May 1, 2025 • 48 mins
Ever wonder what goes through a collector's mind when they decide to purchase digital art? Funghibull pulls back the curtain on the fascinating world of crypto art collecting in this candid conversation about connection, community, and the future of creative ownership.
Funghibull's journey begins like many others—with healthy skepticism. "What the hell is going on here?" was his first reaction to NFTs before recognizing their revolutionary potential. Through a friend's guidance, he made his first significant investment in CryptoPunks in late 2020, experiencing that initial "am I a genius?" moment before quickly recognizing it as fortunate timing and good connections.
What truly sets Funghibull apart is his philosophy on collecting: "Connect with people because you want to, not because you want something." In a space built around transactions, he emphasizes authentic relationships over opportunistic networking. This approach has guided his development of Schiller, which has exhibited approximately 800 artists at major events and evolved into a multifaceted platform supporting creators through media, exhibitions, and community building.
The conversation delves into the nuanced decision-making process behind collecting art—from the pieces that linger in his mind long after viewing to the balance between emotional resonance and financial pragmatism. Funghibull envisions a future where blockchain enables average people to collect art directly from creators, creating more equitable relationships while acknowledging the challenges this frictionless environment presents for artists.
Beyond collecting insights, Funghibull shares his "hot takes" on the space—collectors should stop telling artists what to do unprompted, while artists might benefit from remaining open to strategic guidance from business-minded collectors. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the technology that makes this all possible, noting how artists who master both their craft and the underlying tech often find unique ways to express themselves.
Curious about the intersection of art, technology, and community? Listen now to gain perspective from someone actively building "permaculture in the space"—sustainable systems that nurture creativity and community for the long term.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Funghibull (00:01):
Who is this guy?
NorCal Guy (00:02):
Who is this guy?
Who is this guy?
Funghibull (00:06):
Who is this guy?
Norcal?
Guy NorCal and chill podcast.
So it's chill time.
Norcal and chill podcast.
What the f***?
Norcal and chill podcast.
Collector's Vault.
NorCal Guy (00:38):
Today we have Fungible joining us to dive into
the mushrooming world of cryptoart and investments.
In this episode, we unearthFungible's journey through the
highs and lows of digitalinvestments, including his
biggest win and the learningcurve of his silliest purchase.
We peel back the layers on theimportance of community, with
(01:02):
Fungible emphasizing the valueof Twitter spaces for authentic
connections, and discuss themultifaceted approach to art
collecting that Mary's financialsavvy with personal resonance.
Plus, we get the scoop onwhat's next for Schiller, as
fungible teases their upcomingmedia season and innovative,
(01:23):
innovative NFT-backed artcollecting experience and a
buzzworthy three-day eventseries at NFT NYC.
Tune in as we share a genuineconversation on growth and
gratitude in the dynamic worldof crypto art.
Stay with us for an episodethat promises insightful shill
(01:45):
without the fluff, right here onnorcal and shill collector's
vault.
Everybody, please welcomefungible.
Hey, fungi, welcome to thepodcast.
How you doing today?
Funghibull (01:57):
I'm doing great.
Yeah, thank you so much forhaving me, man man, I, I'm glad
we.
NorCal Guy (02:02):
You know it should have been a lot earlier.
But you know, I just like getfocused on like artists, and
then I'm like, who am I gonnahave?
I'm like, oh yeah, I got allthese collectors I should have
on here, that I actually chatwith and I'm glad you can make
it and thank you for coming onwell, thanks, thanks for having
me.
Funghibull (02:22):
I honestly the artists are more interesting, so
I think I think you know boththey will be appreciative of
that as well the othercollectors and, and, yeah,
different builders and folks.
Uh, you've had on, but I'mgrateful, grateful to be
included and really appreciatethe work you do, um, both on
this podcast and elsewhere.
(02:43):
So stoked to chat, man.
NorCal Guy (02:46):
Yeah, man, I'm ready to get into it.
So I know you've been in thisgame for a little while, this
collector game.
What were your first thoughtswhen you heard about NFTs or
crypto art?
Funghibull (03:01):
Yeah, I think, like a lot of people was kind of like
what the hell?
You know what?
Uh, make it make sense?
Um, I had a time grappling withthe right click save, uh, quite
I don't know like pseudodilemma or or issue, uh.
(03:22):
And then I started to drawcomparisons and started to think
about you know other areas ofownership and activity online
where ownership should exist,and started to think like you
know what this makes a lot ofsense.
(03:43):
And also, like wherever peopleare going to want to spend money
, there will be a market there,and the fundamentals of this and
the way in which it could bechanging economies, whether
they're creator economies orlike macro economies, are really
compelling or like macroeconomies, are really compelling
(04:05):
.
And I was very lucky to have afew friends much smarter than
myself, who were a lot earlierto NFTs, that were helping me
kind of break down these wallsof comprehension.
So, yeah, but I think first Iwas like what the hell is going
on?
What the hell is going on here?
And then quickly like I thinkthere might was like what, what
(04:26):
the hell is going on, what thehell is going on here?
And then quickly like I thinkthere might be something to this
and yeah, eventually I have toget involved in some way.
This is fascinating, yeah.
NorCal Guy (04:35):
Now, did you get involved in like late 2020, or
was it early 21?
It was late 2020.
Funghibull (04:43):
Yeah, a close friend of mine, alex gosman, founder
of nftx um, helped me pick up acouple of punks.
Uh, that was my first like bigbet on nfts um, and I was just
going to like chill, you know, Ididn't expect them to get a lot
of price action uh in the shortterm.
(05:04):
And then they did and I hadthat oh, am I a genius moment?
Uh, which was really just merealizing like, wow, I'm so
lucky.
Uh, thank God for good friends.
Um and uh, and then started toget more deeply involved in like
early 2021, like Februaryis-ish, yeah were you part of
(05:28):
the the top shots thing, ortotally?
missed top shots.
Yeah, I totally missed topshots.
And I also missed art blocksummer.
I I, oh yeah, barely minted, uh, during that luckily picked up
a few pieces, but nothing thatyou know, no Fidenzas or uh,
(05:49):
ringers or anything like that.
NorCal Guy (05:50):
Yeah, all right, all right, fair, fair.
So did you collect art oranything else before getting
into NFTs?
Funghibull (05:59):
Uh, I think as a kid , you know, like a lot of others
, um, I developed a pretty sicklike pokemon card collection, uh
, and some other sports cards,and I had a thing for like hot
wheels and, um, oh yeah, yeah, Iwould even like.
Once we had like a computer and, uh, I was good at using it.
(06:21):
I remember like I'm gonna startmaking like folders for all of
my favorite cars and I'm goingto organize them and like find
pictures on the internet and andand started to, yeah, just
right click save.
I guess what was kind of like avision board, you know, of a
kid who's just like I want cool,fast, expensive things, uh, in
(06:45):
the future, um, but I, I'd saythat that's probably about it.
Yeah, I wasn't really intocollecting art in any meaningful
way a few prints here and thereat like craft fairs, um, uh, or
just from online marketplacesand stuff, but that was about it
(07:05):
, yeah.
NorCal Guy (07:07):
All right, all right .
So what are the best thingsabout Web3 today?
Funghibull (07:15):
I think it's still the people first and foremost.
I think the concentration ofdeeply passionate, incredibly
intelligent, creative andoptimistic people with deep sets
(07:35):
of skills is unparalleled trulybelieve there is no other
industry or area of focus thathas as well-rounded of a
community of participants whoare as capable and future
forward thinking, um, and whoare also as fun to be around.
(07:58):
So, uh, I'd say the the peoplefirst and foremost, and then, I
think, also just the ways inwhich the space is slowly but
surely maturing.
I think I've seen a lot ofcompanies rise up, whether
they're great products or morecommunity-based.
(08:21):
Seeing that happen in the artside of Web3 has been really
cool.
Some artist and curator-ledinitiatives or companies I mean
big shout out to ClickReit andthe work you guys do, as well as
some artist collectives likeBritoDAO and Making it what
(08:41):
Patrick Amidon's doing.
Yeah, just seeing thesecultural machines kind of like
take shape and do meaningfulthings has yeah is kind of one
of the more exciting things forme these days.
NorCal Guy (09:00):
Yeah Well, I mean you yourselves are like focused
on the people there at Schiller.
I mean all the time givingshout outs and doing spaces for
people.
So I mean a big part of that.
I mean you're helping fosterthat jokingly.
