X-Founders Participants on the Challenges and Triumphs of Web3 Entrepreneurship

After four weeks of intense learning, collaboration, and innovation, the XFounders Bootcamp has wrapped up its second season. 14 Web3 founders from across the globe gathered for this unique accelerator, which combined startup education with the dynamic elements of a reality show. Participants have both gained valuable insights from top-tier mentors and formed lasting connections with fellow founders and industry leaders.

BeInCrypto sat down with several participants to hear firsthand about their experiences, the most valuable lessons they learned, and how the XFounders Bootcamp is helping them shape the future of Web3.

Discover the secrets behind XFounders’ success in shaping the next wave of Web3 innovators here.

What drew you to participate in this bootcamp, and how do you feel it differs from other accelerator programs?

Marijo Radman (co-founder of Alterscope): “We were approached by them, and to be honest, when they first came to us, we thought it was a joke. They mentioned some kind of reality show, and we were wondering how this accelerator would work. Then, we had the first interview, and it sounded quite compelling. 

We, as Alterscope, have been through many well-known accelerators in Europe, like Earlybird Vision Lab, ConsenSys Labs, PwC, and so on, but this one stood out because of the timing.

On one side, we wanted to dive deeper into the Solana ecosystem, and since Solana is one of the sponsors, we realized we would have access to key ecosystem managers. On the other side, we are entering the scaling phase of the company and recognize the importance of improving our marketing and visibility, especially if the bull market returns. This program came at the perfect time.

The reality show concept felt like a wild card—we didn’t know what to expect. Our worst-case scenario was just cameramen with smartphones filming, but the best-case scenario was something serious. When we arrived, we were pleasantly surprised by how professional everything is, and we’re confident we’ll get the most out of it. And, of course, being in Bali for a month is also very nice.”

Moe Tengku (co-founder of Carta Wallet): “What I really think about the XFounders program is that it’s a different take on the typical accelerator—it has a lot of twists. For one, we didn’t have to hike a volcano in other programs!

But what they’re doing here is solid, bringing founders from all over the world into one place where they can soak in the culture of Bali while living, eating, and experiencing new activities together. It’s different from just attending classes and office hours. It really keeps you on your toes in terms of what to expect.

What drew me to participate was the opportunity to meet Fazil and Fedor before the bootcamp. When they asked us to join, it was exciting because this was something new for them as well—this second season of XFounders, with the added reality show. I didn’t really know what to expect, but the idea of experiencing something new together for the first time was intriguing, and I wanted to be part of it.”

Benedetto Biondi (CEO of Folks Finance): “This is the first edition of XFounders with the reality show, and to be honest, I had no expectations when I did the initial interview. But after meeting the team, I quickly realized they were extremely professional.

Even though I didn’t have a lot of information at the time, I did some due diligence with the partners and thought it would be a great opportunity to meet other founders and mentors with very little risk. So, I decided to jump in—and I’m loving it so far.”

Sergey Anosov (CEO of Scade.pro): “We need to stay connected to this network, and we grasp the trends and movements within this space. We want to remain in touch with these great founders and big companies like AWS, BeInCrypto, and others. For us, it’s about networking and gaining a lot of new knowledge—about tokenomics, new trends in Web3, and different products in the space.”

What have been the most valuable lessons you’ve learned so far in the bootcamp?

Moe: “After spending about a month here, the most valuable lessons have come not just from the educational programs but from the personal challenges they’ve put us through.

For example, in the first week, we went hiking at 1 a.m., not knowing what to expect, and that experience reflected the startup journey in a way. There’s no one playbook, and everyone took different paths to the top, but in the end, we all reached the summit.

It was a metaphor for entrepreneurship—there are many paths to success, and it’s not about which path you take but how you navigate it.

In terms of mentorship, I’ve appreciated the personal experiences shared by some of the mentors. They’ve worked with some of the largest companies and exchanges in Web3 and have given us insights into what worked and what didn’t, which we can apply to our own startups as we aim to grow and scale.

