Becoming Threadguy: The Unseen Side of the Prolific NFT Commentator

“Yo yo yo, GM GM, baby!! How is everyone doing?”

If you’ve been part of any of Threadguy’s daily Twitter spaces, you’ll know that he kicks off each one with a variation of this warm and energetically charged greeting, setting a welcoming and lively tone for the thousands who tune in.

Michael Jerome, better known as “Threadguy,” is known for being at the center of polarizing Web3 discussions, drawing substantial attention in the constantly evolving landscape. His active engagement, whether through posting or being the subject of memes, interviewing controversial figures, or offering lighthearted commentary on Twitter, has solidified his presence on the platform. 

But this confident persona took time to evolve. We had the opportunity to sit down with Threadguy to uncover the story behind his involvement in the NFT world, peeling back the layers to reveal the transformative narrative of his journey, and what he says is the secret to succeeding in Web3.

Betting on himself

Having explored the realms of trading cards and sneaker flipping in his teens, Threadguy says he found himself instinctively drawn to the world of NFTs. He experienced a sense of familiarity in them, embracing the passionate communities, the potential for making money, and the joy of collecting — all reminiscent of his previous hobbies.

Credit: Threadguy/nft now

It didn’t take long for him to realize the immense potential of the space and fully commit himself to it. As a first-year business student from Virginia, he had a gut feeling that the NFT and Crypto space was about to explode.

Despite having just a few hundred followers at the time, Threadguy made a bold move. He decided to drop out of school one day after class to fully focus on NFTs. “I either do things all or nothing. I’ve always been this way,” Threadguy said. “So I decided I was all in.”

But he didn’t experience success right away.

“I wasn’t a whale, nor an experienced equity trader, or the founder of a project,” he recounted. “So, I sought out a gap in the market. At that time, if you wanted information about an NFT project, there was nowhere to go. Perhaps you could stumble upon a few Twitter posts or an outdated article. That’s when I decided to write threads on projects I genuinely liked.”

He started posting threads on Twitter about NFT projects under the username DiscoverxNFT consistently for three months.

1/ @cryptoadzNFT are here to stay & must be protected at all costs.

Why I love the Toadz, a thread

— ThreadGuy (@notthreadguy) November 16, 2021

“Initially, there was no distinct personality, no GMs, and no shitposts, nothing,” he said. “I only posted information, and that’s how I gained traction, going from zero followers to around 5,000.”

For those who haven’t followed Threadguy from the beginning, it may be difficult to imagine a time when his posts lacked his unique characteristics. In fact, some would argue that he hasn’t written a thread in quite some time, showcasing the evolution of his content and the shifting focus of his online presence.

Becoming Threadguy

In December 2021, Threadguy made a pivotal trade that would change the trajectory of his Web3 journey. After minting an XCOPY piece on Nifty Gateway, he exchanged it for a Mutant Ape. Around that time, his account and personal brand truly began to soar. To this day, the ape is still his profile picture and main identifier.

As he started building connections within the NFT space, Threadguy forged a strong friendship with Tally Labs, the team behind Jenkins the Valet.

Recalling his early NFT experiences, Threadguy shared, “The very first project I ever minted was Jenkins, back in August 2021. I subsequently wrote a thread about them in October 2021. At that time, I was relatively unknown, and Jenkins was still in its early stages.”

However, over the following six to eight months, both Threadguy and the Jenkins team gained a larger following in the space. During this period, the Jenkins team approached him, expressing their desire to bring him on board.

Excited to announce I am joining the @TallyLabsNFT/@jenkinsthevalet team full time as Director of Vibes!

I’ll be working on Social, Content, Partnerships, and !vibes for Jenkins + all of their future projects in development

Let’s build the future of decentralized content! pic.twitter.com/ulVhTjKXGB

— ThreadGuy (@notthreadguy) April 17, 2022

They were uncertain about the specific role or title, but Threadguy suggested “Director of Vibes” as a playful homage to Deeze, whom he reveres as the “OG” Director of Vibes. To this day, Threadguy proudly holds the position of Director of Vibes within the Jenkins team.

Text to talk: Taking the leap into the audio

The Threadguy you know now is different from the Threadguy in 2021. “I was very anti-public speaking,” he said. “I was intimidated, and I wanted nothing to do with it.”

However, in June of 2021, he says he warmed up to the idea of audio after being approached to start a podcast with some other co-hosts in the space. Unfortunately, it fell through, but he decided he still wanted to continue.

“I already committed to that, so I was like fuck it,” he said. “Even if I’m not experienced, I wanna do it.”

“It took me months to find my voice.”

Threadguy

He decided to start co-hosting daily Twitter spaces with Shillin Villain. “I really liked it and wanted to keep doing it,” Threadguy said. “I wanted to have important and engaging conversations and push narratives forward.”

