Another Day, Another Crisis (But Also, Progress)
Started the day thinking I’d finally have a quiet one to focus on our ZKP optimizations. Nope. An investor call popped up—completely unplanned—but actually useful. They wanted to discuss risk mitigation and regulatory challenges (because, of course, that’s all anyone wants to talk about right now).
Investor Jitters
The good news: They’re still interested. The bad news: They’re worried about regulatory uncertainty. Everyone is. If some new directive drops out of nowhere, we need to be ready. So, now I’m refining our investor materials to better showcase our compliance-first approach. Lesson learned: Even if you think you’ve explained something well enough, explain it again—with charts.
Strategic Partnership Possibilities
Lunch meeting with a potential DeFi partner. Went in with mild expectations, left with actual excitement. They’re facing liquidity issues that our solution could help with. If we can work something out, it’s a win-win. The team is drafting a proposal now—keeping it razor-focused on security guarantees, DeFi growth potential, and why this integration makes sense for both sides.
ZKP R&D Never Sleeps
On the engineering side, we’re making progress on scaling ZKP-based transactions. Challenge: High-frequency use cases are still a bottleneck. Solution (hopefully): Optimizing proof generation speed without sacrificing privacy. The goal is simple: Make privacy effortless, not an expensive afterthought.
ZKP Workshop & Unexpected Takeaways
Evening workshop on zero-knowledge proofs. Expected technical discussions, got something even better—real industry interest. More projects are looking into ZKP solutions, which is great validation. Also had some follow-up chats that might lead to new collaborations.
Today’s Startup Lesson: How to Handle Investor Concerns
If investors keep pushing on the same issue—like regulatory uncertainty—it means your messaging isn’t strong enough. Here’s how I’m fixing it:
- Be proactive – Instead of waiting for them to ask, address concerns upfront.
- Use simple language – No one wants a legal dissertation.
- Show real steps – We’re working with compliance experts, engaging with policymakers, and running scenario planning. That needs to be obvious.
- Illustrate the opportunity – Yes, compliance is a hurdle, but it’s also a moat. If you do it right, fewer competitors can follow.
At this point, the key to survival in DeFi isn’t just building great tech—it’s making sure people trust you can stay in business long enough to use it. 😉
