Ethereum Foundation DevCon 6 - Opportunity & Global Impact Track, 14 Oct 2022

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From YouTube: My Mother Hates Your Project (And Mine)! Why We Need More Soft Skills In Crypto by Vince Major

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https://archive.devcon.org/archive/watch/6/my-mother-hates-your-project-and-mine-why-we-need-more-soft-skills-in-crypto/

GM, fren, anon, ape in, DeFi, DApps, protocol, WAGMI.

Words have immense power, and yet we are doing ourselves a disservice when it comes to everything crypto by not embracing soft skillers. The way in which we continue to name, explain and communicate our creations will have profound impact on adoption. And right now, we suck at it. Hard.

Speaker(s): Vince Major
Skill level: Beginner
Track: Opportunity & Global Impact
Keywords: Marketing,language,branding

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Devcon is the Ethereum conference for developers, researchers, thinkers, and makers.
Devcon 6 was held in Bogotá, Colombia on Oct 11 - 14, 2022.
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A

A

Major head of marketing at ether, wallet at myether wallet and today, he'll, be speaking on the importance of soft skills. Soft skills in crypto Vince. The floor is yours,.

B

So I need the names of some projects projects you love projects, you work for just yell a few out for me: bacon, splat, okay, uh give me some more projects, garlic, coin, okay, what else stable, node? Okay, perfect! Thank you thank you for those I appreciate that. So some of these I know some of these I don't, but all of these projects have something in common, and that is my mother, hates them for, and that's not a bad thing, because she is my project too.

B

For those of you that don't know me, my name is Vince major and I am the head of marketing at my ether wallet now to be clear, this talk is not going to be about the mom test. Okay, my mother is fairly techno savvy and really only calls me about once a quarter to have a refresher on how to attach a PDF to an email and that's a lie.

B

It's actually once a month, but you see it's not the technology that puts her off from crypto and it's also not even the concept of the tech that really makes her confused about the company I work, for instead it's the way that our industry communicates and story tells That Make Her roll her eyes at dinner, and you know I'm sure that this is not something. That's unique to me.

B

I'm sure you all have had to explain to your friends and your loved ones, this industry and there's a good chance that they gave you a face, not dissimilar to this and that's a bummer right, because if you were anything like me, you were amped to be in this industry and just want to tell everyone.

B

So today, I want to speak to the heart of that and how I believe that we can overcome these challenges and finally win over this Broad, because I believe that our industry focuses on and values the hard skills over the soft skills, to our detriment.

B

So for the duration of this talk, I want you to think of soft skills as those sort of non-technical skills that people have think creativity, The Gift of Gab mentorship morale building, basically anything that your project managers cannot assign a unit of time to right and I want you to also think broadly, not just the skills that people have, but also people that devote themselves entirely to the soft skills.

B

I am one such soft Skiller I have my masters in Fine Arts, and the only programming I know how to do is slash BR, which I think is a return in HTML I'm, still not sure.

B

Now there are three key areas in crypto. That I believe can be improved by the soft skills and those are communication, creativity and connection.

B

If you take away one thing from this talk today, I want it to be that words have immense power. They have the ability to paint pictures to inspire and create movements that move mountains.

B

So now, let's look at some of our crypto words. Shall we GM coin and on lfg huddle, no I'm old enough to have all of these remind me of a word: I used a lot as a kid, and that word was pone. So now, for those of you that are not older, Gamers pone means Next, Level Ownage or to completely dominate someone in gaming, at least that's how it was explained to me when I was playing EverQuest.

B

It's a word that in that bubble in that time, we all used all of the time. However, fast forward to now gaming has gone completely mainstream, and yet this word has fallen to the Wayside. The word itself failed to bring new users into gaming and so faded from the mainstream lens.

B

Now, on the crypto side, I think we are using far too much of our Insider lingo to try and bring those on the outside. In now, I see this so often in marketing and the problem arises that new users don't know what our crypto words mean, so we're imposing a barrier to entry right out of the gate of our own doing.

B

You know, as an industry, we find ourselves using huddle so much that it literally became a major segment on the John Oliver show, and yet that mainstream ribbing did very little to bring new users into the space. Nor did it cement itself in the minds of others.

B

Okay, so to be clear, I don't want to get rid of our slang right. I mean it's part of the fun of being an Insider right.

B

We want to use these words and tell these jokes it's fun, but what I do want to point to is that by improving the language that we use to communicate with those outside of crypto, we can only help bring more people into the folds, because right now, as new users come into crypto, they are being overwhelmed by so many new words and languages and I can only guess it's like being dropped into Colombia and not speaking a word of Spanish bonjour.

B

And this is not just related to copywriting and marketing. Let's take a look at the word ethereum itself, so when it first came into being the word ethereum was weird to a lot of people, and you know it's still weird to some. It's also super hard to spell, which is why this always makes me giggle like a child.

B

However, after years of constant work by so many incredible people, the word ethereum has gone mainstream, which is fantastic, I mean that's probably why most of us are here today and then they came out with ethereum 2.0, which is a hard Skiller naming convention, but not horrible I mean at this point. Most people understand software versions and gits that the software is evolving or leveling up like a Pokemon right, and then there was consensus layer.

