#34: BoredElonMusk - Video Games, Marketing, and Blockchain

All right, welcome to another episode of Cyber Patterns. Today we have a legend in the Twittersphere on. This is Bored Elon Musk. He is a pseudonymous creator with 1.7 million followers. He's an angel investor. He's a builder. He's a founder. He is everything. The man, the myth, the legend, Bored Elon Musk. All right, you cool if we just hop into it?

Yeah, man.

All right, solid. So I know a bit about the origin story, but could you, uh, say it in your words? Uh, how did Bored Elon Musk get started?

Uh, Bored Elon Musk, the character on Twitter, is, uh, is 9 years old, started in 2013, very much, uh, inspired by a real billionaire who is very busy building rockets and cars. And it was basically a writing prompt. You know, you're a writer, Jason Levin, and I think sometimes it's hard for people just to like to stare at a blank page. So I wanted to give myself a bit of an exercise. And so because of just, you know, things that he kind of put out on Twitter and random thoughts and inventions that he would often tweet about, the thought occurred to me of like, what else does he think about when he's bored, when he's in the shower, when he's taking a walk? And so I just stepped in basically to fill in for that in a, you know, in an exaggerated way. Anybody who's a fan of The Simpsons might remember a character named Hank Scorpio, kind of like a Bond villain, like a really friendly guy, but also obviously like a Bond villain. That framed the character of Bored Elon. So yeah, stuck with it for 9 years, built a pretty sizable following with all the tech nerds, and certainly Elon becoming more and more popular and outspoken hasn't hurt my my visibility either.

Yeah, 100%. So how has Twitter kind of changed your life? Um, you were in video game design originally. Are you, are you still working in video game design besides BoardBox or is BoardBox the main project?

Yeah, I worked in the video game industry for, uh, over a decade. And, um, that was really, you know, Bored Elon was kind of just like a stupid side project for most of that time. Um, and I think, uh, about 2 years ago, it started to click that what I've built is actually a little bit of a mini empire, and like this megahorn that I built on Twitter could be turned into something bigger. And so I left the world of video games to do a whole host of things, you know, via sort of just Bored Elon as Bored, or bored.eth as I go by now. But that included, you know, investing, partnering with different companies, and eventually launching BoardBox, which brought me back to gaming and helped me leverage my professional experience with my personal interests in crypto.

Got you, got you. And so what is BoardBox? Let's talk about BoardBox a bit and how is it going so far?

So really simply put, BoardBox is a container and a pass. So it's a container in the sense that it's an NFT that grants you the, um, uh, ability to claim other gaming NFTs. So every board box basically comes packed with 5 game NFTs, and these are game items that are really, you know, reminiscent of what people are used to seeing as in-game items, whether they're weapons or skins or characters, that sort of thing. And, um, we've really focused on blockchain games, meaning games that allow you to own your assets in, in a true sense, right? Not like you bought a skin in Fortnite and you can use it as long as you play Fortnite, but, uh, in the sense that it is your property and you are able to do what you want with it, meaning trade it, sell it, etc. So, um, every box is a container, as I said, of these games, uh, and it's also a pass to a club. So BoardBox is a membership club. We, um, help secure, uh, game items and early access demos and access to tournaments and all sorts of things for people who own a BoardBox. So even after they've claimed their initial set of of goods, um, it acts as, uh, you know, a valuable membership pass afterwards. And, you know, it's in very early stages because we're, we're trying to cater to people who are both video game fans and, um, you know, Web3 native. And that's a pretty small group compared to like the billions of people who play video games worldwide. But we're, we're building this business because we believe that in the future blockchain gaming or that sort of vertical is going to be massive and it's going to do to games what free-to-play games did to games, you know, 10 years ago.

Got you, 100%. So what would you say is the biggest challenge you're facing right now in blockchain gaming? And second question to that, what's the bull case and what's— why are you so excited about blockchain gaming? What does it add to the element of video games?

