Coin Market Watch × Conso George: The Ability to Continuously Amplify Value Matters More Than Resources

In this cycle of Crypto, a very interesting phenomenon is unfolding.

More and more people are beginning to discuss personal branding, solopreneurs, AI, growth methodologies, and how to acquire incremental users from Web2. Compared to past years when the industry was keen on discussing public chains, DeFi, NFTs, or Memes, now the focus seems to be on a more practical question: when traffic becomes increasingly expensive and competition fiercer, what should an individual or a startup rely on for sustainable growth?

From building a multi-million dollar revenue business at the age of 21, to experiencing investor withdrawal and team disbandment; from quantitative trading and wallet products to diving deep into the TON ecosystem and user growth today. Over the past eight years, George has navigated through several important cycles of the Crypto industry.

More than tracks, funding, and valuations, George cares about one thing: how to continuously create value and constantly amplify that value.

Guest: George, Co-founder & COO of Conso

Host: yuanyuan, Marketing VP at BitMart

The biggest crisis for a startup isn't a lack of money, but losing direction

Many might find George's entrepreneurial journey quite legendary. At 21, the project he founded was already generating tens of millions in revenue; later, entering Crypto, he sequentially ventured into quantitative trading, wallets, games, and other directions. From the results, it seems like a very smooth entrepreneurial path.

But what left the deepest impression on him wasn't those high-profile moments, but the sudden crisis in 2022. Forced by external events, an investor had to withdraw funds, causing the company's cash flow to snap rapidly. Facing the choice of toughing it out or disbanding the team, he ultimately chose the latter. The team was laid off, severance paid, operations paused—everything was reset to zero.

Looking back, he believes the hardest part wasn't the financial pressure, but the ensuing confusion. Simply copying and pasting Web2 products into Web3 wasn't sustainable, yet a new direction remained elusive. Throughout 2023, he was fixated on one recurring question: if the market environment has changed, what is the capability he can truly rely on in the long run? Eventually, his answer landed back on growth.

Compared to investing, trading, or chasing trending tracks, he places more trust in his accumulated expertise in user growth and market operations. It was during that phase that he redefined his future direction: helping more Web2 users enter Web3.

Anxiety isn't a weakness, but a competitive advantage

Another word George repeatedly mentioned during the program was anxiety. Many wish to get rid of anxiety, but in George's view, it's nearly impossible for people not to feel anxious. There will always be someone better, new opportunities will arise, and new changes will happen. The issue is never how to eliminate anxiety, but how to coexist with it.

He says he has long been accustomed to a state of "walking on thin ice." Because this state constantly reminds him to cherish opportunities, treat every partner seriously, and also reminds him not to stop. To some extent, this persistent sense of crisis has become a driving force.

Many entrepreneurs, upon reaching a certain stage, start relying on resources, connections, or past accumulated advantages. But George prefers to rely on himself. This is also why he insists on long-term planning. Inspired by a teacher at 18, he set a life goal of growing tenfold every five years: achieving an annual revenue of 1 million by age 20; 10 million by age 25; 100 million by age 30... It sounds somewhat idealistic, but the goal isn't to flaunt numbers; it's to help constantly expand one's capability boundaries. After achieving the first 1 million, he found 10 million was no longer an abstract concept; after achieving 10 million, 100 million gradually became tangible.

For entrepreneurs, the biggest growth isn't often about how much money they make, but about constantly improving their ability to solve problems.

The essence of growth isn't just spending on ads, but finding leverage

Over the past few years, the industry has witnessed countless growth myths. Some relied on airdrops, some on subsidies, and some on traffic dividends.

George believes that growth is essentially about finding leverage. He shared a case from his current project, Conso, which acquired over 1 million users with a budget of roughly $20,000. Many people's first reaction would be channel dividends or traffic luck, but in his view, what really worked was a superposition of leverage. From TikTok's algorithmic recommendations to viral spread via micro-influencers; from pay-per-performance models to multi-platform syndication; from localized operations to user invitation mechanisms—each link is a fulcrum.

He always believes in the saying: "Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." And growth is about constantly seeking new fulcrums.

The opportunity for TON might extend beyond just being a public chain

Over the past year, TON has undoubtedly been one of the most watched ecosystems in the industry. But in George's view, many people's understanding of TON is still confined to the public chain level. What truly matters is the user network behind Telegram.