B

And I can't help but think that, had there been more soft skillers in the room to be like I, don't I don't understand what consensus means in this context. Could we explain that a bit easier that we could have had a better name and better communication and I?

B

Don't want you to think that I'm picking on the amazing people that asked me to speak here today, I tease because I love and I I want to see things get better and believe me, it's not just ethereum that does this at my ether wallet we recently released our new browser extension wallets, called encrypt, which is spelled with a K now encrypt Services, ethereum, polka dots and is built for the multi-chain future. It's out on all stores, including Safari, which is pretty cool.

B

Now with encrypt I, was Stone Cold new to the polka dot ecosystems, so I had to do a lot of reading and, as I was doing all this research. There was a word that stuck out to me like a sore thumb in so much of the public-facing information, and that word was as existential now when I hear this word or see. This word I. Think of the fact that I am going to die. My loved ones are going to die, and eventually the last person to remember my name will also die.

B

You know an existential crisis at night when the tears come I mean we've all been there now what's bananas to me is that in polka dot they are constantly referring to an existential deposit, which means the amount that a wallet must have to exist. Now this to me clearly shows a hard Skiller naming convention at work. Now it might be clear to that hard Skiller on the back end. It might be clear to other hard skillers, but to the rest of us, existential deposit makes little to no sense.

B

So if we apply the power of soft skills to this, something like minimum balance comes to mind right because it's something that we immediately understand. It uses language that is familiar and, of course, doesn't conjure up feelings of existential dread.

B

All of this is to say that by developing more soft skills, around communication and more employees around Caucasian will only help bring more people into the folds, because the clearer we are with our messaging and communication, the easier it is for everyone else to get on our same page, which brings me to creativity in crypto. We are creating things out of thin air through code like it is an absolute magic trick for me to watch a developers work. However, while some might think naming something, 2.0 is creative. It's not it's.

B

Iteration now to iterate is to make products. Great iteration is a hard Skiller in their finest form. They continue to improve upon that prior base, getting better each time again and again and again until we reach the immortality, I.

B

I guess I I can only think immortality is the goal and is why we pay developers so much more, but the problem is is when iteration uh replaces creativity in our space see because when you iterate, you were only refining the boundaries rather than pushing them, and then, when iteration starts to cross pollinates, you get a lot of noise now I feel like I, saw all of this noise in the most recent nft run.

B

If you search the word board on any nft Marketplace, you are going to get a Million results right and, of course, you're going to get the board Apes Yacht Club, but then you're going to get the board kitty cats club and the board Bad Boys Club and then eventually you'll start to get things like the indifferent, hamsters Subaru Society.

B

Now this is where iteration becomes knockoff becomes scam and rug. Pull all of these lines begin to blur in the minds of not only crypto natives but those outside of the space as well, and this creates confusion for users and even worse, can create connections or implied connections where they do not exist.

B

In that case, we can experience one bad actor or project bringing down several because a a loose connection in the mind of the other, for instance, it's very easy for the media or for people outside of crypto to see that one dog themed crypto project is a scam. Therefore, all dog-themed crypto projects are a scam or be unable to tell the difference at all and think they are all one big project rolled in together.

B

Much like your parents, probably called all video game consoles a Nintendo growing up at least that's how it was for me and of course my ether wallet is intensely familiar with this iteration problem from others. To this day, we continue to see products called my blank wallet, and this does make our Branch management difficult.

B

The oop did I lose my mic nope there I am. The wallet space in general has also iterated itself into a, whereas so many developers are being forced to create their products with a specific wallet in mind, and the reason is because the current model is winner. Take all now we're hoping to correct this unintended Monopoly through creativity, ree 5749 will give users the choice of the wallet they have installed rather than defaulting to the first injected. This restores creativity to the wallet space and will also give diverse more freedom.

B

When designing a user experience, you don't have to D to one specific, am I coming back in and out uh you know, and so I I encourage you to just looking for feedback and do I should I swap all right, we'll swap perfect. Can you hear me now? Hey there we go I'm back so I hope you check that out, because I think creativity like this EIP can solve any problem that we have, because a creative idea or Vision can help set your Project's North Star.

B

They can put you on a path that you never thought possible brand confusion that goes out the window. The moment you are creative and wildly different from the rest of the noise.

B

It can give new users a fresh and interesting way to understand web3 and help bring them in the pitfalls of iteration can also be applied to hiring, which is why I encourage you to not iterate but create Foster and build a team of unconventional skill sets bring in those creative thinkers who will help Drive the storytelling of your brand or who can think of a new user Journey or even a new product feature out of left field, because when you were able to spark creativity and effectively communicate what makes you special to others.

B

That is when we see true Innovation and adoption in the space, which brings me to my favorite of the soft skills we need more of in crypto connection.

B

Now, humans, by our very nature, are looking to connect with things we want to connect with other humans from person to person, but we also want to connect to ideas.

