Creator Trust

Smart stuff I said about Creator trust - and what you as a project or creator need to do about it.

A breakdown of the smarter things I said during the recent LizardLabs panel—because sometimes you’ve just got to write it all down before the algorithm scrolls it out of existence.

Let’s talk about trust.

Not the mushy kind. The Web3 creator-project kind. The one that seems to collapse every few months under the weight of mismatched expectations, confusing briefs, and creators who think “posting” and “strategy” are synonyms.

I recently joined the LizLabsio panel on this very topic. Great lizards, great chat—and I might’ve accidentally said a few smart things.

So here’s the cleaned-up version of what I rambled into the mic.

Think of it as a public service announcement from someone who’s made mistakes on both sides of the creator-project coin.

1. Projects Keep Hiring the Wrong Creators—and It’s a Skill Issue

We ran the Solana Gaming Ambassador program recently. Got 570 applications. You know what that taught me?

Most projects don’t know how to spot a good creator.

Some applicants were obviously not it. Some were excellent but way overpriced.

And the trickiest ones? The ones who looked great on paper—decent engagement, pretty graphs—but if you’ve been in the space long enough, you could tell something was off.

This happens all the time. Teams get suckered in by someone who can talk the talk but has never picked up the controller, metaphorically or literally.

2. Working With Creators is a Nightmare (Even for Me)

Here’s the part where I roast my own kind.

I said it on the panel and I’ll say it here: creators are a logistical nightmare.

You’ve got to figure out which ones actually fit your brand, check they’re posting the right stuff, chase them for content, chase them again for the invoice, and then wait three weeks to see if they remembered to tag you. That’s before the deliverables even go live.

No wonder teams hand this off to agencies. And frankly, I don’t blame them.

3. Everyone Wants Conversion—No One Knows What That Means

A big chunk of my work is in marketing. So this bit stings to say.

Too many teams bring in creators expecting magic.

Sometimes you hire a creator for awareness. Just eyeballs. Get people to see your project. And that’s great.

Sometimes you want retention. Someone who’s been in your Discord, played your game, and can drive actual user growth.

The problem? Teams don’t always know what they want—and then blame the creator for not doing all three.

That’s not how it works.

4. We’ve Taught Small Creators to Demand $50/Tweet—Too Early

Look, I get it. Bounty systems are great. They give new creators a way in. A sense of “hey, I can make it here.”

But now we’ve got folks with 800 followers demanding $50 to post a meme.

3 years ago, you didn’t start asking for sponsorships until you had 3k–5k followers and a clear brand. Now it’s flipped. People want paid work before they’ve put in the reps.

I sound like an old man yelling at clouds, but I promise this is coming from a good place. Build your brand first. Get good. Then charge.

5. Followers Are a Useless Metric Now—Here’s What Matters

Twitter/X changed the game.

It doesn’t care how many followers you have. It cares how interesting your content is to people who’ve never heard of you.

That’s why micro-creators with niche content are outperforming big accounts.

Projects still chasing high follower counts for “reach” are living in the past.

Look at active engagement, consistency, and whether their content matches your game.

6. Projects Should Stop DIY-ing Their Creator Strategy

I said this on the panel and it got a few head nods, so I’m doubling down here:

If you’re a game team, your job is to build the game. Not to spend 20 hours a week filtering through creator spreadsheets trying to decode engagement ratios.

Outsource it. Get help. Use an advisor, an agency, a freelancer—just don’t burn one of your full-time devs out trying to micromanage the wrong role.

It’s not a good use of your time, and it’s not scalable.

Trust is about alignment, not spreadsheets.

Final Thought: Pick the Right Tool for the Job

Sometimes, a creator is just a megaphone. They shout, and new people hear your name.

Sometimes, they’re a bridge. They convert interest into action.

Sometimes, they’re a magnet. They retain players, build community, and actually play the damn game.

But don’t expect one person to do all three—unless they’re extremely good, very expensive, or named Gaspode. (I'm only pretending to be this arrogant)

Which creators do you trust? Which projects have it all figured out?