The Master Guide To Launching & Growing Your Web3 Project
Written by Matt and Rhys from Lumina Web3
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Introduction
My Name is Rhys…
And This Is The Process We Used…
To Raise Over $100 Million…

& Generate 2 Billion+ Impressions…
For Crypto & Web3 Startups…

In The Past Three Years
Our Crypto Accelerator Lumina…
Focuses on Fundraising…

Community Growth…

And Go To Market Strategy…

For Tier 1 Crypto & Web3 Startups…

All Over The World

Here Is Our Exact Process…
That We Have Used…

To Launch & Scale…

Over 50 Funded Startups…

Since The Beginining of 2021
About Us
Lumina Crypto Marketing
Lumina is the agency behind the success of over 45+ crypto companies, helping raise $100M+ and acquire millions of users through strategic partnerships, VC funding, and cutting-edge marketing solutions. From top-tier exchange relations to influencer networks and vibrant Web3 communities, Lumina delivers real results for clients throughout the crypto and web3 space.
Rhys McKay
  • Co-founded one of the largest Crypto Casino's on Solana in 2023/24.
  • Sold my 50% share in July of 2024 this year, having my first exit.
  • Been in Crypto Full-time since 2017.
  • Advised on over 50+ Projects, many having over 1B FDV.
Matthew Larsen
  • I have built and sold three agencies in the past 12 years
  • I work with 315 agencies on a monthly basis
  • I have been a crypto investor and involved with multiple projects as early as 2017.
Case Studies & Client Results
School Hack
Basebet
$TEA
Overtrip
IAgent
Zeebit
Helio
Le7el
Mintify
Why Startups Choose Us
The Lumina Funnel

Branding
Value Props

Collaborations

Growth Strategies
Content

Community Management
Why Choose Lumina?
One Chance
First impression is everything. In web3 this is LITERAL. You only get one chance to launch a token, it NEEDS to be done right or the opportunity is love forever. Multiple factors will determine if this first impression is positive, here is a few: Hype, KOLs following, Social media structure, Narrative, Social creatives & tweet copy, Social media structure, Community channel engagement, Tweet engagement etc…
FOMO
First impressions is everything with over 100 “ok” projects launching each day.
It’s very important their is initial hype, so when any individual comes across your project it gives a good vibe. If there is no initial hype, the overall crypto community won’t look at your project ever again 9 times out of 10. Creating a narrative of FOMO (Fear of missing out) is one of the most important factors for a projects success and is fully done through creating a narrative and aura around the project - we have done this time & time again for over 3.5 years consistently with more than 50+ projects.
Exclusive Connections
You need “backend or under-the-table” connections with the right individuals who can drive REAL publicity and attention to your project - these type of individuals NEVER publicly sell their service. An example of these Exclusive Connections is a term an “alpha caller” this is an individual who is known for sharing “alpha” with his or the communities he has access to post on behalf. If these type of individuals were publicly selling their. “alpha calls” it woudln’t be alpha and their community would leave them & any future job opportunities to call in other communities would never appear.
Culture
Point blank. You need to showcase your project understands crypto culture at the highest level & can interact with other projects/KOLs representing this personality. If you can do this effectively the level of trust this builds with your community is next level. We’ve done over 1 million tweets for crypto startups and have a very good understanding on how to represent this culture.
About This Document
Table of Contents
  1. Fundraising
  1. Acquiring Users
  1. Community
  1. Messaging
  1. Crypto Culture
  1. Building Trust
  1. Growing Market Cap + Volume
  1. Influencers
  1. Social Media
  1. PMF
  1. GTM
  1. Partnerships
  1. Collaborations
The Format
  • Framework
  • Overview
  • Important Information
  • Quick Wins
  • Things To Avoid
Part I: Fundraising
Over $100 Million Raised
Overview
Fundraising for crypto and Web3 projects is all about tapping into a global, decentralized audience to bring innovative ideas to life. Unlike traditional fundraising, you’ve got options like ICOs, STOs, Presales and DAOs to raise capital, but with that comes the challenge of navigating demand and building trust.
You need to create a strong community, showcase your project’s value, and create a narrative. Timing is everything, and partnering with the right people while having clear value propositions and attention can make all the difference in attracting the right investors.
Important Information
When raising funds for a crypto or Web3 project, there are a few key things you should keep in mind to ensure success:
Regulations Matter: Crypto fundraising can be tricky with regulations changing across different countries. Make sure you’re compliant with legal frameworks like KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) laws.
Tokenomics: Investors will look closely at your token’s utility, supply, and distribution. Make sure your tokenomics are clear and add real value to your project or has a super strong narrative.
Community is Key: A strong community can make or break a project. Engage with your audience early on through social media, AMAs, and partnerships - nurture the relationship.
Transparency Builds Trust: Be open about your project’s goals, team, and progress. Investors want to know who’s behind the project and how their funds will be used post launch but also what's the progress pre-launch.
Timing is Critical: The crypto market is fast-paced, so it’s important to launch your fundraising efforts at the right time, especially when market conditions & narratives are favorable.
Use Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with influencers, advisors, and reputable VCs can boost your project’s credibility and reach.
Quick Wins
  • Create a real, official sales presentation that goes above and beyond what the normal deck looks like. This will differentiate yourself from the hundreds of projects raising every month.
  • Download this video sales letter script, tailor it to your business, and then record on your iPhone (link). Include in your deck. This will make you look like a real person and not an anonymous internet scammer when you're looking for investment.
Things To Avoid
  • Overpromising: Avoid making grand claims that you can’t back up. Investors can spot hype, and unrealistic promises damage your credibility if you fail to deliver - not allowing you to do much more in the market ever.
  • Rushing the Process: Don’t rush to launch a fundraising campaign without solid preparation. A weak pitch deck, white paper, or incomplete tokenomics will turn investors away. Follow this roadmap template for fundraising (link).
  • Neglecting the Community: Focusing only on investors and ignoring your broader community can backfire. In Web3, community engagement is crucial—neglecting it could lead to loss of support and negative sentiment not allowing your project to evolve.
Part II: Acquiring Users
Lumina

