The Future Is New Media | Louie O'Connor - Ethereum Foundation

What we have right now is a fireside chat between uh Melly.eth from ENS and Louie O' Connor, newly named new media head for the Ethereum Foundation. So, because we're running a little bit late, um we're going to do something unique here. Melliey's just going to ask Louie one single question, her best question. And if you want to hear the rest of the conversation, she and Louis will be on the main stage later today at 11:45.

Uh, and so without further ado,

Hi everyone. I hope you can all hear me. So, my name is Melly and I'm going to ask Louie the most intriguing question I have, which is Louie, you had your own media company in web 3 before you joined the Ethereum quest, uh, the Ethereum Foundation as new media lead. What's the one thing or the most important thing that you learned as a new media lead at the EF that you could have not learned by having your own company? I think um thank you and it's so nice to be we're so far apart.

I know.

I think the the biggest learning uh after joining the EF and kind of starting to bring videos and some new culture to the Ethereum Foundation is I think a few things. I think first and foremost you should never have to compromise doing good and doing well. And it's like a massive learning for me. And I think like when I was running a studio, a lot of it does come down to like you need to survive, you need to earn money. And like as a creative, which maybe some of you in the audience might know, getting paid is pretty hard.

Um, and I'm a massive advocate of paying our creators. Um, and being able to go internal and be so much more rigorous is so refreshing. And um I think one of my biggest downfalls before joining the EF was I just almost loved making videos a bit too much and I kind of loved the craft of storytelling maybe too much to actually run a business. Um and a big reason why I wanted to go internal let alone join the EF to lead and help new media. Um it wasn't just to like have access and be around these amazing people which is a massive pro.

It was it was really just because I love making videos and I didn't really want to have to compromise at the benefit of a client versus like having this collaborative relationship which I have with the Ethereum Foundation where we're kind of growing together.

So was it more like so switching from having your own media company in web 3 to the EF? Was it more like reinventing yourself or to actually to come to yourself like

Yeah, I think coming to myself. Um I think that you have to ask why are you building and I spent nearly six years working in web 3 before starting my studio. Um and like in theory it's a lot of time and you should kind of start to think about like how do I build a successful business and what does actually determine success? And I think a metric of success is landing where you want to be and I couldn't have dreamt of anything better than joining the EF. So it kind of was the endgame and it always was and I made that very clear and to anybody who is like making content or creating I think uh please remind yourself that it is a marathon.

It is not a sprint. Um there is a lot of creators and the lifeline for the average creator isn't very long. So, it's very important to be diligent and to ensure that you kind of know roughly where you're going and telling the right stories as well.

And we still have two minutes left. So, you wear so many different hats as a content creator. You direct videos, you produce videos, you're in front of the camera, behind the camera, but your title is the new media lead. What does that mean to you?

Yeah, I think um

I know we're going to get into the details on the main stage, but like maybe you can tease us. Yeah, I I think 11:55, if anybody wants to hear more, we'll be on the the main stage at EF Denver speaking about this as well. I think we've got to a point now where controlled media clearly just doesn't work anymore. And modern ways of consumption uh really drive narratives and give people the ability to have a voice without having to pay or maybe be manipulated or push a narrative that they don't really want to speak about. And social media has actually given us although a lot of bad also a lot of good.

And I think this is really what new media is. And I think I'm personally as inspired by Martin Scorsesei as what I am Casey Neistat. And I think like great stories are awesome but if nobody listens what's the point of telling them and new media is about encompassing new ways of consumption, new ways of retention um and new ways of telling stories.

Yeah. Yeah. Just like we're seeing the shift in the financial systems through Ethereum by um giving the individual more power, we see the same thing happening in media and marketing and individuals have the power to tell their story as well. And I can't wait to get into it and really into it on the main stage.

We can get really into it. You're so welcome.

Thank you for joining me here and see you guys later. Thanks.