NFT now founders Matt Medved, Alejandro Navia and Sam Hysell – COOL HUNTING®
While there are still many web3 skeptics (or as NFT Twitter likes to call them, “fudders”), those who closely follow the space see it as a beacon for the future of technology and media. The founding team at the informative platform nft now – Matt Medved, Alejandro Navia and Sam Hysell – foresaw the permanence of web3 and the pervasive effect it would have on other aspects of culture. nft now offers in-roads to those just starting their web3 journey with articles like “How to buy an NFT in a few easy steps” and “What is metaverse?” They share daily updates on key projects worth following. Earlier this summer, they also launched the first edition of NFT100, an annual event (where these photos were taken) that celebrates leading creators and community figures in the NFT space.
Each founder’s background fuels why they do what they do and what they bring to the platform. Medved founded Billboard Dance in 2015, later ran SPIN magazine as editor-in-chief and led content at lifestyle publisher Modern Luxury. Hysell founded NOX Media, a social media marketing and content production agency. Navia went from being director of innovation and culture at Elite Daily to leading content strategy and acquisitions at Verizon. We sat down with all three to talk about the future of web3, why they took the plunge and what you need to know about the space to succeed.
What made you jump into web3? What were some of the shortcomings of web2 that led you to design and launch nft now?
Matt Medved: While I’ve been dabbling in crypto since I bought Bitcoin in 2013 and have covered a lot of music and blockchain, NFTs were the missing piece of the puzzle that inspired me to jump head first into web3. It’s the technology I’ve long believed will finally disrupt the fields I’m actually passionate about—art, music, and culture—in a way that empowers creators. Coming from legacy media, I saw firsthand how broken the web2 business model is. I witnessed misaligned incentives where publications optimized for advertisers instead of serving their core readers and ended up in a clickbait race to the bottom. In web2, media companies built audiences as a means to monetize it, as an intermediary for brands, constantly at the mercy of centralized social media platforms’ algorithms. In web3, creators and brands can build community as an end in itself and earn money directly by sharing the value they create.
Sam Hysell: When you were looking for different resources to dive deeper into space, it was quite fragmented and noisy. nft now was really born out of the desire to scratch our own itch to have a reliable and credible source that could help consumers and creators navigate the space, and help unlock the potential of how web3 can empower culture creators.
These new financial models are really energizing us because they’re putting the “do it for exposure” days behind us for creators and creating new media experiences that prioritize community
Alejandro Navia: Our mission is to empower the creators of culture and bring NFTs from niche to mainstream. Web3 enables us to fulfill this goal by sharing the value we create with our community. These new economic models are really energizing us because they’re putting the “do it for exposure” days behind us for creators and creating new media experiences that prioritize community.
What has been the biggest lesson you’ve taken from web3 so far?
MM: Web3 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bypass traditional gatekeepers and build a more inclusive creative economy that does not reflect the established inequalities of the past. But we must fight deliberately for the better future, it will not just build itself. We’re already seeing enterprise and centralized players like Meta move in to capitalize on this movement, and it would be a shame if we let them dictate web3 the way they did web2.
Super serve your super fans instead of trying to reach the masses
SH: Everyone is always looking for scale. The beauty of NFTs is that you don’t need scale to win. You need a deep connection with a core group of supporters and community participants. This fundamentally changes how people should approach building brands or successful careers as creators. Super serve your super fans instead of trying to reach the masses.
AN: An important lesson that has been reinforced in web3 is that human connection is a profoundly beautiful thing. There is no web3 without the people behind the technology, the creations and the communities. Web3 is bigger than an industry; it is an economy. From a macro point of view, we can clearly see that web3 is eating the world. Entire industries are now creating strategies focused on web3, while deploying billions of dollars to build its future.
Can you tell us a bit more about the future of nft now?
AN: NFTs are clearly here to stay. Mainstream adoption is increasing on a daily basis. While exciting, it can feel overwhelming – especially for new participants to the space. This ties directly into our goal to help onboard 1 billion people to NFTs over the next decade. We are committed to empowering culture creators through our platform, creating new opportunities through education while keeping our community safe and informed with reliable and objective content. We are excited to help brands enter the space authentically, intentionally and sustainably to better grow and serve their web3 community. We are expanding our original content offering with the launch of nft now studios, while doubling down on our community super service. I am quite excited about nft now’s upcoming NFT membership pass.
Courtesy of Yvonne Tnt & Brendon Cook for BFA
What is one important piece of advice you would give someone new to the space?
MM: First, make sure you’re entering the NFT space to create value, not extract it. Take your time and start collecting. Start small and learn the artists, projects and markets as you figure out your role in the space. It’s a huge red flag if you try to launch an NFT project without engaging and supporting the existing community in a meaningful way, which is very welcoming but can smell like cash from a mile away. Think long-term and remember that an NFT launch is a beginning, not an end. If you don’t think about the people on the other side of the exchange and how you can continue to build a bond and create value for them long after the primary sale, you will fail.
SH: Find projects that excite you. Don’t fall for the myth that NFTs are all about speculative investing. This is a disruptive technology that creates a new mechanism for shared ownership and participation. While it’s great to take notes on what different projects do well, there are tons of blank spaces to innovate and set new precedents. Finally, as in any industry, it is equally important that the infrastructure and support systems are strong. You don’t have to be a creator to get involved, as there are plenty of opportunities to learn and grow by contributing to other projects and communities in the space.
AN: My recommendation to anyone coming in is to fully immerse yourself in the communities, the projects, the artists, the technology and whatever excites you the most. Prioritize your mental health by setting appropriate boundaries that align with your best interests. Trust your journey as it unfolds and be prepared to pounce when opportunities arise. This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment in technology. It’s not about timing the market, it’s about spending time in the market. The value creators always prevail.
Hero picture with permission from nft now
