Steven Dolcemaschio shares his journey from running an independent record label to leading marketing at global consumer brands like Nike, Converse, and Sonos, before entering crypto as CMO of Reown (formerly WalletConnect). He explores how authentic storytelling and human creativity remain crucial differentiators in an increasingly AI-dominated marketing landscape.
• Culture and product are at the center of effective brand storytelling across all industries • Technical products in Web3 need better storytelling that focuses on benefits rather than features • Community building is essential - crypto pioneered modern community-centric marketing • Experience-focused marketing creates meaningful connections with users • As Web3 and traditional finance merge, infrastructure companies need to build bridges for mainstream adoption • Future growth will come from passive users wanting seamless experiences, not power users • Human creativity and authentic connection remain irreplaceable as AI threatens to create a "sea of sameness"
SUMMARY
What happens when everyone uses the same AI tools to create marketing content? "A sea of sameness," warns Steven Dolcemaschio, CMO of Reown (formerly WalletConnect) and veteran marketer from Nike, Converse, and Sonos. In this thought-provoking conversation, Steven shares how his journey from running an independent record label to leading Web3 marketing has shaped his perspective on what makes brands truly stand out.
Steven reveals the marketing principles that transcend industries - placing culture and product at the center of authentic storytelling. "The great brands, product is the storytelling," he explains, challenging the Web3 industry's tendency to focus on technical features rather than human benefits. Through examples like Reown's "State of On-Chain UX" report, he demonstrates how even infrastructure-level technology can be marketed with creativity and cultural relevance.
Drawing from his experience at Sonos, where "experience is everything" was a guiding principle, Steven advocates for bringing this mindset to Web3 - an industry that often prioritizes technological innovation at the expense of basic human experience. He shares fascinating insights on how crypto pioneered modern community-building approaches that mainstream brands are now adopting, often without the authentic connection that defines successful Web3 projects.
The conversation explores the exciting future where Web3 and traditional finance increasingly merge, creating opportunities for companies building bridges between existing financial technology and decentralized systems. For marketers in any industry, Steven's message is clear: as AI threatens to homogenize content, human creativity and authentic connection become not just differentiators but essential components of marketing success.
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Steven Dolcemaschio, Reown (WalletConnect)
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
[01:32] How has your view on what makes a brand iconic evolved across your roles in tech, music, and fintech?
[03:20] What was the turning point that led you to pursue Web3 as a marketer?
[05:53] With Reown and WalletConnect rethinking compliance and UX at the infrastructure level, why should marketers care about something that feels so 'under the hood'?
[07:45] Can you share a recent launch from Reown and how you approached storytelling—focusing on benefits rather than just features?
[12:38] How do you adapt your storytelling when your audience ranges from crypto-native devs to enterprise CFOs?
[19:28] You’ve likely run lots of experiments, was there a campaign or experiment that gave you a key insight or changed how you lead your teams?
[28:14] What are you most excited about right now for your company, your own projects, or the future of Web3?"
[31:43] If people want to connect with you or learn more about Reown, where should they go?
NOTABLE QUOTES
"I think our industry kind of pioneered the idea of community. Bitcoin is a community. Ethereum is a community. Solana is a community. And we don't get enough credit for that."
"Culture is at the center of everything. Great brands product storytelling is always about the product. Everything has to come from the intersection of culture and product—that has to always be the through point."
"I fear we're losing that magic with AI, if everyone's using the same tools, giving the same prompts and same inputs, you're gonna have a sea of sameness. The speed from virality to ubiquity is instantaneous now."
"Most normal people don't wanna just speculate. They can do that on betting apps all day. People aren't coming to crypto; crypto's not gonna come to them. They're gonna have to come to us, and we need to deliver experiences they actually want."
"We do a terrible job of storytelling in this industry. We always focus on what's under the hood rather than the benefits and what it does for you. Too often we romanticize the tech versus romanticizing the impact it has."
Fractional CMO
Bestselling Author on Amazon
Web3 & AI Marketing Strategist
Host of the Web3 CMO Stories podcast
Founder of the Sintra Synergies Retreats
