{"id":11091,"date":"2023-08-29T22:15:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T22:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/29\/how-zeneca-built-a-community-by-doubling-down-on-education\/"},"modified":"2023-08-29T22:15:49","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T22:15:49","slug":"how-zeneca-built-a-community-by-doubling-down-on-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/08\/29\/how-zeneca-built-a-community-by-doubling-down-on-education\/","title":{"rendered":"How Zeneca Built a Community by Doubling Down on Education"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Everyone remembers the person who introduced them to Web3.<\/p>\n<p>Web3 builder and advisor Zeneca has filled that role for many newcomers to the space, offering a wide range of educational offerings via his flagship <a href=\"https:\/\/zenacademy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ZenAcademy<\/a> and more intimate 333 Club communities. <\/p>\n<p>Today (Aug. 30), Zeneca took the next step in developing his ecosystem through the Denizens of ZenAcademy drop. After resisting the temptation of releasing a PFP project for nearly two years, he finally decided to take the plunge through a non-dilutive token swap for existing community members. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat changed for me was now we have a community; we already have that foundation,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe have people who are excited about this PFP and want to represent the community on social media, Discord, and build the brand with us. Through that lens, it started to make sense to strengthen and enhance our existing community rather than use it to fund and build a community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a candid <a href=\"https:\/\/nftnow.com\/podcasts\/zenecas-secrets-to-content-and-community-building\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nft now podcast interview<\/a>, Zeneca dives into his Denizens project, offers valuable advice for content creators and community builders, and gives his unvarnished opinion on the current market.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Zeneca\u2019s Secrets to Content and Community Building\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jKPVyuC9QsQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n<p><strong>Matt Medved: Let\u2019s hear the backstory. How did you get into Web3?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zeneca:<\/strong> I was a professional poker player for 15 years. That\u2019s all I did. I went from high school to poker. And then I dabbled in crypto in 2017, like many people, but it was really like, I just had my money on exchanges. I was trading, and it\u2019s fun when the number goes up, and then [the market] crashed. And I was like, ah, that was a fun experiment, and let\u2019s go back to real life.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But in early 2021, obviously, the bull market was taking off again. And I came back in, and some friends told me about crypto and DeFi. And I was like, there\u2019s stuff now you can actually do stuff on Ethereum, there\u2019s applications, and it really blew my mind. I saw it and asked, \u201cWhy is everyone in the world not talking about this?\u201d Then I just fell down the rabbit hole, and I\u2019m honestly still falling and just got obsessed.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><\/figure>\n<p><strong>You launched the Zen Academy in November 2021. For those who may not be familiar, what is the Zen Academy, and what was your vision behind starting it?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I was doing a lot of trading in 2021. But then, halfway through June, I started creating content. Newsletter writing, long Twitter threads, and it just kind of all blew up. And I think a huge part of that obviously was the bull market\u2014 right place, right time. And very few other people were creating NFT content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Then it all started like blowing up, and I realized, \u2018Hey, I love this. I enjoy creating content. I like writing. I like educating. It\u2019s fulfilling. It\u2019s rewarding. Wow, can I do this full-time? I don\u2019t want to be trading anymore. I don\u2019t want to go back to Poker. And then you think of the traditional models for monetizing as a content creator and writer; there\u2019s Patreon, sponsors, and affiliate links.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>And I was like, You know what? I\u2019m all in on NFTs. I will sell an NFT that acts like a membership token, and that will be it. We\u2019ll have royalties forever, and everyone will be happy, and it\u2019ll work. Obviously, that didn\u2019t quite pan out that way, but it was an experiment, and I said, \u201cYou know what? This is what I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>[My token] was relatively affordable at the time. A few thousand people minted, and we\u2019ve spent the last two years figuring it out, creating courses, putting out newsletters, and just generally trying to educate people. That\u2019s the entire thesis of our community. I mean, it\u2019s there in the name \u201cAcademy.\u201d It\u2019s all about creating educational content and helping.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">INTRODUCING THE DENIZENS OF ZENACADEMY <\/p>\n<p>A PFP to reward a community of lifelong learners.<\/p>\n<p>For people who value humility over hype, and substance over speculation.<\/p>\n<p>Read on to learn more + have a chance to get one \u2935\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QxyH1hnsfX\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/QxyH1hnsfX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Zeneca \ud83d\udd2e (@Zeneca) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Zeneca\/status\/1691578878572077523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">August 15, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>Let\u2019s dive into Denizens. This is your first PFP project. What is it, and why now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy PFPs?\u201d is a good question everyone should answer before launching a collection. Even in 2021, let alone now.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When I first launched Zen Academy, I was extremely intentional about not doing PFPs. Because everyone was doing it at the time. This was the peak bull in November 2021. At that time, I felt there were way too many PFPs. We don\u2019t need another PFP project. Obviously, we\u2019ve had a billion more come out since then and now.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>What changed for me was now we have a community; we already have that foundation. We have people who are excited about this PFP and who want to represent the community on social media, Discord, and build out the brand with us. Through that lens, it started to make sense to strengthen and enhance our existing community rather than use it to fund and build a community. We\u2019re not selling it. We\u2019re not making a public sale. We\u2019re not making any money again, perhaps to our detriment. Burn your previous token and get a PFP. That\u2019s the mechanism; it\u2019s non-dilutive. It\u2019s landed well with our community.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Why PFPs?