Most Startups Misunderstand Incentives feat. Joseph Al-Chami | Internet Explorers Ep. 74
Release Date: 04/05/2025
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Internet Explorers
We sit down with Internet-native builder and creative coder Mike Bodge to break down his newest experiment: AUX, a gamified curation tool for attention, links, and taste. Described as StumbleUpon meets group chat meets token-powered leaderboard, AUX lets you post URLs that battle for the Internet’s front page. It’s an onchain attention economy that’s equal parts meme-fuel and media archive—designed with taste, not virality, in mind. Before Mike joins, Jess, Josh, and Peace explore the week’s most interesting moments: Noice, the evolution of creator tokens, and why L1 assets might be...
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Internet Explorers
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Zora Founder on the Plan to Pay Creators | Internet Explorers Ep. 78 (LIVE!)
Internet Explorers
If content "wants to be free", how can creators get paid? In this special edition live interview, we sit down with Jacob Horne, cofounder of Zora, for a candid conversation on the company’s evolving vision—and what they got wrong early on. Jacob opens up about Zora’s shift from marketplace to protocol, why onchain media matters more than ever, and how consumer apps in crypto have been missing the point. If you’ve ever wondered what Zora actually is or where it’s going next, this is the episode to hear it from the source. Along the way: protocol tradeoffs, the fragility of NFT...
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How Valuable Are Your Memories? (feat. RAC) | Internet Explorers Ep. 77
Internet Explorers
$ZORA is here, memecoins are changing, CT is mad—but what does it all mean? This episode unpacks Zora's recent token launch, explores the burdens of governance, and dives deep into how "just-for-fun" tokens might be redefining crypto markets, if not the very concept of "value." Later, special guest RAC (André Allen Anjos) joins to discuss Memory Protocol, the ambitious new identity and data-sharing layer he’s co-founded, which promises to revolutionize how we manage and monetize our digital identities—starting with the music industry. This episode unpacks: $ZORA token launch and...
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This Founder's App Was Going Nowhere. Now It's #1 | Internet Explorers Ep. 76
Internet Explorers
Nick Confrey’s first app was all promise, no traction—until one bold pivot changed everything. This week on Internet Explorers, the crew starts with the messy fallout from Base’s content coin launch—an experiment in onchain media that spiraled into backlash, infighting, and meme coin chaos. But the real story comes in the second half, when Nick joins the show to share how he turned a floundering generalized social platform into Tome—a viral BookTok hit that hit #1 in the App Store’s books category. Nick walks us through his journey from building for “everyone” to focusing on...
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The Harsh Reality of Onchain Games | Internet Explorers Ep. 75
Internet Explorers
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Most Startups Misunderstand Incentives feat. Joseph Al-Chami | Internet Explorers Ep. 74
Internet Explorers
The future of crypto might not be bots, bulls**t, and broken incentives — but first, we have some serious receipts to go through. This week we are joined by researcher Joseph Al-Chami for a wide-ranging dive into the biggest consumer crypto stories of the week — and an honest reckoning with how points systems, appcoins, agentic investors, and open social graphs are actually playing out. From Circle’s IPO drama to AI SEO strategies, we’re connecting the dots on what’s really happening across consumer crypto, AI, and internet culture. We kick off with a quickfire rundown of Appcoins,...
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The Internet Loves Ghibli... But Not Enough to Pay? | Internet Explorers Ep. 73
Internet Explorers
Ghibli memes took over the internet. But the studio captured none of the value. In this week’s Internet Explorers, Jess and Josh break down how OpenAI’s viral Ghibli-style image launch became a masterclass in attention-hijacking — and why crypto, NFTs, and tokens still fail to help artists and IP holders capture their fair share. From meme coin spikes to the role of protocol design, they unpack how this moment exposed crypto’s biggest cultural opportunity (and blind spot). Later, Priyanka from Tribute Labs joins to debut ADIN, their new AI-native investment DAO. The crew explores...
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How to Solve Crypto’s Real Problem | Internet Explorers Ep. 72
Internet Explorers
The crypto industry got a serious vibe check this week—and it feels like we’re hitting an inflection point. Solana’s latest ad campaign sparked a massive backlash, raising questions about the values shaping the space. Was it just a misfire, or does it signal a deeper cultural shift? At the same time, outdated token models are finally being called out as the industry moves past high-FDV, low-float launches that leave investors holding the bag. We also dive into the rise of stablecoins in fintech, how Privy is making crypto onboarding seamless, and why crypto’s UX problem is...
info_outlineThe future of crypto might not be bots, bulls**t, and broken incentives — but first, we have some serious receipts to go through.
This week we are joined by researcher Joseph Al-Chami for a wide-ranging dive into the biggest consumer crypto stories of the week — and an honest reckoning with how points systems, appcoins, agentic investors, and open social graphs are actually playing out. From Circle’s IPO drama to AI SEO strategies, we’re connecting the dots on what’s really happening across consumer crypto, AI, and internet culture.
We kick off with a quickfire rundown of Appcoins, AI discoverability, and the death spiral of poorly launched tokens, before moving into a deep, revealing conversation with Joseph about the hidden dangers behind points-based growth strategies — and why blind copying Duolingo-style gamification just doesn’t work for crypto projects.
This episode unpacks:
- Ohara’s new Appcoin model and the future of vibe coding
- AI SEO tactics and why discoverability is about to change forever
- Why launching a token will not save you
- The rise and potential fall of Circle’s stablecoin empire
- The launch of LensChain and the mini-app revolution on Farcaster
- How agentic investors are creating novelty arbitrage (for now)
- Open social graphs vs. corporate controlled platforms
- Why vanity metrics are destroying crypto ecosystems
- A real breakdown of why “points and quests” mostly attract bots
- How to build loyalty systems that actually work
Chapters:
0:00 — Intro and a Brand New Home
00:39 — Live Show Chaos and Vibe Check
01:50 — Market Sentiment and Real Builders
03:09 — Introducing Joseph Al-Chami and Topics
04:53 — Appcoins, Vibe Coding, and Token Models
08:11 — AI SEO and Discoverability Shifts
12:55 — Why Launching Tokens Can Fail
16:11 — Circle’s IPO Drama and Fallout
19:38 — LensChain, Open Social, and Mini-Apps
24:16 — Farcaster Airdrops and Notification Burnout
26:51 — Rise of Agentic Investors and Novelty
29:09 — “It’s All Base’s Fault” Twitter Meltdown
30:14 — Credible Neutrality and Blockchain Trust
32:59 — Joseph’s Research on Points Farming
39:48 — How to Build Real Loyalty
Internet Explorers is a weekly rundown show where extremely online individuals broadly explore (romanticize, even) new consumer Internet experiences.
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