AI agent project startup guide: start as early as possible and build openly

Original text: ehwangah

Compiled by: Yuliya, PANews

Let me start with a reality. In the field of encryption, market capitalization is the core indicator of success . Technological innovation, core value capture, product market fit (PMF), etc. are all important, but the real sign that can prove that you have brought multiple returns to the team, investors, and holders is whether your market value can soar. How to achieve that?

Launch now and show off as you build > Don’t get hung up on launch details or put it off again and again.

Don't stress, startup only accounts for 10%-20% of your long-term success. Don't make it complicated. Here’s a quick summary:

• Too much pre-launch hype but lack of substance: skyrocketing gains and falling prices
• The launch was low-key, but lacked substance: it died immediately.
• The early stage of launch is overhyped, and there is substantial support: take off and rush to the top
• A low-key start with substantial support: steady growth

See the pattern? The key is to create substance (we will discuss how to create substance in detail later, in short it is team, product, community). A simple test criterion is: whether your friends are willing to buy, hold and believe in your project . If they don't trust it, others won't either.

Why is starting early the best option?

1. Validate your idea before investing $100,000+ in development costs

Rather than spending three months or more and investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in polishing a product, launching early can help you prove your concept . Similar to the lean startup approach, first propose a proposal to stimulate the interest of target users, verify it, and then build it iteratively. You may think this method is unconventional, but it can help you cultivate the first 1,000 true believers. This group of people will become the catalyst for the growth of the project, whether in terms of network, resources or price.

The point is: verify the idea first, don’t wait until it takes a lot of time and cost to verify it.

2. Establish a head position and utilize the Lindy Effect

Do you know why the top 50 projects can still maintain their leading position in the cycle? Not just quality, but time and location advantages, the Lindy Effect . If you start early, you will have a stronger community base of currency holders, which can gradually weed out unsteady users and attract loyal fans. Time is your ally.

Wait too long and inferior projects may take your place. Once someone else takes your narrative, funding, or focus, it's very difficult to take it back. In the PVP competition on X (Twitter), it is difficult to get people who have already "entered" to switch to other projects.

In the current AI agent craze, being the first to launch is not only a bonus, but also a decisive factor . Everyone is rushing to launch AI agents and join the track as early as possible, giving you an advantage in the ecosystem, while others can only catch up with you.

Whether we like it or not, launching projects in the crypto market involves an “attention game.” Product-driven growth is important, but that’s a story for another day. It is crucial to attract attention first and build a community , and tokens are the best distribution and interest binding tool.

Projects that choose to launch in the Virtuals ecosystem can usually gain a competitive advantage. The overall culture of this ecology is marked by high quality. In the long run, capital is more inclined to flow to high-quality projects.

3. Immediately form a community and distribution effect

Launching a project will generate buzz and people on X (Twitter) will start talking about your project and come up with “3 reasons to buy/hold”. This discussion is invaluable—not just because of the rising prices, but because it brings the community together. This group of people can help you iterate on your product, test new features, and even contribute development resources. On the first day of launch, you will have a group of loyal users .

4. You can get ahead of the flood of VC-backed token projects in 2025

Many projects delayed their launch during the bear market in 2024, believing that the low market sentiment caused by low liquidity and risk aversion was not suitable for launch. By 2025, you will see more projects launched, following a typical route:

• Raise large sums of money from VC;
• Polish the product and then carry out marketing activities (points, tasks, KOL cooperation, etc.);
• This is followed by a Token Generation Event (TGE).

What are your strengths? Fair start, decentralized spirit, and the community grows naturally . Market dynamics have shifted and are now more favorable to you.

What if you build the product first?

A solid product does provide a competitive advantage, but it's not the only deciding factor. As an early project, the encryption market itself is also in its early stages, and it is crucial that the team background can continue to create value . To be honest, if the crypto market was entirely utility- and product-oriented, “air coins” wouldn’t attract a lot of buying.

Not advocating launching an “air project,” but launching early can give you a competitive advantage in terms of community building and narrative shaping .

Product launches are never perfect; there are always bugs, high server loads, concurrency issues, etc. Don't overemphasize these issues, as the product will eventually prove itself with updates and iterations .

Build publicly and document the journey

People like to see how a team creates value from scratch. Stories matter, and people are more likely to support a flesh-and-blood founder than a cold brand. Building publicly makes projects more approachable and human .

You don’t have to have a perfect brand identity on day one, start early, with an initial draft. Grow in open construction . It is recommended to study the successful experiences of the top 20 projects in the Virtuals ecosystem.

FAQ

• About snipers: they exist on all chains, the key is to maintain user stickiness and ecosystem strength
• Token Economics Design and Agency Startup Structure: Advice based on experience with over 100 startup cases
• GAME framework: Provides open source SDK to support customized needs
• Business model: Can integrate existing business models
• Integration of existing tokens: there are corresponding solutions
• Trust issues without product launch: analogy to Kickstarter projects, initial feedback is the most valuable