I took a course called “How to Launch an NFT Project '' through NAS Academy. Here’s what I think.
Key Points
- The course, "How to Launch an NFT Project" on Nas Academy, is most beneficial for beginners that want to get a broad overview of the NFT space from both the collector and creator sides of the industry.
- The live Zoom check-ins throughout the course allows for participants to discuss and network amongst themselves, making this style of course distinctly different from a purely self-paced course.
- More advanced participants may find the networking more valuable than the course content itself.
In June of 2022, I participated as a student in the NAS Academy course called "How to Launch an NFT Project".
The course was created by Zeneca, a major NFT "influencer", with over 290K followers on Twitter.
The cost of the course was $399 USD; however, I was able to take this course for free since I am a holder of the Zen Academy Genesis NFT, which I purchased in November 2021.
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You can get 20% off of any Nas Academy course by using my referral link. If you are interested in "How to Launch an NFT Project" or any other Nas Academy course, please consider using the link below to get a discount and support this blog 🙂
What is Nas Academy?
Nas Academy is a learning platform with a focus on offering courses for creators by creators.
For example, many of their courses revolve around topics such as growing your YouTube channel, creating and editing videos, and how to “crush it” on various social media platforms.
More recently they have increased their offerings in the crypto space with the addition of various courses from introductory crypto courses to NFTs.
One of their differentiators is their "cohort" style of classes that combines self-paced content in combination with live check-ins.
As Nas Academy puts it on their about page:
"At Nas Academy, users can watch the longer lessons at their own pace, while peer learning and personalised feedback can take place through shorter, live lessons"
Nas Academy has also recently announced that they will have a renewed focus on building communities to help connect like-minded people.
What does the Course Cover?
The course “How to Launch an NFT Project” covers a broad range of topics from defining the basics of an NFT to various ways to market your NFT project.
The course is non-technical, although the course does introduce a couple of tools to help you launch an NFT project end-to-end (but more of an overview than a deep dive).
Essentially someone with near zero experience in the NFT space could follow the course content.
How is the Course Structured?
"How to Launch an NFT Project" is set up as a 9-day course, with the 10th day being the graduation/pitch day (see note below). Each day consists of modules, which includes video presentations by Zeneca that are accessed via the Nas Academy platform.
Learning Portable Navigation showing the course is broken up into 9 Days
At the end of each module are resources and exercises.
As an example, these are the resources and exercises that are available at the end of Day 1
There are 3 Zoom check-ins throughout the course as follows:
- The first Zoom session is on Day 1, which is called "Meet Your Classmates"
- The second Zoom session is on Day 4, which is a mid-point check-in
- The final Zoom session is on the last day of the course, which is the "pitch day" and graduation
Before signing up for the course, you should note the time of the date and times of these check-ins to make sure you can attend.
The live sessions are led by a Nas Academy instructor (not Zeneca) and are approximately 1 hour long.
Access to the course content extends beyond your cohort dates (I believe up to 1 year, but this was not clear to me), therefore you could self-pace this course; however, you would miss out on the live sessions.
The course also features a Discord group specific to your cohort where you can ask questions and discuss topics.
A Note on "Pitch Day"
The last day of the course is "Pitch Day". Anyone that wanted to "pitch" their NFT project to the class could do so by submitting a 200-word "elevator pitch" on Day 8.
The instructor then chooses "the best ones" and those that are chosen are invited to give a 2-minute presentation during the course's last Zoom check-in (graduation day).
The class then votes on the pitches and the winner is given an opportunity to pitch Zeneca himself (although at a later date, not during the class).
In my class, there were 6 participants that gave presentations. The projects ranged from fashion to generative art. I found each project to be interesting, but the 2 minute presentations were far too short for me to get a good grasp of the project.
The winner of my class was in the non-profit space. I haven't since heard if they had a chance to pitch Zeneca ... but I wish them the best of luck!
Who is the Course Ideal for?
Based on the content itself, the course is ideal for NFT beginners. The course starts with the very basics of NFTs (such as "what is an NFT?") and then moves through topics that include both the collector/investor perspective as well as the creator perspective.
In other words, it is more of a broad based introductory course rather than an advanced course on launching NFT projects.
That said, the cohort style of the course does allow for peer connections in such a way that more advanced participants could benefit.
How much does the Course Cost?
The list price of the course is $399 USD. If you are a Zen Academy NFT holder (as I am), then you can access the course for free.
GET 20% OFF
You can get 20% off of any Nas Academy course by using my referral link. If you are interested in "How to Launch an NFT Project" or any other Nas Academy course, please consider using the link below to get a discount and support this blog 🙂
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
A few thoughts on my experience
Overall I enjoyed the course, even though I thought the content was a bit on the basic side. Even still, I picked up a few valuable tips and ideas.
For me, the breakout sessions during the Zoom check-ins were the best part of the experience. In these breakouts, I had a chance to speak directly with other participants and get a better understanding of what NFT projects people were working on, why they were interested in NFTs, and how they felt about the current state of affairs in the market. These conversations gave me a deeper understanding of what is currently happening in the NFT space, even in this bear market.
Generally I felt that most of the participants in my cohort were not beginners (some quite advanced), so it led me to wonder if there was an opportunity for Nas Academy to offer more advanced courses in the NFT space.
In any case, the bear market is a great time to think about improving skills and making connections with others in the NFT space and I'm glad I had a chance to participate.
About the Author
Ed is NFTska’s lead Editor and Author based in the Los Angeles area. He fell deep down the crypto rabbit hole starting in 2017. Ed actively participates in and follows the fast changing NFT scene. Learn more about Ed.
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