Compared to most Crypto products, Telegram inherently has a user base of hundreds of millions and has already formed a mature Mini App ecosystem. For many users in developing countries, Telegram has even become part of their daily lives. This means the challenges TON faces are not exactly the same as those of traditional public chains. Most public chains first consider on-chain users, whereas TON focuses more on how to better serve users off-chain.

George mentioned that he is a long-term bull on the development direction of Web3 financial infrastructure, and one important reason for this is precisely this factor.

The industry narrative has been constantly shifting over the past few years, from DeFi to NFTs, from GameFi to AI. But the truly enduring main storyline has never changed: making Web3 a new financial infrastructure. Especially in many developing countries, where local currencies face long-term devaluation pressure and cross-border payments are inefficient, these real needs won't disappear just because a market cycle ends. Platforms capable of connecting hundreds of millions of ordinary users naturally have a greater opportunity.

In the IP era, everyone should become their own media outlet

Besides growth and entrepreneurship, George has taken on another task in the past year: helping creators grow.

In this process, he found many talented people don't lack ability, but the ability to express themselves. Many developers, entrepreneurs, and even project leaders have impressive resumes and actual achievements but have almost no presence on social media. Not because they aren't good enough, but because they don't know how to convey their value to a wider audience.

Therefore, George is increasingly convinced that everyone should cultivate their own personal brand in the future. This isn't about becoming an influencer, but about building trust. Speaking of this, he mentioned the rapidly rising young KOL 'Enheng' during this cycle. In his view, many people see the outcome but overlook the underlying accumulation. As early as 2024, Enheng was already actively learning and observing in various communities. What truly sets people apart often isn't luck, but the ability for continuous learning and consistent output.

When industry information becomes increasingly fragmented, a person who consistently produces content often finds it easier to gain opportunities, collaborations, and resources. Often, people don't trust you because they know you; they are willing to know you because they have long seen your content.

In the past, a person's credibility stemmed more from degrees, resumes, and company background. Today, an increasing amount of credibility comes from public content itself. What you have written, thought about, and shared is becoming a crucial basis for others to judge you.

For entrepreneurs, an IP is not just a communication tool, but also a long-term accumulated trust asset. And the greatest characteristic of this asset is that it generates compounding interest over time.

AI won't replace you, but people who use AI will

In the AI era, work that previously required three people can now be done by one. A large number of repetitive tasks such as design, editing, data analysis, and operations management are being redefined. George believes that AI's greatest value is not replacing jobs, but amplifying individual capabilities. Conversely, capabilities that are truly hard to replace will become more important, such as product sense and creativity. Because AI can generate answers, but it cannot replace the person who conceives the questions that lead to those answers.

Future competition might no longer be about who masters more tools. But about who can use tools to create more value. He also stated that AI won't replace him, so he won't delegate the management of his social media accounts to AI.

Real opportunities come from continuously amplifying value

Resources will fade, connections will change. But when a person can continuously create value, opportunities often come knocking on their door proactively. This is perhaps the most important lesson George has learned in his eight years of entrepreneurship.

"Entrepreneurs must break free from dependence on resources and connections, and prioritize self-improvement," he says. Because investors will leave, markets will change, and trends will shift. What works today may not work tomorrow. The only thing that can accompany you long-term is your own capability.

Whether it's building in the TON ecosystem, driving growth, developing an IP, or leveraging AI, what he truly cares about remains one single thing: how to create value and how to amplify value. Because a person's ability to create and amplify value will accompany them through cycles. This holds true for entrepreneurs, for companies, and perhaps for the entire Crypto industry.

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Risk Disclaimer

The opinions or views expressed in this column are solely those of the guest and do not represent the views of BitMart or its affiliates, nor should they be considered professional financial investment advice.

Cryptocurrency investments are highly speculative and carry significant risk of loss. Past performance, hypothetical scenarios, or simulated results do not guarantee future returns. The value of digital currencies can fluctuate, and buying, selling, holding, or trading them may involve substantial risk. Before engaging in trading or holding digital currencies, please carefully assess their suitability based on your investment objectives, financial situation, and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal, or tax advice.