Farokh: Navigating Fame, Fortune, and the Vision for Decentralized Media

Unlike crypto folks hiding behind pseudonyms, Farokh Sarmad uses his real name. His reputation precedes him. The co-founder of "Rug Radio," a Web3 podcast and media hub, has tasted fame before—he was big on Tumblr and Instagram. But Web3 felt different. It seems more authentic.

"It was never Farokh as an individual," he reflects about his Web2 days. Not until crypto did his actual self—"my name, my face and everything"—become his brand. Fame? Some days better than others. It has perks, he admits. Mostly, he wants to attract people to build something bigger than himself.

Digital identity occupies his mind often. Before diving into crypto, he ran Goodlife Media & Communication as a social media consultant. During the NFT boom, he crafted Rug Radio's tokenomic structure. The vision? A "community of communities" where anyone could participate regardless of which NFTs they owned.

Now the network features over 50 creators with global followings. Kind of surprising how his podcast became a profitable template for independent media. They've attracted Lacoste and Givenchy, plus crypto regulars like Ledger and Uniswap.

Farokh recently shared thoughts on building decentralized media, celebrity pressure, and why Web3 communities feel almost religious sometimes.

On Web2 versus Web3 fame: "I was big, really big, on Tumblr 10 years ago. On Instagram I was 'famous,' but never personally big—always via my pages, my blog. Millions of impressions. Quarter billion monthly impressions on Instagram. But never me as an individual. It's really with Clubhouse and Twitter and Web3 spaces that me personally was at the forefront."

Most people aren't genuine online, he thinks. But staying relevant requires authenticity. "My friends will say I'm the same guy online and off. You put on a show daily? You'll burn out. It'll seem fake."

His goal? "A fully decentralized media ecosystem" with Rug Radio. "'Decentralization' is easy to throw around. At 'Rug Radio' we preach progressive decentralization, aiming for it over five years." Three years in. Working well. "In five years I want 'Rug Radio' way bigger than I can ever be. We're starting to hit that already."

Balancing brand unity with decentralization isn't easy. His approach: ensure everything fits a certain ethos. "You don't want rules or it's not decentralized. But that's not anarchy. You can set morals and values, instilling them in your community as you grow."

This philosophy helped expand globally. Dozens of creators. Over 40 shows. Multiple languages. Chinese and French communities. Farokh can't directly oversee non-English content. Language barriers. He focuses on establishing values for self-regulation instead.

Market turbulence strengthened his beliefs. "After all the blowouts and FTX, I'm even more bullish about blockchain technology. Call me a blockchain maximalist, but every issue we've had came from centralization."

When launching their token, he studied intensively. "We're not inspired by anyone. We're paving our own way. I feel like I have a flashlight in a dark cave, trying to find where to go."

His advice for DAO creators? Embrace failure. "I approach failures as things meant to be. Part of being a young entrepreneur in a young space."

The name "Rug Radio" isn't just about Persian rugs or crypto rug pulls. "One secret reason it's called 'Rug Radio'... when building a home, you first put the rug down. It ties the room together. It's infrastructure. You don't need to support a specific PFP to be part of it."