币市观察局 × Conso George：比资源更重要的，是持续放大价值的能力

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

More and more people are starting to discuss personal branding, solopreneurs, 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 fiercer, what should an ordinary person or a startup rely on for sustainable growth?

From starting a business at 21 and achieving tens of millions in annual revenue, to experiencing investor pullouts and team dissolution; from quantitative trading to wallet products, and now to deep engagement with the TON ecosystem and user growth—over the past eight years, George has navigated several crucial cycles in the Crypto industry.

More than the sector, financing, or valuation, George cares more about: how to continuously create value and continuously 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 find George's entrepreneurial journey quite legendary. At 21, the project he founded was already generating tens of millions in revenue; later entering Crypto, he dabbled in quant trading, wallets, gaming, and other areas. From the outside, it seems like a very smooth entrepreneurial path.

But what left the deepest impression on him wasn't those moments of glory, but the sudden crisis of 2022. Affected by external events, investors were forced to pull their funds, causing the company's cash flow to snap instantly. Faced with the choice of toughing it out or disbanding the team, he chose the latter—severance for the team, compensation expenses, business shutdown, everything reset to zero.

Looking back, he believes the hardest part wasn't the financial pressure, but the ensuing confusion. Simply copying and pasting Web2 products into Web3 wasn't sustainable, but a new direction remained elusive. The entire year of 2023, he kept pondering one question: If the market environment changes, what is the capability I can truly rely on in the long run? Ultimately, his answer led him back to growth.

More than investing, trading, or chasing trending sectors, he trusts his accumulated experience in user growth and market operations. It was during this phase that he redefined his future direction—helping more Web2 users transition into Web3.

Anxiety isn't a weakness, but a competitive advantage

Another word George repeatedly mentioned in the show was anxiety. Many people wish to get rid of anxiety, but in George's view, it's almost impossible for a person not to feel anxious. There will always be someone better, new opportunities will emerge, and changes will happen. The problem is never how to eliminate anxiety, but how to coexist with it.

He says he's long been accustomed to a state of "walking on thin ice." This state constantly reminds him to cherish opportunities, treat every partner seriously, and keep moving forward. In a way, this persistent sense of crisis has become a driving force.

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

For entrepreneurs, the biggest growth isn't necessarily how much money is made, but the continuous improvement of their problem-solving abilities.

The essence of growth isn't just buying traffic, it's finding leverage

Over the past few years, the industry has seen countless growth miracles. Some relied on airdrops, some on subsidies, some on traffic dividends.

George believes that growth is essentially about finding leverage. He shared an example where his current venture, Conso, 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 really worked was the stacking of a series of levers. From TikTok's algorithm recommendations, to the viral spread via micro-KOLs; from pay-for-performance models to multi-platform syndication; from localized operations to user invitation mechanisms, every step was a fulcrum.

He has always believed 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 about constantly finding new fulcrums.

The opportunity of TON might not just be about the public chain

Over the past year, TON has undoubtedly been one of the most watched ecosystems in the industry. But in George's view, many people's understanding of TON still stays at the public chain level. What's truly important is the user network behind Telegram.

Compared to most Crypto products, Telegram naturally 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 part of their daily lives. This means the challenges TON faces are quite different from 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 one important reason for his long-term optimism about the development direction of Web3 financial infrastructure lies here.

The industry narrative has shifted over the years, from DeFi to NFTs, from GameFi to AI, but the truly long-standing main theme has never 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 capable of connecting hundreds of millions of ordinary users naturally have a greater opportunity.

In the IP era, everyone should become their own media outlet

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

In this process, he found that many talented people don't lack ability, but rather the ability to express themselves. Many developers, entrepreneurs, and even project leads have impressive resumes and real achievements, yet have little to 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 a wider audience.

Therefore, George has become increasingly convinced that everyone should cultivate their personal brand in the future. This isn't about becoming an internet celebrity, but about building trust. Speaking of this, he mentioned the young KOL Enhen who rose quickly in this cycle. In his view, many people see the results but overlook the groundwork laid beforehand. As early as 2024, Enhen was already active in various communities, continuously learning and observing. What truly sets people apart is often not luck, but the long-term ability to learn and consistently output.

When industry information becomes increasingly fragmented, a person who consistently outputs content tends to have an easier time gaining opportunities, cooperation, and resources. Often, people don't believe in you because they know you, but because they've seen your content for a long time, they are willing to get to know you.

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

For entrepreneurs, a personal brand (IP) is not just a communication tool, but a long-term accumulated trust asset. The biggest feature of this asset is that it generates compounding returns over time.

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

In the age of AI, work that previously required three people can now be done by one person. A large amount of repetitive work in design, editing, data analysis, and operations management is being redefined. George believes the greatest value of AI is not replacing jobs, but amplifying individual capabilities. The abilities that are truly hard to replace will become even more important, such as product sense and creativity. Because AI can generate answers, but it cannot replace the person who creates the answers.

Future competition might no longer be about who masters more tools, but who can use tools to create more value. He also stated that AI cannot replace him, so he won't entrust his social media accounts to AI for maintenance.

Real opportunities come from continuously amplifying value

Resources can disappear, and networks can change. But when a person can continuously create value, opportunities often come knocking on their door. And this is perhaps the most important lesson George has learned in his eight years of entrepreneurship.

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

Whether it's building within the TON ecosystem, pursuing growth, developing a personal brand, or utilizing AI, the only thing he truly cares about remains the same: how to create value, and how to amplify value. 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 as well.

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Risk Disclaimer

The opinions or views expressed in this column are solely those of the guest speaker 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 carries significant risk of loss. Past performance, hypothetical scenarios, or simulated results do not guarantee future returns. The value of digital assets can fluctuate, and buying, selling, holding, or trading digital currencies may involve substantial risks. Before engaging in trading or holding digital currencies, please carefully assess their suitability based on your own investment objectives, financial situation, and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal, or tax advice.