Jade Darmawangsa wants her younger self (and all of us, frankly) to know one thing: everything is going to be okay!
In our first-ever blog post, we're chit-chatting with Jade, the coolest entrepreneur in town who runs a tight ship as CEO of X8 and NFTree Haus when she's not catching some gnarly waves 🏄♀️. Jade spills the tea on her journey as a creator, how she navigated the world of Web3, and her hot takes on the Creator Economy.
Little Jade, like most of us, grew up watching YouTube icons like Bethany Mota and Michelle Phan (whom she recently met—squeal!). She's always been drawn to creativity, whether it was arts and crafts or making content. Financial struggles helped mold Jade into the savvy and resourceful entrepreneur she is today, proving that obstacles can be opportunities if you've got the right mindset.
Jade took her passion for creation to YouTube, TikTok, and eventually, marketing for Web2 and Web3 brands, which led her to found X8. But first, let's dive into Jade's thoughts on the Creator Economy and Web3:
On the Creator Economy: Jade says, “The creator economy is all about making money doing what you love. It's a passion economy, baby! You can sell your personality on YouTube or open an Etsy shop, or even create digital art on the blockchain. It's just not having to take traditional jobs and, creating your own way of being an artist or creative.”
Jade's noticed there's content fatigue in the digital space, even in Web3. Her brilliant idea to combat this? Focus on being a creator—prioritizing quality over quantity and leveling up your skillset instead of chasing ‘likes’.
On taking the Web3 plunge: Jade acknowledges the stigma surrounding crypto can make marketing a Web3 project tricky. To break down barriers, she champions open conversations. Though it's harder to grow as a Web3 creator due to stigma, Jade believes that'll change over time. Web2 might be easier to market in, but it's also more competitive — everyone and their mom has a TikTok account! With Web3, there's less competition, so you have a better chance to make a name for yourself.
Life takes a new (but familiar) turn with LensTube: Jade's always been an early adopter (hello, YouTube), and she's doing it again with Lens. She says growth strategies in Web3 mirror Web2: “It's just human psychology, right? Like a good hook, a really good piece of content is always gonna be the same regardless if it's in a movie, TV show, or TikTok or Lens post.” The key difference lies in revenue generation, where you'll need to learn about NFTs and the ecosystem.
On building X8 and NFTree Haus: After dipping her toes into social media, Jade realized that she wanted to contribute her creative voice to projects while keeping scalability and sustainability in mind.
Jade is a boss lady for overcoming two major obstacles in her entrepreneurial journey. The first one occurred during the pandemic when she witnessed numerous forest fires in her Oregon hometown. This experience led to a range of emotions and a midlife crisis of sorts, as she realized that while money is crucial for survival, making an impact is even more important. Thus, she dedicated a significant portion of her time to helping her local community. One of the projects she initiated was NFTree Haus, an NFT-based endeavor with the goal of planting trees for every NFT sold. Jade shares, "Does planting $10,000 worth of trees change the world? Probably not. But I think if everyone can make a little difference, it will add up. And that's kind of my philosophy."
The second hurdle came when Jade felt overwhelmed by the multitude of tasks and pressures involved in balancing her personal and professional life as an entrepreneur. From managing taxes and operations for her company to navigating her love life, Jade approached these challenges by considering Maslow's hierarchy of needs and addressing the most basic requirements first before tackling the rest.
Jade's goals for X8 include working on meaningful projects and creating impactful, iconic campaigns that leave a lasting legacy. Her ambition is to forge emotional connections with people through these campaigns, ultimately benefiting the community at large. She's already made significant progress with her NFTree Haus project, which planted 10,000 trees in Los Angeles.
So, there you have it, folks. Some words of wisdom from Jade Darmawangsa. Remember to stay true to yourself, embrace challenges as opportunities, and always keep learning. Who knows? You might just become the next big thing in the creator economy. Good luck and happy creating!
As an added perk, subscribe to our publication to mint the Episode #1 NFT:
Jade’s Billion$$ Bitcoin ideas
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It's okay not to know everything. No one knows everything, so don't be afraid to ask questions and learn as you go.
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If you're starting something in web three, just be okay with not knowing the next steps. Just like building any startup, but especially in an industry that moves so fast, just be okay and go with the flow. No one is yet an expert in Web3
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Also, if you are starting out in Web3, know your USP and build on it
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If you are a woman in Web3 right now, do it with your friend. It's a lot easier to be more accountable.
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Try something even if you're not an expert and that may get you semi-successful
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Be an early adopter of a platform as a creator
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Believe in the power of small habits over time
Don't miss out on the full conversation with Jade Darmawangsa! Catch the entire podcast on LensTube for the video experience or tune in on Spotify for the audio version. Dive deeper into Jade's story and get inspired to create your own impact in the creator economy. Happy listening and watching!
Ep. 1 would not have been possible without them: