- Building Web3
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- Founder Led Marketing 101
In Web3, the landscape is more competitive than ever. Gone are the days when first-mover advantage was enough.
The industry has matured, and most blue-ocean opportunities are saturated. To stand out, you must compete on two fronts:
Features
Marketing
Let's focus on the marketing first (because no one sees the features if the marketing sucks).
The Two Marketing Challenges in Web3
Before jumping into execution, let’s address the unique issues founders face in Web3:
Limited Acquisition Channels: Unlike Web2, Web3 marketers don’t have the luxury of leveraging paid media extensively. Organic content reigns supreme.
Skeptical Buyers: Web3 audiences have seen it all—rug pulls, failed projects, and overhyped promises. Trust isn’t given; it’s earned.
So what can we do?
Well, you can't be anonymous or hide behind a brand account. Being anonymous is a luxury no longer afforded in our low-trust environment.
But there is a solution...
A Sprout Social study found that 82% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand with a visible and vocal founder.
Founder-led marketing tackles both challenges head-on by fostering organic engagement and humanizing the brand.
In Web3, where trust is at a premium, founder-led marketing isn't optional; it’s survival.
Projects like Base and Helius have leveraged founder-led strategies to dominate their niches.
The key? Founders share stories and insights on the timeline to build trust and foster community.
As they say, "In web3, the community doesn't buy what you built. They buy the opportunity."
So, how do we build up the founder brand?
Introducing the Founder Flywheel
The Founder Flywheel puts the founder’s presence at the top of the marketing pyramid. It’s not just about storytelling—it’s about systematically turning attention into trust and trust into conversions. Here’s what it looks like:
Founder Profile: The entry point where founders create engaging content to capture attention and inspire curiosity.
Community: Channels where the audience learns more about the product and connects with other users.
Conversion Events: The destination—be it protocol adoption, token sales, or NFT drops.
When executed correctly, this flywheel not only amplifies visibility but also builds a moat of trust that competitors can’t replicate.
Why it works:
Trust compounds. A visible, active founder creates a moat that competitors can’t replicate.
Building Your Founder Flywheel
1. Build Your Profile
Choose your Profile Picture:
Up-close
Clear background
Smile
A real picture (Don’t use a silly nft)
Write a Good Headline:
Mention your role first
Mention your company
Add a value proposition
Build Your Bio Section:
What are you building
Social proof (case studies)
What type of content can viewers expect
Featured Link:
Your site or where you want to drive traffic
Remember. The goal of this is to convert visitors into followers
2. Understand who you are talking to
What bold stance does your brand take that others don’t? You should ask yourself:
What’s the actual goal here?
Who’s my ideal audience?
What are they struggling with?
How do we solve their problems?
3. Select Your Initial Platform
Create content where you consume content:
If you love writing, start with Twitter.
If you’re a video person, lean into YouTube (and post them on Twitter too).
The goal is to find your voice, experiment, and improve through iteration.
4. Stack Channels Over Time
Once you’ve mastered your primary platform, start adding others. For example:
Add YouTube for long-form video content
Expand to Newsletters, Twitter Spaces, Medium, LinkedIn, or short-form video.
The key is to scale strategically, maintaining quality while broadening reach.
After refining your audience and choosing a platform, it’s time to decide on your content pillars (the core topics you’ll focus on).
Selecting Your Content Pillars
Your content pillars are the foundation of your Founder Flywheel. Choose 2-3 topics you can consistently own:
Your Expertise: Teach your audience about your product and niche.
Audience Pain Points: Address the biggest challenges in their language.
Aim to choose 3 content pillars. For Building Web3, I talk about 3 core topics:
AI
Crypto Culture
Web3 Marketing
Content pillars give you the chance to never run out of ideas. As an example, Web3 marketing can be broken down into:
Ads
Events
KOL Management
Organic Content Marketing
And much more.
Each sub-pillars spawns hundreds of potential ideas for content, so next, we need to decide on our style.
Educational vs. Entertaining Content
There are 2 broad content styles:
Educational Content: Teach your audience something new about your niche or product.
Entertaining Content: Engage through storytelling, humor, or behind-the-scenes moments.
Not every founder needs to be entertaining, but they do need to connect with their audience.
For example, reading Jesse Pollak's Twitter will teach you more than Mert's. However, many people resonate with Mert's funny and irreverent style more.
Now, let's get started implementing a 30-day plan.
Quick Wins: 30-Day Action Plan
Week 1: Download our free guide to troubleshoot your slow organic social growth
Week 2: Start engaging. Spend 10 minutes daily commenting on relevant posts. (See what works and what doesn't in your niche)
Week 3: Start to post 1-2 times per day related to your content pillars.
Week 4: Measure performance. Double down on what’s resonating.
The Payoff
If you commit to founder-led marketing for 90 days. You’ll:
Build trust with your audience.
Foster an engaged community.
Establish your brand as a go-to authority in your niche.
Remember: People buy into people before they buy into products. The Founder Funnel is how you make that connection.
But remember: Founder-led marketing isn’t easy.
It takes time, effort, and strategy.
P.S. You don't have to do it alone. Download our free troubleshooting guide to learn the 4 key steps to fixing slow content growth: How to Troubleshoot Your Slow Organic Social Growth