Then in November of 2022, he started hosting on his own. “It started really slow,” he admitted. “It’s so different to be a host instead of a co-host; it’s a different vibe. It took me months to find my voice. But ever since then, I’ve been hosting six days a week, every week.” 

Describe how hosting makes you feel in one picture: pic.twitter.com/uO3IQN8cea

— ThreadGuy (@notthreadguy) May 25, 2023

He adds that hosting a Twitter space is more than just saying hello and chatting for hours. “It’s panels, community forums, debates,” he said. “It’s taken a life of its own.”

Balancing being entertaining and informative

Despite being known for his playful and often unhinged banter on the timeline, Threadguy possesses a remarkable level of self-awareness.

“It took me a while to find out where I want to sit on that sort of scale between super high-level informational content versus degen entertainment,” he laughed. I like to think that I sit somewhere in the middle.”

Bearish on preparing for interviews

Bullish on shooting from the fucking hip pic.twitter.com/SuoQQDMM8D

— ThreadGuy (@notthreadguy) May 14, 2023

He admits he still feels like he’s in the experimental process.

“I want to try a little bit of everything. I want to push forward high-level conversations,” he said. “I want to keep my hosting style while adding a level of entertainment and keep high-quality conversations less boring.” 

But it’s not just about having fun and games. For him, it’s all about careful calculation. He constantly considers how one decision will ripple into another.

“I think about how hosting this person can lead to this conversation or this opportunity,” he said. “It’s definitely chess moves.”

Staying relevant, capitalizing on the moment

Within the fast-paced sphere of Web3, the rise and fall of influencers and founders can be swift and unpredictable. The landscape moves rapidly, where one moment, you might find yourself at the pinnacle of success, only to experience a sudden downturn or cancellation the next day. This constant flux creates a prevailing sense of urgency — as if an invisible clock is perpetually ticking in the background.

When questioned about whether he feels the pressure to stay relevant and maintain a position at the forefront, Threadguy acknowledges that it is indeed something he thinks about. However, he approaches this by considering it from two distinct perspectives.

“The first is acknowledging that there absolutely is a window. And the window is much shorter than what your mind is allowing yourself to believe,” he said. “So many people that everyone looked at as pillars in the space are just gone. Especially in this attention economy, when you see people move on to the next shiny thing, I feel like the best thing you can do is capitalize as much as possible within that window.”

“Even if you aren’t number one or changing the game right now, if you continue to consistently put out high-quality content, you’ll find that you will outlast the majority of people.”

Threadguy

Secondly, he emphasizes the significance of establishing a solid and unwavering foundation, urging others to act on it without delay. Threadguy stresses that outlasting everyone else is the most important thing one can do.

“I’ve been doing this for two years. The truth is, the most important thing to keep in mind, at least for the social and content side, is consistency,” he said. “Even if you aren’t number one or changing the game right now, if you continue to consistently put out high-quality content, you’ll find that you will outlast the majority of people.”

“So many people come into the space with their guns blazing for two to three months, but it’s not sustainable, and they crash and they burn. The slower, calculated approach gives you more time to outlast the herd. Outlasting the herd is extremely underrated.”

In the age of engagement farming, where the pursuit of attention and admiration from an easily distracted audience reigns supreme, Threadguy understands the delicate balance required to thrive. He recognizes that maintaining his position necessitates a unique blend of skill, foresight, and adaptability to navigate the ever-changing tides.  

In such a fleeting and fickle ecosystem, the ability to adapt and thrive amidst the relentless passage of time separates those who can endure from those who succumb to its relentless pace.

A glimpse of what’s to come

Looking ahead, Threadguy envisions a future that extends beyond Twitter spaces. Recently, he and fellow host Leap moved to Los Angeles. While they’ve only been in the city for less than two months, he says the move has already opened their eyes to new opportunities and possibilities.

My first 24 hours in LA is utterly euphoric this is the best decision I’ve ever made the universe is giving me signs

— ThreadGuy (@notthreadguy) April 3, 2023

“Running a live show right now lives on Twitter spaces, but one day it can be Youtube or Twitch or even cable TV,” he said. “I want to harness what we currently have right here and right now and give people the best experience possible, but also leverage what’s happening now to scale and expand on what we can do.” 

Threadguy also expressed a desire to host more thought-provoking spaces that delve into significant subjects. An example was his recent conversation with Ben.eth, which garnered over 17,000 listeners. The spaces garnered both acclaim and criticism, an aspect that he says he consistently embraces as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

This specific desire to improve, mixed with consistency, sets Threadguy apart. What makes it even more interesting is that this consistency and dedication to his craft often go unnoticed behind the façade he presents.

The transformation from an individual averse to public speaking to someone who embraces the role of a host is a testament to his growth and unwavering commitment. The best part is that Threadguy’s unfolding journey, the evolution of his voice and presence, is just beginning.

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