The biggest challenge, and this is both from an industry perspective and for our business, and it's a good problem for now, is that there just— there is not a big enough library of games. So if you think about every new console launch, um, if you look at sort of the first 6 months of a console, there typically isn't a very large selection of games that are available. Usually it'll launch with like 3 or 4 games, one of them is bigger, um, and that's about it. And people have to wait a year or two for there to be hundreds or thousands of games to pick from. And so if you liken that to blockchain gaming, That's kind of where we're at right now. There's, there's not enough games, and that's a challenge because from, from my experience, like, regardless of the technological hurdles you have to go through to play video games, when you have a good enough game, you'll do it. So anybody who remembers like the early days of, uh, multiplayer, you know, online games, whether it was Counter-Strike or StarCraft or whatever, um, there was some tech that people had to learn about, right? It was like how to use a modem, how to go how to create a server, how to like build your own PC. And these were not simple things, but people jumped through those hurdles because they wanted to play this awesome game with their friends. And so we're in a place right now where learning how to use a web wallet and buy crypto and secure your own assets is also kind of a challenge, but when there's enough good enough games and enough of your friends who are playing, you'll do it. And so if BoardBox is acting as like a curator of games, it's in our interest to have lots of games to actually pick from. And right now it's sparse, but we feel that the library of games is going to rapidly increase. And personally, I can say as an angel investor in game studios, a lot of those games are in development and they will be out in the next 12 to 24 months. So I'm confident that the biggest problem we have, which is, you know, a lack of supply, is going to be fixed.

Got you. And so we first connected, I guess a little after we connected, we worked on the article about blockchain gaming. And just what makes a game fun. So what makes a video game fun? And what are some of the most fun games out there right now or that you've played in your life?

Yeah, I mean, well, it's a 4,000-word article, so not a simple answer to that. What is fun to different people, you know, is hard to say, but there are some just kind of recurring recurring things that I've noticed in my experience of what, what makes a game fun, uh, and I'll highlight a few of them. This is not like an all-encompassing list, but, um, the community that is within a game itself can make up for a game maybe that is more boring, right? So if like, if it's a place that you like to hang out, um, that can make the game fun. Like, I don't think Fortnite's that particularly fun personally, but if I know 50 of my buddies are going to hang out there and we can talk on voice chat, cool, that's a fun game to me. Um, I like games that, um, really, um, give me a challenge, right? And so challenge usually equates to strategy. You get to make decisions. So a game is not a movie, right? It's not a TV show, it's not a book, it is not a passive experience. You only progress the story if you make the right decisions. And so to me, that's, that's fun. Some people like a little bit of an easier gameplay experience where they sort of consume it more than they actively participate in it, and that's fun for them. And others, you know, want to make lots and lots of selections. So you look at a game like Civilization or Age of Empires, that requires a lot of decision-making every second of the way. If you look at another game, like say Death Stranding, it's basically a movie and you sort of make decisions less frequently. So it all comes down to sort of like personal preference, but ultimately like a good game, I think generally is gonna be a combination of strategy and luck, right? Some things happen because they happen and some things happen because you decide that they will happen. In terms of games that I think are fun, You know, there's sort of like the Web3 gaming library to pick from, and then there's the overall backlog of, you know, tens of thousands of games that already exist. My go-to example in the traditional gaming space is Rocket League. I like it because it's simple to understand and very difficult to master, you know, much like, you know, chess or poker. It's a lot of like, you know, kind of refining and getting incrementally better and playing people who are more advanced than you. So I think that's just like a perfect example of a game that's super fun. In the Web3 space, one example that I think people can easily dive into that I think also sets a really good example for what blockchain games should look like is a first-person shooter called EV.io. It's the name of the game and also the URL. And it's very simply just like a party you know, a party shooter. You jump into a browser-based game, you, you could get, you know, a simple assortment of weapons, uh, and you just run around and shoot people. So, uh, it's, it's a great example of a blockchain game because you don't need to have blockchain, you know, technology enabled to play it. Like, you can just jump in and play for free. Um, but they do subtly, um, you know, present you with options to buy weapons and skins and earn credits and do all sorts of things. But it's not like something that's rammed down your throat. It's something that is kind of presented to you over, over the lifespan of, of, um, you know, your, your play. And, um, they've gotten a lot of success, hundreds of thousands of players per month. And so, um, I really like to sort of, you know, promote them as a, as a positive example of what we're seeing in the space. And while it might be basic for now, we're going to see lots and lots of people come in and, and sort of copy that model of we're making a fun game, we're going to get you hooked on it, and then, you know, basically give you the option to own your assets if you choose to.

Got you. Speaking of that article, I remember when you sent over a couple research papers, I was like, oh, this guy is either actually Elon and he does like research like this and in his spare time, or he just really loves video games. And so it sounds like it's the second one. Um, but no, that's, that's exciting. That's like, that makes sense. I mean, a fun video game where it's— it'd be fun in Web2, it doesn't need the Web3 aspect, you know. So Super, super cool to hear. Kind of flipping the switch, I wrote an article recently about— or actually helped co-wrote an article with another anon named Heathen, and kind of just idea of advice for anonymous creators and how to be anon in, you know, 2022. So if, you know, people are listening to the podcast and want to try being anon or create it, Um, what are, what are currently your thoughts about that right now and, and, um, the best ways to do that?

