effective ecosystem building.
(V) Coordinating Ecosystems and Filtering Noise: A Systemic Approach from Token Launch to Brand Alignment
Kim Milosevich: How do you accurately identify meaningful feedback in the overloaded crypto community?
Amanda Tyler: To track early adoption of a new token standard, I take these steps:
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Analyze repository clone logs and discover many newly created accounts
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Filter for genuine developers and reach out via Twitter to understand usage needs
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Simultaneously validate technical docs and relay user feedback directly to the product team
This process embodies a “first-hand developer needs sourcing” methodology.
Kim Milosevich: How do you build a comprehensive lifecycle management system for token launches?
Claire Kart: The core of a token launch is balancing its dual nature—it’s both a marketing campaign and a financial product. The quality of the economic model directly determines a project’s fate. Choose either explosive or gradual rollout paths based on project traits. Execution-wise, focus on three keys:
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Work closely with economists to define the token’s value proposition—avoid copying templates
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Deeply study real-world use cases and user behaviors across markets
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Establish robust post-launch governance: community sentiment management, team incentives, and disclosure standards
These challenges mirror those faced by public companies.
Kim Milosevich: How do you build a full-cycle operational framework for token launches, ensuring a closed loop from economic design to community governance?
Claire Kart: The core of community strategy is clarifying who deserves long-term resource investment. As mentioned, bots and AI accounts flood communities—real users are hard to spot. So precise targeting is essential:
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Cultivate highly aligned early supporters during testnet phases
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For PoS networks, node operators and validators (institutional or individual stakers) are key influencers
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Build structured operations—e.g., regular community calls
The key is gathering broad feedback while learning to filter noise. Responding to every online comment leads only to drowning in useless data.
Kim Milosevich: How does the split structure of foundations and labs in crypto create specific challenges for marketing teams? And how can brand alignment be achieved while maintaining organizational independence?
Amanda Tyler: In practice, I use differentiated communication strategies for this dual structure:
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Labs side: cultivate technical leaders as spokespeople—for example, give product leads verified accounts to share updates (e.g., custom gas token upgrades), then amplify via official channels
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Foundation side: focus on strategic brand messaging to shape industry perception
This maintains narrative independence while creating synergy in execution.
Claire Kart: This dual-team structure has mixed results. The upside: strategic collaboration with seasoned marketing talent—e.g., joint planning at DevCon marketing summits, strengthening technical ties and easing management load. But the main downside is duplicated resources. During downturns, maintaining two full executive teams (GC/CFO/CMO) creates significant financial strain.
(VI) Brands Begin with People: Dual Strategy of Founder Influence and Marketing Resources
Kim Milosevich: How should founders professionally build their personal brand (IP)?
Amanda Tyler: My core advice to founders: position yourself as a domain expert, not a product salesperson. Practical steps:
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Discuss industry pain points based on expertise—not product pitches
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Publicly build influence through specialized knowledge
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Use personal channels to share deep insights
Take Optimism’s founders—their voices carry weight because they’re rare and insightful. They don’t speak often, but when they do, they deliver sharp, expert analysis. This restrained, professional approach is worth emulating.
Claire Kart: Founders should choose the most natural form of expression: podcast if good at conversation, long-form writing if skilled at articulation, video if camera-comfortable. Don’t force unfamiliar formats—founders uncomfortable with public speaking can skip big stages. The key is infusing professional content with personal flair—add humor if witty, creativity if imaginative. Find an easy yet authoritative output style, then pair it with smart distribution.
Kim Milosevich: How can we help founders build personal IP within their comfort zone while planning progressive growth?
Claire Kart: For founders starting out, begin with the easiest entry point: focus on one thing well, mobilize company-wide support, and create a few signature moments to build momentum. This beats forcing founders to post 10 tweets daily. The goal is having something meaningful to say—and saying it well. That naturally opens doors.
Kim Milosevich: Should founders fully delegate shaping their personal IP and core company narratives (mission/values/positioning) to marketing teams?
