Ben’s List 40

And to warm you up we’ve selected already 5 articles to help you understand better how communities work and why Web3 is eating the community world.

We also cover other topics with an impressive report on DeepTech trends by The Engine.

There’s also an eyeopening story about a record label that lived for only 30 months and shaped the next 30 years of leadership in the music industry #powermovers

But let’s start with some down to earth business strategy for startup founders and marketers. How do you run successful partnerships?

Entrepreneurship

Hey Startups: It’s Not all About Direct Sales—Your Guide to Partnerships and Channels

“It’s tempting for startups to approach integration and solutions partners with only their own perspective in mind: “We offer an incredible new SaaS solution that disrupts X or enhances Y. Why not use it?” The reality from a partner’s point-of-view is very different.  Channel partners have ingrained processes and solutions. Operating in markets that necessitate growth and retention of business, they repeat known solutions and have trained hundreds or thousands of people on how to sell, integrate, or sell the vision of specific solutions. They’re not going to disrupt a working sales process lightly.”

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Community

DAOs: Absorbing the Internet

DAOs represent a new framework for large-scale human coordination and at the heart of human coordination – decentralized or not – is organizational culture. No different than company culture at an early stage startup or community culture in an undiscovered music scene, culture can be defined as the behaviors, patterns, and values that emerge between groups of individuals…  While every DAO finds its own ways to engender culture with visual, linguistic, and behavioral norms, two traits seem to be particularly commonplace across the DAO landscape: the tendency for constituents to act like owners, and the expectation of radical transparency.”

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How to get paid by DAOs

“DAOs are in need of labor. They need people to work for them in order to achieve their core mission. Whether it’s for a protocol DAO like Yearn and Sushi looking to create a new paradigm in financial technology or Social DAOs like Friends with Benefits and Bankless DAO looking to propagate culture, there’s plenty of ways to contribute and add value. As mentioned, the cool part is you don’t have to work full time. It’s always up to you how much time you want to put in.”

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The 5 Secrets to Community Onboarding: How to Reduce Churn and Create Super Fans

“Walking into a party without your host can feel confusing, alienating, and frustrating. And for your customers, joining a new community without onboarding is just as bad.”

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Community-Led Growth: Introduction and best practices

“By accepting to lose some control over their brand narrative and laying out contribution swimlanes for external users, every company can unlock massive Community-Led Growth opportunities across all areas of their business.”

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Questions To Ask Your Community Members Before Re-Strategizing

“Whatever the reason, the first step I recommend to anyone going through this process is to interview your members. I’ve found that these interviews are the most productive when conducted one-on-one or in a roundtable setting. That’s because it’s a more personal approach than just sending out a survey, and your members will appreciate this level of attention.”

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DeepTech

2021 Tough Tech Landscape

“…the past two years have been defined by a pandemic that has only sharpened our collective sense of urgency to discover and commercialize Tough Tech companies. These years serve as a reminder of why we must continue to create the frameworks to support those who are solving massive problems through the convergence of science, engineering and leadership.” – Katie Rae, CEO & MP @TheEngine

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Pages 8 & 9 of the report

Music

Right Place, Right Time: How SBK Records’ 30 Months of Existence Launched 30 Years of Music Industry Leadership

“People thought we were overconfident to the point of arrogance. We set out to be the best of the best, what we called ‘the SBK Difference.’ We just did everything a little better, spent a little more money on everything from release parties to listening sessions to personal chefs in the office to private jets. For Poe, we rented out a hot-air balloon visible to everyone landing at the local airport in Virginia. We were competing against all the other independent labels at the time – Arista, Motown. Once we hit our stride, we were unstoppable.”

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New Materials
JEC World 2024 New Material