Funghibull (09:29):
Uh tweeted earlier like um schiller is my roman
empire uh, it's like that islike where, so much of my focus
is uh and ultimately, where.
Yeah, like, a lot of the work Ido goes towards um and it's
been really fun to build out andgrow at a steady, programmed,
uh kind of organic pace, uh, sothat's been super rewarding um,
(09:50):
and, yeah, very grateful for allthe community support on that,
for sure so where do you seedigital art and nfts in five
years and do you have anyconcerns as it expands?
Yeah, I mean, that's a greatquestion.
I don't know if I'm smartenough to really comprehend
(10:12):
where things will be in fiveyears, but I'll try, I think.
When it comes to looking ahead,I see, just in general, a world
where its community members, onaverage, are having a greater
(10:33):
and greater surplus of eithertime or liquid capital that can
be expended freely, ordisposable income.
I could say, um, I think thatwhere art collecting, for
example, used to be somethingdone by only the richest of the
(10:53):
rich, uh, in very closed circles, I see this propagating to the
average random person who iscurrently, you know, buying uh
prints on etsy, um, and uhbuying you know, uh shower
(11:13):
curtains of their favoriteartists, like work on, uh, uh,
not artsy, but uh, society sixor something, um, I see that
coming onchain because it isjust so much cooler.
It's one of those things wherecrypto can both only crypto, I
(11:35):
guess can support that thosedirect, frictionless payments
and ways of supporting creatorsand provably knowing that you
did indeed support the personwho made it, rather than paying
a massive fee to like a print ondemand service, who may or may
not have just like ripped offthat artist, right, and, I think
, having that concept becomecommon knowledge, and then
(12:00):
having the back-endinfrastructure that abstracts
away all of the clunky cryptopayment UX and onboarding is
just going to make that superubiquitous to, instead of buying
(12:25):
, yeah, just random crap on theinternet, actually supporting
artists in a way that's muchmore equitable and aligned with
the creator economy that we wantto see, you know, thriving and
flourishing.
So I think that is, like, at amacro level, a trend that I'm
very, very bullish on, and verybullish for artists, as well as
(12:48):
for those that are supportingartists, whether they're brands,
like recognizing that, hey,maybe working with an artist in
a super equitable way is anawesome chance for us to, you
know, exhibit our culturalrelevance and awareness and have
(13:08):
like a bit of a symbioticrelationship where artists are
compensated but the brandsbenefit too, and I think that's
fine and great.
Or for patrons and collectorswho are really showing their
conviction in the artists whoare here presently or soon to
arrive, who share our excitementat a, you know, tokenized world
(13:34):
of art.
And, yeah, I'm super excitedfor that and I think the worries
less of I don't have a lot of.
I mean, like one thing I'vebeen thinking about recently.
Um, that, I think, is just goingto be really hard to work
(13:55):
against, uh, or you know, uh,negate in any way.
Is that the things that we loveand benefit from the most about
?
You know, blockchain enabledtech and and currency or wealth
or asset transfer is that theyare permissionless and
(14:18):
frictionless and it runs 24seven and that's great.
It feels like you know itshould you know, like I should
be able to transfer anythingthat I own whenever I want to
whoever I want, um, and havethat kind of free market um be
expressed in the rails whereinit lives.
(14:40):
Um, like that just is verylogical, but uh, and then I, we
benefit and artists benefit fromthat um, when you are able to
uh directly support a creator,uh, and then I think where it
gets really challenging is justthe exact same side of things.
Uh, when people can buy and sellas freely as they want
(15:02):
something that you put yourheart and soul into.
Uh, I think it's there's that'sjust always going to be really
difficult to manage, um, wherean artist or creator of some
kind releases work into theworld, um, and just sees it
floored, you know, and with theroyalties negated.
(15:23):
Like I think that, uh, that isone way, uh, or one example
where, like emotionally, itmight be easier for a gallery to
just take care of that uh, foryou not to uh be super aware
where your heart is or who isenjoying it.
Uh, because you don't know thatsome you know quote-unquote
(15:45):
patron or lifetime supporter ofthe arts just sold for half what
they paid you for it and ismoving on to other things.
So I think that's like just areally tricky thing.
Like we want you all kinds ofasset transfer and ownership to
be 24-7, frictionless,permissionless, but then we have
(16:10):
to deal with the results ofthat or the environment that
that creates, and I think that'sjust always going to be hard.
So I think it's going to take awhile for people, especially
new coming artists, to attunethemselves to that and build up
that degree of resilience whichI'm like very confident they
(16:31):
will Uh cause.
Artists, I think you and I bothknow, are like the most
resilient human beings uh on theplanet, probably, um, but it
still is a piece of themselvesUh, and and and.
Yeah, my heart always goes outto the creators of work that you
see getting maybe mistreated,maybe yeah, if I could use that
(16:54):
word Right, right.
NorCal Guy (16:57):
So I'm curious what makes you decide to buy a piece,
what pushes you over the edgelike, okay, I need to go get
that piece.
Do you sit with it for a littlebit, or is it like talking with
the artist, getting to knowthem first?
Funghibull (17:16):
or sometimes just a.
I need that.
Yeah, it's a good question and,like, um, I think it's often
has to come from a place of I amaware of this person.
I've been developing somecontext of who they are.
You know, there's a part of mymind that is now dedicated to
(17:37):
who I understand that person tobe and what their body of work
is.
Their body of work is Justbecause I want to know that I'm
not buying something orcollecting something totally
speculatively and that I feellike I have a good sense of, you
know, why somebody is doingsomething, whether or not that's
(18:01):
making art or releasing aproject or whatever it may be,
or not that's making art orreleasing a project or whatever
it may be.
Um, I have a limited amount ofcapital and I have to spend it
wisely if, if I want to be, youknow, efficient both, uh, in
terms of supporting thequote-unquote right people, as
my mind tries to see fit, uh, aswell as making, like you know,
(18:23):
reasonable financial decisions,um, right, right.
So I would say it's probably ona sliding scale of like, uh,
you know, no one ever wants totalk about the money side of
things, uh, but if, like, ifsomething is like, if, if I can
buy something without worryingabout the price at all, like
(18:45):
whatever it's listed, it doesn'tregister as uh, uh, a serious
expense for me or expenditurefor me, then like the other
things aren't quite as important.
Um, in terms of like, I don'thave to like vibe or fact check
or whatever, like I don't, notthat I'm like you know, not that
I'm like doing like detectivework or anything, but like I
(19:08):
don't necessarily need to havedeveloped like a thesis on.
Like I think this is why thisperson makes art and like I
think this is kind of whatthey're scratching at.
In terms of both you know theirinner workings and the world as
they see it, and I don'tnecessarily need to have that
degree of connection orperceived understanding.
(19:28):
Um, if I'm just like this isdope and I can easily afford it
and never sell it, cool, likethat's all I need to know.
Um, and when it's a larger uh,like when the price is higher,
um, and isn't something that Ican just like hit, you know, buy
or collect like multiple timesa day on without thinking about
(19:50):
how that affects me, I do haveto like really sit with it.
It's pretty rare that I'll justcollect something as soon as it
pops up, right, it's usually.
I've gotten to know thatartists, either directly or just
having you know, followed themfor ages.
Um, I've uh been waiting forthe right piece.
(20:13):
You know right in terms of meand what resonates, um, and I
have to know that, uh, uh, yeah,I am very comfortable spending
this amount of money andpotentially never selling
Realistically never selling iskind of always the way to plan.
It is like I've acquired this,I have to be okay with never
(20:37):
letting it go, and then, if it'smuch more than that, then I
have to have like I'd be lyingif I said I wasn't contemplating
, like okay, what is like myconviction in this?
in this artist like long term,like do I feel like there may or
may not be a financial upsidein?
(20:58):
the next x, you know years,whatever, um, but the latter is
like rarely the case, like it'sonly occasionally that I'll
spend amounts that reallywarrant that kind of, uh,
internal dialogue, um, and oftenit's because I've seen a piece
(21:19):
and then, even after I stoplooking at it, I keep thinking
about it.
I'm just walking and I'm like,oh, maybe this is what they were
saying.
Or, man, I have to pull out myphone or I have to look at it
again, I have to go look backthrough their other work, or I
have to like message them andask because, like I'm just so
(21:40):
goddamn curious now, and it'swhen that's happening and, uh, I
I'm resonating deeply enoughthat I'm like, okay, like yes,
like I will absolutely try andpick this up, yeah yeah, that
makes sense.
