币市観測局 × Conso George：リソースよりも重要なのは、価値を拡大し続ける能力である

In this crypto cycle, a very interesting phenomenon is unfolding.

More and more people are beginning to discuss personal IP, super individuals, AI, growth methodologies, and how to acquire incremental users from Web2. Compared to previous years when the industry was keen on discussing public chains, DeFi, NFTs, or Memes, now everyone seems more concerned with a practical question: when traffic becomes increasingly expensive and competition intensifies, what should an ordinary person or a startup rely on for sustained growth?

From starting a business at 21 with annual revenue reaching tens of millions, to experiencing investor withdrawal and team disbandment; from quantitative trading to wallet products, and now deeply cultivating the TON ecosystem and user growth – over the past eight years, George has experienced several crucial cycles in the crypto industry.

More than tracks, financing, and valuations, George cares more about: how to continuously create value and constantly amplify that value.

Guest: George, Co-founder & COO of Conso

Host: yuanyuan, Marketing VP at BitMart

The biggest crisis for a startup isn't a lack of money, but losing direction

Many might consider George's entrepreneurial journey quite legendary. At 21, the project he founded was already generating tens of millions in revenue; later, entering the crypto space, he dabbled in quantitative trading, wallets, gaming, and other areas. From the results, it appears to be a very smooth entrepreneurial path.

But what impressed him the most wasn't those highlight moments, but the sudden crisis in 2022. Forced by external events, an investor had to pull out funding, causing the company's cash flow to snap rapidly. Facing the choice between toughing it out or disbanding the team, he chose the latter. The team was laid off, compensation paid, operations suspended – everything went back to zero.

Looking back, he believes the hardest part wasn't the financial pressure, but the ensuing confusion. Directly copying and pasting Web2 products into Web3 wasn't sustainable, yet a clear new direction was elusive. Throughout 2023, he repeatedly pondered one question: if the market environment has changed, what is the capability he can truly rely on long-term? Ultimately, his answer landed back on growth.

Compared to investing, trading, or chasing hot tracks, he trusts more in his accumulated experience in user growth and market operations. It was during that phase that he redefined his future direction – helping more Web2 users enter Web3.

Anxiety isn't a weakness, but a competitive advantage

Another word George repeatedly mentioned during the program was anxiety. Many people hope to get rid of anxiety, but in George's view, it's almost impossible for people not to feel anxious. There will always be someone better, new opportunities will arise, and changes will happen. The issue isn't how to eliminate anxiety, but how to coexist with it.

He says he has long been accustomed to a state of "walking on thin ice." This state constantly reminds him to cherish opportunities, treat every partner seriously, and not stop moving forward. In a way, this persistent sense of crisis has become a driving force.

After reaching a certain stage, many entrepreneurs start relying on resources, connections, or past advantages. But George prefers to rely on himself. This is why he insists on long-term planning. At 18, inspired by a teacher, he set a life goal of growing tenfold every five years: annual revenue of 1 million at 20, 10 million at 25, 100 million at 30... It sounds idealistic, but the goal isn't to flaunt numbers; it's to help himself continuously expand his capabilities. After achieving the first 1 million, he found 10 million was no longer an abstract concept; after achieving 10 million, 100 million gradually became concrete.

For entrepreneurs, the biggest growth often isn't how much money they make, but continuously improving their ability to solve problems.

The essence of growth isn't ad spending, but finding leverage

In recent years, the industry has seen countless growth myths. Some relied on airdrops, some on subsidies, and some on traffic dividends.

George believes that growth is essentially about finding leverage. He shared the case of his current startup, Conso, which acquired over 1 million users with a budget of about $20,000. Many people's first reaction would be channel dividends or traffic luck, but in his view, what truly worked was the stacking of a series of leverages. From TikTok's algorithmic recommendations, to viral spread through small KOLs; from a pay-for-performance model, to multi-platform synchronous distribution; from localized operations, to user invitation mechanisms – each link is a fulcrum.

He always believes in the saying: "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." Growth is the continuous search for new fulcrums.

The opportunity with TON might be more than just a public chain

Over the past year, TON is undoubtedly one of the most talked-about ecosystems in the industry. But in George's view, many people still understand TON only at the public chain level. What truly matters is the user network behind Telegram.