Well, I certainly would be curious to hear, um, any different approaches that, um, that Heathen took, uh, or that you wrote about in that piece. But, you know, on my end, I think it's, uh, it's just a matter of like, go out there and experiment and, and create, uh, an alternate identity that is tied to maybe a specific, you know, interest area that you have. I continue to try to be a positive example of what a pseudonymous identity should look like. And I think that there's a couple of things that are really important. One is building a reputation. So basically giving yourself something to lose. That's the fundamental difference between just an anonymous account and a pseudonymous account is if you just spring up one day, post a bunch of comments, do something nefarious, and then you leave a month later, you're in a non, right? You're just up to trouble and you're just trying to shield your real identity from getting in trouble. But if you're somebody, you know, like myself who's put 9 years into building a reputation, I very much have a lot to lose. And so, you know, hopefully I'm going to be on my best behavior and do, do what I'm supposed to do and not, you know, try to do anything that harms someone else because, um, I value what I've invested in this, in this identity and the relationships that I've built. So I think time is important. I think that giving yourself time if you want to do this is important. And then the other piece is building up a network of people who will vouch for you. So if you are creating a pseudonymous identity and you are, you know, younger, quote unquote, it's good to have people who maybe are doxxed or who are very reputable who will basically vouch for you and say, yeah, this person is legit. They have this experience. They have this— Um, you know, background, basically giving other people a reason to, to trust you, to do business with you, um, and back you. And so, uh, a lot of these things are not things that come easily, and I think that's, that's the right thing. Like, that, that's good, right? Like, any, any person, whether they're a pseudonymous identity or, you know, somebody who's going by their government ID, needs to, to put in the work to build trust. And so it really is the same. And I think like the biggest, I guess, just difference is that again, you don't have to bring your entire self and your entire identity to a specific interest area. So, you know, if you're really into, let's just use video games, like I can bring elements of myself to that world as Bored Elon that are relevant to other people who play video games. It doesn't necessarily mean that I need to share where I went to college or where I've worked or what I look like, because that's pretty irrelevant, right? And so the unfortunate thing about kind of identifying yourself as your government name in many cases is that you're just volunteering a lot of unnecessary personal information about yourself that is not helpful to the other people and, you know, basically kind of invades your privacy. So yeah, that's kind of my perspective on it, but I'm certainly curious to hear if you know, in your recent writing, if you, if you've heard like opposing points or any other additional, uh, items, you know, related to this, uh, this type of identity.

Yeah, I guess not as many opposing points, but really just, uh, emphasis on the reputation and network. Um, and, you know, like, he then hit me up one day a few months ago when I wrote a post about, you know, digital apprenticeships and asked if he could help me out on some essays for free. And said, yeah, right now. And I was like, you deserve to go get paid. After a couple essays, I was like, I don't have the budget. And then I was like, I'll hit you in a couple months. Hopefully I'll have some budget. And now, you know, I'm paying him for helping with some of my ghostwriting and articles and stuff like that. And it's like developing that friendship where it's like, you know, I can count on this guy. This guy makes my life easier. I don't, you know, like he has since doxed me, but like, or he has since doxed himself. Filling out, like, you know, paperwork and whatnot. But, um, like, I count on this person to run my business and, like, put food on. And, like, my reputation is somewhat dependent on his— on his actions, you know. So of course I'm gonna, like, help him out as well. And, um, you know, it's, it's just really interesting to think about and, and something that, that is hard for some people to process, definitely. Uh, but I am curious, like, when you are investing in stuff like that, are you able to stay pseudonymous or do you have to dox yourself for that?

Both. So there are some investments I make that allow me to do it basically completely on-chain and, you know, through board.eth, and it's literally just sending USDC, you know, to a wallet that needs to eventually, if the business, you know, has an exit, pay me back. But I will say for the majority of cases, I'm working with people who are US-based, and it does require, you know, me to dox myself. And so I do that very strategically with people I've built trust in and with people who, you know, have been vouched for. And it usually starts with a mutual NDA and, you know, people acknowledging that they need to protect my identity because that's important to my brand. And I haven't had any issues since. So there's, you know, a handful of people who who know my legal name, and it's— that information is just kept very, you know, confidential within their organization. And it's fine. Like, that I understand. Like, in business, you need somebody to be, you know, held accountable if something goes wrong, and you need somebody to sue. Um, and on my end, if, you know, things go well and, and I'm owed something, then I need to be able to say, yeah, yeah, here is the person who, you know, is, is owed that money. Uh, it's not this, you know, fictional Twitter character. So I think you just have to be strategic about it. If you wanna live completely pseudonymously and never reveal that information to anybody, that's fine. But it probably does restrict you from certain types of opportunities. So it's just a personal decision that someone has to make.

