Hi Mariquita! I’m Natassja from Diversity in Blockchain welcome to our ChainChat series! We ask each guest to leave a question for the next guest, we’ll ask you to do the same at the end. The question for you is What do you think the future of Web3 will look like and how will it be implemented in our everyday lives?

Good question. I think there are several ways to look at it but I think it’s good to start off with what we can already see happening in the space and extrapolate from that. So I think one thing we can expect looking forward is the chemistry around community and how Web3 is fundamentally changing that. Also, supporting creators in ways that we just haven’t seen before. But just looking over the history of the internet, and how it has evolved to where we are now. We can already see the changes that are happening because creators for the first time are seeing an incentive to put their work out there and know that not only can they feel that that work is going to provide a financial base, but also in terms of community and support. That is really interesting.

The other thing I would add is that we are still really early. That gets thrown around a lot, but it’s true! We’re still in a phase where the technology isn’t maybe as seamless as it will be one day. We can expect that to get better. I was listening to a podcast, I think it was with Mark Cuban, but I’m not sure. He was talking about how back in the day when they were presenting the idea that you could stream sporting events and things like that, it was a new concept and people were like, Yeah, but you can listen to it on the radio. Why would you change that? And it wasn’t easy to get hold of the technology and go through the dial-up, as it was. I can’t remember the steps that they spoke through, it involved a fair investment, plus your time, and learning the technology. Very much like we are seeing in Web3 now. And now, everybody streams sports, movies, and music, so I think one thing we can expect is that it will become more seamless over time.

We are already starting to see signs with the whole Starbucks loyalty scheme etcetera. They’re not even calling them NFTs anymore and I think we are going to see that shift, too. But the other thing, as I was saying before, with the support of creators and community, we are not necessarily going to know what that will produce. If you look at the past and artistic movements that have been arriving at different stages of history, or something as recent as disability justice which emerged in 2005 as a framework because of Web2, because people for the first time could connect through Facebook and these sorts of things. If we’ve already seen these types of changes being facilitated by technology and ways of communicating, we don’t even really know what’s kind of brewing right now! In a way, it’s a bit of a vague answer, but I think the changes that are being put in place, when we look back, we are just going to be amazed. 

Sure! So what is your interest in Blockchain and what are you doing here?

OK, so my interest in Blockchain... My background is in the NGO world and social justice, that kind of thing. I’ve realized that I’m fundamentally interested in what is on the cusp of societal change but marrying that with how change happens in the best possible way. There are always powerplays that are happening. I can’t speak for everybody, but when I say we, I mean in the broadest sense those people that haven’t historically had the easiest access to resources and opportunities. So Blockchain is something that I feel is going to revolutionize the way we do things, which is why I want to be here. I want to help in whatever tiny way I can to push things to how they can live up to decentralized principles and things like that. That’s my interest.

Is your current profession related?

Yeah. I’m a freelance writer, and I write quite broadly in the space. Journalistic pieces, also artists; mainly art, but covering community formation and more general copywriting and helping companies who want to grow to harness this space. I’ve been working in this area since May.

We’re all new relatively! 

We are all new! I had a personal interest before that, though.

Something that made me think as you answered that question, is there such a thing as an artists’ directory?

Not sure off the top of my head. What I would say, and maybe it’s a bit of a cheeky plug, Culture3 covers a lot of artists.

Plug away! OK so as you say, we’re all new to this. What resources have you used to learn your way?

I suppose two of the communities — again, why I say community is really important in this space — I’ve been connecting with ones that I feel you can really trust. Two of those have been the Invisible College community, and Surge. Invisible college is a general space for anyone, it’s got quite a strong focus on education. It’s amazing, the people running it are super committed and have a great vision of what the space can be. I recommend checking them out. Surge is a community that’s for women and non-binary people, and it can be really great to be in a community where you can see yourself reflected. Through them and then, what else?

The resources are out there, but it’s just sifting through and finding the ones you can relate to and that are in your language etc. What about challenges?

Yes! I’ve gone through the scam thing, I’ve invested in a rug pull and that kind of thing. Those are challenges… Especially right now, and probably always, it’s on us, and I feel a bit uncomfortable with that discourse of We are responsible. That doesn’t fully take into account differentiated power dynamics. You know, I don’t think it’s fair. This is why the community aspect is so great, you come together, learn together, support each other and hopefully build interlinked communities. If you’re not used to opportunities like these, you might need to take some time to get used to the fact that not everything is exactly as it seems. We have to have a strong level of maturity and listen to our intuition but it’s always easier to do that if you’re not isolated. One thing I would say to everyone is to try to connect, and don’t be ashamed if you mess up. Take your time, and if you feel like you have to rush, that’s a red flag! That’s the challenge.

