Thread by @acav

It has been a wild rollercoaster of a week with the @meta_angels mint.

Here’s what we planned for, what actually happened and why we’re happy we took a different approach.

A thread 🧵

@meta_angels For today, I’m going to focus on what we think of as the road to mint: the time period after we had a concept and a team, but before we’d done any marketing (barebones website, no art, a few hundred Twitter followers.)

So let’s rewind 6 weeks, aka years in #NFTTime.

@meta_angels In late December, we had <500 people in our Discord (friends, friends of friends & some folks from @curiousaddys). @aslanruby was working on the art with ~5% of layers complete, but moving fast.

We decided that after New Year’s we would turn our attention to growing our members

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby There were some well established playbooks for growing your Discord:
* Invite X people to the Discord
* Retweet these Y tweets
* Tag Z friends on social
* Offer slots via infinity raffles so people enter in hopes of getting a spot at one that catches on

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby Many projects also require people to grind for levels in Discord, posting a minimum number of messages to convey to outsiders that it was an active community.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby The problem with those strategies, though, is that they incentivize behaviors that undermine the strength of communities in the long-term. They reward people who post a high quantity of messages (instead of high *quality* messages) & they encourage spamming people with invites.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby These traditional NFT growth strategies also created so much stress and FOMO.

That was antithetical to the kind of community we were setting out to build with @meta_angels.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby As context, @AllysonDowney and I came to the NFT space as seasoned community builders who'd each spent a decade or more growing sustainable companies and thriving communities.

So along with our co-founder @max_siegman, we decided to do things differently.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman Our mint strategy was anchored around the principle of“intention, not hype”.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman Building with hype runs the risk of a holder base always on the lookout for the next big thing. To us, building with intention meant finding people aligned with our values and our vision – even if it meant going slowly.

https://twitter.com/swombat/status/1473671098885627906

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman So in early Jan, we laid out 4 internal goals:
-High quality of engagement (a Discord of signal, not noise)
-A diverse community that felt welcoming and inclusive
-No gas wars or panicked FOMO
-Selling out collection within a month (so we could get back to building the community)

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman We set up weekly Twitter Spaces with aligned projects and creators to draw in community members who aligned with our ethos and focused our energy on the Wishing Well, the # make-a-wish and # make-an-offer channels that make up the heart of our community.
metaangelsnft.com/twitter

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman We built relationships w/ people whose values aligned w/ ours (like @hellosunshine, @NFTSaraBaumann at @WomenandWeapons, @KeithGrossman at Time, @betty_nft at @Deadfellaz, @lisacmayer at @BossBeautiesNFT & more) but purposefully did not go to them to hype up the project publicly

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT We saw those partnerships not as a buzz machine for volume of new @meta_angels Discord members or Twitter followers. Instead, we looked at them as an opportunity to share our vision and values with projects whose audiences aligned with the community we sought to build.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT And when, on January 17, we opened our pre-sale list (the Goldlist), we made it easy to get on it: just participate in our Wishing Well. A single reply helping someone else got you on the Goldlist. Making a wish or an offer got you on the Silverlist (our pre-sale waiting list)

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT Important sidenote: we purposefully did *not* call our pre-sale list a Whitelist, and we hope other projects will follow suit in retiring this loaded term.

https://twitter.com/AllysonDowney/status/1477410149191069697

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT Slow and steady, we added one to two hundred Discord members a day… and while there were no hockey stick graphs in our server insights, it was working: magic was happening in the @meta_angels community. That’s what January looked like.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT Fast forward to the week before mint: it’s February 1, and we have 1,063 people on our pre-sale lists with 791 people on our pre-sale waiting list.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT Having talked to a number of other projects about their conversion funnels during mint we knew there were two big drop off points:

(1) wallet collection
(2) the number of wallets that follow through and mint

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT We were cautious in our allocation of mint allotments, allowing only a small handful of our most helpful supporters to mint more than five (and no more than 10). Over 90% of wallets had a max mint of 3.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT We knew this approach would decrease the total number of NFTs minted, but that was a worthwhile tradeoff for us. @meta_angels is about the community, and this decision would allow us a broader base of holders with a deeper drive to make the community a success.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT The back-of-the-envelope math indicated that – based on the 1,063 presale role holders – if 100% gave us wallets AND minted their max (a ridiculous assumption), we would sell 3,448 of the 10,000 collection in the pre-sale.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT Talking to a number of different projects, we were told to expect ~30% of wallets collected to actually mint. If our community was of exceptional quality and engagement, we were told we could maybe see 60%. So the funnel started to look more like this:

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT We went into the final week of prep for the @meta_angels mint with a goal of growing the pre-sale lists by 50% (without hype!), and assuming that in the absolute best case scenario, we would sell out 20-30% of the collection.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT We were just over 1k on the pre-sale list and were hoping to end the week closer to 1,500-1,800.

