“Joejojo, GM GM, honey!! How is everybody doing?”
If you were part of one of from Thread Guy daily Twitter spaces, you know he kicks them all off with some variation of this warm and energetically charged greeting, setting a welcoming and vibrant tone for the thousands who tune in.
Known as the center of polarizing Web3 discussions, Michael Jerome, better known as “Threadguy”, is drawing considerable attention in the ever-changing landscape. His active involvement either by posting or being the topic of memesInterview controversial figuresor offer light-hearted commentary on Twitter, has solidified its presence on the platform.
But this confident personality took time to evolve. We had the opportunity to sit down with Threadguy to reveal the story behind his involvement in the NFT world, peel back the layers to reveal the transformative story of his journey, and what he says is the secret to success in Web3.
Bet on yourself
After exploring the realms of card trading and sneaker flipping in his teens, Threadguy was instinctively drawn to the world of NFTs. He experienced a sense of familiarity in them, embracing the passionate communities, the potential to make money and the joy of collecting – all recalling his past hobbies.
It wasn’t long before he realized the immense potential of space and committed himself fully to it. As a freshman business student from Virginia, he had a gut feeling that the NFT and Crypto space was about to explode.
Despite only having a few hundred followers at the time, Threadguy took a bold step. He decided to drop out of school one day after class to fully focus on NFTs. “I do all or nothing. I’ve always been like this,’ Threadguy said. “So I decided I was all in.”
But he did not experience instant success.
“I was not a whale, nor an experienced stock trader, or the founder of a project,” he said. “So I was looking for a gap in the market. At the time, if you wanted information on an NFT project, you had nowhere to go. You may come across a few Twitter posts or an outdated article. Then I decided to write threads about projects I really liked.”
He started posting threads on Twitter about NFT projects under the username DiscoverxNFT constant for three months.
1/🧵 @cryptoadzNFT are here to stay and need to be protected at all costs.
Why I love the Toadz, a common thread 👇
— ThreadGuy 👑 (@notthreadguy) November 16, 2021
“Initially there was no obvious personality, no GMs and no shitposts, nothing,” he said. “I only posted information, and that’s how I gained traction, from zero followers to about 5,000.”
For those who haven’t followed Threadguy from the start, it can be hard to imagine a time when its posts lacked its unique features. Some would even do that claiming he hasn’t written a thread in quite some timeshowing the evolution of its content and the shifting focus of its online presence.
Become a thread guy
In December 2021, Threadguy made a pivotal transaction that would change the trajectory of its Web3 journey. After hitting an XCOPY piece on Nifty Gateway, he traded it for a Mutant Ape. Around that time, his account and personal brand really started to take off. To this day, the monkey is still his profile picture and main identifier.
As he began making connections within the NFT space, Threadguy forged a strong friendship with Tally Labsthe team behind Jenkins the Valet.
Reflecting on his early NFT experiences, Threadguy shared: “The very first project I ever hit was Jenkins, back in August 2021. I then wrote a thread about it in October 2021. At the time I was relatively unknown and Jenkins was still in its early stages.”
However, over the next six to eight months, both Threadguy and the Jenkins team gained a larger following in the space. During this period, the Jenkins team approached him and expressed a desire to bring him on board.
Excited to announce that I am joining the @TallyLabsNFT/@jenkinsthevalet team full-time as director of Vibes!
I will be working on Social, Content, Partnerships and !vibes for Jenkins + all their future projects in development 👀
Let’s build the future of decentralized content! pic.twitter.com/ulVhTjKXGB
— ThreadGuy 👑 (@notthreadguy) April 17, 2022
They were unsure of the specific role or title, but Threadguy suggested “Director of Vibes” as a playful tribute to This one, whom he reveres as the “OG” director of Vibes. To this day, Threadguy proudly holds the position of Director of Vibes within the Jenkins team.
Text to Talk: Making the Jump to Audio
The Threadguy you know now is different from the Threadguy in 2021. “I was very anti-public,” he said. “I was intimidated and wanted nothing to do with it.”
However, in June 2021, he says he’s warming to the idea of audio after being approached to start a podcast with some other space co-hosts. Unfortunately it didn’t happen, but he decided to continue anyway.
“I already committed to that, so I was like fuck it,” he said. “Even if I have no experience, I want to do it.”
“It took me months to find my voice.”
Wireman
He decided to start hosting daily Twitter spaces with him Shilin villain. “I really liked it and wanted to keep doing it,” said Threadguy. “I wanted to have important and compelling conversations and bring stories to the fore.”
In November 2022, he started hosting for himself. “It started very slowly,” he admitted. “It’s so different being a host as opposed to a co-host; it’s a different atmosphere. It took me months to find my voice. But since then I organize six days a week, every week.”
