How did a teenage obsession with Pokemon and Runescape spark a global movement to transform the $31B anime industry? In episode 7, I sit down with Alex Xu (aka Zagabond), founder of Azuki, the groundbreaking NFT project with over $2B in trading volume.

We explore his journey from childhood hobbies to a career at Google and Amazon, and how he built one of the most innovative ventures in the anime and NFT space. Alex shares the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial path, including controversies that shaped him as a leader. We also dive into Azuki’s future plans, including the acquisition of Anime.com and his vision to democratize the anime industry.

Whether you’re a fan of NFTs, anime, or entrepreneurship, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration. Don’t miss it!

Highlights: 00:00:00 - Trailer 00:10:47 - Correlation of childhood trauma & founder success 00:15:18 - How RuneScape & Pokemon cards made a difference 00:25:55 - Sparking a $1.9B dollars global movement 00:29:56 - "Now they want to see this character fail" 00:41:27 - Reinventing Anime.com 00:49:59 - What would you say to 20 year old Alex Xu? Full access: https://beacons.ai/ymile_podcast Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@youmakeitlookeasy