We ask the buidlers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry… and throw in a few random zingers to keep them on their toes!
This week, our 6 Questions go to Nikki Farb — an active investor and advisor to technology companies who is currently a venture partner at Headline, a venture capital firm.
I invest in consumer tech (with a real love for marketplaces) and Web3. I’ve invested in Consensys (MetaMask), AfterParty, Fractal, Aloft, Wander, MarketerHire, SudShare and a few others I can’t share just yet.
Before investing, I co-founded Darby — a video shopping app that connected creators and their fans. It was such a journey. We built Darby up to 50,000 creators making videos for 5 million viewers. Working with the team at Darby was one of my greatest privileges. We were acquired by Grove Collective.
Prior to Darby, I was at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Group. I learned quite a bit. Especially because I was an English teacher right out of college.
1 — What has been the toughest challenge you’ve faced in our industry so far?
There are two challenges that come to mind. The first is that it’s a noisy industry. It’s challenging to face the tough questions: What is the fundamental reason that this industry is thriving? What’s a novel use case of the tech? Finding the signal through the noise is the most important thing you can do as an investor, since it impacts how you use both your time and money. I have that answer now; without it, you run the risk of losing a lot of money.
The second is the pitfall of rallying around a negative message. One of the quickest ways to succeed in this space as a female investor is to scream that it’s a boy’s club. That sort of negativity thrives on social media, where lots of crypto conversations take place. If I wanted to be self-serving, I would say that and build up my platform, but I don’t believe it and it’s not the path I want to choose. If you say the message enough times, it could become a truth,…
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