Describe in one photo how you feel about hosting: pic.twitter.com/uO3IQN8cea
— ThreadGuy 👑 (@notthreadguy) May 25, 2023
He adds that hosting a Twitter space is more than just saying hello and chatting for hours. “It’s panels, community forums, debates,” he said. “It’s taken on a life of its own.”
Balancing is entertaining and informative
Despite being known for his playful and often unhinged timeline banter, Threadguy possesses a remarkable level of self-awareness.
“It took me a while to figure out where I want to sit on such a scale between super high-level informational content versus epee entertainment,” he laughed. I like to think I’m somewhere in the middle.”
Bearish on preparing for interviews
Bullish about firing from the goddamn hip pic.twitter.com/SuoQQDMM8D
— ThreadGuy 👑 (@notthreadguy) May 14, 2023
He admits that he still feels like he’s in the experimental process.
“I want to try a little bit of everything. I want to continue high-level talks,” he said. “I want to keep my hosting style while adding a level of entertainment and making high-quality conversations less boring.”
But it’s not all about fun and games. For him, it’s all about careful calculation. He is constantly thinking about how one decision will ripple into another.
“I’m thinking about how hosting this person could lead to this conversation or opportunity,” he said. “It’s definitely chess moves.”
Staying relevant, responding to the moment
Within the fast-paced world of Web3, the rise and fall of influencers and founders can be swift and unpredictable. The landscape changes quickly, where you might be on the pinnacle of success one minute, only to experience a sudden downturn or cancellation the next day. This constant flow creates an overwhelming sense of urgency – as if an invisible clock in the background is constantly ticking.
When asked if he feels pressure to stay relevant and maintain a position at the forefront, Threadguy acknowledges that it is indeed something he is thinking about. However, he approaches this by looking at it from two different perspectives.
“The first is recognizing that there is definitely a window. And the window is much shorter than what your mind lets you believe,” he said. “So many people that everyone looked at as pillars in space are just gone. Especially in this attention economy, when you see people moving on to the next shiny thing, I feel like the best thing to do is capitalize as much as you can within that window.
“Even if you’re not currently number one or changing the game, you’ll find that you’ll outlast the majority of people if you consistently keep putting out quality content.”
Wireman
Second, he emphasizes the importance of building a solid and unwavering foundation, urging others to act on it without delay. Threadguy insists that surviving everyone else is the most important thing you can do.
“I’ve been doing this for two years. The truth is that the most important thing to keep in mind, at least for the social and content side, is consistency,” he said. “Even if you’re not currently number one or changing the game, you’ll find that you’ll outlast the majority of people if you consistently keep putting out quality content.”
“So many people come into space with firearms for two to three months, but it’s not sustainable, and they crash and they burn. The slower, calculated approach gives you more time to outlast the herd. Herd survival is hugely underestimated.”
In the age of engagement farming, where the pursuit of attention and admiration from an easily distracted audience reigns supreme, Threadguy understands the delicate balance needed to thrive. He recognizes that holding his position requires a unique blend of skill, foresight and adaptability to navigate the ever-changing tides.
In such a volatile and fickle ecosystem, the ability to adapt and thrive in the midst of the relentless passage of time separates those who can persevere from those who succumb to the relentless pace.
A taste of things to come
Looking ahead, Threadguy envisions a future that extends beyond Twitter spaces. Recently he and co-host jump moved to Los Angeles. Although they’ve only been in town for less than two months, he says the move has already opened their eyes to new opportunities and possibilities.
My first 24 hours in LA are utterly euphoric, this is the best decision I’ve ever made, the universe is giving me signals
— ThreadGuy 👑 (@notthreadguy) April 3, 2023
“Running a live show is alive in Twitter spaces now, but one day it could be YouTube or Twitch or even cable TV,” he said. “I want to leverage what we currently have here and now and give people the best experience possible, but also take advantage of what’s happening now to scale up and expand into what we can do.”
Threadguy also expressed a desire to host more thought-provoking spaces that delve into important topics. An example was his recent conversation with Ben.eth, which attracted more than 17,000 listeners. The spaces have garnered both acclaim and criticism, an aspect he consistently embraces as an opportunity for growth and improvement.
This particular desire to improve, combined with consistency, is what sets Threadguy apart. What makes it even more interesting is that this consistency and dedication to his craft often goes unnoticed behind the facade he presents.
The transformation from a person averse to public speaking to one who embraces the role of host is a testament to his growth and unwavering dedication. The best part is that Threadguy’s unfolding journey, the evolution of his voice and presence, has only just begun.