by Nina Suthers

A founder DMed me the other week. His team and investors are pushing him to become more public: to grow an X following, to become a recognizable voice for the project. In his head, he agrees. He’s even asking for help on how to do it. But underneath, he knows he doesn’t actually want to. And I know it too. Personal brand. Founder-led marketing. Becoming the spokesperson for your project. These are daunting roles for many technical founders. Especially in crypto, where most builders would rather ship than self-promote.

Many founders know they need to step into the light, but feel blocked. So they hire PR agencies, ghost writers, or social teams to speak on their behalf. And it rarely works because borrowed voice doesn’t build trust. Audiences can tell when conviction is outsourced.

You might be exceptional at articulating your vision in investor meetings, 1:1s with partners, or inside your team. But showing up publicly is a different beast.

That beast can feel unfamiliar, which makes it scary. It can surface doubts about whether you’re interesting enough, polished enough, worthy enough. Or you may carry beliefs that marketing is performative, inauthentic, or not “you” (or maybe you met some marketers that made you cringe so now all marketing tastes sour in your mouth).

Whatever is holding you back - don’t recoil. Get curious. Turn toward the resistance rather than away from it. That’s where real freedom lives. And remember: you don’t have to copy how other founders show up. You get to find your own way.

In a market where attention is scarce, silence is NOT neutral. Learning to show up isn’t a vanity project. It’s part of the CEO job.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear what’s holding you back (naming it is often the first unlock). Or feel free to DM me if you need a partner to work through it together.

Nina is the chief marketing officer at Variant where she is responsible for the brand, marketing, communications, and events. She also advises projects in our portfolio on their marketing strategy. Nina was previously a marketing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where she helped build the crypto fund’s brand through media, events and special programs like the Crypto Startup School. Prior to her work at a16z, she was an account director at the OutCast Agency, a marketing agency specializing in comms, creative, and digital.

by Nina Suthers

A founder DMed me the other week. His team and investors are pushing him to become more public: to grow an X following, to become a recognizable voice for the project. In his head, he agrees. He’s even asking for help on how to do it. But underneath, he knows he doesn’t actually want to. And I know it too. Personal brand. Founder-led marketing. Becoming the spokesperson for your project. These are daunting roles for many technical founders. Especially in crypto, where most builders would rather ship than self-promote.

Many founders know they need to step into the light, but feel blocked. So they hire PR agencies, ghost writers, or social teams to speak on their behalf. And it rarely works because borrowed voice doesn’t build trust. Audiences can tell when conviction is outsourced.

You might be exceptional at articulating your vision in investor meetings, 1:1s with partners, or inside your team. But showing up publicly is a different beast.

That beast can feel unfamiliar, which makes it scary. It can surface doubts about whether you’re interesting enough, polished enough, worthy enough. Or you may carry beliefs that marketing is performative, inauthentic, or not “you” (or maybe you met some marketers that made you cringe so now all marketing tastes sour in your mouth).

Whatever is holding you back - don’t recoil. Get curious. Turn toward the resistance rather than away from it. That’s where real freedom lives. And remember: you don’t have to copy how other founders show up. You get to find your own way.

In a market where attention is scarce, silence is NOT neutral. Learning to show up isn’t a vanity project. It’s part of the CEO job.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear what’s holding you back (naming it is often the first unlock). Or feel free to DM me if you need a partner to work through it together.

Nina is the chief marketing officer at Variant where she is responsible for the brand, marketing, communications, and events. She also advises projects in our portfolio on their marketing strategy. Nina was previously a marketing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where she helped build the crypto fund’s brand through media, events and special programs like the Crypto Startup School. Prior to her work at a16z, she was an account director at the OutCast Agency, a marketing agency specializing in comms, creative, and digital.