\u2019 is a good question everyone should answer before launching a collection. Even in 2021, let alone now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>zeneca<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>How will the Denizens play into the overall ecosystem of Zen Academy, 333, etc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yeah, so basically, we are a membership community with three tiers. So, I would say 333 is the top premium maximum 333 tokens. Denizens are like the middle tier 10,000 PFPs. They\u2019re like members of Zen Academy: they get the same utility that they always have and will in the future, which is, you know, access to courses. I create discounts for things, newsletters, free educational materials that the general public might otherwise pay for, and things like that. That is our way of trying to deliver tangible value and utility.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of going and paying $200 or $300 for a 15-hour video course, you can buy our token and get a course for free and things like that. And then we have the more accessible inclusive tier. We have the student IDs, which are the Soul Bound Unlimited supply of NFTs that anyone can go to a website now and mint. That gets you into our ecosystem. It\u2019ll get you into a Discord, and you know, you can join our mailing list, and you\u2019re still very much part of the family, and you don\u2019t have to spend, you know, a couple of ETH for a 333 pass.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">A year ago today I published my most popular writing piece ever: Infinite Regret.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve written 32 Letters, and more people reach out to me about Infinite Regret than the rest combined.<\/p>\n<p>So, what is Infinite Regret, and why did this piece hit home so much, to so many?<\/p>\n<p>\ud83e\uddf5 \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Zeneca \ud83d\udd2e (@Zeneca) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Zeneca\/status\/1615785349359222786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">January 18, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>Many people compare these markets to a casino; you were a poker player before entering Web3. I\u2019m curious\u2014 how has that experience given you insight into navigating this space?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It really is like a casino. Most people in the space are gambling one way or another. I see people all the time who clearly have gambling problems. Maybe they don\u2019t think of it as that because it\u2019s crypto or NFTs and not the casino or lottery. But my background has prepared me tremendously for this space because I\u2019ve spent 15 years making and losing lots of money in short periods of time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mentally, I\u2019ve found ways to deal with those swings and not take them too seriously. As well as put together strategies to not do silly things, not succumb to addiction, not chase my losses, and all that kind of stuff. For people who might come from a more traditional background or even an 18-year-old who doesn\u2019t have that much life experience, it\u2019s so easy to get on the wrong path in this space. I genuinely don\u2019t encourage too many people to enter and splash around with money.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThe most important thing to me is survival, not losing all your money, leaving the space, totally giving up, and staying mentally sane.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>zeneca<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p><strong>What tips do you have for Web3 content creators?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a new era. The world is changing around us, and it\u2019s keep up or get left behind to a certain extent. There are two distinct schools of thought. You have the people who treat growing an audience and content creation as a skill to get better at with tools, strategies, and tactics, like how to structure your threads, write a hook to get people to read the next one, bookmark, retweet, and go to your newsletter. In the other camp, you have the more genuine and organic creators where you have to find your own voice and deliver value. Some people just want to hear raw, honest truth from someone with experience founding a project.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of your path, being genuine and finding your voice will be increasingly important because the space has grown, and there are ten times as many content creators now, so much of it is just the same stuff rehashed. Are you really standing out? I tried doing it the first way, signed up for courses, and created a systemized approach, but it wasn\u2019t for me. So, I\u2019m returning to what I\u2019ve always done, hoping it\u2019ll be more sustainable in the long term. Don\u2019t lose yourself in the process.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"\/>\n<p><strong>What are your thoughts about where we are in the current market cycle? Where are things going, and how will NFTs play a role in the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I have no idea where we are in the market cycle. Looking back at four-year cycles and all that stuff, maybe things will turn around in 2024-2025, and that\u2019s when the bull will come. Past performance is no guarantee of the future. It\u2019s like, who knows if it\u2019ll play out that way. The most important thing to me is survival, not losing all your money, leaving the space, totally giving up, and staying mentally sane.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For most people, that\u2019s not trading. That\u2019s not trying to play with fire in this market. Spend some time meeting people, connecting, learning about the technology and what\u2019s coming up. When things seem like they\u2019re taking off again, you can maybe get a little more interested and invested and take advantage of that if that\u2019s your goal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>What else can you tell us about future plan<\/strong>s?<\/p>\n<p>Denizen is the big one coming out. The way to get one is, again, it\u2019s only for our existing community, with no public launch. You\u2019ll have to pick up a token on a secondary market. There\u2019ll be a direct one-to-one burn, pick up a chest, burn, and get a Denizen. Then what\u2019s coming in the future is more courses and more content. I\u2019m working on a personal branding course. I think that that\u2019s something a lot of people want. We\u2019re in the creator economy world, and how to build a personal brand can be valuable.<\/p>\n<p><em>This interview transcript has been edited for concision and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/jKPVyuC9QsQ?si=fWCDju1SRpV0ES88\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Watch<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pod.link\/1561616636\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">listen\u00a0<\/a>to our podcast episode with Zeneca for the full and uncut interview.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/nftnow.com\/features\/how-zeneca-built-a-community-by-doubling-down-on-education\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Everyone remembers the person who introduced them to Web3. Web3 builder and advisor Zeneca has filled that role for many newcomers to the space, offering a wide range of educational offerings via his flagship ZenAcademy and more intimate 333 Club communities. Today (Aug. 30), Zeneca took the next step in developing his ecosystem through the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nftnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/082523_Zeneca_Editorial_Graphics1-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11091"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nft.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}