Adam Draper, Co-Founder of Boost VC: Why Investing in Weird Things Leads to Great Returns

— Adam Draper is co-founder of Boost VC, an accelerator and pre-seed fund backing 300+ startups focused on sci-fi technologies including crypto, VR/AR, space, and ocean industries.

— Virtual reality is approaching mainstream adoption faster than augmented reality because VR technology is simpler to execute; VR fitness, enterprise training, and collaborative environments already show strong product-market fit.

— The ocean represents a massive underfunded opportunity (NOAA received 1,000x less funding than NASA historically) with viable markets in aquaculture ($250B annually), seaweed farming, and persistent internet connectivity infrastructure.

— Draper believes Bitcoin will function as a persistent currency unavailable 24/7 unlike traditional banking; non-fungible tokens are undervalued and will educate consumers on crypto without requiring direct cryptocurrency use.

— Decentralized applications should separate governance, protocol, and user interface layers rather than pursuing vertical integration; developers must focus on building genuine use cases rather than launching products prematurely.

— The biggest near-term opportunity in crypto is building better user interfaces and experiences that let non-technical users access decentralized services seamlessly.

— When evaluating early-stage startups, ask "Who is your customer?" and whether they can succinctly describe their demographic and revenue per customer; most founders cannot answer this question, making it a leading indicator of maturity.

— Invest time understanding persistence (24/7 availability, no downtime) as a core value driver across technologies—Draper credits this trait with Bitcoin's credibility, Uber's adoption, and AirPods' explosive growth in audio consumption.

— Build at the protocol and interface layers separately rather than controlling the entire stack; multiple interfaces on the same protocol (e.g., Veil and Gesser on Augur) will capture different markets and use cases.