B

So frequently in crypto we talk about use cases and road maps, but what we don't do is craft the story behind our projects. We are letting others like the media, tell our story for us frequently to our detriment, or we have to lean on hard skillers to do the storytelling for us. This results in Project descriptions like this, an intent driven, privacy-centric protocol designed to enhance Discovery and settlements.

B

Now I wrote this down. I memorized it and I just had to read it off this just now, because it just feels like a string of words mushed together and I work in this industry. I can only imagine what someone outside of the space takes away from a description like that: okay yeah, that that tracks- and this is certainly a place where we can use soft skills to storytell when explaining it to our mothers, because as it stands right now, that description is simply telling you what that product.

B

Does they don't show you the superpowers that it gives? You think how much easier that description could be to understand. If we hypothetically, say okay, we're going to start with a privacy problem right, because everyone understands the big Tech is invading us and from there we'll probably highlight it, connects to people quickly and then exchanges assets without having to wait a long time like with a bank.

B

So in essence, we could go from story uh from jargon to something like our project without invading your privacy through something like a credit check or verifying your identity, find someone that has the asset or ask that you want. It then connects you, exchanges that, and you don't have to wait for five days, for it to settle like with a bank now.

B

Obviously this is a bit wordier and a bit rough, because I am not the Storyteller for that brand, but you can see how this story gives you something to latch onto and starts to paint a picture in your mind, and it's not just related to projects where we need storytelling. I. Think it's in moments like this, where we put ourselves in the public eye. It's why everything I am saying here has been scripted. It's been refined, edited and rehearsed. Nothing here is off the cuff.

B

All of this is a crafted story, except for the bike change that was on the Fly foreign, because, ultimately, I want you all to connect with me, Vince, not only as a brand, but as a human, and also to the ideas that I have storytelling also applies off the stage on a peer-to-peer basis.

B

I tend to go to a lot of crypto conferences and at them I will go to booths and I will stand there and I will look at the collateral. I will look at the screen. I will look at the banner I will look at the swag and I will look the person in the eye and nothing happens. They don't engage with me and I ultimately leave and that's alarming right.

B

I mean it happened to me here multiple times, because if we can't connect with each other inside our crypto bubble, how can we be expected to connect with those outside of it? This is why, when we staff our booths, I, always try and pair up a soft Skiller with a heart, Skiller I try to actively deploy my staff in a way that makes tactical sense. This way, I have that soft Skiller there to start the conversation and communicate, and then they have that hard Skiller there to turn to when needed.

B

The reverse holds true as well. If that hard Skiller is hitting a wall trying to communicate, they can always tap in that soft Skiller for an assist, because their skill sets complement each other.

B

I also tell everyone that I, don't know is a valid answer, because I want to empower everyone to not be afraid of hitting a wall of not knowing the answer. Look I mean you all know this.

B

This Tech is hard and we are on the bleeding edge here and I would rather someone leave with a positive personal connection than leave not having engaged with anyone at all, because this Tech Will Change day over day hour over hour, like if I'm honest, but that memory of that someone that you chatted with at the MU Booth will hopefully live with you for years now.

B

The idea of Storytelling weaves, through all of my points, that I'm making today the story of increasing the amount of soft skills you employ around communication, creating instead of iterating and, of course, connecting with others. Now there's a chance, you might be sitting there being like Vince. What what? What is all this? Are you just saying we should hire you absolutely here is my Twitter. My DMs are open best offers only I'm kidding, kosa left Brian. Please don't fire me.

B

What I am saying is that I want you to look to the soft skills for the challenges your product faces question if those challenges have a solve from communication, creativity or connection I hope that you'll also look to those team members. You have that have a spark of a soft skill and help them to grow and Foster that, at the same time, with subsequent hires look to their soft skills. Instead of just the number of PRS they can submit in a given week in crypto, we are taking risks all the time on moonshots and I.

B

Want you to think of the soft skills as an investment in you and your project, because sure you might not see an immediate return on that investment. I mean hell. You might get that investment wrong.

B

However, on the flip side, if that soft skill turns into a force multiplier that ultimately onboards the next zillion users and my mother into crypto, that it only benefits us all at the start of this I said that words have power and I truly believe that they just have to be the right words at the right time to make a difference, and they don't have to be a lot. My favorite example of this is when King Philip II of macadon was conquering Greek city-states in 300 BC. He was just left right and said, are conquering.

B

He sent a message to Sparta and this message read: if I invade Laconia, you will be destroyed, never to rise again.

B

And the Spartan response was simple:.

B

B

It's like so many ideas and thoughts and inspiration and words packed into a single two-letter word in crypto.

B

We always say: oh, you know we're going to bring more crypto users, more users, more moms into crypto, and we we put it out of ways right. We we're like. Oh it's in the future. This is the internet, and that now is 1996 right and mass adoption is a ways away.

B

I disagree I think the time to develop the teams that are creative and inventive, who will ultimately onboard the next billion users into crypto quickly is now, but only if we invest in the intangibles of the soft skills. Thank you so much. Everyone.