In this episode of Understanding Crypto, James Burtt chats with Gianina Skarlett, founder of Crypto Tech Women. She shares her journey from humble beginnings to the CEO of a successful tech company. They discuss her recent success with the Crypto Tech Women NFT initiative, which was minted in February 2022 and was fully sold out in less than 24 hours. They also chat about the methods she used to pique and sustain enthusiasm for  the project.

The Journey

Gianina describes herself as a software engineer from Venezuela with a background in management. Although she always had a deep enthusiasm for coding, educational opportunities along that career path were limited in her native country. She eventually relocated to California and took part in Cryptozombie.io, a basic coding course specialising in Solidity contract coding. Successfully completing the training led her to a career in technology. Yet the more she coded and worked within the web3 space, the more she understood the value of representation. “Representation matters. That's why I'm here. So many other women who are part of the web3 space put themselves out there every day. Because if there's no representation how will others know that it's possible or doable or achievable?”  [Listen from 2:34]

Gianina's desire to start an NFT project was first supported and encouraged by her friends, and this inspired the development of Gigi Codes, which then evolved into Crypto Tech Women. She outlines the complex procedures involved in starting the project, including the development of websites and social media platforms. Through her research she learned about generative art and used this technology to make the 8,888 NFTs for the platform that sold out in 24 hours. This success only came after developing a community and a social media presence. Her ultimate goal, which is to fill the web3 space with knowledgeable users, builders, and creators, has remained constant throughout. James says that, as an investor in the program, he is consistently astounded by the quality and frequency of programs and events. [Listen from: 11:38]

Marketing Strategies and More

James asks about the marketing strategy she employed that enabled her NFTs to sell out in a few hours. Gianina emphasises that it was mostly dedication and in-depth research. She explains that she was only able to develop an NFT project that was well embraced by a community because she invested time in understanding her audience and assuring that they were genuinely engaged. "You cannot start talking into a void. You have to start finding channels that are willing to listen or start hosting other people." Although her first public speaking engagements were nerve-wracking, she quickly saw the value of the opportunity. "I want to empower the women in web3 and I want to bring them on. They are definitely a minority who are left behind." On social media, she searched for other women who shared her interests and focused her attention on building connections—a tactic that quickly became essential to her success. James concurs, pointing out that one of the best things about web3 is that the community tries to be inclusive because real-world identities are typically meaningless. He tells Gianina, "The reason you’ve been so successful in such a short period of time is because you were a willing novice, while there are so many people posturing themselves as ‘experts’.” [Listen from 21:39]

What makes a successful NFTs launch?

There are significant factors, in Gianina's opinion, that might determine a project's success or failure. As an investor and creator, she views validating social media platforms as an essential research activity. She advises that developers should not view the number of followers a project has as a true indication of community engagement. She points out, "We didn’t even have more than 10,000 and we were sold out. We did have a very engaged community…” Before minting the NFTs, she thinks creators should spend some time cultivating a community that cares about the project; this is vital to guarantee that the product sells out. Successful NFT launches can usually be predicted by an active, real-world community on social media or on a Discord server. [Listen from 29:42].

The Way Forward 

Gianina is eager to devote the majority of her time to expanding the CTW project. She wants to add other broad fields of study to the present educational platform, which currently focuses on web3. Her goal is to establish a single information hub that would cater to those who have a keen interest in learning more. Investors can already access past, present, and upcoming Masterclasses in addition to several bootcamps and events through the Crypto Tech Woman NFT. She is adamant, nevertheless, that education is her main objective. “I really love my mission and I'm really passionate about education. It's something that I've always said can unlock life opportunities for anyone out there.”  [Listen from 35:25]

Key Takeaways

• Before launching an NFT project, a developer's main goal should be to create a supportive community.
• Women who are represented feel more confident participating in web3.

Resources

James Burtt on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Clubhouse

Paul Abercrombie on Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram 

Gianina Skarlett on LinkedIn

Crypto Tech Women