EP 052 | JOSH BENARON | IRYS

[00:02:00] - Josh’s Background: The Origin Story • Josh talks about getting into crypto during the pandemic as a “nerdy student” in the UK. • Started coding later than most (at 16!) but went all-in for 10+ hours a day. • Early foray into mining and hopping across L1 discords like Arweave and Filecoin. • What led to starting Irys (then Bundler) in 2021. [00:04:50] - Founder Mode vs. Freestyle: Lessons from the Early Days • Josh reflects on founding Irys at 19 and the humbling process of learning on the job. • Mistakes in hiring, scaling, and trying to do it all himself. • Transitioning from “one-man show” to building a culture-driven team. • How his perspective on hiring shifted: “If they’re not a culture fit, I don’t care how good they are.” [00:09:30] - Principles That Drive Irys & Josh’s Leadership Style • The importance of staying aligned with company values and creating a culture you genuinely like. • Josh’s emphasis on long hours and grinding—why he prioritizes work ethic over everything else. • Key takeaway: “The company won’t succeed if I don’t like what I’m building.” [00:13:50] - Hiring & Team Dynamics: Finding the Right Fit • Josh on his “vibe-based filtering” approach to hiring. • Real talk: why resumes don’t tell the whole story. • How reference checks (even before interviews) play into his hiring process. • Example: Gus, the Irys CMO, and how he stood out despite a “decent but not mind-blowing” resume. [00:22:00] - Personal Brand & Community Building • Josh on managing his external-facing persona across Twitter, Telegram, and beyond. • Balancing trolling, technical expertise, and being taken seriously in the crypto space. • Key insight: “Your personal brand should be fun and smart—show your personality, but know when to turn it off.” [00:27:40] - The Irys Rebrand: From Bundlr to Irys • Why the rebrand? Expanding the vision beyond “transaction bundling” into a larger L1 ecosystem. • The thought process behind the name “Irys” and its connection to preserving humanity’s data. • Shoutout to Gus for leading the rebrand and creating some fire merch. [00:33:00] - Letting Go: Founder Challenges • Josh on the struggle of delegating and trusting his team. • Why stepping back and letting others lead (e.g., marketing) is key to scaling. • The founder’s dilemma: “Sometimes you have to trust people to execute, even if you could do it better yourself.” [00:41:50] - Lessons in Management & Meetings • The evolution of Josh’s leadership style: cutting one-on-ones and focusing on team transparency. • Weekly team shoutouts: boosting morale with dopamine hits for the team. • Dan reflects on the importance of balancing intensity with moments of levity in meetings. [00:48:20] - Therapy, Self-Awareness & Personal Growth • Josh gets real about the role of therapy in his life and how self-awareness makes him a better founder. • Dan shares how emotional regulation (and not reacting in the moment) translates into both business and personal relationships. • Why embarrassment can be the best teacher: “It’s painful, but it means you’re growing.” [00:55:00] - Looking Ahead: 2024 Goals • Josh’s biggest win of 2023: building an insane team. • Goals for 2024: launching Irys mainnet and creating a fun, engaging community. • Dan on the importance of reflecting on wins and setting actionable goals for personal and professional growth. [01:00:10] - The Role of Community in Web3 • Why Josh believes community is everything for L1s: “It’s about creating human connection, not just financial incentives.” • Inspirations from projects like Berachain and their cult-like community vibes. • Key question: How can Irys make people enjoy spending time in the ecosystem? _____ 🌀 TELEGRAM CHANNEL — https://bit.ly/topshelfcryptojobs 🌀 PROOF OF HIRES — https://bit.ly/uptopscoreboard 🌀 DROP US YOUR CV — https://bit.ly/topshelfjobapplication 💥 SPONSORED BY PAPER VENTURES — https://paper.ventures/ — IYYK 💥 BASED EARLY STAGE WEB3 VENTURE FUND 🌀 TWITTER — https://x.com/dan_uptop 🌀 INSTAGRAM — https://www.instagram.com/dan.uptop/ 🌀 LINKEDIN — https://www.linkedin.com/in/daneskow/ Up Top is the leading talent agency for hiring in Web3. Through our unique "sports agent" model, and active presence at IRL events / on crypto-native platforms, the strength of our brand has continued to attract Top Shelf Talent for both tech & non-tech roles. Our mission is to bring transparency and community to hiring opportunities in crypto. www.uptopsearch.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danuptop.substack.com