Zag To The Zig #58 :: Fast Fashion, Absurd Apes and Excel Eloquence
Hope you managed to kickstart 2022 the way you wanted to: slow, fast, in whatever way suits you. For me it’s been pretty deep, as I was asked to curate the 5th Conference on Web3/blockchain/crypto. Top job!
This has allowed me to talk to some exciting people in the space and the line-up is coming together nicely. Sign up and do check the early bird tickets for a proper old-school IRL evening event.
Let’s start with creating a new Room this week, the Web3 hallway
Web3 is an interesting phrase. I call it a hallway, because it connects a few things: metaverse, crypto, NFTs, DAOs,… It moves blockchain beyond the tech. And it encapsulates a promise of being different, possibly better, than web2.
Quite a few smart people have been quick to puncture that promise and state that there a lot of issues with web3. Some are valid points. Some are less valid. But at least it’s a sign it’s entering the early mainstream.
You’ll have come across the web3-critics in your Twitter feed, no doubt. But I did enjoy this take from Tim O’Reilly (who coined the term “web2.0”), even it was just for the title: ‘Andy Warhol, Clay Christensen and Vitalik Buterin walk into a bar’.Sometimes it really feels like we're back in 2017, but with better tech and more people. Decentralising the film industry with a DAO? A friend of ZTTZ tried to do this in 2017. #TooEarlyButStillIntriguing.
You can say what you want about Web3, but it ain’t boring. This guy sold his Lamborghini so he could buy a Bored Ape NFT. Argument pro: it’s better in holding its value.
Insane times.
Finally, this is a great story about how your perspective can shift. From telling people on national radio to not buy bitcoin to thinking you can save public radio with a DAO: give the story of Adam Davidson a slow read.
In the Tech Basement
Follow the money. ARK Invest shares their yearly deck on where they see tech investments going over the long term.
TLDR: AI, Battery tech, Blockchains, Robotics and Gene Sequencing.Lovely counter-narrative. So you don't HAVE to be a dropout to become a success in tech.
In the Wardrobe
Wow. Read this profile of Shein and how it beat Amazon in the fast fashion space.
Then compare this to an honest open letter on why Patagonia, a brand known for its 'sustainable' credibility, can't use the word 'sustainable' themselves. “We are part of the problem” they say.
Weaving web3 into fashion. How Discord is a becoming a platform for sneaker brands doing their NFT thing. Gucci even has a vacancy for an NFT Discord type.
In the Office
Stunning stat. Women's earnings increase by 4.4%, if the first child of their male boss is a daughter.
Ok, so we re-created meetings online. And writing documents, sharing info, the functional stuff. But what about the fuzzy, human, binding,... stuff? At Shopify, they asked a couple of devs to find new ways for employees to engage online and they came up with... some video games.
Random ZTTZ
Yes, there is a world championship Excel.
🏁 End note: 1 thing I’m doing this week
I’m still reaching out to potential speakers/partners for the 5th Conference on Web3.
Question for you: “Which speaker would you like me to include?” Hit reply to give your wishlist and suggestions.