Chips, Crypto and a Bittersweet Takeaway 🍟

Hi members,

We’re interrupting our monthly schedule to give you a one-off EthCC recap (yes, sigh, another one.)

Ah, Belgium. Home of...chips, apparently? Surely it’s not just me that was expecting something a bit more refined?

For the uninitiated, EthCC is one of the biggest yearly crypto events in Europe. It’s a week long web3 extravaganza, attracting the biggest names in the business and usually consists of a private, core event for the corporate types and then a whole world of side events that compete for the attention of Web3’s glitterati. 

Our takeaway from this event is kind of bittersweet.

There’s no overarching theme, which can feel a bit chaotic. It can also mean that some of the events are a little bit siloed. What we mean by this is that so many amazing events are happening, but very few are connected. This can lead to ecosystems staying in their respective bubbles. 

But - what we do love about EthCC is that there is a really strong emphasis on community. In fact, for most Web3 communities, this is one of the year’s anchor meet-ups. Ecosystems put on a real show and it's a valuable opportunity for face time with people you may have worked with, or want to. 

Hackernoon features the CGC Builder’s Brunch: 

A big thank you to everyone who made it to our Builder’s Brunch with Brunch Club. The venue was full, the vibes were buzzing and the talks were powerful. 200 of you enjoyed our avocado toast, our CGC painting station and our lovely POAP is still available to mint here.

MetaMask, Palmera, Mimic, Orbis, WalletConnect, Safe, EigenLayer, and others discussed their solutions to make DeFi products more accessible and attractive to the mass user.

Check out the full article on Hackernoon

Token2049 and Korea Blockchain Week - we’re coming for you. Reach out if you’re interested in hosting/co-hosting a guaranteed knockout event.

Here are our top tips for making sense of big conferences

1. Pick your people 👭

Big Web3 conferences are chaos and there is more going on each day than any one person could ever possibly attend. This means time is short and the chances you might just bump into someone that will help you are less likely.

Who do you want to meet? Look at their socials and see if they’re going. Think about talking points if you do meet them. Are they speaking somewhere? Apply to that event. 

If you ask something in the Q&A round after they have spoken, this will show that you took the time to listen and think about their contribution. It will get you brownie points, talking points and a warmer reception when you approach them afterwards. 

Have an A-list of people you want to connect with in mind. Try to get yourself in the same places as them. But don’t beat yourself up if you don’t. Allow some flexibility for people you meet along the way. 

2. Plan, plan plan. 📅

There is so much going on, but most of it is just fluff. There will be 8 million events that are hosting panels on the future of x with NPC 1, 2, 3 and 4. Do you want to hear the same high-level talking points over and over again? No? Then don’t go. 

Think strategically. What are your current skills and interests? Which companies or ecosystems do those align with? If you want to broaden your skills, look for things that are tangentially related to what you do now. Sometimes sidesteps are great options before the next leap forward. 

Think about after parties. The “cool” ones will be sold out ages in advance. No one wants to traipse around a city they don’t know at all, getting rejected from one place after another. 

Also - don’t eat alone! A meal is a great time to connect with someone, as well as a more natural setting to have a vaguely human conversation. 

Don’t forget and condemn yourself to a lonely McDonald’s before going home for the night. 

3. Pace yourself 🏃‍♀️

Web3 summits tend to go pretty hard. There’s a big party available every night, but, believe it or not, that doesn’t mean you have to go to each one. 

You can tell who is staying up until 4 each night because they’re normally sick by the third day of the conference. Avoid these people like the plague or you will come down with conference flu yourself. 

You can’t make the most of your time personally and professionally if you are tired the whole time, so give yourself a chance and future you will be much obliged. 

4. Touch grass 🌿

Part of the allure of conferences is that they are in different places. You should absolutely try to squeeze in some sightseeing or check out what’s happening in the city outside the conference. 

You might never go back and getting out into the real world will create memories that will last longer than a TG connection. 

Go swimming, see a museum, use an outdoor gym, check in to a local yoga class in a park. This will give you something to talk about, if nothing else. 

That's it for now. Until next month, take care and join our Telegram for more alpha throughout July.