First Draft Club

The Unwritten Rules of Farcaster: You’ve Got to Contribute 

Farcaster is in a constant state of flux. The team is always experimenting, and the meta is always changing. This makes it hard for new folks to find their place. The Leaderboard is not helping. 

Many casters are using it as their metric for success here, and it’s measuring the wrong things. Turn off notifications for it and do not let it dictate your worth or how well you are doing. 

If you want to do well, you have to do one thing: contribute. 

Content is not the only way to contribute, but it’s going to be the most noticeable this summer. When I joined Farcaster, it was drilled into my head that it was a text-based social network, and I fought that for a long time as an artist…but things are about to change. 

With the upcoming push for video, Farcaster may be graduating from cozy corners to look a lot more like traditional social media but with a Web3 backbone. Don’t believe me? Look at the leaderboard and see what’s cashing in. 

In this new era, content may be king. Find your niche, show off your whole authentic self, and you may be able to rise above the noise. But if your strength isn’t in creating, you still need to find a way to stand out. 


✎﹏Become a Collector and Curator

If you can’t create your own content, cheerlead those who do. Highlight underrated creators. Look for hidden gems on the network. Find artists, writers, photographers who need a boost. Buy their work. Show off your awesome collection. Tell people why you bought it and support it. Why is an article worth reading? What speaks to you about a piece? Help curate the content you want to see more of and things that inspire you. 

✎﹏Build Cool Shit 

Dust off your coding skills and build some mini apps. Find a v1 frame that was awesome and recreate it as a mini app, especially if the original developer has moved on. Vibe code away and build something. Mini Apps get noticed and highlighted by the team and other developers. 

✎﹏﹏Build Community

If you can’t find a tribe here, build your own. Start your own channel. Start your own group chat. Make your own cabal.  Bring your friends from other platforms and give them a place to land. Communities and friendships are the backbone of what makes Farcaster special. Most of us want to see them thrive and evolve. If you can’t find a cozy corner, make one. 


✎﹏﹏Become an Enthusiast Participant 

Maybe none of the above is for you, and that’s okay! Reply. Guys do really well on Farcaster. There is value in making connections and friendships by talking to people authentically. Join audio spaces. Go to IRL events. Host spaces and IRL events if none are nearby.  Give developers great feedback about their products. Compliment art and photos you like. Ask thoughtful questions. Seek out people looking for feedback (but avoid engagement bait!) and jump into conversations by putting your best foot forward. 

No matter how you choose to contribute, it’s going to take work, time, and effort. It won’t happen overnight, but you will find your place if you put in the energy.

Permissionless contribution.

If you're ever of the opinion that you can just build the things you want to see in the world, farcaster is the playground for experimentation