NorCal Guy (21:58):
I feel that a lot.
I feel that what, what wouldyou like to see more of in this
crypto art space?
Funghibull (22:08):
It's a good question , like a lot of things, man,
like a lot of things.
It's got so many good parts toit.
Has a lot of like, not greatparts to it.
Some of the things that I'dlove to see more of because
(22:29):
that's definitely the morepositive way to speak about it,
uh is I'd love to see moreencouraged experimentation.
Um and I'd love to see peopleputting less pressure on artists
to quote unquote deliver.
Obviously, there's times inwhich promises get made or plans
(22:51):
get published and, likeanything, we should try, and,
you know, hold people to theirword, but also show compassion
when their circumstance changes.
And I think, just having spokenwith and connected with so many
artists luckily over the pastfew years, it's just so
(23:11):
abundantly clear how muchpressure they are each putting
on themselves, uh, and it'simmense, like the world is
putting on so much pressure,typically first telling them
don't do this uh, and yet theydo.
And then, once they're startingto find a community that
supports them and all of thesetechnological devices and tools,
(23:36):
whether it's smart contracts ordynamic, you know, dynamic art
techniques or new mediums thatthey can express themselves in,
uh, in, in, you know, digitally,um.
I think just adding levels ofuh, of pressure is not good.
So I I'd love to see moreexperimentation, um, supported
(24:02):
uh, and I'd love to just seemore artists doing it, um, who
feel, because I think many dowant to uh, many want to try
putting out additions or pieceson other chains, but they will
say in private, like I don'twant to get, you know, viewed as
being opportunistic, um, and orI don't you know want to want
(24:24):
people to think I'm just likejumping on the next thing and
I'm going to keep doing that,and I think it's like you know,
you do have to develop a senseof what is like right for
yourself, um, and you have toact in accordance with your
understanding of that Um.
But I think there's just a lotof fear, um, behind a lot of
this hesitation.
Uh, and yeah, I, it's just alot of fear behind a lot of this
(24:45):
hesitation.
And yeah, it's just a coolthing when you see artists
behaving and operating freely,because I think that's when it
starts.
You start speed running, theknowledge acquisition or skill
acquisition of knowing when itis the right thing for you, um,
(25:05):
through, you know, figuring outwhat's the wrong thing, um and
uh, and what felt good, and andnot in a wow, so much dopamine
kind of way, but in a like, veryheart-centered, like, oh, I
feel much freer for having donethat.
Um and yeah and I, I thinkthat's like the main.
(25:27):
There's lots of other thingslike I'd also love to see more
artists getting together andjust supplying a bit of
organization, um, into doingthings, uh, whether that's
putting on exhibitions, raisingmoney for, you know, relevant
causes, um, whether that'ssupporting themselves or, you
(25:47):
know, doing something likebringing other artists out to
conferences or anything likethat.
I would love to see moreorganized groups that they find
their.
One person who is like, hey, Iwrote down the plan and the
notes and, oh, I'll set up thenonprofit and I'll do, I'll set
(26:11):
up the multi-sig, and like I'dlove to see more of that.
I feel like I've only gone toknow intimately at least, like a
very small handful ofcollectives such as that, such
as that, and I feel like there'sthere's a ton of value to be
(26:33):
both generated and captured inequitable ways.
So, yeah, those are.
Those are my top answers, Ithink.
NorCal Guy (26:39):
I like it.
Do you have a piece of adviceor a mantra that you kind of
live by?
Go by that like is in your headthat's a good question.
Funghibull (26:53):
Um, trying not to say something that sounds too
cringe and, yeah, likeattempting to be too profound or
anything.
Um, I'd say like, uh, you know,connect with people because you
(27:17):
want to, um, not because youwant something.
Um, I think the bestfriendships, the best things
that have happened to me in thisspace have just come from a
pure sense of curiosity, forwanting to better understand
people, or just know them, orhaving some inkling selfish,
(27:40):
even that, like, I think my lifemight be better for knowing
this person.
And yeah, I think that it'smuch too easy to, or far too
easy to, operate transactionallyin a space that is so heavily
predicated upon transactions,whether they're on chain or
(28:04):
whatever transactions, whetherthey're on chain or whatever.
And I think we're in a veryrare window of time where we're
able to connect with pretty muchanyone in crypto or web three,
and that's to be, you know,honored, I think, for yourself
as well as for the window ofopportunity for all of us that
(28:28):
it presents.
And, yeah, I would say, yeah,connect because you want to and
also think like big.
I mean, there's a lot of peoplewanting to build things.
There's a lot of people wantingto build things.
(28:48):
There's a lot of people withvery enmeshed ideas of what
would be a great feature tool,product, collective publication,
content series and I think thatit gets really hard when we try
and do it ourselves and also itdoesn't go very far when we
(29:10):
think too small.
I think having thoseunattainable goals is super
helpful and then finding thepeople that naturally vibe with
whatever it is you're trying todo or put out.
So I don't think I have like,uh, a single thing, um, uh, it's
(29:31):
really just um, be the vibesyou want to see more of in the
world, whether that's supportingothers for the sake of it or or
just sharing more of who youare in hopes that, uh, maybe
someone else does too, and maybesomeone resonates with you and
you get to be friends.
Yeah, I think some one of thosethree is maybe the things I
(29:55):
think of the most.
NorCal Guy (29:57):
I like it.
So now kind of changing it intosome more fun, lighthearted
questions, let's do it.
What is your favorite moviequote?
Funghibull (30:11):
Ooh, the one that comes top of mind is a fun one,
and I might be paraphrasing, butthis is from the movie Waking
Life, where one of thecharacters says on quiet nights
of the self, I go salsa dancingwith my emotions.
(30:31):
And I don't know what it isabout that, but I saw it when I
was 13 and I haven't stoppedthinking like it's always.
It's always just taken up space,uh, and as someone who's like a
little insular and and reallyenjoys time alone just thinking
and walking, um, uh, yeah, thatone hits sweet.
NorCal Guy (30:53):
That's solid.
What is the best thing?
Funghibull (30:57):
and the silliest thing you've spent money on, uh
in this space uh is probablybeen investing in schiller um.
(31:18):
That has been uh there.
You know there's a bunch ofartists that have felt really
great for having supported andart that I'm like super grateful
and lucky to now own um otherthings that have involved like
trades, which cool, but, um, I'dsay the most rewarding has been
(31:40):
like investing in what we'rebuilding at schiller um and that
, yeah, that's probably my topchoice.
Uh silliest thing one of thejanky ether rocks man I, I
remember I got a phone call onenight, um, and someone was like,
hey, okay, so you know, ether,there's actually a version of
(32:05):
them that's two days older andwe've just found a way to buy
them.
They're currently all listedfor like 20 ETH.
This is when ETH was like $4,000.
If you want one, you have toget them now.
But the problem in the contractis that unless you instantly
(32:27):
list the price for higher thanwhat you bought it, it will
revert back and be available asa buy now for the price that you
paid for it.
It was like a contract bug.
So I was like just smashingfast gas and battling between,
like Gary V, 888, and a bunch oflike I don't know much bigger
(32:54):
traders and collectors than meand I managed to get one of
these, but I didn't know if Ihad to list it in Gway or in ETH
, um, because you had to do itat the contract or like the
janky, like ui level on thewebsite.
I think I listed it for likeeight billion eth or something
(33:15):
like that, thinking I was doingit in quay and uh, and yeah,
like didn't end up turning aprofit on that um, but uh, that
was probably the stupidest thingI've bought.
Um, and yeah, I, it was one ofthose like peak euphoria season
(33:36):
of the 2021 bull run, uh, feverdream moments where you're like
guys, gary v is trying to buy,we need to like, your time is
now or never.
Uh, and if I had just sold itfive minutes later, I could have
like 5x my money, uh, but I gotgreedy held, uh, waited two
(33:57):
weeks and then eventually listedit and sold it like for a
little less than what I paid forum, and then, within five
minutes, sotheby's announcedthat they would be auctioning
one of these like earlier etherrocks.
Uh, uh, like a week later andthen one instantly sold for
(34:20):
double what I had sold mine.
So I was like god damn it,stupid, stupid moves, stupid
games, stupid prizes oh mansolid.
NorCal Guy (34:32):
That's a good story, man, yeah it was fun.
Funghibull (34:36):
For sure not smart, but fun man.