From the other founders, I’ve learned a lot through our day-to-day interactions. Everyone is open to sharing their experiences, and because they operate in different markets, they bring diverse perspectives that have been helpful in thinking about how we can scale our own business.”

Benedetto: “From the very first tea ceremony, I started picking up great habits and advice from both the mentors and fellow founders, which I’ve immediately applied to my company.

For example, on the first day, Gil [founder of Chatea Club] suggested asking the team what they did over the weekend, especially since we work remotely and don’t have those casual office conversations. That same day, I introduced this practice to my team, and it was a wonderful experience—everyone enjoyed it.

This is just one example, but in every session, I’m continuously gathering valuable insights that I can bring back to my company.”

Benedikt Eikmanns (co-founder of Alterscope): “I really liked Stacey’s [Head of Web3 at Amazon Web Services] talk on partnerships. It made me rethink how we should approach that area because we tried before but didn’t follow through consistently.

Her talk made me realize we need to be more strategic and consistent in our approach. Before, it was something we would do casually, just having a chat. Now, I see that we should make it a core part of how we structure our business development and marketing activities.”

Sergey: “I think for sure all the experts in the team are incredibly interesting and effective. We’ve had several insightful conversations, and it’s been fascinating to understand the interconnection between different products and go-to-market strategies.

Then we met Greg from the Grigon team, and it’s been all about tokenomics and market making—a whole new area for us. It’s been eye-opening to gain this new knowledge and experience, especially from people who have a lot of clients and really understand what’s cutting-edge in the industry and what’s becoming outdated in tokenomics.

There are so many activities—four or five hours of activities plus two or three hours of lectures. Balancing work, learning, and even eating is tough, but it’s all incredibly interesting.”

Looking ahead, what are your plans post-bootcamp, and how do you see the experiences and insights gained here shaping your next steps as a founder?

Moe: “Looking ahead, one of the key takeaways from this bootcamp will be the importance of building the right team. Startups need to be lean, but also efficient with the resources they have. Managing time effectively—balancing the bootcamp’s activities with running our startup—has been a valuable learning experience that I’ll definitely apply going forward.”

Marijo: “The first and most important part is using this momentum to gain as much visibility as possible, especially with the reality show element coming out. We’re doing everything on our end to ensure that. We plan to close our fundraising, and the timing couldn’t be better.”

Sergey: “We’ve already discussed several ideas on how to implement things like this with Abhishek, who wants to be our advisor. We believe that he could become a real asset to us with his experience at Binance and his work on various products.

And with Greg, we understand that market making will be a crucial part when we launch our token, whether it’s in a year or more. His deep experience in economics will be invaluable, and we realize we need to start preparing at least six months before the token launch. This will likely be one of our first or second key implementations.”

Benedetto: “This experience will stay with me for life because it’s not just about learning the latest crypto trends; it’s about business, startups, and personal growth. Many of the lessons we’re learning apply broadly to life, not just the crypto industry.

Even during lectures, I find myself messaging my colleagues to share insights in real-time. As founders, it’s important to think beyond the slides and ask, ‘How can I apply this to my company or my life?’

For example, Nelson’s talk on the psychology of networking was brilliant. I asked a lot of questions and found it incredibly helpful, especially for improving how I follow up with messages on Telegram.

The mentors here have been incredible. The program is structured in a way that covers every aspect of running a company. As a CEO, even if a lecture isn’t directly related to my daily tasks—like marketing—I’m paying close attention and translating what I learn into actionable insights for my company. No one cares about our startup as much as we do, so it’s our job to gather and apply all the knowledge we can.”

What’s Next for XFounders?

As the official media sponsor of XFounders, BeInCrypto invites you to witness the journey of the next generation of Web3 founders in the XFounders Startup Warriors Show, premiering this fall. This unique program will showcase the participants’ real challenges, breakthroughs, and stories of innovation.

In the meantime, check out the teaser available online for a sneak peek into what’s to come.

For more updates and details, visit the official website and click the links below to explore additional insights from XFounders’ co-founders and mentors.