If we had enough genuine interest and community growth in that final week, maybe (maybe!) we could get to 50% sold in the first pre-sale. That was our dream outcome for meta_angels.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT Our plan: we’d run a 48 hour pre-sale the week of Feb 7, followed by a window for our Silverlist pre-sale waiting list members. After that, we would do another wave of a community pre-sale the following week. Rinse, and repeat. Then a public sale.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT Mentally, we were prepared for a @meta_angels mint stretching across weeks. Possibly more, if the public sale dragged on. From the beginning, it was more important to find the right community members for long term stability and strength than it was to mint out quickly.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT In the 7 days leading up to mint, we were heads down on:
-Finishing mint prep (art generation, mint site, smart contract)
-Growing the community organically
-Ensuring people already in the community were deriving value
-Identifying trusted groups of members to help in dif ways

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT You see, early on we formed a Welcoming Committee to personally greet new members with personal, human touch. Having built companies before, we knew that when you grow fast, culture can fall by the wayside – and we didn’t want that to happen.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT Deputizing our most ardent @meta_angels community members to drive that culture helped set a clear tone: we were a community focused on signal, not noise – and we were committed to bridge the Metaverse and real life.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT We also worked closely throughout our mint with @curiousaddys, a project whose goal is to help onboard the next billion people into Web3. They were a natural partner & we brought in a team of Addy Ambassadors to provide 1-to-1 support for people having trouble during our mint

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT And starting back in early January, in lieu of moderators, we recruited catalysts whose job it was to make connections within the community and drive the magic of our Wishing Well.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT So for mint, it was all hands on deck: our Welcoming Committee, Addy Ambassadors, and Catalysts all came together to help manage the massive volume of messages coming through Discord.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT We also entrusted @debsoon (who’d been creating IG content for us since Dec) and @NextGenPatron with our social accounts, knowing we would have to be 100% focused on the technical backend of mint while keeping a finger on the pulse of what was happening in Discord.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron During the mint we would inevitably have a million things thrown our way – some planned and many unplanned – so setting up these supports ahead of time was critical in allowing us to react as needed.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron People like @bradjaeger from @CuriousAddys, @crypt0chipmunk & @sreyeMnayR from @FlowerGirlsNFT, and @stacklesart – who had been there, done that – were invaluable in helping us anticipate what could go wrong and how to prepare for it.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart Our efforts paid off and the evening before the @meta_angels mint (Monday February 7); we exceeded our goal of 50% organic growth, with 2,730 people on our pre-sale lists and 1,180 people on our pre-sale waiting list.

Now the first hurdle: wallet collection.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart A key goal through this process was to create minimal stress for our community, so we gave Goldlist members 3 days to submit their wallets. Their follow through rate was astonishing: 95% of people on our pre-sale lists submitted wallet addresses.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart That seemed high, and it boded well for mint, but submitting a wallet is a free option.

The true test was to come: how many wallets would actually mint @meta_angels? Would we exceed that 30% to 60% follow through that other projects had shared with us?

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart We had guaranteed anyone in our first wave of Goldlist that they would be able to mint their max anytime during the 48 hours of our @meta_angels community pre-sale, and we were committed to that – even if it meant we’d mint fewer in this initial round.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart Delivering on our promise was more important than the optics of minting out quickly. So we closed the Goldlist on February 6.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart We’ve personally experienced the hype, FOMO & gas wars that abound in so many mints, with people setting alarms for 3am and still missing out. These are community members who work full-time jobs or are parents. People who live around the globe. This was not the culture we wanted

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart So now it’s Monday, February 7, the day before the @meta_angels mint starts. A day I'll probably always think of as FUD Monday. We were working around the clock to prepare for mint, but any time I popped into Discord, I came across people who were uncertain about the project.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart We had to walk the tightrope of not getting distracted by a few noisy voices, while also ensuring the broader community felt heard. I waded in for a few replies, and turned my attention back to mint.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart This is one of the areas where our OGs (our welcoming committee, Addy Ambassadors, and catalysts) were most invaluable: holding down the fort so we could stay focused, while also flagging any significant concerns for us.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart We headed into mint with some nerves, but knowing we had done everything we could to prepare. And still believing wholeheartedly in what we were building with @meta_angels.

