Digital identity represents the gravitational force aligning Web3's fragmented ecosystem, yet many projects struggle to communicate its importance in ways that resonate beyond technical audiences. Alice Shikova, Marketing Lead at SpaceID, brings clarity to this challenge through her practical approach to Web3 marketing and digital identity solutions.
• Creating successful Web3 marketing requires translating complex technical concepts into emotional stories that resonate with users • Digital identity provides necessary context while preserving privacy, helping users understand who they're interacting with in Web3 spaces • SpaceID supports domains across 24+ blockchains, addressing the critical interoperability challenges in the ecosystem • Payment ID allows seamless transactions between Web3 wallets and centralized exchanges using simple, Gmail-linked usernames • Web3 marketing should focus on treating users as co-builders rather than customers, creating alignment between teams and communities • Zero Knowledge technology explained simply: "allows you to keep privacy and verify what you want without revealing information" • Marketers transitioning to Web3 should learn to think like users, write like founders, and understand development fundamentals • Measuring marketing success requires looking beyond vanity metrics to user retention, domain registrations, and community engagement
"If you can put the most complex things into simple words and explain it to a five-year-old child, you've already made a winning strategy," Alice shares, channeling Einstein's wisdom into actionable marketing advice. This philosophy guides SpaceID's approach to developing digital identity solutions that solve real problems—from verifying legitimate tokens in the meme coin explosion to creating interoperability between centralized exchanges and decentralized wallets through their newly launched Payment ID feature.
The conversation explores the fundamental shift required when marketing in Web3 versus traditional environments. Where Web2 treats people as customers, Web3 thrives when treating them as co-builders. This collaborative approach creates alignment between development teams and communities, generating authentic engagement that vanity metrics cannot capture. Alice emphasizes the importance of comprehensive measurement beyond surface-level indicators: "Everything you can measure, go for it, because all of the numbers always tell a deeper story."
For marketers transitioning from Web2 to Web3, Alice offers this gem: "Web3 primitives—wallets, tokens, agents, identity data—that's going to be your new canvas." Success requires thinking like users, writing like founders, and understanding development fundamentals. The rapid evolution of the space demands continuous learning and adaptation, with changes happening not just daily but sometimes hourly. Those who embrace this chaos while maintaining focus on creating genuine utility will thrive regardless of market conditions.
Alice Shikova SPACE ID on Web3 CMO Stories
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
[01:34] What sparked your journey into Web3 marketing, and how did that lead to your current role at Space ID?
[02:51] From your perspective, what deeper problem is Space ID solving in the Web3 ecosystem beyond just domain names?
[05:04] How do you see digital identity evolving in a decentralized world, and why is now the right time to build its infrastructure?
[07:18] What lessons from your time at Folks Finance in DeFi are you now applying at Space ID?
[08:44] With the recent launch of Payment ID, what mindset shifts were needed to communicate such a technical feature in a simple, memorable way?
[11:10] What do most marketers get wrong when trying to create emotional resonance in a highly technical Web3 product category?
[12:53] You mentioned Zero Knowledge (ZK) — how would you explain that to your neighbor?
[13:30] You mentioned interoperability—what are the biggest misconceptions about it in Web3 today?
[15:40] As Marketing Lead at Space ID, what role does marketing play in reducing friction and improving user onboarding in Web3?
[17:47] How do you build long-term value and trust within decentralized communities?
[19:01] What’s your approach to measuring a campaign beyond vanity metrics like impressions or token airdrops?
[21:40] What advice would you give to marketers who are now transitioning from Web2 to Web3 and want to build a future career?
[23:16] What are you most excited about these days—your company, the Web3 space, or something else?
[24:42] If people want to learn more about you, Space ID, and your initiatives, where should I send them?
NOTABLE QUOTES
"If you are a marketer in Web3, as long as you can take the complex narratives and technicalities and put it into an emotional story that could resonate with your audience, you can do a successful job."
"Building hype is a part of the marketing strategy, but without a solid product behind the scenes, that hype will fade away over time and you'll have nothing more than noise that disappeared."
"Zero knowledge is a cool thing that allows you to keep privacy and verify what you want without revealing that information."
"We've made progress on interoperability, but we're still not there yet with a unified, universal solution."
"If we center product development around user feedback, making it always better and more useful for existing and future users, we have the potential to evolve further based on market trends and be successful in the end."
Fractional CMO
Bestselling Author on Amazon
Web3 & AI Marketing Strategist
Host of the Web3 CMO Stories podcast
Founder of the Sintra Synergies Retreats