Claire Kart: My role is clear: help founders communicate their core vision. Founders must lead in expressing the company’s DNA and technical roadmap—it’s vital for fundraising. We provide professional support—from ghostwriting to strategy workshops—but always insist the founder generates original content. The team refines and packages it. Because what truly resonates is the founder’s authentic entrepreneurial intent, not over-polished marketing jargon.
Amanda Tyler: To build a powerful brand in crypto, you must forge a deep connection with the founder. Only through one-on-one dialogue can you truly grasp their vision and motivation, thus infusing the brand story with soul. This is the foundation of successful marketing—no shortcuts.
Kim Milosevich: A key question about marketing resources: when to hire a full-time marketing lead vs. bring in consultants or agencies?
Amanda Tyler: A unique aspect of crypto marketing is promoting concepts and visions before the product is mature. This phase requires constant experimentation to find the right messaging.
My advice: start marketing six months before launch. Promoting a non-existent product too early breeds skepticism; starting too late misses opportunities. The key is finding the golden window—align storytelling with product delivery timelines.
Claire Kart: For community-built projects, marketing can start earlier. For example, when running a decentralized testnet, you need node operators even without a “formal product” or mainnet.
I help founders clarify their needs:
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If the project requires continuous community operations (weekly recaps, progress updates), a dedicated person may be needed
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If needs are temporary, consultants or agencies may suffice
The key is distinguishing real needs from external pressure—hiring out of anxiety rarely works.
Amanda Tyler: Working with marketing agencies in crypto poses unique challenges. Due to extreme domain specificity, you must invest significant time training them to truly understand the product—otherwise, output will lack impact.
Claire Kart: Crypto marketing agencies fall into two categories: large generalists and niche specialists. Seasoned marketers benefit more from boutique teams that deliver high-quality, tailored results—especially valuable in long-term collaborations. But founders, lacking experience, face risks regardless of choice.
(VII) Getting Started: From Agency Collaboration to Team Building for Early-Stage Projects
Kim Milosevich: How can founders without marketing experience effectively select and manage professional agencies?
Claire Kart: Many founders have a misconception: signing an agency contract will magically solve all marketing problems.
Amanda Tyler: With small boutique agencies, I’ve found success using a focused workflow: provide concise, well-defined campaign briefs. This scoped approach avoids internal narrative confusion and ensures execution quality—it’s my preferred collaboration model.
Kim Milosevich: As the first full-time marketing hire at a startup, how should you prioritize hiring? What core competencies should this leader possess?
Claire Kart: When hiring the first marketing lead, my principle is clear: only hire someone I’ve worked with before. This person must meet three criteria: deep understanding of my working style, seamless collaboration skills, and willingness to roll up sleeves (in early stages, even CMOs must run social media). Experience shows this trusted partnership accelerates progress—compared to risky hires, working with known allies withstands startup pressures better and prevents team disruption from mis-hires.
Kim Milosevich: How should early-stage startups balance depth of expertise with functional flexibility when hiring?
Amanda Tyler: Marketing team building should follow the “generalist foundation + vertical specialization” dual standard: each member must handle basics like writing tweets, formatting emails, hosting voice chats, while also possessing deep expertise in a specific area. This domain-based (not function-based) team structure maximizes small-team efficiency. No rigid role boundaries—each member is both a generalist and a specialist.
Kim Milosevich: When hiring crypto talent, is “native” background mandatory?
Amanda Tyler: It depends on the role. For comms roles (e.g., copywriting or PR), industry knowledge can be learned. We all started from zero—no one was born knowing crypto. What matters is a passion for continuous learning: I still read every major update daily. If I can do it, so can our comms manager.
Kim Milosevich: How to balance technical expertise with crypto industry fit? When and how should crypto projects bring in editorial talent?
