Ep.95: How dWeb Outdoes the Traditional Internet—with Matthew Gould & Brad Kam of Unstoppable Domains

The Boost VC Podcast

Most of us spend a significant amount of time cultivating our online assets. And yet, we don’t actually own our slice of the digital economy. Our social media accounts and even our personal websites can be censored or taken away from us at any time by the big companies that control them. But the decentralized web is different.

Matthew Gould and Bradley Kam are the cofounders of Unstoppable Domains, a crypto startup that builds censorship-resistant websites and sells blockchain domain names to fund the gateway to the decentralized web. Prior to Unstoppable, Matthew and Brad both served on the team at Talkable, the leading online platform for referrals and loyalty marketing.

Today, Matthew and Brad join us to discuss what differentiates blockchain startups from traditional internet companies, explaining how they knew Unstoppable could be sustainable business. They weigh in on the challenges of managing a remote work environment and describe their unique rapport as cofounders. Listen in for insight around what the decentralized web is trying to build and learn how dWeb facilitates freedom of speech and gives us ownership of our digital assets.

Topics Covered

How Matthew and Brad got into crypto

• Exposure to crypto community in San Francisco
• Solves some of world’s fundamental problems

What differentiates crypto from traditional internet businesses

• Must invent business model, no experts
• Important to tell story (market education)
  

How Matthew and Brad invest in their community

• Product exploration, help companies build websites
• Create community and share ideas on Telegram

What the dWeb is trying to build

• Internet where users in control
• Launch business or transact from anywhere

The benefits of the dWeb over the traditional internet

• Prevents government or company censorship
• Users own assets in digital economy

How Matthew and Brad knew Unstoppable was a viable company

• Customers willing to buy NOW
• Precedent for domain names as business
• Potential to replace many parts of traditional web
  

The rapport between Matthew and Brad as cofounders

• Matthew develops product, Brad handles BD + growth
• Battle regularly over ideas but no ego involved
  

How Matthew and Brad think about remote work

• Harder for managers, easier for individual contributors
• Overhead higher as must invest heavily in tools

What Matthew and Brad are doing to prep for hiring remotely

• Make sure standardized process in place
• Invest more time (15 hours per week)

Matthew and Brad’s personal definitions of success

• World changed because of something we did
• Use of blockchain domains in everyday life

Most of us spend a significant amount of time cultivating our online assets. And yet, we don’t actually own our slice of the digital economy. Our social media accounts and even our personal websites can be censored or taken away from us at any time by the big companies that control them. But the decentralized web is different.

Matthew Gould and Bradley Kam are the cofounders of Unstoppable Domains, a crypto startup that builds censorship-resistant websites and sells blockchain domain names to fund the gateway to the decentralized web. Prior to Unstoppable, Matthew and Brad both served on the team at Talkable, the leading online platform for referrals and loyalty marketing.

Today, Matthew and Brad join us to discuss what differentiates blockchain startups from traditional internet companies, explaining how they knew Unstoppable could be sustainable business. They weigh in on the challenges of managing a remote work environment and describe their unique rapport as cofounders. Listen in for insight around what the decentralized web is trying to build and learn how dWeb facilitates freedom of speech and gives us ownership of our digital assets.

Topics Covered

How Matthew and Brad got into crypto

• Exposure to crypto community in San Francisco
• Solves some of world’s fundamental problems
  

What differentiates crypto from traditional internet businesses

• Must invent business model, no experts
• Important to tell story (market education)
  

How Matthew and Brad invest in their community

• Product exploration, help companies build websites
• Create community and share ideas on Telegram

What the dWeb is trying to build

• Internet where users in control
• Launch business or transact from anywhere
  

The benefits of the dWeb over the traditional internet

• Prevents government or company censorship
• Users own assets in digital economy

How Matthew and Brad knew Unstoppable was a viable company

• Customers willing to buy NOW
• Precedent for domain names as business
• Potential to replace many parts of traditional web

The rapport between Matthew and Brad as cofounders

• Matthew develops product, Brad handles BD + growth
• Battle regularly over ideas but no ego involved

How Matthew and Brad think about remote work

• Harder for managers, easier for individual contributors
• Overhead higher as must invest heavily in tools

What Matthew and Brad are doing to prep for hiring remotely

• Make sure standardized process in place
• Invest more time (15 hours per week)

Matthew and Brad’s personal definitions of success

• World changed because of something we did
• Use of blockchain domains in everyday life

Connect with Matthew & Brad

Unstoppable Domains https://unstoppabledomains.com/

Unstoppable on Telegram https://t.me/unstoppabledomains

Resources

20 Mission http://www.20mission.com/

Jered Kenna https://twitter.com/jeredkenna

Talkable https://www.talkable.com/

Kyber Network https://kyber.network/

Switcheo https://switcheo.network/

GitLab https://about.gitlab.com/

GitLab’s Remote Playbook https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/all-remote/

WordPress https://wordpress.com/

Automattic’s Blog on Remote Work https://wordpress.com/blog/2020/03/20/remote-work-reader/

InVision https://www.invisionapp.com/

InVision’s Remote Culture https://www.invisionapp.com/inside-design/build-remote-culture-bonusly/

Connect with Boost VC

Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/

Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/

Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC

Boost VC on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/boost_vc/