In this episode, we speak with Santiago Jaramillo, Chief Product Officer at GameOn Entertainment Technologies, a new Web3 Vancouver-based startup, focused on the fan experience in sports, gaming, and NFT projects. Santiago’s experience speaks for itself. After a successful tenure at EA Sports, he got into the NFT game at Dapper Labs as the project visionary behind NBA Top Shot, one of the most successful NFT projects from the last couple years. Today, he’s bringing the heat as part of another stellar team at GameOn.
Join me, as we learn about the product and UX considerations that teams building NFT projects often overlook, the current landscape of Web3, the Metaverse, and NFT gaming, and so much more!
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Summary
It doesn’t matter how good your NFT project is if the majority of your audience isn’t willing to go through the typical barriers of entry associated with Web3 and NFTs, such as setting up a wallet on their own and adding funds to it, or even requiring complex actions on non-Web3 apps like Discord. The first goal for any project should be aiming to build a remarkable experience from start to finish.
Pointers on designing with a product-focus for NFTs (or project really):
Create retention, stickiness, and long-term value
Capture the “tangible” quality of the product, whether it’s physical or digital (i.e. that giddiness a fan gets when they open a pack of trading cards, or that moment of being early to a growing fandom)
Consider the Primary Motivation Factors (PMFs) of your intended audience - the motivation that comes from looking at the things you want and realizing what it takes to get them (i.e. competition, collectability, status, etc.)
Curate the First Time User Experience (FTUE) - the relationship your user shares with the product (often referenced for apps, F2P games, etc.)
Create an engaged community first with outsized value from the get-go, and the revenue will follow; leverage your existing brand and reputation, if applicable.
Show Notes
[00:00:00] Intro
[00:00:29] Presenting: Santiago Jaramillo
[00:01:31] Santi - Intro
[00:02:07] Santi - Working at EA on FIFA
[00:04:15] Santi - Starting Up with Dapper Labs
[00:05:48] Santi - Designing a Quality NFT Product: NBA Top Shot
[00:07:13] Santi - Is Knowing About Crypto Required to Get into NFTs?
[00:10:18] Santi - The Strategy Behind NBA Top Shot
[00:12:11] Santi - The Value of Social Signalling
[00:16:32] Santi - Game On!
[00:18:22] Santi - Applying Gamification to Anything
[00:22:09] Santi - GameOn x Chibi Dinos
[00:22:49] Santi - GameOn x MX Player
[00:23:47] Santi - Start-Up Business Escape Velocity
[00:25:56] Santi - Charting the Metaverse
[00:30:01] Santi - Ditch the META Metaverse. Let's Focus on Web3 & NFTs!
[00:35:43] Santi - What's Next for NFTs?
[00:38:22] Santi - The NFT Gaming/ Play-to-Earn Landscape Is Still Early
[00:40:29] Santi - What's One Thing That Needs to Change for NFT Games to Go Mainstream?
[00:44:42] Santi - Why Are So Many Gamers Opposed to NFTs?
[00:46:46] Santi - Why Aren't More AAA Game Studios Adopting Web3?
[00:48:19] Santi - The Real Problem with NFTs Games: Lack of Imagination
[00:49:11] Santi - The Value of Digital Scarcity
[00:51:01] Santi - Addressing Some of the Arguments Against NFTs
[00:53:18] Santi - What's the "Dapper Labs Mafia" up to Today?
[00:55:36] Santi - Santiago's First NFT (& Regret for Not FOMOing)
[00:57:15] Santi - Where to Learn More About GameOn & Connect With Santi
[00:58:19] Santi - Remember: We ARE Still So Early
[01:00:13] Santi - Wrap-Up
[01:01:04] Key Take-Aways
[01:01:38] Wrap-Up
[01:03:24] Outro
[01:04:22] Bonus - The Santi Show (Outtake)Links
GameOn Entertainment Technologies
J Moses (Board of Directors, Take 2 Games)
Santiago Jaramillo
Santiago on Twitter (@santiagoj83)
NFT Droplets
The NFT Droplets Podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!
NFT Droplets Website (nftdroplets.xyz)
NFT Droplets on Twitter (@nftdroplets)
Mas on Twitter (@masangri_art)
Quotes
“One of the things you need to gain more and more business and more and more traction is to have a track record.”
- Santiago Jaramillo (on start-ups)
“…make it as easy as setting up a social media account…as going on Nike and buying a pair of shoes with your credit card…”
- Santiago Jaramillo (on a Web3 consumer’s first time user experience)
Extra Resources
Referenced
Roham Gharegozlou (Co-Founder/CEO)
NFTs Projects
AAA Games
A few other members of the “PayPal Mafia” of Dapper Labs:
Referenced tweet on how early NFTs are
As always, thank you so much for taking time to share this journey together with me into the world of NFTs. If you got value out of today’s episode, be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a positive review on your podcast app of choice! 😁
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⚠ Disclaimer ⚠
Cryptocurrencies and NFTs are a speculative asset class. Be aware of the risks involved and know that you could lose money. Everything I share references an opinion and is for information and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be investment advice. Please consult a licensed professional before making any investment decision.
💬 The NFT Droplets Podcast - Episode 5: Betting Big on Sports & NFTs, from NBA Top Shot to GameOn