Web3 Founders Suck! (But Maybe They're Getting Better?)

On this week’s Simplified space, Jonah didn’t hold back: “Web3 founders suck.”

And honestly… I kind of agree.

But I might be a little more charitable about it.

Over the past 3+ years, I’ve hosted AMAs with over 150 Web3 games.

Most founders? Lovely people. Passionate. Enthusiastic. Genuinely excited to build something meaningful.

But here’s the thing:

Lovely doesn’t mean they know what they’re doing.

In the early days, everything felt like a passion project. The unofficial motto might as well have been “We’ll figure the money out later.”

Which is a fine strategy if you’re building a weekend side project.

Less fine if you're playing with community funds in public.

What we saw wasn't outright scams (well, okay, a few), but a lot of unintentional mismanagement. Not malicious—just... clueless. Hiring fast, scaling faster, chasing shiny objects and forgetting that runway runs out.

But here’s the optimistic bit: I think the tide is turning.

I’m seeing more founders approach this space like a business. Revenue generation is no longer a dirty word. Financial planning is being baked in earlier. Teams are leaner, launches are smarter, and there’s a growing understanding that community trust isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s survival.

So here’s the question:

Are Web3 founders actually evolving—or am I just seeing what I want to see?

Would love to hear your thoughts.