Eddy Faulkner

Nike is blogging about how their digital collectibles won't require a wallet, cryptocurrency, or blockchain. They quietly closed RTFKT and are now putting out .Swoosh content without any cumbersome blockchain crap. So let's pour one out and continue to piss on the grave of the dead 'web3' movement that got EVERYTHING wrong about digital collection. Don't worry most of the 'web3' folks have rebranded to 'Gen' AI and now love the Cloud. And Games continue to lead with digital inventory because we have functional uses for it... IN GAME. ---- Jan 12, 2024: "An Update on the Future of .SWOOSH" "In 2023, we’ve learned so much about virtual products, co-creation, and self-expression. We hosted community learning workshops in over 10 cities, launched a signature collection, debuted “Airphoria”, our first game world in Fortnite, and invited fans to unlock physical sneakers tied to virtual products." "We also confirmed that a virtual product’s value should be based on the enjoyment it gives you when using it to express yourself or unlocking access to physical product. It’s more about the joy of collecting — of being a true fan — not just a transaction. In the next year, you’ll see this come to life as we launch more variations of virtual products that expand your love of self-expression. We’ll go way deeper into video gaming with the launch of a new line of virtual products — Nike In-Game Wearables. In-Game Wearables are different than our digital collectibles because you can purchase and wear these collections directly in your favorite video games. You’ll also be able to unlock exclusive physical apparel and footwear in the real world based on the in-game wearables you purchased. You won’t need a wallet to store any of these new products — you’ll just link your game accounts to Nike. More on that later." (keep reading) Nike .Swoosh Blog: https://lnkd.in/gFDMUvuw ----  APR 15, 2024 (Richard Lawler): The Verge: "Nike’s 404 Error Air Force 1 arrives on April 23rd.Despite being a .Swoosh-exclusive this BSOD-themed shoe doesn’t have any NFT links or crypto wallet requirements (although you will need to register an account by April 18th). Nike’s web3 plans for .Swoosh seem mostly dead, with a January blog post saying digital gaming item tie-ins will skip the blockchain and instead just link to Nike accounts." TheVerge: https://lnkd.in/geJvzNTR ---- Nike .Swoosh and the 404 error shoes that no longer use anything 'web3'. https://www.swoosh.nike/ ---- Back in 2022 Nike wanted .Swoosh to mean something schmetaverse. That lasted for a year: Nov 14, 2022: The Verge: "Nike is still trying to make NFTs happen with .Swoosh/ The company’s launching .Swoosh, a Web3 platform that will eventually let users buy, sell, and trade virtual shoes and apparel." The Verge: https://lnkd.in/gGfA4Fsx ---- Mar 18, 2024: "Nike to shut down RTFKT this year following acquisition in 2021" Twitter: https://lnkd.in/gUGPstXB #schmetaverse #web3 #webisajoke

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The top product on TikTok right now is a gut cleanse supplement. It's doing big numbers. Lessons: 1. Sell things that solve problems, not things that are "cool." 2. Taboo topics get great engagement and sales on social media. 3. Consumables are a great business. Lots of people who buy this will buy it again in the future with $0 CAC. Data found on Fastmoss. P.S. Million Dollar Sellers has 650+ successful Amazon sellers exchanging strategies and ideas every day. Go to my featured section to apply.

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If you’re starting a new DTC brand then this is for you: Don’t put a single dime into paid ads. Unless you’ve got crazy backing then I can bet you’re not working with a big budget And you don’t want to spend it all trying to get your feet off the ground. Start with: •Influencer Seeding (Reach your targeted audience organically)  •Post short-form content on TikTok (there are 50 million daily users - start building in public to find your audience) •Now use your paid affiliates & your audience to start selling on TikTok Shop Yes it takes more effort Yes it’s a longer process But it’ll help you to start breaking even as fast as possible

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There’s one partner I’m keeping on my influencer tech stack: Archive I use it to: - Track all mentions (stories, reels, tiktoks, etc) - Make custom reports including impressions, engagements, post frequency - Manage gifting campaigns - Track added value content from paid influencers Today they're launching Competitor Insights. Lucky for me, I had early access and have been using it to: - Build influencer lists based on competitor mentions - Identify top performing content from influencers mentioning competitors - Benchmark the Allbirds social community against competitors Anyone interested in trying it out?