Overview
Acquiring users for crypto and Web3 projects is all about building a loyal, engaged community. You need to clearly show the value of your project and offer real incentives, like rewards or exclusive features, to attract early adopters.
Success comes from balancing growth with trust—using social media, influencers, and community ambassadors while being transparent and delivering a smooth user experience. The key is targeting the right people who will benefit from and stick with your project.
Important Information
When acquiring users for crypto and Web3 projects, here are some important things to keep in mind:
  • Clear Token Utility: Ensure users understand how your token benefits them within your ecosystem. People need to see its real-world use and value, not just speculative potential.
  • Seamless Onboarding with Web3: Make it easy for users to connect their wallets and interact with your platform. Complicated onboarding can lose users quickly, so aim for minimal friction.
  • Trust Through Transparency: Be upfront about your project’s goals, roadmap, and team. Users in Web3 are highly skeptical, so transparency is essential for gaining their trust.
  • Community-Driven Growth: Web3 thrives on community. Focus on user-driven initiatives like airdrops, referral programs, and governance rights to empower users and keep them engaged.
  • Security First: In the crypto space, security is a major concern. Regular audits, bug bounties, and clear communication about safety measures will make users feel more confident in using your platform.
Quick Wins
  • Create a flow chart explaining your token utility in Miro Board. You can get some templates that you can copy and paste into your account (link).
  • Create a step-by-step graphic in Miro Board showing people how to connect their wallets, buy your token, and store it in a secure way (link).
  • Make all of your call-to-actions and links from your Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, website, emails and so on to link to your community as that is where almost all of the user growth happens. Here are some good examples (link)
Things To Avoid
  • Poor Communication: Not keeping users updated or failing to explain changes clearly can make your project seem unreliable. Web3 users expect consistent, transparent communication.
  • Unrealistic Token Promises: Avoid making exaggerated claims about token value or future returns. Users are savvy and will lose trust if they sense overhype or unsustainable growth promises.
  • Forgetting About User Incentives: Don’t expect users to join just because your project is innovative. Incentivize early adopters with rewards or governance opportunities that give them real value.
Part III: Community
Lumina
Overview
Community is the heart of any successful crypto or Web3 project. Users are more than just customers—they’re active participants who help shape the project. Engaging with them through platforms like Discord or Telegram and giving them a say in decisions can build loyalty and trust.
Offering rewards or exclusive benefits helps keep users invested, but maintaining open communication is key. In the end, a strong, engaged community often makes the difference in a project’s success.
Important Information
Here are the most important things to know about building a crypto community:
Host Regular AMAs (Ask Me Anything): Organize consistent AMAs to directly engage with your community, answer their questions, and address concerns in real time. This builds trust and shows transparency.
Provide Clear Updates on Roadmap: Regularly update the community on project milestones, progress, and any delays. Transparency on development builds credibility and keeps users invested.
Offer Governance Voting: Give your community voting rights on key project decisions, such as product features or token use. This empowers users and makes them feel part of the project’s direction.
Create Incentivized Campaigns: Run initiatives like token airdrops, referral programs, or staking rewards that incentivize participation and engagement, helping grow and retain your community.
Respond to Feedback: Actively seek out and implement feedback from the community, whether through surveys or forum discussions. Showing that user input shapes the project keeps them loyal and engaged.
Quick Wins
  • Set up your Telegram channel based on these instructions (link)
  • Set up your Discord channel based on these instructions (link)
  • Schedule a reminder in your calendar once per week to provide a community update
Things To Avoid
  • Top-Down Decisions: Don’t surprise your community with big moves they didn’t see coming. Whether it’s changes to tokenomics or governance, let them in on the decision-making early, or you risk losing their support.
  • Ignoring Small Red Flags: If your community spots small issues, like wallet bugs or confusing interfaces, don’t wait until they blow up. Fixing the “little things” quickly can save you from big headaches later.
  • Dropping Communication After Launch: Launching is just the start. If you stop engaging after the initial excitement, your community will think you’re not serious. Regular updates, even about the day-to-day grind, keep people invested.
Part IV: Messaging
Lumina
Overview
Messaging for crypto and Web3 projects is all about being clear, simple, and honest. Your audience needs to quickly understand what your project is, why it matters, and how they can get involved. Avoid using too much technical language—focus on what your project does and the real benefits it offers.
Consistent, open communication is key to building trust, especially in an industry where things can change fast. Make sure your messaging stays true to your project’s core values and that it’s easy for anyone, from beginners to experts, to follow along.
Important Information
Here’s what you need to know about messaging for crypto and Web3 projects:
Be Clear About What Your Token Does: Don’t just describe your token’s features—explain in plain terms how it will benefit users. Whether it’s staking rewards, governance rights, or reducing fees, make it obvious why someone should care.
Craft a Strong Hook: Your first message should immediately grab attention. Start with a bold, clear statement about the problem you’re solving or the value your project offers. For example, “We’re cutting transaction fees by 90%” is far more compelling than diving into technical details right away.