Compared to most crypto products, Telegram inherently has a user base of hundreds of millions and has formed a mature Mini App ecosystem. For many users in developing countries, Telegram has even become a part of daily life. This means the challenges TON faces are different from those of traditional public chains. Most public chains first consider on-chain users, while TON focuses more on how to better provide off-chain services for users.

George mentioned that his long-term optimism about the development direction of Web3 financial infrastructure stems largely from this.

Industry narratives have changed over the past few years, from DeFi to NFTs, from GameFi to AI. But the truly long-standing main thread hasn't changed: making Web3 a new financial infrastructure. Especially in many developing countries, where local currencies face long-term devaluation pressure and cross-border payments are inefficient, these real needs won't disappear just because a market cycle ends. Platforms that can connect hundreds of millions of ordinary users inherently have a greater opportunity.

In the IP era, everyone should become their own media

Besides growth and entrepreneurship, George has been doing another thing over the past year – helping creators grow.

In this process, he found that many talented people don't lack ability; they lack expressiveness. Many developers, entrepreneurs, and even project leaders have great resumes and real achievements, but have almost no presence on social media. It's not because they aren't good enough, but because they don't know how to convey their value to more people.

Therefore, George is increasingly convinced that everyone should manage their own personal IP in the future. This isn't about becoming an influencer, but about building trust. Speaking of this, he mentioned the young KOL "Enhen" who rapidly rose during this cycle. In his view, many people see the result but overlook the prior accumulation. As early as 2024, Enhen was already active in various communities, continuously learning and observing. What truly creates a gap between people is often not luck, but the ability for continuous learning and consistent output.

When industry information becomes more fragmented, someone who consistently outputs content often finds it easier to gain opportunities, cooperation, and resources. Often, people don't believe in you because they know you, but because they see your content over a long period, they are willing to get to know you.

In the past, a person's credibility came more from their education, resume, and company background. Today, more and more credibility is coming from the public content itself. What you have written, what you have thought about, what you have shared – these are becoming important criteria for others to judge you.

For entrepreneurs, IP is not just a communication tool, but a trust asset accumulated over the long term. The biggest characteristic of this asset is that it generates compound interest over time.

AI won't eliminate you, but people who use AI will

In the AI era, work that used to require three people can now be done by one. A large number of repetitive tasks, such as design, editing, data analysis, and operations management, are being redefined. George believes the greatest value of AI isn't replacing jobs, but amplifying individual capabilities. Abilities that are truly hard to replace will become increasingly important, like product sense and creativity. Because AI can generate answers, but it cannot replace the person who creates the answers.

Future competition may no longer be about who masters more tools. It will be about who can use tools to create more value. He also stated that AI cannot replace him, so he won't delegate the maintenance of his social media accounts to AI.

Real opportunities come from continuously amplifying value

Resources disappear, connections change. But when a person can consistently create value, opportunities often come knocking on their door. This might be the most important lesson from George's eight years of entrepreneurship.

"Entrepreneurs need to break free from dependence on resources and connections, and prioritize self-improvement," he said. Because investors leave, markets change, trends shift, and methods that work today may not work tomorrow. The only thing that can accompany you long-term is your capability itself.

Whether it's the TON ecosystem, driving growth, building an IP, or leveraging AI, the only thing he truly cares about is one thing: how to create value and how to amplify it. Because a person's ability to create and amplify value will accompany them through cycles. This holds true for entrepreneurs, for companies, and perhaps for the entire crypto industry.

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The full content of this episode is available on Xiaoyuzhou, Apple Podcast, and Spotify by searching for and following "Coin Market Watchtower".

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Risk Disclaimer

The opinions or views expressed in this column are solely those of the guest and do not represent the views of BitMart or its affiliates, nor should they be considered professional financial investment advice.

Cryptocurrency investment is highly speculative and involves significant risk of loss. Past performance, hypothetical scenarios, or simulated results do not guarantee future returns. The value of digital currencies may fluctuate, and buying, selling, holding, or trading digital currencies may involve substantial risk. Before engaging in trading or holding digital currencies, please carefully assess suitability based on your own investment objectives, financial situation, and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal, or tax advice.