Yeah, it’s difficult to know what you can trust. Sorry, my child is here knocking on the door. To child: What? Quick! We’re recording here. From a diversity perspective then, within your work, how important do you think language is to propel diversity?

It’s massive! It’s everything to do with representation and access. Being conscious about the words that you use. It’s been easier for me to do that in journalism. I’ve been fortunate to be able to ensure that. When we talk about women, it’s important to be clear that we’re talking about women in an inclusive way. That’s been easier to draw out, journalism is about storytelling and I’ve had the liberty to think about what I want to write. Something my editor asked once about the way I’d worded something and he said Shall we just say LGBTQ? Or something like that. And I was like No, we should use the exact phrasing. This was me learning at the same time! We need to use the language that this community has used to identify itself. When you’re talking to lots of people and building their stories into an article it’s easier to do that. But yes, it’s so important not to invisibilize. I hope I haven’t done it! And I probably have!

I’m sure we’ve all done it but it’s about being open to being corrected and educated. (To child: I’m gonna be ten minutes more.) What practical steps do you think Web3 companies, in general, can take to become more inclusive or diverse?

It’s important to think about this. In a way, I feel like this answer is not too different from an answer I’d give for any space, but I’m interested to think about what would be different about this concept in the Web3 space. But basically, I think it comes down to looking around at our organizations and who is in there in which roles, and if we’re identifying gaps and lapses, or certain echelons of the organization are looking very homogenous, then we need to find ways to lift people up to take on roles that are not just saying they’re diverse, but we need diverse people in positions of power basically. And that also means supporting people, because it isn’t always something you can do from one day to the next. In the NGO that I worked in previously in Bolivia, we went through this process. And it was very much about taking time out of your day to provide training and go through the steps. You have to open doors, and be proactive. Create those conditions. That’s not specifically Web3 though…

Yeah, it’s just with Web3 being relatively new, we feel the difference would not necessarily be undoing what has been built badly, but making sure we build right from the beginning. This is why these interviews are so interesting, to speak to different people with different ideas and different points of view and round up all of that knowledge as there may not be one correct answer. What barriers to entry have you noticed?

I can speak from my own experience and those of friends. As a neurodivergent person, I still think that we have a different way of communicating and I would love it if people could learn how we are because every single person is unique. That said, there are some traits that make us autistic people who we are. So I would really love for people to learn more about that and understand that even if our way of communicating seems brusk at times, or we don’t get down with hierarchies and social norms that everyone else gets, we’re very driven by honesty and certain skills and we could complement each other. But I feel that still what happens is there’s something about the way that I and other neurodivergent people communicate that doesn’t get us anywhere.

When you said you’d like people to kind of get inside of your head a little bit, can you think of one specific thing you wish ‘we’ understood?

Sure. One thing? I think it would be, that very often we say what we mean, but it’s coming from a good place, it just comes out how it comes out.

Do you think people who are not neurodivergent then, not that they shouldn’t pay attention to the tone or the delivery, but that they should look beyond those things and find the message?

Yeah, I think that even if this person might not be saying what fits this situation and I might not like that, but what is it that they are actually saying and why are they saying it? The one thing would be that, find out what it is that we’re trying to communicate and meet in the middle, trust! We don’t play social games, we don’t manipulate, maybe that’s where the disconnect is, we’re not trying to manipulate a situation, we’re an open book. But look at the message, don’t get caught up in Why did you say that?

Thanks, that will be useful for a lot of people. Just before I ask you to leave a question for the next person, I want to ask you one more. Just in general, what do you wish I had asked you in this interview? If not, any insight or wisdom that you want to share?

Actually, no! I came into this fresh and without much expectation. Maybe if I were to leave some kind of final comment, I guess I would say that if there’s something that you want to put out there, something you want to create, really try and find your community. You will find your group of people that you feel safe with. It might not necessarily be in the bigger communities, there are some that talk about diversity and then other people feel let down by those groups. You can still find your people because we are still early. There’s every reason why it’s worth connecting with people and making new friends. And figuring out what’s important to you and building for your own future. As a neurodivergent person, I felt safer than I ever have done to just kind of BE in this space. And not made to feel weird, which is kind of what I’m used to! Find your people, DM them, have fun!

And if your group doesn’t exist, you can make it yourself! Anyway, leave me a question for the next person!

I’d like to ask the next person, What most excites you that you’ve seen in Web3 that couldn’t have existed otherwise?

Interesting! I haven’t heard this one before. It’s been great to meet you! We will be in touch :)