Align Messaging Everywhere: Make sure your core message is the same across all touchpoints—whether it’s your website, Twitter, or whitepaper. If your social media says one thing and your whitepaper another, you’ll lose credibility fast.
Tell a Story, Not Just Facts: People connect with stories, not just data. Frame your project in a way that shows how it impacts users’ lives or solves real problems. Instead of just listing features, paint a picture of how users benefit.
Speak to Different Levels: Craft your message to engage both beginners and crypto veterans. Create simple explainer content for newcomers while offering detailed insights and advanced features for experienced users. This ensures your message resonates with a wide audience.
Quick Wins
  • Brainstorm how you can craft your messaging based on the following criteria. Get a piece of paper and write down a few ideas for each step:
  • Simple: Strip your idea down to its core. Focus on the essential message you want people to remember. Use clarity over complexity to ensure the idea is easily understood.
  • Unexpected: Capture attention by breaking patterns or surprising your audience. Make your message stand out with something that disrupts expectations, which will keep people interested.
  • Concrete: Use clear, specific, and tangible examples to help people grasp your idea. Avoid abstract language and make sure your audience can visualize or relate to the concept.
  • Credible: Build trust by providing facts, expert endorsements, or real-life examples. People are more likely to believe an idea if it feels grounded in reality.
  • Emotional: Make people care by connecting the idea to human emotions. Tap into feelings that motivate action, such as fear, hope, or empathy, to create a personal connection.
  • Stories: Engage your audience through storytelling. Stories help illustrate how the idea works in real life and make it easier for people to remember and share with others.
Things To Avoid
Here are some key things to avoid when trying to make your messaging:
Complexity: Avoid overwhelming your audience with too much information or overly complicated concepts. Stick to the core idea and keep it simple.
Predictability: Don’t be boring or too predictable. Ideas that don’t surprise or engage will quickly be forgotten. Break expectations to capture attention.
Abstract Language: Avoid using vague or abstract terms. People need concrete examples to truly understand and remember your idea.
Lack of Credibility: Don’t rely on unverified claims or weak sources. If people can’t trust your information, they won’t buy into the idea.
Being Emotionally Flat: Avoid making your message too impersonal or devoid of emotional appeal. People are more likely to remember ideas that make them feel something.
Data Dumping: Don’t flood your audience with raw data or statistics without context. Instead, weave data into stories or examples that make the message relatable and memorable.
Part V: Crypto Culture
Lumina
Overview
Crypto culture is all about decentralization, innovation, and challenging the traditional financial system. It’s a community-driven space where people believe in the power of blockchain to give individuals control over their own assets. You’ll find a mix of tech enthusiasts, investors, and innovators who are passionate about experimenting with new ideas like NFTs and decentralized finance.
There’s a strong sense of freedom and privacy, but also a lot of collaboration and support within the community. While there are risks, like scams and market volatility, the crypto world is driven by a shared belief that it’s shaping the future of finance.
Important Information
Decentralization Over Central Control: Unlike Web2, where companies control platforms, Web3 is all about users owning their data and assets. Projects that give real power back to users through decentralized governance are at the heart of Web3 culture.
Trustless Systems, Not Middlemen: In Web2, intermediaries like banks or platforms are needed to facilitate transactions. In Web3, trustless systems (smart contracts) remove the need for middlemen which creates more transparency and fairness.
Ownership of Digital Assets: Web3 emphasizes true ownership. Unlike Web2 where data, content, and digital assets are controlled by platforms (think social media or SaaS), Web3 lets users own and control their assets—whether tokens, NFTs, or personal data.
Community Over Corporations: Web3 projects are often community-first, where users have a say in decision-making and governance. Web2’s corporate hierarchy is replaced by decentralized, community-driven ecosystems where users are participants, not just consumers.
Ecosystem Collaboration, Not Silos: Web3 thrives on collaboration across platforms and projects. Where Web2 focuses on building proprietary systems, Web3 projects work together, sharing infrastructure and pushing the whole ecosystem forward.
Quick Wins
  • Get familiar with some of the most important crypto terminology using this cheatsheet (link)
  • Review this crypto culture cheat sheet which will help you avoid mistakes when trying to relate to web3 and crypto communities (link)
  • If you have created a more traditional style marketing campaign, send to Matt and Rhys for our feedback and we will tell you what changes to make if necessary.
Things To Avoid
  • Using the same type of marketing strategies and campaigns as you would for traditional internet (web2) businesses.
  • Seeming "too old" or out of touch with crypto culture as a whole.
  • Don't completely lock users out of the decision making process or impose top-down governance like you would with a traditional corporation or project. This goes against the value of decentralization that crypto is based upon.
Part VI: Building Trust
Overview
Building trust in a Web3 project is all about transparency and consistency. You need to be upfront with your community from day one—whether it’s about the project’s progress, challenges, or even delays. People respect honesty, and they’ll stick with you if they know what’s really going on behind the scenes.
It’s also crucial to keep your promises. If you say you’ll deliver a feature by a certain time, make sure it happens or explain why if there’s a delay. Engaging with your community regularly and listening to their feedback shows them that you’re genuinely invested in their experience, not just pushing an agenda. Trust is built over time, through clear communication and by following through.
Lumina

