We ask the buidlers within the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for his or her ideas on the trade… and throw in a number of random zingers to maintain them on their toes!
This week, our 6 Questions go to Nikki Farb — an energetic investor and advisor to expertise corporations who’s at present a enterprise associate at Headline, a enterprise capital agency.
I put money into shopper tech (with an actual love for marketplaces) and Web3. I’ve invested in Consensys (MetaMask), AfterParty, Fractal, Aloft, Wander, MarketerHire, SudShare and some others I can’t share simply but.
Earlier than investing, I co-founded Darby — a video buying app that related creators and their followers. It was such a journey. We constructed Darby as much as 50,000 creators making movies for five million viewers. Working with the group at Darby was considered one of my biggest privileges. We have been acquired by Grove Collective.
Previous to Darby, I used to be at Goldman Sachs within the Funding Banking Group. I realized fairly a bit. Particularly as a result of I used to be an English trainer proper out of school.
1 — What has been the hardest problem you’ve confronted in our trade to date?
There are two challenges that come to thoughts. The primary is that it’s a loud trade. It’s difficult to face the powerful questions: What’s the basic motive that this trade is flourishing? What’s a novel use case of the tech? Discovering the sign by means of the noise is an important factor you are able to do as an investor, because it impacts how you employ each your money and time. I’ve that reply now; with out it, you run the danger of shedding some huge cash.
The second is the pitfall of rallying round a unfavourable message. One of many quickest methods to achieve this house as a feminine investor is to scream that it’s a boy’s membership. That type of negativity thrives on social media, the place plenty of crypto conversations happen. If I needed to be self-serving, I might say that and construct up my platform, however I don’t consider it and it’s not the trail I need to select. In the event you say the message sufficient occasions, it might turn into a reality, after which we later harm ourselves by being excluded from probably the most necessary technological improvements and the quickest solution to even financial outcomes. In the event you fall right into a unfavourable message, it solely hurts outsiders, not the insiders. We, as a part of this trade, get to decide on how this phenomenon performs out. Why would we select to name it a boy’s membership?
2 — Do you subscribe to the thought of Bitcoin as a way of fee, a retailer of worth, each… or neither?
For Bitcoin — as a retailer of worth. Whereas there was a battle 4 or 5 years in the past on what it might turn into, it has performed out to be a retailer of worth, and I feel that’s the appropriate end result. I do see another cryptocurrencies like Ether and Solana as a way of fee.
3 — Do you assume governments will attempt to kill crypto?
What a spicy query! I feel sure as a result of crypto degrades governments’ energy, and anybody that has energy is vulnerable to desirous to reclaim it — although not everybody will pursue that path. So, I feel it’s inevitable that some governments someplace will attempt to kill crypto. As for which authorities and the way far they take it — who is aware of? That’s a film, proper there. I feel some will embrace it wholeheartedly and attempt to make it fly, particularly these with risky currencies. However for now, it’s method too early to imagine. What’s unbelievable about crypto is that it has the potential to decentralize energy and provides rise to economies which can be struggling. There’s good and evil in it, identical to with some other technological innovation. It can all rely on how folks use it, and I need to steer in that path, which is why I select to put money into the house.
4 — What have been you want in highschool?
Confused, however I made it by means of! I graduated highschool in three years as a result of my mother made a cope with me that if I graduated early, I could possibly be an actress for my fourth 12 months as a substitute of going to highschool. I used to be additionally kicked out of two faculties in my freshman 12 months as a result of I wasn’t very effectively behaved, so I finally ended up at night time faculty, the place I later realized I needed to alter my habits. I made one other cope with my mother that if I received a 4.0 GPA in my sophomore 12 months, I didn’t need to go to highschool on Mondays, and I did it.
I cherished rap and hiphop tradition, and I used to be additionally very into punk music (my roots are in Orange County). I used to be pleased with my social scene and the quantity of pals I had. My little sister went in every single place with me. She’s three years youthful and my associate in crime.
I had about 30 jobs in highschool as a result of if I didn’t like one thing, I might simply stop. The one job I’ve ever been fired from is Denny’s, and my favourite job was being the fragrance spray woman in Bloomingdale’s. I got here from a rich household however they later misplaced all of their cash. In highschool, I nonetheless needed to reside the life I grew up in, so I undoubtedly had a hustler mentality and made my method. I most likely skated the road of prison habits a number of occasions.
5 — Pondering of a favourite poem or musical lyric, what’s it, and why does it communicate to you?
There are two that come to thoughts. The primary is a saying that “solely boring folks get bored.” It’s my philosophy for all times. I really consider that most individuals get to be the captain of their very own ship, so if you happen to’re bored, go repair it.
The second is admittedly any line from the film The Royal Tenenbaums — two of my private favorites are: “Did you say you have been on mescaline?” “I did certainly. Very a lot so,” and “I’ve had a tough 12 months, dad.”
It’s such an sincere, humble and artistic film. I’ve watched it 100 occasions and at all times appear to search out one thing new. The pursuit of individuality, inventive threat — the entire characters take inventive dangers — and constructing character is one thing I’m interested in.
6 — What’s the ebook that influenced you essentially the most and why?
I might say Satisfaction and Prejudice. My grandmother really gave me an authentic copy of the ebook. It’s one of many first novels I ever learn in highschool. I used to be a really avid reader as a child, and this is likely one of the most grown-up items I can bear in mind studying at that age. To me, it was concerning the energy of womanhood and the distinctive traits we now have, and the way a lot energy that provides us on the planet. These traits are additionally completely different from those males have. It helped me notice that I used to be a distinct human from my dad or different guys, however how that could possibly be highly effective. I used to learn it yearly. I additionally cherished how they’re all sisters and that dynamic.
A want for the younger, formidable blockchain group:
If I share my want, it might not come true!