This would likely be a several week process but we were ok with that.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart We backed into our max mint numbers from a very, very conservative standpoint: we wouldn’t oversubscribe.

Heading into mint, we were at “full capacity”, mathematically speaking. If 100% of wallets minted their max, we’d be sold out. But that was ludicrous.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart If we exceeded expectations based on what we’d heard from other projects, we’d be more like 50% sold out. So that’s what we hoped for: 50% would be amazing 😱

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart For the curious, these were our final numbers the night before the @meta_angels mint:
* 2529 on the Goldlist (max mint: 3)
* 192 on the Platinum List (max mint: 5)
* 19 on the Diamond List (max mint: 10)

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart For anyone who has ever been involved in an NFT mint, you know that there are a ton of pieces that need to come together. And all that under pressure & extreme sleep deprivation (Because of how rapidly the space is evolving, the time horizons for new launches are painfully short)

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart We had @max_siegman managing our wallet collection and pre-sale waiting list (Silverlist), @gabceb testing and reconfirming everything was as it should be, and @allysondowney juggling comms and managing our volunteer teams. I went back and forth between art gen and Discord mgmt

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb The very first token (#0) was minted by the Meta Angels account, to make sure there would be no surprises. We tested the smart contract, payments and lending (more on the lending tech to come in another thread!). Looking good, and ready to go.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb My #1 goal was to always deliver what we promised (if not more) and to be on time. I’m a stickler for timeliness, and starting the mint right at noon ET was important to all of us.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb The team delivered – and then some – and at exactly noon ET on Tuesday, February 8, @meta_angels kicked off our mint.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb And within minutes, as we watched the mint counts fly upward, we realized that that careful groundwork we’d laid over the preceding months was paying off in ways even we could not have imagined.

This wasn’t going to be a slow mint.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb Within 4h, we had already sold over 40% of the collection. Secondary sales had started, at volumes that made my eyes pop out of my head. And there were no signs of slowing down.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb Our @meta_angels account was then verified on @opensea without us applying for it, and within 10h of starting mint, we were the #1 trending collection on all of Opensea.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea The minute we were trending on Opensea, the bot attacks came in HARD. We were playing whac-a-mole, banning hundreds of accounts and trying to get fake collections taken down. It was relentless.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea We had to make a choice between maintaining the openness and sense of welcome so central to our community, and protecting the security of our members who were being inundated with scam messages. And so – we locked down the @meta_angels Discord, allowing no new members in.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea And even when the bot attacks subsided because we’d blocked all new entrants, our Discord was BUSY. But bc we’d invested early in building a team of stalwarts who were ready to help, we were able to rely on our Catalysts, Welcoming Committee & Addy Ambassadors to field questions

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea To keep main communications channels clear, we spun up new channels as needed, visible only to people with pre-sale roles, to communicate regularly and answer questions. And wow, were these active.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea So now it’s Wednesday, 24 hours since we opened our mint and halfway through the @meta_angels presale, and we’re almost 80% sold out 🤯

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea Now, because of the way we did the math, 80% sold out meant that 80% of our Goldlist had already minted (and many at their max)… which just seemed wild. We knew we'd carefully counted but the numbers had increased faster than rationally possible.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea We were confident that anyone who got their wallet to us in time was all set but we were getting message after message from the 5% of members with the Goldlist role who didn’t submit wallets before the deadline. And our 1k+ Silverlist members were waiting to hear where they stood

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea All these people waiting had been involved in the @meta_angels community. We wanted to make space for them in the presale if at all possible. But if the numbers continued as they had, adding them would oversubscribe us…and we had committed to not do that.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea With a 48h pre-sale window, we assumed that almost everyone who wants to mint will do so in the first day, but so far nothing had gone according to what we thought were reasonable expectations. So we had to proceed with caution.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea So that’s when we decided to do something so manual that I knew we’d instantly regret.

