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 💌 Sign up for the weekly STIMY newsletter: https://sothisismywhy.ck.page/ebf231f605 🪙 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sothisismywhy