Human Protocol

Simona Pop
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The personal side of building big things. Where builders talk about the messy parts of creating the future. Hosted by Simona Pop.

Episodes

  1. Jun 17

    Building with Resilience and Purpose: Amanda Cassatt - Serotonin

    Timestamps:  00:00 - Introduction and Amanda’s background in media and early tech experiences  02:15 - Transition from writing to understanding content on the internet  04:38 - Disruptive media business models and ad-driven economics  07:00 - Amanda’s entry into crypto via Ethereum meetups and community insights  09:45 - The excitement and technical complexity of blockchain at Ethereum meetups  11:10 - Amanda’s role in shaping Ethereum's marketing and her vision to elevate the ecosystem  13:35 - Leaving consensus and reflecting on lessons from media to crypto  16:10 - Building trust and changing internal communication strategies at Ethereum Foundation  17:50 - The emotional toll of marketing campaigns and real-world validation  19:45 - Confronting criticism and self-doubt during Ethereum’s price spike & campaign success  22:00 - Handling setbacks, personal resilience, and the importance of deadlines  23:40 - The mindset of trying, testing, and learning in uncertain environments  26:00 - Living with the unknown: embracing discomfort as growth  29:00 - The metaphors of muscle tearing and emotional growth; navigating discomfort  31:00 - Managing perceptions, misjudgments, and acting with internal authenticity  33:12 - The importance of flow, Wu Wei, and accepting reality as a foundation for leadership  36:00 - Maintaining patience and conviction aligned with external reality  42:00 - Building the Ethereum ecosystem through strategic marketing and community-building  44:20 - Starting Serotonin and avoiding VC reliance: a model of profitable growth  49:00 - The dangers of overhyped tech bubbles and lessons from NFT collapses  55:10 - Value creation versus hype: understanding true worth in digital assets  56:50 - The lasting impact of NFT technology and its nuanced applications  58:30 - The significance of adaptability and not overcommitting in volatile markets  59:45 - Inner confidence, humility, and moving with the natural flow of reality  62:00 - Authenticity in social media and the importance of true self-expression  66:00 - Keeping motivated amidst market pressure and innovation's pace  68:45 - Feedback, critique, and the value of community dialogue in building resilient ecosystems  70:00 - Ethereum’s potential as a bulwark against authoritarianism and systemic overreach  71:00 - Amanda’s broader philosophy: creating genuinely valuable work and focusing on the territory  73:20 - The gap between perceived value (map) and real value (territory) in finance and society  75:00 - Living in alignment with fundamental real-world values rather than abstractions  76:00 - The Borges story of the perfect map and the perils of losing touch with reality  77:00 - Final thoughts: embracing change, authenticity, and purpose-driven building

    1h 19m

  2. Jun 3

    E.G. Galano - Infura

    Key Topics: EG's background in reliability engineering and early startup experiences in gaming and hospitality The founding story of Infura and its rapid growth alongside Ethereum adoption Challenges of infrastructure scaling, managing work-life balance, and building resilient systems amid explosive growth Transition from a single company focus to a decentralized infrastructure protocol Lessons on monetization, staying relevant, and balancing technical excellence with community value The evolution from core infrastructure to supporting multi-chain ecosystems and emerging primitives like NFTs and stablecoins The importance of humility, open-mindedness, and responsibility in crypto development The future: building a protocol for real-world asset trading and embracing the potential of AI and blockchain convergence Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: the human side of building blockchain infrastructure  00:20 - EG’s early career in gaming and reliability engineering 02:08 - The inception of Infura and initial challenges 04:22 - The shift in Ethereum growth and infrastructure reliance 07:24 - Managing work-life balance during rapid scaling 09:45 - Recognizing the significance of infrastructure dependency 12:25 - The ICO boom and monetization struggles 15:05 - Balancing community trust and product development 16:59 - Handling criticisms and system reliability concerns 19:14 - Passing the torch: transitioning Infura’s infrastructure responsibility 22:41 - Building a decentralized protocol for RPC and infrastructure commoditization 27:25 - Challenges of industry growth, competition, and resource allocation 31:00 - Reflections on supporting new chains and primitives 36:48 - Stepping away from Infura and future directions in Web3 42:38 - The importance of community, responsibility, and innovation46:34 - Personal lessons: staying humble, open-minded, and dedicated 49:13 - Closing thoughts: gratitude, pragmatic ethos, and the next chapter  Resources & Links:  https://x.com/egalano  https://x.com/infura_io  Note: Insights emphasize the importance of community responsibility, the human experience behind infrastructure projects, and the ongoing evolution towards a more decentralized ecosystem.