NorCal Guy (34:42):
So this one's a little bit harder.
But if you could commission apiece and have two artists
collaborate on it, which twoartists collaborate on it?
Funghibull (34:54):
which two artists would it be?
That's a really good question.
I don't know how this wouldcome into existence, but I would
probably say Joe Peace andSummer Wagner.
I don't know what it would looklike, but that is what I would
(35:22):
want, all right.
NorCal Guy (35:25):
Have to make it happen now.
Funghibull (35:27):
Yeah, I'm setting the intention out there, joe or
Summer, if either of you hearthis and want to make my happen
now.
Yeah, I'm setting the attentionout there, joe or summer, if
either of you hear this, uh, andwant to make my dreams come
true, um, I'd be happy even tojust right click, save or enjoy
on.
NorCal Guy (35:39):
Uh, virtually um, but my, my wallet address is
publicly available too what isyour favorite way to connect
with new people in the space?
Funghibull (35:54):
um, I'd probably say on spaces honestly, um, yeah, I
think, uh, I like it's verychronically online of me to say,
but IRL, when we go toconferences and events and
things, be excited to see thatum, it's always a struggle just
(36:17):
to fit in the people that I feellike I could comfortably call
my friends already.
Um, so the uh opportunity toconnect, uh, the opportunities
(36:41):
to connect with people I don'thave a relationship with yet um
are maybe fewer and far between,far between at something like
NFT, nyc or Art Basel orsomething.
So I think a really nice way toget a sense of someone and
connect with them is justtalking on a Twitter space or X
(37:05):
space where you can get a senseof their tone space or x space,
uh, where you can get a sense of, you know, their tone.
Um, it's easier to like vibe,check and understand and, you
know, probe and ask questions.
Where dms are in are a minefieldfor me.
I rarely see stuff that Ishould uh and comments get lost
and yeah, I would say, like youknow, even just having like a
(37:27):
five minute conversation even ifit's not me like on a stage,
just me getting to listen tosomeone from the audience,
that's one of my favorite ways,like either talking to them
directly or just listening towhat they have to say.
Yeah, nice.
NorCal Guy (37:47):
Do you have any hot takes?
Funghibull (37:51):
um, I feel like I like one hot take.
Um, is that, I mean, I'm not alike, uh, I'm not a maximalist,
but I think so any hot take Ihave, okay, I usually have the
(38:11):
hot take on the other side ofthe equation too.
So, uh, you know, one examplewould be like collectors in web
3 should stop trying to asserttheir knowledge over what
artists shouldn't or shouldn'tdo Like it's a bad look.
It's rarely being requested andyou may not actually know
(38:35):
anything about that person, whatthey want to do or about art in
general.
And maybe you've just beenobsessed for a few months.
And even if you do like,there's a chance that by just
asserting that take in anunprompted way, you are
(38:55):
diminishing the likelihood ofsomeone receiving it positively.
So collectors should stoptelling artists what to do.
On the other hand, I often seetakes from artists that are like
don't ever like, let a you knowcollector or anyone tell you
(39:17):
how to market your artwork oryourself.
And I don't agree with thateither, because a lot of the
people that are on thecollecting side of things come
from like business orentrepreneurship or industry of
some kind, often related to tech.
There may be viewing, you know,online presence and leverage,
(39:40):
you know, the use of socialmedia in a more analytical way,
and they're also doing a lot ofreflecting on how they're
acquiring or stumbling upon newartists, and I think to discount
the knowledge or opinions ofothers is maybe not the best,
(40:03):
and so I think it's all aboutyou know the, the medium, uh, or
intentions, uh, or arenawherein the message is shared,
um, or received from the artistside, uh.
So I think, yeah, those are mytwo like hot takes that maybe
create one lukewarm take, um.
(40:26):
And then I think another thinglike uh, is that people should,
um, probably learn the fuckingtech like uh.
I think that's something thatis majorly slept on in this
space, um, whether it's from,like you know, early entrants
who are just doing a littledegenerate trading, or from
(40:50):
artists who have maybe beenaround a long time but the only
functions they ever really hadto master or like tasks was like
minting artwork and to gobeyond that felt extra and maybe
just totally seemed likeunnecessary.
I think learning things likeproper security, also learning
(41:11):
like, hey, what is DeFi?
What is a smart contract?
Like, what other tokenstandards are there, and are
there any that might make senseas like vehicles for me to
deepen both my creativeexpression as well as express my
(41:31):
understanding of the mediumwherein I'm releasing work.
I think those things can go areally long way.
It takes like there's not thatmany artists that like deeply
understand or even like yeah,let me say deeply understand,
(41:51):
like smart contracts and kind oflike the underlying tech
culture, or like CT, crypto,twitter culture, as well as
mastering their own craft duringtheir own craft, and I think
those that do continue to seekknowledge on those things often
(42:12):
seem to do quite well and findways to express themselves in
forms that resonate withcollectors and people who deeply
value just the fact that we'redoing this all on Ethereum or
solana or wherever else, um, andthat the, the tech is important
(42:34):
, uh, within this industry.
Um, yeah, I'd say those are.
Those are my, my mild takes notgood with hot takes, like I
anytime there's drama.
I'm just like my life will bebetter if I just don't care and
for sure and like avoid gettinginto this like cesspool of a
(42:56):
twitter debate.
Um right, uh, it's true.
Yeah, so I don't know.
I wish I thought I probably dohave some, but like none that I
think are that good orproductive.
NorCal Guy (43:12):
So last question you've mentioned Schiller a few
times.
Tell us in the audience aboutSchiller, what you do there and
any other projects you might behaving or coming up.
Funghibull (43:28):
Thanks, yeah, so um Schiller started as a marketing
and consulting company, um,really catering towards
transparency, hence the name Um.
We wanted to work with greatpeople and we've done that for a
few years.
Uh, we've worked with over 35companies across verticals in
the space, touched on prettymuch every domain of on-chain
(43:54):
activity or community that mightexist, and we originally wanted
to start by working withartists, realized it's kind of
tough to do in an equitable andethical way, so let's just see
if we can support artists forfree in other ways.
So we started that byexhibiting the works of artists
(44:17):
on these mobile galleries aroundNFT NYC and Art Basel Miami.
To date we've exhibited about800 artists so far at events
like these.
We leaned into media last year,launching our first kind of NFT
sales, have done a bunch of funart commissions and have five
(44:43):
weekly spaces series coveringart tech culture, series
covering art tech culture and aswell as offering, you know, two
hours of free consulting forartists or developers or
founders every Wednesday,alongside a couple of podcasts
we put out, all headed up by ourawesome director of media, buna
(45:05):
, and assisted by our amazingcreative director, connor, and
our goal really for Schiller isto be a source of permaculture
in the space, a source ofsupport for what we want to see
more of.
We don't typically talk aboutthat.
Our tongue-in-cheek rule sincestarting Schiller was we will
(45:26):
not shill Schiller unless asked,hence me talking about that.
Our tongue in cheek rule sincestarting Shiller was we will not
shill Shiller unless asked,hence me talking about it.
But yeah.
I think this year we're going tostart talking about it a little
bit more because there's not alot of others doing the same
thing and we're super proud ofwhat we're doing.
(45:46):
So the most pressing new thingsto come out is we will be
rolling out a new season ofShiller Media, which is kind of
a NFT-backed art collectingexperience for our community
members to support us, howeverthey can, and for us to
(46:10):
commission great artworks andput on some exhibitions for
artists in real space and havejust some fantastic content that
celebrates those that aremaking the space special as it
is so founders, artists,collectors and so forth.
And we'll also be putting on athree-day event series at NFT
(46:31):
NYC.
So I'm really excited aboutthat.
It's the first time we've fullyleaned into you know IRL events
beyond, you know single nightdinners and kind of parties and
stuff.
So really stoked about that.
And, yeah, just working withsome bad-ass people uh doing
cool things in web three, um,that uh, we're super grateful to
(46:54):
uh have have a board, um, butyeah, thanks.
Thanks so much for asking.
NorCal Guy (47:00):
Yeah, man, well, fungie, I just want to say thank
you so much for coming on theshow today and so much for your
time and uh, I really appreciateall you do in the space and uh,
I actually can't wait to uhhang out and see you in uh, what
was that about?
A month from now.
Funghibull (47:16):
Yeah, yeah, thank you so much for having me on and
for all you do.
