Ep 78: Creating a Web3 Accelerator & Curate-to-Earn Platform with Randi Zuckerberg | Debbie Soon (Co-Founder, HUG & former VP, Head of Consumer Products, ONE Championship)

Debbie Soon is the co-founder of HUG alongside Randi Zuckerberg -
a Web3 platform that supports creators and collectors through:
HUGhub (curate-to-earn discovery platform for NFTs), groupHUG
(NFT growth accelerator), and hedgeHUG (early stage pre-mint
program).


Prior to Web3, Debbie was an equity investor where she managed
over $1 billion of global consumer sector investments for one of
the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world, GIC. She then
pivoted into the world of startups where she founded Singapore
and Southeast Asia's first boutique indoor cycling studio before
going on to build three businesses from scratch for one of the
most successful unicorns in Southeast Asia, Sequoia
Capital-backed ONE Championship. 


While there, she was Chief of Staff to the CEO, Chatri Sityodtong
- yes, she was the OG Chief of Staff. Her colleagues joked that
when she was promoted to VP, Head of Consumer Products, Chatri
had to launch an entire reality show just to find her
replacement! While at ONE Championship, Debbie spearheaded ONE
Championship’s expansion into Japan, launched ONE Esports and ONE
Shop, amongst many other things. 


As for how Debbie got into the Web3 world?


Well, it all began with her making a wish at the Wishing Well.


You’ll have to listen to find out more.





Highlights:


4:20 “Accept the changeable, change the unacceptable”

6:00 Launching 7Cycle Pte - Southeast Asia’s first boutique
indoor cycling studio

8:26 Joining ONE Championship

10:36 Being the OG (“The Apprentice”) Chief of Staff to CEO,
Chatri Sityodtong

12:49 Establishing ONE Esports

15:50 Launching ONE Shop as VP, Head of Consumer Products

17:42 Moving to LA

19:52 Nearly stealing the furniture of a homeless person in
LA

21:20 Launching her second startup

26:23 Meta Angels NFT & the Wishing Well

31:43 Getting on a Zoom call with Randi Zuckerberg

33:16 Getting a Web3 job without any relevant Web3 experience

35:25 The problem that HUG is trying to solve - discovery for
creatives

38:48 Scaling HUG’s Curator Club from 300 to 3,000?

41:17 Making HUG’s Discord channel the go-to channel for
people

42:03 Hosting weekly Twitter Spaces with Randi Zuckerberg

43:10 Analysing 3,000 reviews of NFT projects

44:46 Is art an important factor?

45:36 Analysing roadmaps for NFT projects

46:55 HUGhub - the curate-to-earn discovery platform for NFTs

49:00 How to make HUG unique from other NFT
accelerators/platforms

51:04 Sharing of confidential information?

52:32 How groupHUG is different from a typical Web2 startup
accelerator

53:39 How the groupHUG cohorts are curated

55:12 Biggest needs of NFT founders

56:03 Raising USD $5 million in VC funding for NFT projects
in 1 month

57:32 When is a NFT project ready to pitch for VC funding?

58:51 Web 2.5

1:01:03 How NFT Collection founders can pitch for
partnerships

1:04:13 Web3 influencers that Debbie recommends following

1:05:22 What a Web3 dating app might look like






Show notes:
www.sothisismywhy.com/78                  





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