    53 min

  3. May 19

    María Paula Fernández - Aave Labs

    Timestamps: (00:07) - Welcome and introduction to the guest’s background (01:10) - Her life before crypto in Argentina and move to Berlin (03:00) - Early work in oil, gas, and polo magazines (04:46) - Transition into NGO work with migrant children in Berlin (08:00) - Discovery of blockchain through a young refugee's curiosity (09:00) - Entry into Web3 Foundation and early industry efforts (11:00) - Building ETH Berlin and community initiatives (Department of Decentralization) (15:11) - The significance of ETH Berlin and industry events (17:30) - Starting her own company focused on art and NFTs (21:48) - The high-energy NFT boom and her cultural contributions (22:23) - Reflections on industry recognition and her personal growth (23:24) - The impact of market crashes on her project and industry disillusionment (25:57) - Winding down her project, feelings about the industry’s state (27:16) - Transition from industry expert to exploring new possibilities (vintage shop) (41:56) - Changes over the past decade and her personal evolution (42:47) - Managing social media presence and industry advocacy shifts (45:10) - Future ambitions beyond crypto, including her vintage shop (46:27) - What continues to inspire her about blockchain’s transformative potential Resources & Links: Ethereum Foundation Golem - Decentralized Computing Network ETH Berlin Department of Decentralization Aave Connect with the Guest: Twitter Note: MP shares her story with sincerity and depth, highlighting her resilience, community focus, and desire to evolve both personally and within the industry.

    49 min

  4. Apr 28

    Griff Green — Giveth

    Griff Green is a longtime Ethereum community organizer, co-founder of Giveth, and one of the key figures in the White Hat response to The DAO hack. This episode was recorded at EthCC[9] and explores his journey from chemical engineering to crypto, the early days of Ethereum, and the values that continue to drive his work today. We talk about what happens when ideals meet reality. Griff shares how ethical conflicts in his engineering career, heartbreak over the Seattle SuperSonics, and a growing distrust of existing systems pushed him toward anarchism, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and eventually community coordination at the center of one of crypto’s defining crises. Griff gives a firsthand account of The DAO hack, the White Hat group, and the strange intensity of becoming responsible for protecting a young ecosystem under pressure. But the deeper story is about trust, responsibility, and the belief that crypto can still help build economies around values that governments and spreadsheets fail to recognize. Let’s talk about responsibility, values, and building something better. Welcome to the show.

    1h 5m

  5. Apr 14

    Austin Griffith — Ethereum Foundation

    Austin Griffith is Head of Developer Growth at the Ethereum Foundation. This episode was recorded at EthCC[9] and Austin shares his journey from tinkering and building to becoming a key member of the Ethereum ecosystem. He discusses his projects like Burner Wallet, the impact of AI on blockchain development, and the importance of empathy and community in tech innovation. We talk about finding acceptance in the crypto space. Feelings of imposter syndrome, real stories of impact, and reflections on finding balance between personal life and work. Exploring the meaning of cypherpunk ideals and open source. And how he's thinking about a changing landscape for developers and the impact of AI on entrepreneurship.

    54 min

  6. Apr 6

    Stani Kulechov — Aave Labs

    Stani Kulechov is the founder and CEO of Aave Labs. This episode was recorded live onstage at EthCC and explores his challenges, motivations, and lessons learned along the way. Have you ever wondered about the human side of being responsible for a DeFi protocol which gathers billions in assets? We hear about what it takes to stay focused and on track amongst all the noise and distractions. How things change over the years from being a young programmer to becoming a father and navigating the complexities of an industry which doesn't take days off. Stani describes the early days of Aave as filled with sleepless nights and intense stress. Each protocol iteration demanded extensive focus and collaboration from the entire team, as they worked tirelessly to address every detail and edge case. This phase was not just about coding, it was about ensuring that the platform could handle real-world financial transactions securely. Let’s talk about the personal side of building big things. Welcome to the show.

    44 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

The personal side of building big things. Where builders talk about the messy parts of creating the future. Hosted by Simona Pop.

Information

  • Creator
    Simona Pop
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    Human Protocol