Holistic Advice

for blockchain startups

A few years ago I realised we all have the ability to create our dream job. It just requires closing our eyes and asking ourselves "How do I want to feel?"

We only know what we want by knowing what we don't want. Years of being a full-time employee made me yearn for the freedom to say what was really on my mind and to travel whenever I felt the urge. I also know that I prefer working with people, rather than coding alone.

Fast forward to today, and I am proud to say that I am living my dream job. I have my own company providing independent, holistic advice to blockchain startups that share my values.

All of them are working hard to provide decentralised alternatives to traditional banks and Silicon Valley-style tech companies that seek to own and monetize your data.

Every company is different, but this is a rough guide to what I do:

• Escape tunnel vision

  It amazes me how little most companies know about the wider crypto world. I have a broad knowledge of different blockchains, projects, DAOs, DeFi protocols, and other technologies that could potentially save you months of development time.

• Vision and values

  I will help you refine the "why" behind what you do, and help you work out what your organisation stands for. This will make hiring, product ideas, marketing and comms much easier.

• Act as a sounding board for new ideas

  I can spot potential problems before they arise, or tell you about projects that will help you. Sometimes I can provide introductions to other founders.

• A fresh pair of eyes

  I will look at your website and user/developer experience and give you honest, detailed feedback. If something sucks, I will tell you and help you fix it.

• Ethical dilemmas

  What do you do if neo-Nazis take a shine to your decentralised product, or you want to record personal data in an immutable ledger? I enjoy diving into deeper philosophical issues.

• Offer an historical perspective

  I was playing with Ethereum at the early workshops in London before the mainnet launched. I attended Devcon 1 and have been through all the scaling dramas, forks, multi-sig hacks and other existential threats to the network. Sometimes a bit of history can come in handy!

• Emotional support

  Creating anything new is as much an emotional and spiritual journey as it is an intellectual one. I’m very aware of the pressures on founders, especially once they have taken money. I am a good listener and can bring a fresh perspective to a tricky situation.

How does this work?

Generally speaking I am available for video calls or in-person meetings. I'm also happy to comment on documents, pitch decks, technical documentation, etc.

Some months you will need much more of my time than others. That’s fine. I'm super flexible and reasonable. If you are too, we will get along well.

Who is this not for?

While I still write code every day for my own projects, most of the advice I give companies is not technical. I can read Solidity but find no joy in writing it. I also have little interest crypto economics or token design, but I can point you in the right direction.

Fees

I charge a fixed monthly fee based upon the amount of my time required and your ability to pay. Fiat and crypto are accepted.

You can cancel your monthly "subscription" at anytime, and so can I. My goal is to have a small number of happy customers who I am proud to call my friends.