ZEROPOD S2 E5: "Building a Better Internet on Base" with Aneri Amin (Product Lead at Base)

Todi Hawk predicts a transformative 2025 for creators, particularly with on-chain earning mechanisms and smart contracts enhancing fan engagement. Aneri Amin, product lead for social creators at Base, shares her diverse upbringing and early leadership experiences, emphasizing her curiosity and advocacy background. Both speakers express a love for reading, particularly in psychology and product development, and discuss the intersection of market psychology and technological progress.

Aneri outlines the responsibilities of product managers, highlighting the importance of user experience and effective communication. She reflects on her time at Meta, where she developed tools for creators to engage with their audiences, addressing the challenges of audience ownership and content performance unpredictability. The conversation emphasizes the need for creators to convert engagement into actionable outcomes and critiques the limitations of traditional platforms in supporting creators.

Alternative platforms like Substack, Patreon, and Discord are discussed for offering creators more control. On-chain technology is presented as a solution for creators to own their ecosystems and content, promoting audience portability and critiquing platform dependency. The speakers discuss the importance of incentives, with traditional platforms lacking motivation for cross-posting, while on-chain systems encourage open building.

Aneri advocates for creator well-being, addressing issues like sustainable earnings and clarity around algorithms. She shares her transition to on-chain solutions, emphasizing ownership and direct access to brand partnerships. The potential of crypto for unbanked populations is recognized, alongside a vision for a new internet where creators own the value they generate.

The discussion highlights Base's commitment to supporting creators and decentralized social platforms, with a focus on community-driven innovation. The recent "Base Around the World Tour" gathered insights from builders and creators, emphasizing the need for transparency and addressing regional challenges. Cultural insights reveal varying financial support for creators based on disposable income levels, with a notable gaming culture in Southeast Asia.

Aneri expresses excitement about the future of creators in 2025, envisioning seamless transitions across platforms and monetization through web-based virality and on-chain mechanisms. She emphasizes the importance of user feedback and the collaborative spirit of the crypto industry, encouraging aspiring on-chain creators to experiment and focus on audience building. Aneri reflects on the past year's community engagement and builder energy, committing to supporting others in their success moving forward.