In this episode of Understanding Crypto James Burtt  and Paul Abercrombie interview the author of Zero to Hero Crypto Guide, Jeff J. Hunter. Jeff is well recognized for his branding company Branded Media that uses remote workers from his virtual assistant agency VA Staffer. He has made numerous advancements in the field of gamification while promoting its significance in the world of cryptocurrency. In this episode he discusses the potential for his marketing firm and the growth of the gaming industry in Web3.

Dedicated to Gaming

Jeff maintains that gaming has always been an essential part of his life, considering that he was raised in a military household that frequently moved.  “You know gaming has always been a kind of absolute in my life,” Jeff confesses. His dedication to the craft saw his evolution from being a volunteer at a computer shop, to becoming an IT guy throughout the district education system, and finally becoming  an IT project manager at a Fortune 500 corporation. He began creating virtual teams from this point on. According to Jeff, he acquired this skill "before it was cool," and it has grown and changed over the course of his career. His passion for gaming has led to numerous opportunities in top gaming companies such as E-Sports, League of Legends, and DOTA. He reflects on his journey, stating that, “I've always been an early adopter and sometimes that is really painful when you're too early. In crypto it's really hard to be too early.” He claimed that one of the main issues with being an early adopter is that you enter too early and most times exit too early. [Listen from 4:06 ]

VA Staffer

James praises Jeff's amazing marketing strategy for the business, and questions him about his decision to found VA Staffer.  James comments, “The biggest shift in that business comes when you change the value proposition… looking at it from the business benefit of increase of revenue not a decrease in salary costs.” Jeff explains that the introduction of Covid19 and the global financial crisis have made remote teams a necessity for organizations.  In order to support both his branding firm and his crypto gaming team, he needed to employ the recruiting skills he learned through his staffing agency. He also attributes his eventual entry into the cryptosphere to the connections he has made through the VA Staffer agency, which led to his eventual participation in Axie Infinity, a NFT online game. He was immediately intrigued by the game’s play to earn model and saw its potential. He remarks, “I started thinking about how much that could impact the world, by having us invest in these things and to have other people play these video games and do a profit share.” [Listen from 15:11 ]

A Guide to the Cryptosphere

Jeff said that he had been quite dubious of cryptocurrencies since he had not yet grasped the idea of utility. However, he gained practical expertise in blockchain technology thanks to his involvement with Axie Infinity. He reveals that the wait involved in converting money from fiat to cryptocurrency, and vice versa, was the hardest adjustment for him. From his own experiences, which he used to write the book, he thinks that the best way to learn about cryptocurrency is to use it. He wrote the book with the intention of bringing the complex learning curve connected to the cryptocurrencies down to an eighth-grade level. James concurs; “The learning curve is steep but the market is even faster! Which is why anyone who's running around as crypto experts can't be, because it changed two seconds ago,” he argues. [Listen from 23:57 ]

Future and Present Projects

Jeff thinks the recent cryptocurrency crash has exposed many excellent developers who are dedicated to the Web3 industry. He is enthusiastic about the possibilities available to his brand agency, the expansion of the gaming market, and the chance to renew relationships with former allies in the cryptocurrency sector. He has a particular interest in two projects: OpenBlocks.io, an NFT-based game featuring collectible cards, and RunBlocks, a move-to-earn application. Although gaming remains his passion, he is enthusiastic about advancements in the DeFi world and is particularly interested in Avalanche and Avax. "I'm borrowing money and using leverage to buy Avalanche and Ethereum now while they're cheap." [Listen from 35:03]

Key Takeaways 

• Jeff J. Hunter’s book, From Zero to Hero Crypto Guide, simplifies the complex learning curve associated with blockchain technologies to an eighth-grade level.

Resources

James Burtt on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Clubhouse

Paul Abercrombie on Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram