Some Builder Musings - Dino

Why does crypto keep throwing money at attention instead of products? In this episode of Deeply Intents, I chat with Dino, Co-founder of Fluent. We kick off with Dino's background and why he's learned never to bet against developer ingenuity, then get into the weeds on crypto fundraising strategies including what works, what doesn't, and where discipline matters. From there, we dissect crypto's obsession with attention and whether reputation systems can offer a real solution. We also explore Fluent's blended execution environment, touching on the history of WASM experiments and why product focus is valuable in the ecosystem. We wrap up with Dino's philosophy on building a company by exploring what an ideal idea meritocracy actually looks like and why he's chosen to build on Ethereum.Timestamps(00:00) - Don't bet against developer ingenuity(04:46) - Give people skin in the game(08:25) - Discipline in fundraising(16:27) - One way decisions(22:11) - Real recognizes real(25:46) - The industry's obsession with attention(28:19) - Reputation(33:12) - Reputation checks and balances(37:14) - Is reputation game-able?(44:44) - WASM experiments(46:23) - multi-VM products(52:14) - Product focus in the ecosystem(55:50) - Reflections on building a company(58:48) - Idea meritocracy(1:04:59) - Building on Ethereum DisclaimerNothing in this episode should be interpreted as financial, technical, or legal advice. The host does contract work for Heliax, a public goods laboratory, focusing on Anoma.