Thread by @wilxlee

how to sell a web3 brand to @Nike
(@RTFKTstudios's playbook)
🧵👇

as a founder, im curious on the events that led to this monstrous acquisition and what we can learn from it so we can apply it to our own creations.

lets dive 👇

disclaimer:
- this is purely my observation from the outside
- i don't own any rtfkt NFTs

TDLR:
4 main reasons that led to the acquistion
1. founders - business acumen + years of bg
2. partners - deep + wide connections
3. community - reward passionate tribe
4. niche - perfect alignment with laser focus

1. founders BG
@Zaptio - serial entrepreneur, raised capital from VCs like a16z, etc. worked with nike, microsoft, footlocker
@benitopagotto - brand + marketing for luxury brands, fashion + gaming.
@clegfx - creative director worked with games like CS/dota/rainbow

the collective expertise from these founders formed the perfect team for @RTFKTstudios
each one of these founders bring something unique and valuable to the table thus forming a powerful alliance.

2. partners
@RTFKTstudios landed collabs w/ these major names. wide array of artist, deep in the industry
@fewocious ,@Defacedstudio, @jeffstaple @Loopifyyy Ben Mauro, Jaiden, MGXS, Petio, Odious, VIII, Eric Lefaure, Cory Vanlew, Equinoz, Zaid, Delaso, Arno Kiss, Sean Williams

all these collabs were conducted within the first year of operation, which showed true strength in the teams network, work ethic and ability to execute.

3. community
@RTFKTstudios combines the use of game engines, NFT, blockchain and augmented reality to delivery both physical and digital art pieces. this really appealed with the sneaker head culture.

twitter: +181k
discord +100k
volume: +33.5k eth

excluding the last 20k drop, the 6 drops prior has a collection size of less than 1k with various mint price.

the scarcity of units allowed the holders to capture higher upside, thus creating a more loyal fan base.
also a prime example of how luxury goods are marketed.

4. niche
@RTFKTstudios pioneered the term "forging", where u mint the NFT and a few weeks later, snapshot is taken where the owner gets to forge a physical piece of the merch - includes clothing and shoes.

this applies to all their drops and is their main focus.

the nft world is full of noise and often times easy to chase the shinny ghost.
it takes real strength to deter the public's constant demands
it takes real discipline to say no to opportunities
it takes real dedication to put the head down to build.
all with laser focus.

timeline:
feb 25 - easter eggs (66 nfts)
feb 27 - fewocious collab (909)
march 29 - capsule drip (152)
april 1 - capsule drip2 (348)
may 6 - jeff staple collab (802)
may 11 - cryptopunk sneaker (490)
nov 29 - clonex (20k)
dec 14 - nike acquisition

final thoughts:
this acquisition is monumental as it not only shows the entry of global brands in the space, but also shows us the blueprint of how to build a brand that serves an insatiable appetite.

build to your strength, expand ur network, reward ur community, be focused

this thread is meant to be my own blueprint as i build @thelittlesnft to one day be in a position of interest for @Disney
these lessons are universal to any projects and i hope you find it valuable
like + retweet to continue seeing as i #buildinpublic

ps: please add any info i may have missed
pps: thank you @TyNFTstuff for the help in research
ppps: whether u aspire to be acquired or not, build to be in the position do so. at least then, u have a choice.

much love🌟
wil