I wish this hologram, uh punkof mine, uh could show when I'm
smiling definitely blushing andsmiling at the Braves.
But yeah, really grateful foreverything you do in this space
and just grateful to have thechance to come on and chat with
(47:38):
you and stoke the vibe, whetherthat's in Denver or New York.
Well, I'll be looking forwardto it.
NorCal Guy (47:45):
Sounds good, man, you take care, yeah, you too,
have a good day Bye.
Funghibull (47:51):
Who is this guy who?
NorCal Guy (47:52):
is this guy?
Who is this guy?
Who is this?
Funghibull (47:57):
guy.
Who is this guy?
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal and chill.
It's show Norco guy.
Norco guy, norco and chillpodcast.
So it's chill time, norco andchill podcast.
What the what the chill?
Norco and chill podcast.
So it's chill time, norco andchill podcast.
(48:20):
What the what the chill.
Who is this guy?
NorCal Guy (00:02):
Who is this guy?
Who is this guy?
Funghibull (00:06):
Who is this guy?
Norcal?
Guy NorCal and chill podcast.
So it's chill time.
Norcal and chill podcast.
What the f***?
Norcal and chill podcast.
Collector's Vault.
NorCal Guy (00:38):
Today we have Fungible joining us to dive into
the mushrooming world of cryptoart and investments.
In this episode, we unearthFungible's journey through the
highs and lows of digitalinvestments, including his
biggest win and the learningcurve of his silliest purchase.
We peel back the layers on theimportance of community, with
(01:02):
Fungible emphasizing the valueof Twitter spaces for authentic
connections, and discuss themultifaceted approach to art
collecting that Mary's financialsavvy with personal resonance.
Plus, we get the scoop onwhat's next for Schiller, as
fungible teases their upcomingmedia season and innovative,
(01:23):
innovative NFT-backed artcollecting experience and a
buzzworthy three-day eventseries at NFT NYC.
Tune in as we share a genuineconversation on growth and
gratitude in the dynamic worldof crypto art.
Stay with us for an episodethat promises insightful shill
(01:45):
without the fluff, right here onnorcal and shill collector's
vault.
Everybody, please welcomefungible.
Hey, fungi, welcome to thepodcast.
How you doing today?
Funghibull (01:57):
I'm doing great.
Yeah, thank you so much forhaving me, man man, I, I'm glad
we.
NorCal Guy (02:02):
You know it should have been a lot earlier.
But you know, I just like getfocused on like artists, and
then I'm like, who am I gonnahave?
I'm like, oh yeah, I got allthese collectors I should have
on here, that I actually chatwith and I'm glad you can make
it and thank you for coming onwell, thanks, thanks for having
me.
Funghibull (02:22):
I honestly the artists are more interesting, so
I think I think you know boththey will be appreciative of
that as well the othercollectors and, and, yeah,
different builders and folks.
Uh, you've had on, but I'mgrateful, grateful to be
included and really appreciatethe work you do, um, both on
this podcast and elsewhere.
(02:43):
So stoked to chat, man.
NorCal Guy (02:46):
Yeah, man, I'm ready to get into it.
So I know you've been in thisgame for a little while, this
collector game.
What were your first thoughtswhen you heard about NFTs or
crypto art?
Funghibull (03:01):
Yeah, I think, like a lot of people was kind of like
what the hell?
You know what?
Uh, make it make sense?
Um, I had a time grappling withthe right click save, uh, quite
I don't know like pseudodilemma or or issue, uh.
(03:22):
And then I started to drawcomparisons and started to think
about you know other areas ofownership and activity online
where ownership should exist,and started to think like you
know what this makes a lot ofsense.
(03:43):
And also, like wherever peopleare going to want to spend money
, there will be a market there,and the fundamentals of this and
the way in which it could bechanging economies, whether
they're creator economies orlike macro economies, are really
compelling or like macroeconomies, are really compelling
(04:05):
.
And I was very lucky to have afew friends much smarter than
myself, who were a lot earlierto NFTs, that were helping me
kind of break down these wallsof comprehension.
So, yeah, but I think first Iwas like what the hell is going
on?
What the hell is going on here?
And then quickly like I thinkthere might was like what, what
(04:26):
the hell is going on, what thehell is going on here?
And then quickly like I thinkthere might be something to this
and yeah, eventually I have toget involved in some way.
This is fascinating, yeah.
NorCal Guy (04:35):
Now, did you get involved in like late 2020, or
was it early 21?
It was late 2020.
Funghibull (04:43):
Yeah, a close friend of mine, alex gosman, founder
of nftx um, helped me pick up acouple of punks.
Uh, that was my first like bigbet on nfts um, and I was just
going to like chill, you know, Ididn't expect them to get a lot
of price action uh in the shortterm.
(05:04):
And then they did and I hadthat oh, am I a genius moment?
Uh, which was really just merealizing like, wow, I'm so
lucky.
Uh, thank God for good friends.
Um and uh, and then started toget more deeply involved in like
early 2021, like Februaryis-ish, yeah were you part of
(05:28):
the the top shots thing, ortotally?
missed top shots.
Yeah, I totally missed topshots.
And I also missed art blocksummer.
I I, oh yeah, barely minted, uh, during that luckily picked up
a few pieces, but nothing thatyou know, no Fidenzas or uh,
(05:49):
ringers or anything like that.
NorCal Guy (05:50):
Yeah, all right, all right, fair, fair.
So did you collect art oranything else before getting
into NFTs?
Funghibull (05:59):
Uh, I think as a kid , you know, like a lot of others
, um, I developed a pretty sicklike pokemon card collection, uh
, and some other sports cards,and I had a thing for like hot
wheels and, um, oh yeah, yeah, Iwould even like.
Once we had like a computer and, uh, I was good at using it.
(06:21):
I remember like I'm gonna startmaking like folders for all of
my favorite cars and I'm goingto organize them and like find
pictures on the internet and andand started to, yeah, just
right click save.
I guess what was kind of like avision board, you know, of a
kid who's just like I want cool,fast, expensive things, uh, in
(06:45):
the future, um, but I, I'd saythat that's probably about it.
Yeah, I wasn't really intocollecting art in any meaningful
way a few prints here and thereat like craft fairs, um, uh, or
just from online marketplacesand stuff, but that was about it
(07:05):
, yeah.
NorCal Guy (07:07):
All right, all right .
So what are the best thingsabout Web3 today?
Funghibull (07:15):
I think it's still the people first and foremost.
I think the concentration ofdeeply passionate, incredibly
intelligent, creative andoptimistic people with deep sets
(07:35):
of skills is unparalleled trulybelieve there is no other
industry or area of focus thathas as well-rounded of a
community of participants whoare as capable and future
forward thinking, um, and whoare also as fun to be around.
(07:58):
So, uh, I'd say the the peoplefirst and foremost, and then, I
think, also just the ways inwhich the space is slowly but
surely maturing.
I think I've seen a lot ofcompanies rise up, whether
they're great products or morecommunity-based.
(08:21):
Seeing that happen in the artside of Web3 has been really
cool.
Some artist and curator-ledinitiatives or companies I mean
big shout out to ClickReit andthe work you guys do, as well as
some artist collectives likeBritoDAO and Making it what
(08:41):
Patrick Amidon's doing.
Yeah, just seeing thesecultural machines kind of like
take shape and do meaningfulthings has yeah is kind of one
of the more exciting things forme these days.
NorCal Guy (09:00):
Yeah Well, I mean you yourselves are like focused
on the people there at Schiller.
I mean all the time givingshout outs and doing spaces for
people.
So I mean a big part of that.
I mean you're helping fosterthat jokingly.
Funghibull (09:29):
Uh tweeted earlier like um schiller is my roman
empire uh, it's like that islike where, so much of my focus
is uh and ultimately, where.
Yeah, like, a lot of the work Ido goes towards um and it's
been really fun to build out andgrow at a steady, programmed,
uh kind of organic pace, uh, sothat's been super rewarding um,
(09:50):
and, yeah, very grateful for allthe community support on that,
for sure so where do you seedigital art and nfts in five
years and do you have anyconcerns as it expands?
Yeah, I mean, that's a greatquestion.
I don't know if I'm smartenough to really comprehend
(10:12):
where things will be in fiveyears, but I'll try, I think.
When it comes to looking ahead,I see, just in general, a world
where its community members, onaverage, are having a greater
(10:33):
and greater surplus of eithertime or liquid capital that can
be expended freely, ordisposable income.
