Hi, this is what I have been into recently.
Build your own NFT store front - What happened in ecommerce now seems to be happening in the NFT space too. In e-commerce first there was Amazon. They sold books, then they started selling other things and eventually turned into a massive marketplace where other companies can use their infrastructure (payments, logistics, tech etc.) to sell online. However, it’s really hard to stand out in Amazon and as a brand you don’t control the experience. Then came Shopify. Shopify made it easy for brands to launch their own ecommerce stores through easy to use tools. In the NFT space if you currently want to buy/sell an NFT you mostly need to go to one of the marketplaces such as OpenSea. However if you are a brand or building a brand, again you are at the mercy of these marketplaces, you don’t own the experience. Aesthetic is looking to change that. They are essentially building the Shopify for NFTs and mainly targeted towards brands. They help brands 1) build their own NFT storefronts 2) build the crypto payment infrastructure 3) create the purchase mechanism 4) Personalize the post purchase engagement. You can check them out here.
Virtual Video Production House - Video has been picking up steam within marketing communications for a while now and the growth continues. As an example YouTube’s revenue grew 87% Y/Y in Q2 2021. That’s massive. However, video creation remains cumbersome. Clearmix, a YC company from the latest batch, is looking to change that. They basically provide a virtual video production service. You can record your videos with the equipment you have, they have producers who can help you over VC during the shoot, they have editors which get the content and edit it into fully branded professional video content. All this happens faster and cheaper than standard video production. See below for a video which explains the service in more detail:
Guardian Arts Newsletter - Guardian has a great selection of weekly newsletters. They spun across news (unsurprisingly), lifestyle, culture, work and more. You can see the full list here. I particularly enjoy their art newsletter. While it’s mainly UK focused, it provides a weekly view into exhibitions across the world, art news, a deep dive into a masterpiece. It’s an easy way to check out what’s going on.
A playlist from Jordan Rakei - Jordan Rakei is a young, UK based producer / musician. He has a really good sound and a good taste. His music is worth checking out but I particularly enjoyed his Spotify Playlist Vibes. Check it out:
Book of the Week - Piranesi by Susan Clarke. Back to fiction and I am glad it’s with this book. Piranesi is a fascinating novel. It’s not sci-fi yet has elements of it. It talks about other worlds. Creates and maintains a tension yet I wouldn’t really call it a thriller. It strongly reminds of the Magus by John Fowler (which is also an excellent book). Definitely worth reading if you are looking for a break from non-fiction or just looking for a good book.
Enjoy and feel free to share!