It began with a love for video games.
Renz Chong, Jeth Ang, and Nico Odulio have their storied history of gaming to thank for inspiring what is now the metaverse’s premier NFT asset factory.
BreederDAO, the company these bright-eyed, Forbes’ top 30-under-30s co-founded, is the go-to production factory for quality Metaverse assets— focusing on asset generation for both blockchain gaming and virtual worlds through in-house tools, comprehensive game mastery, data-driven analytics, and crowd-sourced creativity.
Beyond manufacturing, the founders aim to build an ecosystem that will add value and enrich the users’ blockchain experience, as well as help them navigate the Metaverse— all within just five short years. Far-fetched for some, but as the first Filipino-led company backed by Andreessen Horowitz’s a16z— perhaps not outside the realm of real reality.
Alike Media learns more in the exclusive ahead.
Where did your fascination with the Metaverse, in particular, begin?
Renz: The idea of living in another world appealed to me ever since I was young. Through games, reading sci-fi, and watching Metaverse-inspired movies like Ready Player One, Free Guy, and more, my curiosity evolved. I wanted to be part of those worlds.
Jeth: I always spent a lot of time on the internet. It was through internet forums that I learned about Bitcoin in 2013. Learning about blockchain technology and its applications led me to be an active participant in the space. In 2021, I discovered Axie Infinity. Everything just clicked.
The ability to buy, sell, and lend digital video game assets is amazing. As people continue to spend more time on the internet, I believe the ability to own digital items is a step in the right direction and will propel more users into the Metaverse.
Nico: When the term gained popularity right around the time that Facebook rebranded to Meta, we were already exploring the rumblings of what would become a new virtual movement. I remember looking at Decentraland land parcels (in 2017 or 2018) when the game platform wasn’t even out yet and thinking about grabbing one or two. I didn’t…and obviously, the parcels are now worth a boatload. That was when I told myself I would not miss the next big thing related to the Metaverse.
Tech is the common denominator, but you all bring something unique to the table. What lessons from your previous work experiences were you most excited to incorporate into BreederDAO?
Renz: Starting off as a consultant exposed me to different industries and cultures. This helped significantly in communicating with our international stakeholders and partners. Working in the entertainment industry enabled me to gain perspective on what people value. Various startup experiences and side projects taught me the value of grit and hustling—all of which are just snippets of the things I learned along the way that equipped me with the courage to lead this group of visionaries.
Jeth: Since college, I’ve had an interest in business. I worked in corporate for two years but found myself always dabbling in my own side projects. Eventually, I took the leap and worked for myself full-time. I started and closed many ventures…some of which I barely recall. The many failures and few successes helped me develop a sense of how to do business. I’m no expert, however, and am still continuously learning.
Nico: I’ve always been deeply passionate about software and programming. When I was a kid, I would develop Flash hacks for Neopets so that I could get to the top of leaderboards and score trophies for my user profile. I was creating websites for the businesses of my acquaintances by the time I was a teenager. Coding has always came naturally to me.
What gap in the market did your team see outright that you wanted to address?
Renz: One of the major appeals of blockchain in gaming is true ownership of assets— what we believe is having the ability to mold, reshape, and remodel one’s blockchain-enabled assets to reflect one’s own identity or creativity.
Jeth: We saw that asset production in the Metaverse could be better optimized and more efficient. If traditional industries are things to go by and the thesis for digital assets holds true, the manufacturing of these digital assets will become a pillar of the industry. Manufacturing is infrastructure, and we are here to help build infrastructure for the next phase of the Internet.
Nico: To add, we wanted to take on the automation of a lot of menial blockchain interactions: interlinking blockchain tech, and maximizing the interoperability of blockchain assets.
What were some of the major hurdles you faced as you got BreederDAO off the ground?
Renz: For me, it was the uncertainty of it all. In my time as a consultant, the primary element we had to understand was market sizing, which is usually based on real, hard numbers, based on actual occurrences. With blockchain, crypto, and the Metaverse, everything is up in the air. It feels like we’re creating a product we have to create a market for. But that’s what makes it exciting at the same time: being at the forefront of something that will revolutionize our approach to digital assets and the worlds that we will eventually design and live in.
Jeth: Starting out with just us three, the challenge was getting people to share our vision— especially if you’re looking for top-tier talent to join the team.
Nico: Maximizing productivity and finding the right people for the jobs! In our case, we burned the midnight oil on hundreds of applicants (sometimes hundreds for a single role), making sure we handpicked the exact perfect fit for the skillset needed.
You’re all part of a young industry that’s picking up speed. What would you recommend to a beginner as an entry point to the world of NFTs?
Renz: Nothing beats actual experience. If you want to hop on the train, then jump aboard. Do your research, but also have a buy-in. Test and try things out.
Jeth: If you’re in it for financial gain, don’t risk it all; be ready for the possibility to lose but don’t be discouraged. Everyone who has spent time in this space has gone through this experience. It’s a rite of passage.
If you’re in it to learn about the technology, read, read, and read. You do not need to have a technical background in order to understand. Learn about the industry, its history, and what has worked and what hasn’t. Titans have come before us and we have them to thank for paving the way.
Nico: Build your own. Code.
Get in touch with BreederDAO through their
Website: breederdao.io
Discord: discord.gg/BreederDAO
Whitepaper: whitepaper.breederdao
Twitter:
BreederDAO
Renz Chong
Jeth Ang
Nico Odulio
Telegram (Community): https://t.me/BreederDAO
Telegram (Announcements): https://t.me/BreederDAOAnn
Medium: medium.com/@breederDAO
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/…
—alike.com.ph
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