Important Information
Clear Whitepaper and Litepaper: Provide a detailed whitepaper and a concise litepaper. The whitepaper should explain the technical aspects, vision, and roadmap, while the litepaper simplifies it for broader audiences. Both show you’ve done the work and have a solid foundation.
Showcase Investors and Partners: Highlight your investors and strategic partners and explain their significance. This builds confidence by showing your project has backing from trusted and respected entities in the space.
Regular Community Updates: Keep your community engaged with frequent updates. Whether it’s weekly progress reports or monthly AMA sessions, regular communication reassures people you’re actively working on the project.
Follow Through on Progress: Consistently hit your roadmap milestones and deliver what you promise. Following through on progress builds reliability, making people more likely to trust you long-term.
Admit and Fix Mistakes: If something goes wrong, be upfront. Acknowledge mistakes, explain what happened, and show how you’re fixing them. This level of transparency strengthens trust with both investors and your community.
Quick Wins
  • Have a page or section on your website outlining all your partners, investors, collaborations, etc. and explain their significance in a sentence or two. Here is a good example of this (link)
  • Put a notification/event in your calendar every day or week to remind you to give everyone an update and be active.
  • Create your whitepaper and litepaper in a way that is very easy to read and digestible. If you want us to create this for you, schedule a call with Rhys (link)
Things To Avoid
  • Avoid making your whitepaper and community updates too technical and complicated to the point where people lose interest because it is too much.
  • Hiding mistakes and hoping they go away. Due to the permanent ledger of blockchain-based startups, nothing is ever truly hidden. People will find out about it sooner or later so it is best to get in front of it and have a public explanation before people ask.
  • Promoting things like partners, investors, collaborations, accomplishments, etc. but not taking the time or having the ability to explain why they matter and how this moves the project forward. A lot of projects have great updates but they fail to explain the significane in a way that gets investors excited and builds FOMO.
Part VII: Growing Market Cap + Volume
Lumina