But I also knew it was also the right thing to do.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea We went back to our Goldlist members and asked them if they had any mint allocation remaining that they would be willing to return so we could allow others in the @meta_angels community to mint.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea And our community showed up.

Message after message, we were able to make space one token at a time to add new people to the pre-sale list.

All that without risking over-subscribing and going back on our promise.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea As we had mint allocations returned token-by-token, @gabceb was pushing updates to our site allowlist continuously: reducing allocations on wallets where people had given us the OK, and adding new people to the mint list (sometimes just a handful of wallets at a time).

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea Over 24h, we were able to make room for ~100 more members in the pre-sale. It took almost 10% of our pre-sale list giving back 1-2 tokens each to make that happen. All this when the floor price was such that they could have sold 1 and bought 2. Truly generosity of spirit at work.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea On my end, I hadn’t left my desk or computer in 72h, had not seen my 2 young children and had only eaten anything because of @anthonydramirez’s unbelievable support.

The rest of the team was just as exhausted and drained but we knew we were nearing the finish line.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez As we neared the close of the pre-sale at noon ET Thursday Feb 10, we turned our attention to the Silverlist. We had 1,215 people on that list waiting anxiously to know if there would be space for them.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez Given how close the numbers were looking, we were sweating about how we could provide clarity without making promises we couldn’t keep.

Ironically, we found ourselves hoping that numbers would slow down enough in the final hours of our pre-sale to allow more members to join us.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez When the official pre-sale window closed, and we had sold over 91% of the @meta_angels collection in 48h.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez Silverlist started getting added in batches based on when they submitted their wallets, giving them access to the mint site w/o gas wars. Many Goldlist members who had already minted stayed up late in their local times to cheer on the Silverlist.

It was community at its finest.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez We added new wallets down to the very end, the whole team on zoom together counting down and getting every last person in we could, as the community counted down together in our #general channel. It felt like a ball drop on New Year's Eve.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez At 3:30pm ET, 51.5h after we started mint, @meta_angels was officially sold out.

This was the dream: selling 100% of the mint to people to our community members...people who shared our values and vision for Meta Angels. (Also: no gas wars!)

https://twitter.com/meta_angels/status/1491873152741228557?s=20&t=yur8qjTCgV2tArkWm43QiA

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez Going back to the initial funnel, this is what actually happened vs. what we had expected going in:

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez Even in our wildest dreams, we could not have imagined the level of passion and engagement that came from building our community a different way.

Aligning our approach around our values, and behaviors that reinforced them, is what made this mint different, no doubt about it.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez Thank you to each and every one of our members – those that minted, those that helped answer questions, those that kept the chat fun and positive, and those that supported first time minters.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez Seeing you show up for each other makes me even more excited for the membership community we are building together at @meta_angels.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez So what are our lessons from the @meta_angels mint?
-Stay true to your values
-Don’t be afraid to do things differently
-Prepare, prepare and over-prepare
-Surround yourself with support
-Communicate with clarity
-Underpromise, and overdeliver
-Be ready to adapt

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez To anyone with a mint coming up, good luck. It’s a heck of a ride, no matter how it goes, and I hope that sharing our experience will give a sense of how things can really go and what prep and pivoting was required.

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez If you’d like to hear more live about our mint, join us on Spaces this Wednesday for a behind the scenes retelling with the team:

twitter.com/i/spaces/1BRKj…

@meta_angels @CuriousAddys @aslanruby @AllysonDowney @max_siegman @hellosunshine @NFTSaraBaumann @WomenandWeapons @KeithGrossman @betty_nft @Deadfellaz @lisacmayer @BossBeautiesNFT @debsoon @NextGenPatron @bradjaeger @crypt0chipmunk @sreyeMnayR @FlowerGirlsNFT @stacklesart @gabceb @opensea @anthonydramirez And if you've made it this far, thank you for reading! 🙏🏻

Now back to the top of the thread! 📌

https://twitter.com/acav/status/1493290049290776576