Yeah, 100%. Those were all my main questions. I am curious though, like outside of video games, outside of that kind of world of tech, like what books you like to read or content you like to consume or anything of that sort?

Yeah, I mean, I definitely have become one of those people who has to listen to everything instead of read it. So big audiobook user. The most recent book I read was Virtual Society by Herman Narula. He is CEO of a company called Improbable and they're helping build a lot of you know, digital worlds and environments. Uh, most notably, they're working with the Bored Ape Yacht Club to build the Other Side. So, um, yeah, that was a great, a great look at, um, you know, what does the future of, of our actual, you know, society look like when so much of it is digitized. I probably lean a lot more towards, uh, towards nonfiction. I actually really love fiction books, but, um, I've just found that it's hard for me to to sit, you know, and kind of listen for 20 to 50 hours to a fictional story. I feel like I'm not being productive, so I have to like, you know, lean towards nonfiction books because at least I feel like I'm sort of learning. So yeah, you know, I would say like, you know, future— futurism, tech, definitely of interest. Since I don't work in the corporate world anymore, I don't really care about a lot of the, you know, business and marketing and here's how to become a leader style books, kind of boring.

I mean, those are always boring, man. I haven't found one marketing book that is actually quality. It's like, you just be, you know, work hard and be a trustworthy person and it works out.

Or like, you know, there is one actually that I really love and it was mostly because it didn't feel like a marketing book. It felt more like a society and culture book. It was called Alchemy by Rory Sutherland. Basically an advertising guy, but he He really articulates things well and draws from a lot of real-world companies and basically talks about how they have impacted culture. So I'll give a nod to that one marketing book if you wanna throw it in that category.

All right, cool. I am checking that one out actually. And I just bought the metaverse one on Amazon as we're speaking, but—

Okay, great. I'll have to get a dollar from Herman for the referral.

Exactly. I am curious, uh, one last thought, kind of a bull case on, you know, VR, the metaverse. Is, is where we're going some combination of, you know, a virtual world and a game, uh, like a social network and a game? Because that's, that's what I see happening. Um, but curious what, what your thoughts are. Are we going to be like— is VR going to be popular soon, more popular than it is? Like, are we going to be spending more time in a VR metaverse, or what are your thoughts there?

It's funny, 'cause like, you know, as you can see, I'm a virtual, you know, floating head. And so I'm like definitely into adopting technology early. I'm not a laggard, right? But VR is still something that I absolutely feel like a curmudgeon on, because I just don't like the experience of how it feels. Like there is the novelty of the first 10 minutes for me where it's like, okay, cool, immersive. I can turn my head around and feel like I'm, you know, inside of this like real space, but it quickly fades. And, um, and for me it's like a technology that's trying to, um, outshine the content in the same way that like a lot of blockchain games really overemphasize on the blockchain technology instead of the game. VR is kind of like, here's a VR game and it's cool because it's VR. And so I think ultimately like good stories, fun, fun play, and community can exist in a lot of different formats. And yes, you know, VR will, will be one of them, but I'm less bullish on it personally. Uh, I don't necessarily feel compelled right now to invest in that, um, in terms of my like attention or my money. Um, and I'm a lot more bullish on augmented reality and basically, you know, interfaces that sort of integrate into your real-world experience. I think that VR to me feels like this very isolating experience that is too far removed from the real world, whereas AR is a layer that is both accessible, you know, via mobile phones, um, and also just like feels more social and interactive to me. So, um, yeah, I mean, you know, we've certainly seen a lot of investment from companies like Meta, formerly, you know, Facebook, and others into the space. And, um, I, uh, again, you know, just personally do not feel like I'm a big fan of it and I will, I will continue to, you know, consume my content via large and small screens that are not strapped to my eyeballs.

Yeah, man. TikTok's already addicting enough, you know? So, but I definitely feel that AR is, is where it's at and there's just so many real world applications that like, you know, that could be really healthy actually and kind of enrich your world. But yeah, thank you again so much for coming on. I know you're a busy dude and I really, really appreciate it.

Absolutely. Yeah, pleasure was mine.

All right, have a good one.

You too.