Overview
Growing market cap and volume for a crypto project comes down to creating real demand and liquidity. To boost market cap, you need more people believing in the long-term value of your project, which means delivering on promises, building strong partnerships, and maintaining a solid community.
For volume, it’s all about activity—encouraging more trading by keeping users engaged and excited. Things like listings on bigger exchanges, token utility, and clear communication about project progress all help build momentum. It’s not just about hype; it’s about showing real progress and keeping people involved.
Important Information
  • Strategic Exchange Listings: Focus on getting listed on high-liquidity exchanges that align with your project’s goals. Avoid spreading too thin by listing on every small exchange—target platforms where your audience is most active, as this creates higher trading volume and trust.
  • Liquidity Management: Ensure there’s enough liquidity on your primary exchanges to allow for smooth trading without major price fluctuations. Consider liquidity mining or incentivized liquidity pools to keep things stable and attract more traders.
  • Sustainable Token Utility: Real growth in market cap and volume comes from giving your token real utility beyond speculation. Whether it’s governance, staking, or in-app uses, the more integrated your token is into your project’s ecosystem, the more value it holds.
  • Incentivize Activity: Create trading competitions, staking rewards, or yield farming opportunities that encourage users to stay active with your token. Volume grows when users are motivated to interact, trade, and participate regularly.
  • Partnerships with Purpose: Focus on partnerships that bring real value to your token’s ecosystem. Collaborating with projects that integrate your token into their platforms can drive both usage and trading volume. Be selective—quality over quantity is key here.
Quick Wins
  • Create a system to contact and get on exchanges before you need to, so as you grow, you will already have the relationships. If you want to hire us to do this for you, book a call with Rhys (link).
  • Host some sort of airdrop, giveaway, or event at least once per month.
  • Repeatedly communicate the utility and value props of your project. People need to be reminded just as much as they need to be told. Make sure you tell your community 3-5x per day what the value props are. There are always new people joining and you can assume they know.
Things To Avoid
  • Lying about the utility or pretending their is genuine utility. People aren't stupid and they will see right through that.
  • Don't assume people know how to buy your token. You should have detailed instructions pinned in your Discord, Telegram and Website with clear, video instructions on how to buy.
  • Artificially pumping your project. This may work in the ultra short-term but after it dries up, you will be worse off in terms of volume and market cap than you were before.
Part VIII: Influencers
Lumina
Overview
Influencer marketing in crypto is all about choosing quality over quantity. It’s not just about getting big names to shill your project—you need influencers who actually understand your product and can speak authentically to their followers. The crypto space is full of fake engagement and bots, so finding influencers with real, engaged communities is key.
Focus on long-term partnerships with influencers who are respected in niche areas, rather than quick, one-off promotions. Authenticity is everything here, and users can easily spot hype without substance. Your influencer strategy should align with your project’s roadmap and vision, not just short-term price pumps.
Important Information
Vet for Real Engagement: Don’t just look at follower counts—dig deeper into engagement metrics like comment quality and community interaction. Make sure the influencer has an active, authentic audience that genuinely cares about crypto.
Focus on Long-Term Relationships: Build lasting partnerships with influencers rather than one-off promotions. Long-term ambassadors who believe in your project will create more trust and sustained buzz compared to a quick post that feels transactional.
Align with Niche Influencers: Target influencers who specialize in your specific area of crypto (DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, etc.). These influencers have more credibility in their communities and can explain the nuances of your project better than general crypto figures.
Transparency with Incentives: Be upfront about the incentives you’re offering influencers, whether it’s tokens or early access. This transparency builds trust with both the influencer and their audience, avoiding any sense of hidden agendas.
Track Performance Metrics: Always measure the ROI of your influencer campaigns. Track metrics like referral links, token sales, or new community members to ensure the influencer is driving real results and not just surface-level hype.
Quick Wins
