Tell me something that’s true, that almost nobody agrees with you?
In the golf world, it’s really interesting to see the cultural differences in Europe vs. the US (where we’re predominantly focused with ODIN). For example, when I tell people in Europe about ODIN, the response I usually get is: “golf is only for rich and old people.”
Definitely not the case. In some European countries, they even require a license to play at a golf course, which in many ways, defeats the whole purpose of being more welcoming and encouraging people to pick up a golf club. That’s a big part of our mission at ODIN, shaking up an old, stuffy golf industry with our come one, come all approach.
How did you get interested in web3 and what you are currently working on?
Before we started ODIN, one of the things we said was, “Given we’re building value for the everyday golfer, we want the everyday golfer to own a piece of ODIN - actually a piece of equity in the business.”
We’re building for them, why not let them have a stake in the ODIN value creation? Like, Uber drivers or Airbnb hosts owning stock early in their company histories. While it’s getting better, the U.S. has strict accreditation laws around owning stock in a company. So, we parked that. Fast forward to a few months ago, we stumbled upon NFTs. We looked at them and figured out that this is actually a really exciting way to engage our growing community on a more compelling level. It’s a way for them to have a stake in our brand equity and get value and utility as the company grows. We lead with value for our community, and the NFT happens to be the vehicle to do that (as opposed to just doing NFTs for the sake of it).
This was the seed crystal for incubating the futureofgolf.co. We’re dropping 150 Founding Member ODIN NFTs so our community has a chance to get in at the ground floor of a growing golf brand that has the vision of not only becoming the brand of the everyday golfer but also building a Web3 tech platform for everyday golfers.
What problem does ODIN Golf solve? What is your vision?
We’re an entirely new golf brand dedicated to making golf less stuffy, expensive and approachable for the everyday golfer. We have incredibly big ambitions to build the future of golf, and be the de facto web3 tech platform for the everyday golfer where people play to earn and receive $ODIN currency.
We’re the first golf company that takes the step into “Web3,” yet, we’re still a destination where you can get your weekly dose of high quality golf balls and apparel that makes your flight partners look envious. But, this is just a small part of our ambitions. The one brick of the journey to becoming a fully-formed golf platform for the everyday golfer.
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You have created a NFTs collection to include the golf community in your project. Can you explain it to us?
As I mentioned earlier, we started ODIN as a come one, come all golf company with the idea of wanting everyday golfers to be a part of ODIN, have a stake in the brand equity and build their own golf brand of the future.
The Future of Golf is an NFT project we launched that has a unique character set featuring the typical ODIN traits. If you own a founding membership NFT it not only gets you an awesome looking NFT but also allows you to become part of the ODIN brand, get a say in brand decisions, join events, a lifetime discount on our golf balls and other membership perks. It’s really a chance to get in at the ground floor of a growing golf brand that has the vision of not only becoming the brand of the everyday golfer but also building a Web3 tech platform for everyday golfers.
How can a company like yours use NFTs to create value for their community?
We think the NFT as a vehicle is actually incredibly compelling for an early-stage startup, because it builds in a tremendous amount of value (and upside).
The analogy we always use is, it’s Phil Knight of Nike going to his community in the 70s and saying, “I’m launching Nike Founding Member NFTs so you have a chance to have a stake in the brand equity and grow with us over time.” Imagine what a Nike NFT would be worth today if you bought it in the 70s?
Or, it’s the sports rookie card that you buy before the person becomes famous in their sport. You own that as a collectible and the value expands over time.
On the flipside, if a big company like Apple drops NFTs now, it would resonate differently with someone than if a growing, exciting early-stage startup launched NFTs.
What is your favorite web3 Project? Among the people you’ve worked/interacted with in web3, who do you admire most and why?
The NBA Top Shot is really cool, because it’s creating an outlet for its rabid fan base to delve into the world of Web3 and learn more about the future of digital consumption.
Also, shout out to Jacob Feldman from Sportico who’s doing a tremendous job covering the intersection of Web3 and sports.
Favorite web3 thinker on social media?
Chris Cantino and the crew at CPG Club are always interesting, given the crossover of D2C and tech.
What is your vision for your niche? What do you expect to come in the next few years? What developments in the field do you find to be the most exciting?
The ultimate endgame for us is to create a single platform where everyday golfers can enjoy, thrive and go balls out in the entire ODIN experience - online and in reality.
We’re seeing that this is all very new for the golf community, and we’re excited to be pioneers and help bring them into the world of Web3.
What is missing from the web3 ecosystem (app, contents, ideas, methodology, staffing needs etc)?
The big thing we see is the larger need for education - simple things like how to set up a digital wallet, buy an NFT, how does an NFT work, why it’s not just a jpeg, etc.
We see it daily in our golf community, where it’s still incredibly new and the level of understanding is not there yet. There’s even some skepticism sprinkled in there. This is all captured in the technology adopter curve, where this is akin to the iPhone 1. There’s excitement and an early wave of pioneers, but people still want their Blackberrys and physical keys.
One of our main goals with the Founding Member NFTs is to make it easy for everyday golfers to delve in this world and make it less daunting. So, we put together guides and videos to help with things like how to set up a wallet, top ETH with a credit card and buy an NFT. We’re seeing that once people get over this hurdle, they become really excited.
What is the question that has not been asked here that you would have enjoyed reading the answer to from one of your peers? Answer it.
What part of the business keeps you up at night?
I would say all of it, but if I had to choose a few parts, it’s always the curve balls that come in day in and day out. Things never go as planned and you have to keep pressing on and do it for the greater good of your customers. That’s why we get up in the morning.