If “composites” sounds foreign to you, think again: From carbon fiber for space missions, to metal foam for data centers, new materials can build the future, and make it more sustainable. If you wonder which startups can make this happen, JEC Composites Startup Booster is your go-to. Now in its eighth edition, it will designate three winners next March, along with one winner for the sustainable dimension of its project. However, as with many competitions of this caliber, where only a handful of companies were selected among a hundred entrepreneurs, startups, and university spin-offs, each finalist is also worth knowing. This is especially true as over the years, the competition has become a true springboard for participants, thanks in big part to the support of industrial sponsors; the 2025 edition is supported by Airbus, ProxximaTM (An ExxonMobil Product) and Owens Corning as its main innovation partners, and Mercedes-Benz and Swancor as innovation partners. Meet the 20 finalists Without further ado, here’s the full list of finalists: 🇺🇸 Applied BioplasticsMaking Sustainable Commodity Plastic Affordable at Scale 🇫🇷 CAEROSTRISInnovative Composite Building System 🇨🇦 CarboMat Inc.Low-Cost Sustainable Carbon Fibers for Advanced Lightweight Composite Applications 🇬🇪 Elven TechnologiesFireproofed Lithium Batteries for EVs, Transport and Storage 🇩🇰 FiberJointsRethinking Bolted Joints for Unmatched Strength, Efficiency, and Durability 🇩🇪 Flux PolymersThe Effortless Art of Surface Functionalization 🇨🇭INCAPTEKNovel and Efficient Fire Protection Solutions for Li-Ion Batteries 🇫🇷 MCVE TechnologieSmart Reinforcing Fabrics Embedded into Composite Materials 🇪🇸 Strong by FormHigh-Performance Timber-Based Structural Composites for a Sustainable Future 🇳🇱 Tree CompositesComposite Joints for Offshore Structures 🇫🇷 ADN GroupTechnology Combining Eco-Design and the Dismantling Process of Composite Materials 🇩🇪 fibclickAutomating Tool Design: A Game-Changer for Engineering 🇫🇷 FOX CompositesEvolving Ceramic Composite Production 🇸🇬 Nandina REMThe World’s First Aviation-Grade Circular Carbon Fibre 🇨🇭NGNTSpecialized in the Development of Surface Protective Coatings 🇺🇸 Perseus Materials3D Printing Meets Pultrusion: Freeform Continuous Molding 🇬🇧 Phoenix CarbonSustainable Woven Carbon Fibre, at Half the Price of Virgin, with Identical Material Properties 🇮🇱 TemperChipTemperature Sensing at The Machined Area Prevents Overheating Damages 🇩🇰 ThiaXNon-Destructive 3D Mapping of Strain and Crystallinity in Parts 🇱🇺 Uplift360Chemical Recycling Technology for Advanced Materials If you want to hear them live, make sure to attend JEC World 2025 from March 4 to 6 and not to miss the following sessions on the Agora stage: Of course, we will also report back on the winners, so stay tuned for more updates.

New Materials
Podcast
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Richie Gray, Vice President and Global Head of SnackFutures Ventures at Mondelēz International, shared insights on driving innovation in snacking.

Podcast
FoodTech
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The idea that our diet affects our appearance is nothing new. For years, foods like carrots have been praised for improving skin tone, while chocolate has been blamed for breakouts. What’s new is the rise of beauty-focused food products. Gone are the days of relying only on natural remedies or consuming large quantities of specific foods. Now, processed, beauty-enhancing snacks are emerging, offering convenience, indulgence, and targeted benefits for skin, hair, and nails. Beauty food: tasting the glow Innova Market Insights has identified “Beauty Food” as a key trend for 2025. They predict that consumers will increasingly seek beauty claims in functional nutrition. From October 2019 to September 2024, product launches with skin-health claims grew by 15%, with Europe accounting for 39% of these launches. This surge in beauty food reflects a cultural shift: younger generations are more aware of how diet impacts their appearance. In response, brands are launching innovative processed foods and snacks that combine beauty benefits with indulgent experiences. Key nutrients powering the beauty food trend Key ingredients in this trend include: Proteins, magnesium, and fibers are often included in these products to deliver well-rounded health benefits. From supplements to snacks The beauty food category has evolved beyond traditional supplements, entering the world of snacks and indulgent treats. Some notable examples include: What’s next for beauty food? As food personalization gains momentum, the beauty food market is set to grow even further. Products could increasingly target specific concerns, such as anti-aging, skin hydration, or acne prevention. Beauty-enhancing claims could potentially expand into new food categories, such as pasta, granola, or even ready-to-eat meals, making beauty-focused nutrition more accessible and seamlessly integrated into daily life. While collagen is likely to remain a key ingredient in this space, we may see other innovative components emerge as this category continues to evolve. What was once a niche concept could now be reshaping both the food and beauty industries, paving the way for a future where beauty and nutrition are more closely linked. Make sure to subscribe to our weekly FoodTech newsletter and get the latest FoodTech insights delivered straight to your inbox!

FoodTech

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