  • Use a tool like X to check for bot/fake followers with influencers before you pay them
  • Make a list of the top 100 crypto influencers who may be a good fit to promote you partnership.
  • Use an influencer marketing analytics tool such as BuzzSumo to gauge the effectiveness of each individual promotion
Things To Avoid
  • The main mistake here is paying people with either bad reputations or with tons of fake followers or engagement.
  • Take the extra time to ensure that you select influencers who have clout or sway in your specific area of crypto. If you have a more "niche" startup, influencers with a mass market crypto audience may not be the best investment in comparison to more niche ones.
  • Avoid paying with people who just want to be one-and-done and don't truly care about you or your project.
Part IX: Social Media
Lumina
Overview
Social media plays a massive role in the success of any crypto project. Platforms like Twitter, Discord, and Telegram are where most of the conversation happens, with real-time updates and discussions driving a lot of momentum. It’s not just about pushing out content—it’s about engaging with the community, answering questions, and being transparent about progress.
In crypto, people expect to hear directly from the team, so building trust and fostering a loyal following through consistent, genuine communication is key. Being active on social media can make or break a project, especially in a space that moves as fast as crypto.
Important Information
Real-Time Engagement on Twitter: Twitter is the heartbeat of crypto. Engage with users in real-time during key moments like project announcements, partnerships, or market shifts. The more immediate your interaction, the more trust and momentum you’ll build.
Leverage Discord for Deep Community Building: Use Discord to create private channels for active members, early supporters, or token holders. This creates a sense of exclusivity and belonging, giving them a space to provide feedback and build loyalty.
Gamify Engagement on Telegram: Set up challenges or quizzes related to your project in Telegram groups to keep the community engaged and excited. Offering small rewards or exclusive access for participation can create buzz and keep your project top of mind.
Time Your Announcements Strategically: Don’t drop major news randomly. Release announcements during peak engagement hours based on your audience’s location. For crypto, key times tend to be mid-week and around major market moves to maximize visibility.
Monitor Social Sentiment: Use tools like LunarCrush or Brandwatch to track social sentiment. Understanding how your community feels in real time lets you react quickly to potential concerns and spot opportunities to push positive momentum.
Quick Wins
  • Make sure you have a real strategy for releasing announcements. Use this announcement planning template and build up to it (link)
  • Set up your Discord server with different tiers for different levels of user engagement to make people strive for something and remain active (link). (Bonus points if you can make it clear how you get to each stage in terms of how engaged they have to be)
  • Set up a posting schedule in Hypefury and always make sure you have a few days worth of posts scheduled. Follow this plan to set up Hypefury properly (link) and this plan to come up with ideas on what to post (link)
Things To Avoid
  • Don't go overboard with announcements and try to keep a good ratio between actual posts and engaging with the crypto community vs. being too official and boring.
  • Avoid inconsistent posting schedules and going silent for too long. A lot of people will judge a project solely based on how active the community is.
  • Don't forget that the entire point of posting on Twitter is to funnel users to your Discord or Telegram. That is where the real engagement and following is built.
Part X: Product Market Fit
Lumina
Overview
Product-market fit in crypto is about making sure your project actually solves a real problem that people care about—and getting proof that people want to use it. It’s not enough to just have a cool idea or flashy tech; you need to show that there’s demand for your token, platform, or service.
Start small by launching a version of your product and getting feedback from early users, then iterate based on what they need. Listen closely to your community and adapt quickly, because crypto moves fast. Once you see consistent, organic growth and real engagement, you’ll know you’re hitting the right market.
Important Information
Start with Real Users: Get your product into the hands of actual users as soon as possible. Real feedback from people using your platform or token will tell you if you’re on the right track.
Solve a Real Problem: Make sure your project addresses a genuine need. In crypto, hype alone won’t last. If your solution doesn’t make something easier or better, it won’t stick.
Test with a Small Group First: Before going big, test with a small, dedicated group. Let them stress test your idea, and use their insights to refine and improve. This saves time and avoids costly mistakes later.