I could say, um, I think thatwhere art collecting, for
example, used to be somethingdone by only the richest of the
(10:53):
rich, uh, in very closed circles, I see this propagating to the
average random person who iscurrently, you know, buying uh
prints on etsy, um, and uhbuying you know, uh shower
(11:13):
curtains of their favoriteartists, like work on, uh, uh,
not artsy, but uh, society sixor something, um, I see that
coming onchain because it isjust so much cooler.
It's one of those things wherecrypto can both only crypto, I
(11:35):
guess can support that thosedirect, frictionless payments
and ways of supporting creatorsand provably knowing that you
did indeed support the personwho made it, rather than paying
a massive fee to like a print ondemand service, who may or may
not have just like ripped offthat artist, right, and, I think
, having that concept becomecommon knowledge, and then
(12:00):
having the back-endinfrastructure that abstracts
away all of the clunky cryptopayment UX and onboarding is
just going to make that superubiquitous to, instead of buying
(12:25):
, yeah, just random crap on theinternet, actually supporting
artists in a way that's muchmore equitable and aligned with
the creator economy that we wantto see, you know, thriving and
flourishing.
So I think that is, like, at amacro level, a trend that I'm
very, very bullish on, and verybullish for artists, as well as
(12:48):
for those that are supportingartists, whether they're brands,
like recognizing that, hey,maybe working with an artist in
a super equitable way is anawesome chance for us to, you
know, exhibit our culturalrelevance and awareness and have
(13:08):
like a bit of a symbioticrelationship where artists are
compensated but the brandsbenefit too, and I think that's
fine and great.
Or for patrons and collectorswho are really showing their
conviction in the artists whoare here presently or soon to
arrive, who share our excitementat a, you know, tokenized world
(13:34):
of art.
And, yeah, I'm super excitedfor that and I think the worries
less of I don't have a lot of.
I mean, like one thing I'vebeen thinking about recently.
Um, that, I think, is just goingto be really hard to work
(13:55):
against, uh, or you know, uh,negate in any way.
Is that the things that we loveand benefit from the most about
?
You know, blockchain enabledtech and and currency or wealth
or asset transfer is that theyare permissionless and
(14:18):
frictionless and it runs 24seven and that's great.
It feels like you know itshould you know, like I should
be able to transfer anythingthat I own whenever I want to
whoever I want, um, and havethat kind of free market um be
expressed in the rails whereinit lives.
(14:40):
Um, like that just is verylogical, but uh, and then I, we
benefit and artists benefit fromthat um, when you are able to
uh directly support a creator,uh, and then I think where it
gets really challenging is justthe exact same side of things.
Uh, when people can buy and sellas freely as they want
(15:02):
something that you put yourheart and soul into.
Uh, I think it's there's that'sjust always going to be really
difficult to manage, um, wherean artist or creator of some
kind releases work into theworld, um, and just sees it
floored, you know, and with theroyalties negated.
(15:23):
Like I think that, uh, that isone way, uh, or one example
where, like emotionally, itmight be easier for a gallery to
just take care of that uh, foryou not to uh be super aware
where your heart is or who isenjoying it.
Uh, because you don't know thatsome you know quote-unquote
(15:45):
patron or lifetime supporter ofthe arts just sold for half what
they paid you for it and ismoving on to other things.
So I think that's like just areally tricky thing.
Like we want you all kinds ofasset transfer and ownership to
be 24-7, frictionless,permissionless, but then we have
(16:10):
to deal with the results ofthat or the environment that
that creates, and I think that'sjust always going to be hard.
So I think it's going to take awhile for people, especially
new coming artists, to attunethemselves to that and build up
that degree of resilience whichI'm like very confident they
(16:31):
will Uh cause.
Artists, I think you and I bothknow, are like the most
resilient human beings uh on theplanet, probably, um, but it
still is a piece of themselvesUh, and and and.
Yeah, my heart always goes outto the creators of work that you
see getting maybe mistreated,maybe yeah, if I could use that
(16:54):
word Right, right.
NorCal Guy (16:57):
So I'm curious what makes you decide to buy a piece,
what pushes you over the edgelike, okay, I need to go get
that piece.
Do you sit with it for a littlebit, or is it like talking with
the artist, getting to knowthem first?
Funghibull (17:16):
or sometimes just a.
I need that.
Yeah, it's a good question and,like, um, I think it's often
has to come from a place of I amaware of this person.
I've been developing somecontext of who they are.
You know, there's a part of mymind that is now dedicated to
(17:37):
who I understand that person tobe and what their body of work
is.
Their body of work is Justbecause I want to know that I'm
not buying something orcollecting something totally
speculatively and that I feellike I have a good sense of, you
know, why somebody is doingsomething, whether or not that's
(18:01):
making art or releasing aproject or whatever it may be,
or not that's making art orreleasing a project or whatever
it may be.
Um, I have a limited amount ofcapital and I have to spend it
wisely if, if I want to be, youknow, efficient both, uh, in
terms of supporting thequote-unquote right people, as
my mind tries to see fit, uh, aswell as making, like you know,
(18:23):
reasonable financial decisions,um, right, right.
So I would say it's probably ona sliding scale of like, uh,
you know, no one ever wants totalk about the money side of
things, uh, but if, like, ifsomething is like, if, if I can
buy something without worryingabout the price at all, like
(18:45):
whatever it's listed, it doesn'tregister as uh, uh, a serious
expense for me or expenditurefor me, then like the other
things aren't quite as important.
Um, in terms of like, I don'thave to like vibe or fact check
or whatever, like I don't, notthat I'm like you know, not that
I'm like doing like detectivework or anything, but like I
(19:08):
don't necessarily need to havedeveloped like a thesis on.
Like I think this is why thisperson makes art and like I
think this is kind of whatthey're scratching at.
In terms of both you know theirinner workings and the world as
they see it, and I don'tnecessarily need to have that
degree of connection orperceived understanding.
(19:28):
Um, if I'm just like this isdope and I can easily afford it
and never sell it, cool, likethat's all I need to know.
Um, and when it's a larger uh,like when the price is higher,
um, and isn't something that Ican just like hit, you know, buy
or collect like multiple timesa day on without thinking about
(19:50):
how that affects me, I do haveto like really sit with it.
It's pretty rare that I'll justcollect something as soon as it
pops up, right, it's usually.
I've gotten to know thatartists, either directly or just
having you know, followed themfor ages.
Um, I've uh been waiting forthe right piece.
(20:13):
You know right in terms of meand what resonates, um, and I
have to know that, uh, uh, yeah,I am very comfortable spending
this amount of money andpotentially never selling
Realistically never selling iskind of always the way to plan.
It is like I've acquired this,I have to be okay with never
(20:37):
letting it go, and then, if it'smuch more than that, then I
have to have like I'd be lyingif I said I wasn't contemplating
, like okay, what is like myconviction in this?
in this artist like long term,like do I feel like there may or
may not be a financial upsidein?
(20:58):
the next x, you know years,whatever, um, but the latter is
like rarely the case, like it'sonly occasionally that I'll
spend amounts that reallywarrant that kind of, uh,
internal dialogue, um, and oftenit's because I've seen a piece
(21:19):
and then, even after I stoplooking at it, I keep thinking
about it.
I'm just walking and I'm like,oh, maybe this is what they were
saying.
Or, man, I have to pull out myphone or I have to look at it
again, I have to go look backthrough their other work, or I
have to like message them andask because, like I'm just so
(21:40):
goddamn curious now, and it'swhen that's happening and, uh, I
I'm resonating deeply enoughthat I'm like, okay, like yes,
like I will absolutely try andpick this up, yeah yeah, that
makes sense.
NorCal Guy (21:58):
I feel that a lot.
I feel that what, what wouldyou like to see more of in this
crypto art space?
Funghibull (22:08):
It's a good question , like a lot of things, man,
like a lot of things.
It's got so many good parts toit.
Has a lot of like, not greatparts to it.
Some of the things that I'dlove to see more of because
(22:29):
that's definitely the morepositive way to speak about it,
uh is I'd love to see moreencouraged experimentation.
Um and I'd love to see peopleputting less pressure on artists
to quote unquote deliver.
Obviously, there's times inwhich promises get made or plans
(22:51):
get published and, likeanything, we should try, and,
you know, hold people to theirword, but also show compassion
when their circumstance changes.
