In a candid tweet on Thursday, DeGods and y00ts NFT project founder Rohun Vora (aka Frank DeGods) took a critical look at his previous decisions, particularly those made during tumultuous times for well-known collections. His reflection highlights the pressures of community expectations and being a founder.
“I was trying to move mountains to calm the community in times of chaos,” he began. “Every time it backfires on me.”
Over the years as DeGods frontman, he has made many decisions to try to please his holders and keep the buzz going. For example, the team has undergone numerous artistic changes, including a planned upgrade and a self-proclaimed artistic “demotion.” On Thursday, the team said it do not make any other artistic changes at DeGods.
But the biggest and most controversial decision was to link DeGods NFTs from Solana has Ethereum last year, with y00ts from Solana to the Ethereum sidechain network Polygon– although they later moved y00ts to the Ethereum mainnet and returned a $3 million grant from Polygon Labs.
The decision to link the projects to the Solana blockchain came as the community was in a state of panic following the collapse of crypto exchange FTX in November 2022, which preceded the collapse of Solana’s price to a minimum of about $8, or about 97% of its price. Peak 2021.
Frank, feeling the pressure, called move projects to the Ethereum ecosystem, which hosts the most valuable NFT projects. He presented the move at the time as intended to elevate DeGods into the big leagues of NFT culture.
“Like the SOL bridge,” Frank wrote. “Everyone in the community was freaking out (including me) during FTX. I tried to calm their anxiety. Really, I was just being a pussy.”
Frank compared his past actions to his current state of mind, emphasizing the importance of staying true to your beliefs.
“The truth is, on the internet, you either stick to your beliefs or you’re an asshole,” he tweeted. Frank pointed out that succumbing to short-term pressure and seeking immediate approval often backfires. It’s a lesson he learned while leading one of the largest NFT projects, and which faced considerable challenges, many of which were self-inflicted, as he admitted.
Frank recently announced the launch of an optional bridge to Solana for DeGods and y00ts. This move allows the community to decide whether to stay on Ethereum or return to Solana, reflecting their desire to provide flexibility and choice. There are no strong incentives this time. It’s just an option.
“I said I wanted to allow our community to come home and I meant it. I still do,” he wrote, although they launched the latest bridge with noticeably less fanfare than the original.
Decrypt reached out to Frank for additional comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Frank’s tweet offers a raw and honest look at the challenges of leading an NFT project amid constant demands from holders, especially amid a dwindling market for these assets. The bridge to Solana and the increasing openness to the past seem to be ways of atone for lingering regrets, while projects attempt to move forward.
Looking forward, Frank expressed his belief in the need to build a strong and resilient community, rather than one that constantly seeks validation through reactive measures.
“I believe antifragility is the answer,” he wrote. “That’s my belief. Building not just the best community, but the strongest.”
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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