E8: Startup Catalyst - Accelerating Blockchain Ventures with Steven Willinger

Episode SummarySteve Willinger, a partner at the Blockchain Builders Fund, shares his background and journey into the crypto space. He discusses his experience working at Google on projects like Google Glass and his time at Coinbase during the bull market. He also talks about the challenges and opportunities he encountered and the lessons he learned. Finally, he explains his current role at the Blockchain Builders Fund and their focus on supporting blockchain startups. In this conversation, Steven Willinger discusses his role at the Stanford Blockchain Collective and his experience working with crypto startups. He highlights the importance of building lasting relationships and thought leadership in the crypto ecosystem. Steven also shares his excitement about the innovative ideas and teams he has encountered, including those focused on solving the GPU shortage problem and building privacy protocols. He reflects on the changes in the crypto environment for founders and emphasizes the need for long-term thinking and building real value. Finally, he explores the potential integration of web3 dynamics in traditional industries and offers advice for current crypto builders.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background15:36 Journey into Crypto and Ethereum 28:47 Experience at Coinbase 35:04 Transition to Blockchain Builders Fund 39:40 Building Lasting Relationships and Thought Leadership 42:12 Exciting Ideas and Innovation in the Crypto Space 48:25 Changes in the Crypto Environment for Founders 53:48 Web3 Dynamics in Traditional Industries 55:56 Lessons Learned and Advice for Crypto BuildersConnect with Steven: X (Twitter): @swillinger Farcaster: @steve LinkedIn: Steven Willinger BASS Denver: lu.ma/bassdenver | Referral text: ATXDAO Stanford YouTube Content: @StanfordBlockchainClubTo learn more about ATX DAO: Check out the ⁠ATX DAO ⁠website Follow ⁠@ATXDAO⁠ on X (Twitter) Connect with us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ Join the community in the ⁠ATX DAO Discord⁠Connect with us on X (Twitter): Mason: ⁠@512mace⁠ Nick: ⁠@nickcasares⁠ Luke: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Luke152⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ash: ⁠@ashinthewild⁠Support the Podcast: If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share it with your network. Subscribe for more insights, interviews, and deep dives into the world of Web 3.Tools & Resources We Love Podcast Recording & Editing - ⁠Riverside FM⁠: We use Riverside FM to record and edit our episodes. If you’re interested in getting into podcasting or just recording remote videos, be sure to check them out!