From Stage to Blockchain: Jay Chrawnna's Journey to Running the #1 News Source on Polkadot

Colors of Web3 & Entrepreneurship

In this 55th episode of Colors of Web3 and Entrepreneurship, host Lam welcomes Jay Chrawnna, founder of The Kusamarian, the #1 news resource for the Polkadot ecosystem. Jay shares his journey from a career in live theater to becoming a voice in Web3, and how his platform empowers Polkadot’s global community to navigate its decentralized governance system. Jay dives deep into Polkadot’s innovative OpenGov model, the role of The Kusamarian in facilitating discussions, and the importance of live interactions in governance. From managing a $150 million treasury to pioneering a system that aligns diverse stakeholders, Polkadot’s DAO represents a fascinating leap in decentralized collaboration. Whether you’re a Polkadot enthusiast, a Web3 builder, or simply curious about DAOs, this episode is packed with insights about community, governance, and the future of blockchain. ⌛ Timestamps: 00:00:00 Episode trailer 00:00:27 Show intro and brief self-intro from Jay Chrawnna 00:02:18 Jay’s journey from acting to Web3 00:02:59 How COVID changed Jay’s career and led him to finance 00:03:45 Discovering Bitcoin, DeFi Summer, and joining Polkadot 00:10:19 Polkadot video tutorials started with "Polkadot Kusama What The FAQ" 00:12:35 How "Polkadot Kusama What the FAQ” grew into The Kus 00:13:23 Jay’s hobbies: Running, music, and festivals 00:17:28 Intro to The Kus and its role in Polkadot 00:18:29 Space Monkeys podcast: Spotlighting Polkadot leaders 00:21:14 Attempts at Governance (AAG): Proposal debates platform 00:21:56 AAG’s role in managing $2M+ Polkadot proposals 00:27:23 Polkadot’s $150M treasury and shift to stablecoins 00:29:50 OpenGov: Building rep and engaging token holders 00:31:42 Voting power, locking, and delegations in OpenGov 00:36:43 How OpenGov drives decentralized decisions 00:41:31 Polkadot projects: Origin Trail, Mythical Games, and HyperBridge 00:45:44 Jay on upcoming games and projects in Polkadot Kusama 00:53:15 Jay on Polkadot’s future evolution 00:50:06 Challenges Jay’s team faces in the Polkadot ecosystem 00:59:39 Jay’s advice for breaking into Web3 and finding a niche 01:01:58 Where to follow Jay and join The Kus/Polkadot 01:03:43 Episode outro and preview Follow Jay and his company: The Kus website: https://thekus.xyz/ The Kus Twitter/X: https://x.com/TheKusamarian Jay's Twitter/X: https://x.com/GldnCalf My social media: Twitter/X: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/LamWeb3⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lamweb3/⁠ Website: ⁠https://lamtrinh.xyz⁠ My old article about the 2-3 prevailing narratives of 2024-2025: https://substack.com/home/post/p-143541984 If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to stay updated on our upcoming episodes with industry experts and innovators in the Web3 and Entrepreneurship spaces. Thank you for listening!