“It’s so important to learn about how the NFT space works, understand the fundamentals of proper security, and find a community you can call home.”
NFTbark’s mission is both simple and incredibly complex at the same time: to help bridge the gap between the general public and web3. Everything he does in Web3, from the companies he works with to the book he’s writing with Penguin Publishing, is aimed at helping bring the world closer to using this new technology to empower consumers and brands alike.
NFTbark (a.k.a as Steve Kaczynski, IRL) has been a collector of ‘things’ for as long as he can remember, collecting everything from baseball cards to fantasy football trophies (both physical and digital) when he was younger. Not having any genuine interest in art prior to venturing into the NFT space, Steve buys what he likes because he wants to support the artist. He says about curating his collection: “When it comes to utility-based NFTs, I have a ‘people-first’ approach. If the people are great, there is a good chance I will support them.”
Steve is passionate about uplifting artists and growing the NFT space. As co-host of one of the largest web3 shows, ‘Coffee with Captain,’ he actively helps boost the careers of web3 artists by featuring them on the show. The NFT space can be very daunting for new collectors. NFTbark offers some solid advice: “Take your time and learn. When I started in NFTs, I listened to endless hours of Twitter Spaces, watched lots of videos, and read tons of articles. It’s so important to learn about how the NFT space works, understand the fundamentals of proper security, and find a community you can call home.”
It is no secret that several obstacles still need to be overcome before any sort of mass adoption can occur. How is Steve assisting brands that want to enter web3? “Helping companies and individuals adopt web3 is a major passion of mine. I currently lead the community efforts for Starbucks’ web3 program, Starbucks Odyssey. This hits both audiences mentioned above, helping a large multinational brand enter web3 while bringing non-web3 native consumers into the industry,” he says. Steve’s most significant achievements to date include co-authoring the first Harvard Business Review article on NFTs and co-founding the Decentralized Generation Network (@dGenNetwork). He also is writing a book with Penguin Publishing to teach companies about Web3 and help them understand how they can use it in their business, creating aligned incentive structures with their customers.