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Growth is never immediate I’ve been going to orange Theory 3-4x a week since December Not all workouts are my best But I show up & do the work I do enjoy the varied workout structure. Each month they do diff benchmarks to measure progresss They’ve gamified it. I almost had to stop running my first 1 mile run The second one is easily made it but had to slow my speed down throughout The third one I ran yesterday & was able to slowly increase my speed throughout the mile. Next time I sent to be sub 7:30 In many ways I find this is similar to growing your business It won’t be immediate results This is a major cause of failure. Often people give up before they’re successful I was chatting with my biz partner about his business He’s 5 years in and even though he had found success; the contracts he was closing in his 5th year were massive and 5xed his companies value. It would be so easy to give up after the first year or two & chalk it up as a failure If you’re out there grinding & you believe in your idea…… But; you’re not growing as fast as you like Know it’s a part of the journey. It may take years to make it work. Overnight success is often luck / timing / tons of upfront cash Not the norm 🫡

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Exciting news! Knot has teamed up with Plaid, a Knot investor, as a preferred referral partner for card-on-file switching. With Knot's CardSwitcher™, users can set their credit or debit cards as the default payment across 100+ online merchants with just a few taps. Plaid customers can now import transaction history into Knot's SDK for even more seamless card switching ✨. This partnership aligns perfectly with our mission to create a user-centric financial ecosystem. Plaid's Transaction History, combined with Knot's CardSwitcher™, offers solutions for card issuers, merchants, and consumers. 🏦 Card Issuers: Achieve quick and efficient top-of-wallet placement 🏪 Merchants: Reduce transaction declines and improve customer retention by preventing involuntary churn 🏡 Consumers: Gain control over where cards are stored and how payment information is shared Thanks to Plaid for believing in our vision. Link in the comments for the full press release. If you want to utilize Plaid's Transaction Data with Knot, feel free to reach out!

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Some talk about tokenization. Others just tokenize and find out. The team is closing in on a short-term proof of demand goal for luxury goods market. Over $3.5 million already tokenized this month with SHOPX And they’re just getting started. 🎯 The market always decides. #web3 #nft #blockchain #rwa

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Yesterday, I texted Austin Rief, "I am in love with this business, which pains me since I hated them when I was at CoinDesk." I am unsure if I've ever done as strong a 180 as I have on Blockworks. And for an hour last week, Jason Yanowitz and I got to chat about what they've been building. Revenue is up, and profitability is back. They've achieved the three-legged stool of media, events, and research. First-party data strategy? Check. Blockworks is the business I wished CoinDesk could become but didn't. What makes it so remarkable is how the team has weathered the immense volatility of the crypto markets. It's just a great story about the excellent execution of a strategy. #media https://lnkd.in/eD4Uh5wt

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WHO WILL BE IN BERLIN THIS WEEK? I'll be heading to Berlin tomorrow for CB Company B2B cannabis industry Expo. As well Mary Jane Berlin Let me know if you'll be in town. And let's try to cross paths The EU is similar to the USA in many ways. Every country/state has their own level of government and regulatory bodies. But the countries/states agree to also follow this larger governing body (EU and Federal Government). But if the country/states disagree with larger governing body they can still vote at their own level and do what they want more or less. Country/state both need to explain to their local government how much we will pay them (taxes) in order for them to let us sell cannabis legally. It is starting slowly with medicinal and rolling out adult use markets after they see the taxing opportunity. Most EU cannabis companies, similar to the states, need capital to get started or scale in a meaningful way. Capital is tight. But for the right ownership team and business plan it s available. So more in common than different between the Cannabis markets of EU and USA. Excited to learn more. If any one has ho takes on the differences between the 2 markets would love to hear them. Some good street art below from the EU. "love is the only language I speak fluently."

