congratulations to a close friend and certified killer Smokey The Bera 🐻⛓ and team

i randomly dm'd smokey last year after seeing the bera launch.

we hopped on an intro call and I learned a little bit more about the bera ecosystem, GTM plan, etc. i proceeded to nag him every now and then asking for tips and advice around fundraising, community building, etc.

throughout this process, smokey never once asked for advisory, favorable investment terms, or anything. he just purely gave his time and energy to a random college kid who was annoying him.

as time developed and movement matured, smokey and papa's support only increased and had a profound impact on my growth as a founder. even to this day, i bother him probably every other day with some stupid question or advice

my main takeaways:

1) the best founders are the ones truly put the community first without expecting anything in return

2) winning together is the best mindset - not bringing others down

3) simply be kind. all it takes is a few minutes to change someone's life