Claire Kart: Hiring in crypto should return to business fundamentals. SaaS projects targeting developers can recruit proven marketing talent from traditional tech—e.g., experts in developer community building. Instead of insisting on “crypto-native only,” focus on transferable skills. Access to rich SaaS talent pools in hubs like San Francisco allows crypto projects to rapidly onboard battle-tested marketers.
Amanda Tyler: Content creators and technical writers need a clear strategic roadmap to be effective. Many companies hire doc engineers just to translate product roadmaps, but these roles often lack the ability to integrate short-term goals into a six-month strategy.
Claire Kart: When considering hiring a content creator, reflect on three levels: first, identify the specific pain point writing should solve; second, clearly define job scope—don’t leave it vague as “responsible for writing”; most importantly, establish collaborative mechanisms, because high-quality content requires ongoing input and feedback from founders or the team—it’s never solved by simply hiring a writer.
Kim Milosevich: How to ensure newly hired content creators thrive in a decentralized team structure?
Claire Kart: Before hiring a full-time content creator, founders must first define the expected first deliverable. Often, such needs don’t require a full-time role. Founders commonly make two mistakes: hiring agencies or full-timers too early, and overlooking existing network potential. A more pragmatic approach is project-based or temporary collaborations—especially for one-off content needs. Blindly hiring full-timers often leads to resource misallocation.
(VIII) Local Presence and Resonance: Integrating Local Operations with Community Culture
Kim Milosevich: How can crypto projects efficiently build global on-the-ground operational capabilities?
Claire Kart: The core of global crypto operations is building local trust networks. Entering new markets requires reliable introductions to local partners—business customs vary widely: some regions prefer trust-based long-term relationships over standardized US-style contracts. Without local ties, cultural misunderstandings and communication breakdowns occur. The optimal path is leveraging existing networks for endorsement, not cold-starting with strangers.
Amanda Tyler: By launching localized Discord channels, we effectively identified and nurtured highly active community members. Our model: systematically train locals on project docs, gradually building a decentralized cultural dissemination network. This localization via everyday tools builds new forms of online relationships, fostering community ecosystems through frequent interaction.
Claire Kart: Community management requires identifying and cultivating core supporters. During key project phases, active contributors become valuable talent sources. Formalizing them through tech ambassador programs or local event organizing maintains engagement and builds initial market assets. When seeking professional service providers, these foundational networks offer references, reducing the difficulty of starting from scratch. Post-grant models prove their worth through realistic evaluation.
Kim Milosevich: What is the strategic positioning and methodology for events in crypto?
Amanda Tyler: The core of crypto event strategy is precise targeting. Large events boost brand visibility but have unclear ROI. In contrast, small, high-end events achieve business partnerships and key networking at lower cost. Mature projects should focus on high-value participants; emerging ones should avoid blind exhibition, instead creating niche, high-quality events. It’s about quality, not scale.
Claire Kart: Crypto event strategy should focus on three points:
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Align with the product roadmap—coordinate major releases with key events;
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Standardize budget use—avoid treating event funds as relationship maintenance; all sponsorships must serve clear ecosystem goals;
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Focus on efficient formats—small private meetings for core audiences, plus specialized events like developer conferences.
In-person events let teams observe developer feedback firsthand, identify potential users, and even uncover regional communities—opening paths for global expansion.
Kim Milosevich: How should crypto marketing balance technical rigor with community-driven, entertaining expression?
Claire Kart: Crypto marketing should skillfully use meme culture as a narrative tool. Memes elegantly simplify complex ideas and strengthen community identity. The key is establishing balance: keep core accounts professionally toned, but allow room for creative freedom among ops staff—this boosts morale and yields great content. Treat memes as an organic part of the overall strategy, testing and selecting expressions that resonate across the industry, rather than using them randomly.
Amanda Tyler: Our meme strategy is moderately engaged: we mainly support content from ecosystem projects, keeping our own creations restrained. We follow three rules: maintain positive communication, uphold brand tone amid industry humor, and track trends via internal meme sharing. This balanced approach lets us participate in community culture while effectively managing communication risks.
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