Adapt Quickly: Crypto moves fast. If something isn’t working or users aren’t engaging, don’t wait—pivot quickly. Being flexible is key to finding what resonates with your market.
Watch for Organic Growth: You’ll know you’re getting closer to product-market fit when people start using your product without heavy marketing pushes. When users start spreading the word on their own, that’s a good sign.
Quick Wins
  • Create a spreadsheet with 100 people on it. Record their real contact information like email and phone, or their Telegram username or their Discord username or whatever the preferred contact method is. You can bookmark this spreadsheet and have it handy when you ask all these people for feedback.
  • Create a Typeform or Google Form for feedback. Every two weeks, send it to the community and hopefully you will get some good, anonymous, honest feedback.
  • Organize a spreadsheet or Notion, or something of that nature, and sync your feedback form to it. Organize feedback in terms of importance based on the frequency that you get a specific piece of feedback. Consider addressing those problems first.
Things To Avoid
  • It can be a good idea to delay launching until you have a proven use case. After your TGE, it is almost impossible to successfully pivot to a completely different use case and maintain momentum.
  • Avoid making huge changes without testing it first. Even if you can do a micro test under the radar for feedback, you should consider that before making blanket changes that are usually quite arbitrary.
  • Try to avoid making changes based on feedback from a small, but vocal minority. This is an easy mistake to make. Unless you hear something over and over from different people, use caution before making any changes.
Part XI: Go To Market Strategy
Lumina
Overview
A go-to-market strategy in crypto is all about building momentum and trust from day one. You need to create a solid plan that starts with a strong community foundation before the official launch—using platforms like Discord and Twitter to build excitement and loyalty early on. Timing is critical, so make sure you align your launch with market conditions that work in your favor, not just your internal schedule.
Focus on partnerships with other crypto projects or influencers who can give you credibility right out of the gate. Show real utility or use cases for your token from the start, so people can immediately see why your project matters.
Important Information
Alpha Callers: Work with alpha callers who can bring early, high-value insights to your project. These are trusted voices in the space that can generate buzz among investors before the general public catches on.
Affiliates: Set up an affiliate program to incentivize users to bring in new community members or investors. Affiliates can help scale your outreach quickly by tapping into their networks.
Partnerships: Build strategic partnerships with other crypto projects, platforms, or protocols that complement yours. This increases credibility and can introduce your project to established communities.
Influencers: Engage with crypto influencers who have genuine, engaged followers. The key is to partner with influencers who actually understand your project and can explain its value to their audience authentically.
KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders): KOLs are essential for lending authority to your project. Collaborating with recognized experts in the crypto space can provide legitimacy and help sway undecided investors.
Ambassadors: Build a team of ambassadors who are passionate about your project and can advocate for it across different platforms. These grassroots supporters help spread the word and engage potential users.
Content Creators: Work with content creators, such as YouTubers or bloggers, to produce educational or promotional content about your project. Content creators can break down your project’s features in ways that make it easier for a broad audience to understand.
Quick Wins
  1. Create a spreadsheet of potential go-to-market assets with a different tab for each. If you want us to do this for you, schedule a call with Rhys (link)
  1. Create an affiliate program for your project, with a tiered reward system based on results for each affiliate.
  1. Join the Telegram channels, Discord Servers of the top KOLs, alpha callers, and more, and begin developing relationships with them before you need them.
Things To Avoid
  • If you are going to use affiliate, make sure your affiliate program has guardrails in place to avoid spamming and unethical promotion.
  • Avoid alpha callers and other creators who have a bad reputation for pumping and dumping projects. Do this research before working with them, regardless of the price or number of followers.
  • Avoid working with KOLs who have been involved in too many projects, as people may not respect or put any weight into their opinions or endorsements after a while.
Part XII: Partnerships
Lumina

