Paula Pettit and I ran a masterclass for the BIMA Blockchain Council in December 2022 called "Never Mind the Buzzword" – focused on cutting through the hype and actually teaching people how to create NFTs.
\nBIMA’s audience is agencies, brands, and digital professionals. Most had heard about NFTs. Heard the stories about million-dollar JPEGs. Heard the buzzwords. But hadn’t actually done anything with the technology.
\nWe fixed that. This was a practical, hands-on workshop where participants went from "What’s a wallet?" to "I just minted my own NFT" in about 90 minutes.
\nSo yeh. Let me walk you through what we covered.
\nBy December 2022, NFT discourse was exhausting.
\nThe hype cycle had peaked. Bored Ape prices were down. Crypto winter was in full effect. Every conversation about NFTs devolved into either:
\nBoth positions are boring and unhelpful.
\nThe title "Never Mind the Buzzword" was deliberate. Stop arguing about whether NFTs are good or bad. Just learn how the technology actually works. Make one yourself. Then decide what you think.
\nPaula and I wanted people to have direct experience rather than just opinions formed from headlines.
\nWe organized the masterclass into four sections:
\nWhat’s an NFT? Non-Fungible Token. A unique digital asset on a blockchain. Provably scarce. Verifiably owned.
\nUnlike cryptocurrency (where one Bitcoin equals any other Bitcoin – "fungible"), NFTs are unique. This specific token is different from that specific token.
\nWhy do they exist? Digital scarcity was impossible before blockchain. You could copy a JPEG infinitely. NFTs solve this – not by preventing copies, but by establishing which copy is the "original" or "official" version.
\nHistory speedrun:
\nWe covered this quickly. History is context, not the goal.
\nThis is where rubber meets road. You can’t create an NFT without understanding wallets.
\nWallets:
\nWe had people actually install MetaMask. Walk through the setup. Understand what "connecting your wallet" means.
\nSecurity:
\nMarketplaces:
\nWe showed people how to browse OpenSea, understand listings, and see transaction history on Etherscan (the block explorer).
\nThis foundation is critical. You can’t safely participate without understanding wallets and security.
\nThis was the main event. Everyone creates an NFT.
\nWhy Polygon?
\nThe process:
\nWe walked through every step together. Troubleshot wallet connection issues. Explained error messages. Made sure everyone successfully minted something.
\nThe something didn’t matter. Could be a selfie, a logo, a meme. The point was experiencing the process.
\nNFTs aren’t just collectibles. They’re community access tokens.
\nCase studies we discussed:
\nBored Ape Yacht Club:
\nProof Collective:
\nGaming NFTs:
\nMusic NFTs:
\nEvent tickets:
\nWe emphasized: NFTs succeed when they create community value, not just speculation value.
\nThe hands-on format was key. Not a lecture. Not a pitch. A workshop.
\nPeople came in skeptical. "Aren’t NFTs dying?" "Isn’t this all a scam?" "Why would I pay for a JPEG?"
\nThey left with functioning wallets, actual NFTs they’d created, and firsthand experience with the technology.
\nSome still thought NFTs were overhyped. Fair. But now it was an informed opinion based on direct experience rather than headlines.
\nOthers were excited. "Oh, I see how brands could use this for loyalty programs." "This could work for digital credentials." "My artist friends should know about this."
\nBoth reactions are valuable.
\nPaula Pettit is brilliant at making technical concepts accessible without dumbing them down. Her background in agencies meant she understood the BIMA audience’s perspective – busy professionals who need to understand emerging tech but don’t have time for rabbit holes.
\nShe handled a lot of the practical troubleshooting during the hands-on section. "My MetaMask won’t connect." "I don’t see the Polygon network option." "The transaction failed."
\nThese aren’t interesting problems for experienced crypto users. But they’re critical problems for newcomers. One failed transaction can turn someone off the technology entirely.
\nPaula’s patient, practical support made the difference between people giving up and people succeeding.
\nTeaching people to create NFTs reveals all the UX problems immediately.
\nWallets are confusing. "Why do I need a browser extension?" "Where does my money actually live?" "What if I uninstall this?"
\nGas fees are unpredictable. "It said it would cost $2 but now it says $8?" "Why am I paying fees when this is supposed to be free?"
\nError messages are cryptic. "Transaction failed: insufficient funds for gas * price + value." What does that mean?
\nNetwork switching is unintuitive. "I’m on Polygon but OpenSea shows Ethereum prices." "How do I know which network I’m on?"
\nThese problems don’t exist for crypto-natives who’ve internalized the mental models. But they’re massive barriers for everyone else.
\nIf NFTs are going to reach mainstream adoption (beyond speculation), these UX problems need solving. Badly.
\nBIMA represents brands and agencies. For them, NFTs aren’t about investment or speculation. They’re potential tools:
\nMarketing: Brand collectibles, limited edition drops, fan engagement
\nLoyalty programs: NFT-based rewards, tiered access, community building
\nDigital rights management: Provable ownership of digital assets, licensing, royalties
\nEvent management: Tickets, access control, attendance verification
\nThe masterclass helped them evaluate these possibilities with actual understanding rather than just buzzword bingo.
\nSome will experiment. Some will wait. Some will decide it’s not relevant to their business. All are making informed decisions.
\nThat’s the goal.
\nThis masterclass was part of an ongoing series. Paula and I would later do a POAP-specific workshop (March 2023) focusing on event NFTs rather than general NFT creation.
\nDifferent use case, different audience needs, different technical considerations. But same philosophy: hands-on experience over abstract discussion.
\nThe BIMA Blockchain Council exists to educate the UK’s digital industry about Web3 technologies. "Never Mind the Buzzword" embodied that mission perfectly.
\nEvent: Never Mind the Buzzword x BIMA Blockchain Council
\nTopic: Create Your Own NFT (Hands-On Masterclass)
\nDate: December 15, 2022
\nCo-hosts: Paula Pettit, Dave Lockie
\nOrganization: BIMA (British Interactive Media Association)
\nFormat: 90-minute practical workshop
\nPlatform: Polygon (Ethereum Layer 2)
\nAccess: Gated through BIMA resources portal
\nFind me: Contact form, @divydovy most places, hi@divydovy.com
Note: This was one of several Web3 education initiatives I co-led with the BIMA Blockchain Council in 2022-2023. The "Never Mind the Buzzword" title reflected our commitment to practical education over hype. If people are going to form opinions about NFTs, let them be informed opinions based on experience.
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