And I think, just having spokenwith and connected with so many
artists luckily over the pastfew years, it's just so
(23:11):
abundantly clear how muchpressure they are each putting
on themselves, uh, and it'simmense, like the world is
putting on so much pressure,typically first telling them
don't do this uh, and yet theydo.
And then, once they're startingto find a community that
supports them and all of thesetechnological devices and tools,
(23:36):
whether it's smart contracts ordynamic, you know, dynamic art
techniques or new mediums thatthey can express themselves in,
uh, in, in, you know, digitally,um.
I think just adding levels ofuh, of pressure is not good.
So I I'd love to see moreexperimentation, um, supported
(24:02):
uh, and I'd love to just seemore artists doing it, um, who
feel, because I think many dowant to uh, many want to try
putting out additions or pieceson other chains, but they will
say in private, like I don'twant to get, you know, viewed as
being opportunistic, um, and orI don't you know want to want
(24:24):
people to think I'm just likejumping on the next thing and
I'm going to keep doing that,and I think it's like you know,
you do have to develop a senseof what is like right for
yourself, um, and you have toact in accordance with your
understanding of that Um.
But I think there's just a lotof fear, um, behind a lot of
this hesitation.
Uh, and yeah, I, it's just alot of fear behind a lot of this
(24:45):
hesitation.
And yeah, it's just a coolthing when you see artists
behaving and operating freely,because I think that's when it
starts.
You start speed running, theknowledge acquisition or skill
acquisition of knowing when itis the right thing for you, um,
(25:05):
through, you know, figuring outwhat's the wrong thing, um and
uh, and what felt good, and andnot in a wow, so much dopamine
kind of way, but in a like, veryheart-centered, like, oh, I
feel much freer for having donethat.
Um and yeah and I, I thinkthat's like the main.
(25:27):
There's lots of other thingslike I'd also love to see more
artists getting together andjust supplying a bit of
organization, um, into doingthings, uh, whether that's
putting on exhibitions, raisingmoney for, you know, relevant
causes, um, whether that'ssupporting themselves or, you
(25:47):
know, doing something likebringing other artists out to
conferences or anything likethat.
I would love to see moreorganized groups that they find
their.
One person who is like, hey, Iwrote down the plan and the
notes and, oh, I'll set up thenonprofit and I'll do, I'll set
(26:11):
up the multi-sig, and like I'dlove to see more of that.
I feel like I've only gone toknow intimately at least, like a
very small handful ofcollectives such as that, such
as that, and I feel like there'sthere's a ton of value to be
(26:33):
both generated and captured inequitable ways.
So, yeah, those are.
Those are my top answers, Ithink.
NorCal Guy (26:39):
I like it.
Do you have a piece of adviceor a mantra that you kind of
live by?
Go by that like is in your headthat's a good question.
Funghibull (26:53):
Um, trying not to say something that sounds too
cringe and, yeah, likeattempting to be too profound or
anything.
Um, I'd say like, uh, you know,connect with people because you
(27:17):
want to, um, not because youwant something.
Um, I think the bestfriendships, the best things
that have happened to me in thisspace have just come from a
pure sense of curiosity, forwanting to better understand
people, or just know them, orhaving some inkling selfish,
(27:40):
even that, like, I think my lifemight be better for knowing
this person.
And yeah, I think that it'smuch too easy to, or far too
easy to, operate transactionallyin a space that is so heavily
predicated upon transactions,whether they're on chain or
(28:04):
whatever transactions, whetherthey're on chain or whatever.
And I think we're in a veryrare window of time where we're
able to connect with pretty muchanyone in crypto or web three,
and that's to be, you know,honored, I think, for yourself
as well as for the window ofopportunity for all of us that
(28:28):
it presents.
And, yeah, I would say, yeah,connect because you want to and
also think like big.
I mean, there's a lot of peoplewanting to build things.
There's a lot of people wantingto build things.
(28:48):
There's a lot of people withvery enmeshed ideas of what
would be a great feature tool,product, collective publication,
content series and I think thatit gets really hard when we try
and do it ourselves and also itdoesn't go very far when we
(29:10):
think too small.
I think having thoseunattainable goals is super
helpful and then finding thepeople that naturally vibe with
whatever it is you're trying todo or put out.
So I don't think I have like,uh, a single thing, um, uh, it's
(29:31):
really just um, be the vibesyou want to see more of in the
world, whether that's supportingothers for the sake of it or or
just sharing more of who youare in hopes that, uh, maybe
someone else does too, and maybesomeone resonates with you and
you get to be friends.
Yeah, I think some one of thosethree is maybe the things I
(29:55):
think of the most.
NorCal Guy (29:57):
I like it.
So now kind of changing it intosome more fun, lighthearted
questions, let's do it.
What is your favorite moviequote?
Funghibull (30:11):
Ooh, the one that comes top of mind is a fun one,
and I might be paraphrasing, butthis is from the movie Waking
Life, where one of thecharacters says on quiet nights
of the self, I go salsa dancingwith my emotions.
(30:31):
And I don't know what it isabout that, but I saw it when I
was 13 and I haven't stoppedthinking like it's always.
It's always just taken up space,uh, and as someone who's like a
little insular and and reallyenjoys time alone just thinking
and walking, um, uh, yeah, thatone hits sweet.
NorCal Guy (30:53):
That's solid.
What is the best thing?
Funghibull (30:57):
and the silliest thing you've spent money on, uh
in this space uh is probablybeen investing in schiller um.
(31:18):
That has been uh there.
You know there's a bunch ofartists that have felt really
great for having supported andart that I'm like super grateful
and lucky to now own um otherthings that have involved like
trades, which cool, but, um, I'dsay the most rewarding has been
(31:40):
like investing in what we'rebuilding at schiller um and that
, yeah, that's probably my topchoice.
Uh silliest thing one of thejanky ether rocks man I, I
remember I got a phone call onenight, um, and someone was like,
hey, okay, so you know, ether,there's actually a version of
(32:05):
them that's two days older andwe've just found a way to buy
them.
They're currently all listedfor like 20 ETH.
This is when ETH was like $4,000.
If you want one, you have toget them now.
But the problem in the contractis that unless you instantly
(32:27):
list the price for higher thanwhat you bought it, it will
revert back and be available asa buy now for the price that you
paid for it.
It was like a contract bug.
So I was like just smashingfast gas and battling between,
like Gary V, 888, and a bunch oflike I don't know much bigger
(32:54):
traders and collectors than meand I managed to get one of
these, but I didn't know if Ihad to list it in Gway or in ETH
, um, because you had to do itat the contract or like the
janky, like ui level on thewebsite.
I think I listed it for likeeight billion eth or something
(33:15):
like that, thinking I was doingit in quay and uh, and yeah,
like didn't end up turning aprofit on that um, but uh, that
was probably the stupidest thingI've bought.
Um, and yeah, I, it was one ofthose like peak euphoria season
(33:36):
of the 2021 bull run, uh, feverdream moments where you're like
guys, gary v is trying to buy,we need to like, your time is
now or never.
Uh, and if I had just sold itfive minutes later, I could have
like 5x my money, uh, but I gotgreedy held, uh, waited two
(33:57):
weeks and then eventually listedit and sold it like for a
little less than what I paid forum, and then, within five
minutes, sotheby's announcedthat they would be auctioning
one of these like earlier etherrocks.
Uh, uh, like a week later andthen one instantly sold for
(34:20):
double what I had sold mine.
So I was like god damn it,stupid, stupid moves, stupid
games, stupid prizes oh mansolid.
NorCal Guy (34:32):
That's a good story, man, yeah it was fun.
Funghibull (34:36):
For sure not smart, but fun man.
NorCal Guy (34:42):
So this one's a little bit harder.
But if you could commission apiece and have two artists
collaborate on it, which twoartists collaborate on it?
Funghibull (34:54):
which two artists would it be?
That's a really good question.
I don't know how this wouldcome into existence, but I would
probably say Joe Peace andSummer Wagner.
I don't know what it would looklike, but that is what I would
(35:22):
want, all right.
NorCal Guy (35:25):
Have to make it happen now.
Funghibull (35:27):
Yeah, I'm setting the intention out there, joe or
Summer, if either of you hearthis and want to make my happen
now.
Yeah, I'm setting the attentionout there, joe or summer, if
either of you hear this, uh, andwant to make my dreams come
true, um, I'd be happy even tojust right click, save or enjoy
on.
NorCal Guy (35:39):
Uh, virtually um, but my, my wallet address is
publicly available too what isyour favorite way to connect
with new people in the space?
