Team Spotlight Series: Meet Henrique Silva, Head of BD

Here’s another issue of the Team Spotlight series where we delve into the stories, experiences, and perspectives of the incredible people that make LayerX.

Today, we get to chat with Henrique Silva, Head of Business Development at LayerX. He's the one exploring new business opportunities and strategic partnerships that propel LayerX forward!

What does a typical workday look like for a Business Developer in the web3 ecosystem?

As the Head of Business Development at LayerX, my days are dynamic and deeply immersed in the web3 ecosystem. I start my days by staying updated with the latest trends in blockchain and web3, including market movements.

Collaboration is key in this role, so I often have internal meetings with our teams to align on strategies and updates – this is crucial for ensuring our products stay relevant and competitive. Another significant part of my day is dedicated to networking and developing partnerships, which involves meeting potential clients and partners, discussing collaborations, and attending industry events from time to time. I also focus on strategy planning, where I work on proposals and initiatives to expand our user base and market reach. 

Client and partner interaction is another crucial aspect, and I make sure that our current clients and partners are satisfied, with their feedback integrated into our service improvements. I wrap up my day by reviewing our BD activities' performance and planning for upcoming tasks. This role requires agility and a keen eye on what’s going on in web3 to ensure we stay ahead in this fast-paced industry.

What do you appreciate most about LayerX's culture?

The culture is pretty much amazing! We have a lot of collaboration with each other, we understand the highs and lows of everyone and we make sure that every one of us feels good to take on the daily challenges this industry brings us every day. 

On top of that, we truly feel the love and support from our community and that really is an extra help for the team!

Did you know anything about web3 before joining LayerX?

Yes, I've been involved in it since around 2018. At that time, I started trading and researching for some companies, mainly on tokenomics, until I eventually joined LayerX!

What are the main challenges of working in web3?

It's a really fast-paced industry, even more than a start-up from the traditional world. It's like that pace but on steroids. It's very exciting but sometimes it can become overwhelming.

What are the main reasons, in your opinion, for companies to make the transition to web3?

I think the ethos we defend is really strong. It's the only way to have mechanisms in place to ensure decentralization, traceability, and transparency. The fact that we can have information on-chain that is immutable is pretty strong. B2B can be improved a lot just by removing the trust issue we often see in the traditional world. On top of that is the fact that you can really have community backing and collaborate actively with your project. In some cases, you may have your customers as part of your community as well, so the product market fit dilemma can be solved by collaborating directly with your customers who are also your supporters and collaborators. That's pretty amazing if you think about it.

How do you approach addressing client concerns or questions related to the intricacies of web3 technologies?

We take the time to understand their doubts as well as their level of knowledge. From that, we build the conversation in an easier way, if needed. Making examples using the traditional world, that really help to make the bridge and they end up understanding the power of our industry/tech and what we do. Nonetheless, they also need time to properly adapt internally to be able to incorporate some of these web3 technologies to themselves.

What are your top three resources for keeping up with web3 developments?

My top three resources are Twitter, and Newsletters like Milk Road and Messari. Youtube is an awesome tool as well.

How do you see the evolution of the corporate and web3 market in the next 5 years?

In the next 5 years, I expect an even greater convergence between both worlds. Regulation will help to serve as a foundation for a proper transition and the tech will be even better at allowing new use cases that will also be ready to be deployed on mass products and services. I truly believe that we will reach a point where almost all businesses will be on-chain one way or the other.

Tell us a fun fact about you.

I will give two. When I was younger I had a Cocktail bar and I was also a Flight Attendant.

Anything else you'd like to share with our community?

I just want to say it's a real privilege to be part of the LayerX team and community. Be ensured that we give our best every day to bring awesome products and success to everyone inside our amazing ecosystem!

And that's all for today folks!

Stay tuned for the next episode of our Team Spotlight series, where we'll introduce you to another remarkable member of the LayerX family. 

About LayerX

LayerX connects web3 developers and organizations through hackathons and task-based work, bringing together talent and opportunities to create innovative solutions.

Our hackathon platform, TAIKAI, and Task Marketplace at Bepro empower developers to showcase their skills and earn rewards. Don’t forget to join our community and say hello on Discord!