The FRENS OF WEB 3 interview series will showcase the people, the artists and creatives working across projects and companies within the Australian and New Zealand Web 3 Community.
Our first interview of this series is with Brisbane-based Australian, Steve McFadyen who is the POAP representative for Australia, and New Zealand (Oceania). Here is a TL, DR (too long, didn't read) to better understand what POAPs are and how you can use POAPs.
What is POAP?
POAP is a new way of keeping a reliable record of life experiences.
Each time they take part in an event, POAP collectors get a unique badge that is supported by a cryptographic record.
These badges are Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) and open a whole new world of possibilities.
Why use POAP?
POAP allows event organizers to better engage with their audiences by providing a customized experience. POAPs not only offer special designs but allow for a range of integrated services such as private chat rooms, raffles and more. Users can generate their own POAP collections to prove the places they’ve been to and earn bragging rights.
G’day, please tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m Steve, 23 years old and I have been based in Brisbane my whole life. I am fascinated by intelligent tech/home automation/web 3 / E-commerce.
What do you currently do in WEB3 and how did you end up here?
Working at POAP currently. From a 6 week's holiday to see my family turned into a job at POAP
How would you describe what you do to someone new?
Web 2: Work at a JPEG factory.
Web 3: Curating the events and ecosystem of POAP
What does a typical day look like for you?
Most of my day is spent on the laptop curating upcoming POAP events and ensuring I’m up to date with what’s going on in the ecosystem.
How do you balance the differences in timezones and regions with the rest of the team you work with?
Wake up early and go to bed late. Incalls at 6 AM to brush with the fellow curators in Argentina, US and Europe. Other days, up until 12:30 am to catch teams/time zones. (luckily this only happens once a week).
I wouldn’t swap it for the world, I love the team and the culture at POAP❤️. From the core of the business out to the wings, everyone is so happy to be here and aligned to building out the vision.
This space can feel like it moves at lightning speed (a week in WEB3/NFTs can feel like weeks) etc, how do you stay connected to what is happening across the space without the feeling of FOMO or burning out?
I’m fortunate to get a good grip on what is on the horizon of web 3 given the exposure at POAP. FOMO doesn’t really hit me. I make sure I don’t dig too deep into any one project as it narrows a lot of vision. Yeah, I might be missing out on certain opportunities, but I’d rather have time and exposure to many different projects.
What are some of the observations or differences you’ve made about the Australian WEB3 community?
Warm and inviting culture. IMO we have a similar culture to the Argentinean community, where everyone helps anyone in the space and is a hotspot of innovation.
What advice would you give to friends or family interested in entering/learning more about NFTs or WEB3 space?
Don’t focus on one or two projects, rather focus on the technology. Skim read web 3, there is too much noise. Focus on a direction of where web 3 is going, look out for good operators in that direction and read into them. Using your time and focus is key when everything is early, the more exposure and spread at the start the better. Focus on technologies/projects/directions that bring communities together. That’s where big things start from.
What was the first NFT you brought & do you still own it?
Josh Pierce, Fulfilled. Of course, I still have it.
Who are 4 people across the NFT Community you would invite over for a dinner party?
Matei, Curation Operations (POAP), Simo (NFT SYD), Jacob Lee (LowlyLyricist) and Calum Anderson (Universal Music). These are the first friends, I made in Web 3 and were genuine solid blokes.
Fast forward to this time next year, what does this space look like personally or professionally for you?
Continuing with POAP, helping to expand it to Australia and get the community more involved. (cool things to come)
Make sure you follow Steve and stay connected through his socials below.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevehasdoneit
POAP: https://poap.xyz
ABOUT NFTSYD
The NFTSYD Event, 2nd April 2022
NFTSYD was inspired by the need to create Community-first IRL events to bring together people, the companies and organisations and sub-communities together that are redefining the future of creativity & technology in Australia and New Zealand.
The Inaugural NFTSYD Event was a “one-day-only” event held in Barangaroo Sydney on the 2nd of April 2022. The program featured 18 dynamic speakers across five Interactive Speaker Panels, Live Performances and Entertainment, Networking opportunities and Sydney’s first Hybrid Art Exhibition & NFTs.
We‘re’ planning more IRL and digital experiences soon, so stay plugged in, stay consistent and stay motivated and subscribe to our social platforms to stay updated on when our next events will be happening.
Our aim throughout the Frens of WEB 3 is to provide our community with practical tips and helpful insights to learn from emerging and established artist experiences, as you navigate through your own creative journey with Non-Fungible Tokens as a creator, collector or enthusiast.
If you’re looking to be featured either as an artist, community builder, or NFT enthusiast please reach out to us at hello@nftsyd.io