Overview
Crypto partnerships are about smart people teaming up to make cool stuff happen faster. When different crypto groups work together, they can solve big problems and come up with new ideas that change how money works online. These team-ups help crypto grow quickly and reach more people. The best partnerships happen when everyone agrees on what they want to do and works well together. This teamwork is helping to create new and exciting ways for people to use digital money.
Important Information
Align Your Visions: Before partnering, make sure both parties have a clear, shared understanding of goals. Spend time discussing long-term visions, not just immediate benefits. Create a written agreement that outlines these shared objectives and how you'll measure success.
Leverage Complementary Strengths: Identify what unique skills or resources each partner brings to the table. For example, one might have strong technical expertise while the other excels in marketing. Plan how to combine these strengths for maximum impact. Regularly assess if you're utilizing each other's capabilities effectively.
Establish Clear Communication Channels: Set up dedicated channels for ongoing dialogue between teams. This could include regular video calls, a shared Slack channel, or project management tools. Assign point persons from each side to ensure smooth information flow and quick problem-solving.
Create a Joint Roadmap: Develop a detailed timeline for your partnership, including key milestones and deliverables. Be sure to include both technical goals (like product integrations) and business objectives (such as user acquisition targets). Revisit and adjust this roadmap quarterly to stay agile in the fast-moving crypto space.
Build Community Together: Leverage both partners' existing communities to create a larger, more engaged user base. Plan joint events, AMAs (Ask Me Anything sessions), or educational content that showcases the benefits of your collaboration. Encourage cross-promotion and find creative ways to incentivize users from both ecosystems to engage with your joint initiatives.
Quick Wins
  • Create an ideal partnership criteria document which will give you clarity into the types of partnerships you actually want to create.
  • Create a joint roadmap with potential partners.
  • Make a spreadsheet of potential partners and then send them unique, personalized messages to try and get an introduction.
Things To Avoid
  • Don't get into a partnership with people who have a bad history. Spend a few hours or days of research before agreeing to do anything publicly.
  • Don't get into a partnership with people who would not be compatible with you or your team in terms of a culture fit. Ignoring this kind of stuff early on will always lead to terrible things down the road.
  • Don't form open ended partnerships. Especially at the start, set an end date or terms and conditions which will allow you to terminate your partnership if it is no longer a net positive.
Part XIII: Collaboration
Lumina
Overview
In crypto, collaborations are about teaming up with the right partners to boost trust and reach new audiences. By working with other projects or platforms, you can expand your community, improve your product, and get in front of the people who matter most. It’s all about joining forces to grow faster and make a bigger impact.
If you have the right value props and the right go to market strategies, you open up collaborations as a potential growth lever.
Important Information
Boost credibility: Partner with trusted projects to enhance your reputation and build trust with potential investors and users.
Expand reach: Tap into new communities and audiences by collaborating with established platforms and networks.
Drive innovation: Leverage your partner’s technology or expertise to improve your offering and stay ahead of the competition.
Increase adoption: Strategic alliances help accelerate user growth and market penetration, putting your project in front of the right people.
Scale faster: Collaborations open up new opportunities for listings, funding, and exposure, helping your project grow quickly and efficiently.
Quick Wins
  1. Create a one-pager going over your value propositions and go to market strategies. These are the things that matter most to potential collaborations and you need to make it easy to consume.
  1. Do a "social media swap" by promoting each other to your audiences so you can benefit from the overlap and cross promotion for each. Your followers and users will find out about them, and vice versa.
  1. Host an AMA in their Telegram or Discord to answer questions and generate interest in your project.
Things To Avoid
  1. Similar to a lot of things on this list, you need to vet and conduct background checks on potential collaborations to avoid things like bad reputations, scams, etc.
  1. Start out slowly, and then expand if needed. There is no need to go all in with a collaboration on Day 1 before you have proven to each other that you are aligned and a good fit.
  1. Don't do collaborations with people who are too far out of your niche. If you have a very specific crypto project, avoid collaborations with projects and people who are irrelevant to your target user base.