# Molly Mackinlay, Swaroop Hegde, Ayush Ranjan, Masa 'Senshi' Kikuchi I Pragma India 2023

- Speakers: [Molly Mackinlay](https://streameth.org/speakers/molly-mackinlay)
- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2024-10-09
- Duration: 31:57
- Topics: hackathon, Web3 startup, protocol labs, ETHGlobal, HackFS, filecoin, Huddle01, Powerloom, Secured Finance, fundraising, crypto investors, legal structure, startup hiring, web3 founder journey, retroactive funding, FVM, staking, long-term staking, web3 social, decentralized infrastructure, DAOs, PL Network, DeFi, ETHIndia, onchain scaling, product-market fit, crypto grants, Gitcoin, tech accelerator, startup advice, venture capital, crypto regulation
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-cZpjKcqdB6w
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZpjKcqdB6w

## Description

What does it take to transform a hackathon project into a real-world protocol? In this insightful panel from Pragma India 2023, Molly Mackinlay of Protocol Labs moderates a conversation with three founders—Swaroop Hegde (Powerloom), Ayush Ranjan (Huddle01), and Masa ‘Senshi’ Kikuchi (Secured Finance)—who all began their journey at HackFS 2020 and are now building category-defining Web3 protocols.

They share stories of early experimentation, what made them decide to become founders, and how ecosystems like Protocol Labs, Filecoin, Gitcoin, and ETHGlobal helped catalyze their growth. Topics include fundraising advice, legal and hiring challenges, choosing the right investors, and staying committed to the mission during tough times.

00:00 Welcome & panelist introductions
00:44 Early experiences at HackFS 2020
03:41 Huddle01’s origin during COVID & Zoom bombing
05:11 Powerloom’s spontaneous entry & inspiration
06:14 When hack projects became real companies
07:23 Secured Finance’s unexpected founder journey
09:16 Powerloom’s pivot and grant opportunities
10:14 How Protocol Labs & PL Network helped
13:07 The emotional side of the founder journey
14:33 Fundraising experiences & first rounds
17:16 Navigating investor alignment
19:10 Legal structures, SAFE vs equity tips
20:33 Current founder struggles & feature requests
22:10 Hiring challenges and high-impact early team
23:22 Regulatory uncertainty in Web3
24:24 New trends founders are excited about
25:26 Web3 social, staking, and communication rails
27:38 Secured Finance and the decentralized bond market
28:50 On-chain infra and scaling excitement
29:55 Advice for ETHIndia hackers & future founders
31:30 Final takeaways from the panel

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🇮🇳 *Pragma India*
The final Pragma of the year took place in Bengaluru India in December 2023 with a curated series of high-quality talks that sparked thought and discussion. Pragma India 2023 was an opportunity discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. Watch the full Pragma India 2023 playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXzKMXK2aHh4rHV1H4J7y0wDok4bIS17t&si=lb8ttkU1HS2tpnUP

ETHGlobal's Pragma series takes place in cities around the world, and is designed to be a different kind of event. Pragma is a one-stage conference with founders-only on stage, bringing together a small group of curated attendees and speakers to discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. 

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