Funghibull (35:54):
um, I'd probably say on spaces honestly, um, yeah, I
think, uh, I like it's verychronically online of me to say,
but IRL, when we go toconferences and events and
things, be excited to see thatum, it's always a struggle just
(36:17):
to fit in the people that I feellike I could comfortably call
my friends already.
Um, so the uh opportunity toconnect, uh, the opportunities
(36:41):
to connect with people I don'thave a relationship with yet um
are maybe fewer and far between,far between at something like
NFT, nyc or Art Basel orsomething.
So I think a really nice way toget a sense of someone and
connect with them is justtalking on a Twitter space or X
(37:05):
space where you can get a senseof their tone space or x space,
uh, where you can get a sense of, you know, their tone.
Um, it's easier to like vibe,check and understand and, you
know, probe and ask questions.
Where dms are in are a minefieldfor me.
I rarely see stuff that Ishould uh and comments get lost
and yeah, I would say, like youknow, even just having like a
(37:27):
five minute conversation even ifit's not me like on a stage,
just me getting to listen tosomeone from the audience,
that's one of my favorite ways,like either talking to them
directly or just listening towhat they have to say.
Yeah, nice.
NorCal Guy (37:47):
Do you have any hot takes?
Funghibull (37:51):
um, I feel like I like one hot take.
Um, is that, I mean, I'm not alike, uh, I'm not a maximalist,
but I think so any hot take Ihave, okay, I usually have the
(38:11):
hot take on the other side ofthe equation too.
So, uh, you know, one examplewould be like collectors in web
3 should stop trying to asserttheir knowledge over what
artists shouldn't or shouldn'tdo Like it's a bad look.
It's rarely being requested andyou may not actually know
(38:35):
anything about that person, whatthey want to do or about art in
general.
And maybe you've just beenobsessed for a few months.
And even if you do like,there's a chance that by just
asserting that take in anunprompted way, you are
(38:55):
diminishing the likelihood ofsomeone receiving it positively.
So collectors should stoptelling artists what to do.
On the other hand, I often seetakes from artists that are like
don't ever like, let a you knowcollector or anyone tell you
(39:17):
how to market your artwork oryourself.
And I don't agree with thateither, because a lot of the
people that are on thecollecting side of things come
from like business orentrepreneurship or industry of
some kind, often related to tech.
There may be viewing, you know,online presence and leverage,
(39:40):
you know, the use of socialmedia in a more analytical way,
and they're also doing a lot ofreflecting on how they're
acquiring or stumbling upon newartists, and I think to discount
the knowledge or opinions ofothers is maybe not the best,
(40:03):
and so I think it's all aboutyou know the, the medium, uh, or
intentions, uh, or arenawherein the message is shared,
um, or received from the artistside, uh.
So I think, yeah, those are mytwo like hot takes that maybe
create one lukewarm take, um.
(40:26):
And then I think another thinglike uh, is that people should,
um, probably learn the fuckingtech like uh.
I think that's something thatis majorly slept on in this
space, um, whether it's from,like you know, early entrants
who are just doing a littledegenerate trading, or from
(40:50):
artists who have maybe beenaround a long time but the only
functions they ever really hadto master or like tasks was like
minting artwork and to gobeyond that felt extra and maybe
just totally seemed likeunnecessary.
I think learning things likeproper security, also learning
(41:11):
like, hey, what is DeFi?
What is a smart contract?
Like, what other tokenstandards are there, and are
there any that might make senseas like vehicles for me to
deepen both my creativeexpression as well as express my
(41:31):
understanding of the mediumwherein I'm releasing work.
I think those things can go areally long way.
It takes like there's not thatmany artists that like deeply
understand or even like yeah,let me say deeply understand,
(41:51):
like smart contracts and kind oflike the underlying tech
culture, or like CT, crypto,twitter culture, as well as
mastering their own craft duringtheir own craft, and I think
those that do continue to seekknowledge on those things often
(42:12):
seem to do quite well and findways to express themselves in
forms that resonate withcollectors and people who deeply
value just the fact that we'redoing this all on Ethereum or
solana or wherever else, um, andthat the, the tech is important
(42:34):
, uh, within this industry.
Um, yeah, I'd say those are.
Those are my, my mild takes notgood with hot takes, like I
anytime there's drama.
I'm just like my life will bebetter if I just don't care and
for sure and like avoid gettinginto this like cesspool of a
(42:56):
twitter debate.
Um right, uh, it's true.
Yeah, so I don't know.
I wish I thought I probably dohave some, but like none that I
think are that good orproductive.
NorCal Guy (43:12):
So last question you've mentioned Schiller a few
times.
Tell us in the audience aboutSchiller, what you do there and
any other projects you might behaving or coming up.
Funghibull (43:28):
Thanks, yeah, so um Schiller started as a marketing
and consulting company, um,really catering towards
transparency, hence the name Um.
We wanted to work with greatpeople and we've done that for a
few years.
Uh, we've worked with over 35companies across verticals in
the space, touched on prettymuch every domain of on-chain
(43:54):
activity or community that mightexist, and we originally wanted
to start by working withartists, realized it's kind of
tough to do in an equitable andethical way, so let's just see
if we can support artists forfree in other ways.
So we started that byexhibiting the works of artists
(44:17):
on these mobile galleries aroundNFT NYC and Art Basel Miami.
To date we've exhibited about800 artists so far at events
like these.
We leaned into media last year,launching our first kind of NFT
sales, have done a bunch of funart commissions and have five
(44:43):
weekly spaces series coveringart tech culture, series
covering art tech culture and aswell as offering, you know, two
hours of free consulting forartists or developers or
founders every Wednesday,alongside a couple of podcasts
we put out, all headed up by ourawesome director of media, buna
(45:05):
, and assisted by our amazingcreative director, connor, and
our goal really for Schiller isto be a source of permaculture
in the space, a source ofsupport for what we want to see
more of.
We don't typically talk aboutthat.
Our tongue-in-cheek rule sincestarting Schiller was we will
(45:26):
not shill Schiller unless asked,hence me talking about that.
Our tongue in cheek rule sincestarting Shiller was we will not
shill Shiller unless asked,hence me talking about it.
But yeah.
I think this year we're going tostart talking about it a little
bit more because there's not alot of others doing the same
thing and we're super proud ofwhat we're doing.
(45:46):
So the most pressing new thingsto come out is we will be
rolling out a new season ofShiller Media, which is kind of
a NFT-backed art collectingexperience for our community
members to support us, howeverthey can, and for us to
(46:10):
commission great artworks andput on some exhibitions for
artists in real space and havejust some fantastic content that
celebrates those that aremaking the space special as it
is so founders, artists,collectors and so forth.
And we'll also be putting on athree-day event series at NFT
(46:31):
NYC.
So I'm really excited aboutthat.
It's the first time we've fullyleaned into you know IRL events
beyond, you know single nightdinners and kind of parties and
stuff.
So really stoked about that.
And, yeah, just working withsome bad-ass people uh doing
cool things in web three, um,that uh, we're super grateful to
(46:54):
uh have have a board, um, butyeah, thanks.
Thanks so much for asking.
NorCal Guy (47:00):
Yeah, man, well, fungie, I just want to say thank
you so much for coming on theshow today and so much for your
time and uh, I really appreciateall you do in the space and uh,
I actually can't wait to uhhang out and see you in uh, what
was that about?
A month from now.
Funghibull (47:16):
Yeah, yeah, thank you so much for having me on and
for all you do.
I wish this hologram, uh punkof mine, uh could show when I'm
smiling definitely blushing andsmiling at the Braves.
But yeah, really grateful foreverything you do in this space
and just grateful to have thechance to come on and chat with
(47:38):
you and stoke the vibe, whetherthat's in Denver or New York.
Well, I'll be looking forwardto it.
NorCal Guy (47:45):
Sounds good, man, you take care, yeah, you too,
have a good day Bye.
Funghibull (47:51):
Who is this guy who?
NorCal Guy (47:52):
is this guy?
Who is this guy?
Who is this?
Funghibull (47:57):
guy.
Who is this guy?
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal guy.
Norcal and chill.
It's show Norco guy.
Norco guy, norco and chillpodcast.
So it's chill time, norco andchill podcast.
What the what the chill?
Norco and chill podcast.
So it's chill time, norco andchill podcast.
(48:20):
What the what the chill.
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