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New project plannning to go hard on Scalability (overlooking rollups) but end up destroying cost effectiveness. #layer2 #rollups #web3 #blockchainscalability

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Mercedes-Benz AG is offering token-gated access to test drives of their top-end models. What does that look like?👇 🚗 Mercedes has been exploring digital collectibles, digital art, and NFTs for over a year through their Mercedes-Benz NXT effort 🏎️ The models that holders can test drive come from the 'Era of Luxury' NFT collection, which includes AMG models, G Wagon, and Maybachs 🌎 This token-gated experience will initially be available in Germany, Netherlands, and US 🤔 Thoughts and observations This is a creative and unique token-gated benefit from an auto brand that is still actively participating in this space. The car models in the NFT collections aren't just for show, but indicate that they are part of an experience that holders can participate in. Learn more about Web3 marketing and growth: https://tpan.substack.com/ More info on the token-gated access: https://lnkd.in/gjUAzekN #web3 #nft #blockchain #mercedes

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The Yield Protocol hack underscores the urgent need for DeFi to evolve beyond conventional security measures. AI-driven threat detection offers proactive, intelligent safeguarding capabilities. 🚀 Could AI be the sentinel that DeFi desperately needs? #recruitment #crypto #blockchain #web3

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Regular audits and updates took the lead in the poll, showcasing a community that values proactive and preventative security measures! 🛡️ Think about it: staying updated is like constantly renovating the walls of a fortress!✨ How can we better integrate community feedback into these security updates to ensure they meet user needs while maintaining rigorous safety standards? 🏰🤔 #recruitment #crypto #blockchain #web3

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I was a 1 man show for the first few years of my marketing biz, and I was overwhelmed constantly. Here’s 4 lessons for beating overwhelm as a 1 person marketing team 👇 💡Document your systems This is something I wish I spent more time on earlier because I’m finding myself playing catch up now 4 years later. Get all of your systems and processes out of your head and on to paper. When the time comes, you’ll be able to show an agency, fractional team, assistant, or a full-time hire exactly what they need to get done and how they can do it. And even if you can’t get the support right away, having clear systems will help you be SOO much more efficient with your day to day tasks. 💡Set clear boundaries You shouldn’t have to do 5 different jobs as a marketing director. Let your executive team know what lies within your wheelhouse and what lies outside of it. This is one of the toughest ones to implement, especially in small businesses. You’re a one person team. It feels like you HAVE to do everything. But there are about 20 different full-time jobs that fall under the marketing umbrella. I’m a generalist myself, but I know that I can’t do ALL of those jobs well. Stay in your lane of expertise, and then ask for support if you need it. 💡Mindful prioritization Especially early on in a small business or startup, there are a few marketing tasks that really move the needle. It’s different for everyone depending on your vertical and USP. But you don’t need to do EVERYTHING as a 1 person marketing team to be successful (although it can feel like that sometimes lol). Find your 2-3 best channels, and spend all your energy and focus there. 💡Take breaks & find a hobby I love spending time with my family. I love playing golf. I love live music. I love to travel. Obviously, I can’t do all of these every week (or even every month). But when I do, it helps me forget about work, and come back recharged. A lot of times when you’re overwhelmed, finding just 20-30 minutes to yourself where you can focus on doing things you enjoy is enough to come back to a project with a new set of eyes. Many of these strategies are easier said than done. I get it. I’m still in the weeds myself most days 😅. But if you’re able to implement just a few, it can make a HUGE difference on how overwhelmed you feel. PS - I’m definitely missing some, so let me know below if you have any effective strategies as well!

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