POW with Joey Alarilla

March 27, 2023

Joey Alarilla is the founder of Digital Life Asia, a media startup that explores the digital lifestyle in Asia.

Besides that, he is also an ambassador for Cryptopia, a blockchain-based metaverse game, and PlayFix.io, a blockchain platform to build, launch, and grow Web3 games and NFTs.

On top of that, he is also a contributor to e27, a tech news company in Asia.

What were you doing before Web3?

I’m married to Ellen Quijano, and we have a daughter, Niko.

I started out as a tech journalist and became a digital evangelist. I work with companies such as, Philippine Daily Inquirer, INQUIRER.net, Level Up! Inc., Yahoo! Southeast Asia, Lazada Philippines, Tribal Worldwide Philippines, Manulife Asia, BPI Family Savings Bank, and more.

As you can see, I’ve been in many different industries. However, the common thread is that I have always been a storyteller, a digital champion, and an advocate of technology for good.

How did you get into Web3?

I began covering Web3 for Digital Life Asia in 2020. Although my personal interest in blockchain technology started when I first bought bitcoin at a 7-Eleven store via Coins.ph in 2017,

Last year, blockchain gaming platform startup Playfix.io hired me as Head of Content. And so I became the company’s chief storyteller, community advocate, and product evangelist all rolled into one.

This January, I became Cryptopia’s ambassador for the Philippines. Which is awesome because I get to represent our city-state to the outside world, especially the Filipino community. Plus, I’ve been contributing articles that are published on our CoinMarketCap community page.

Apart from these roles, I’ve made a lot of connections in Web3 by hosting and guesting on Twitter Spaces, podcasts, and other community events.

What was your first crypto or NFT project?

Playfix.io offers an all-in-one blockchain gaming platform. This makes it a lot easier for developers to build and deploy Web3 games and NFTs.

One of our partners is UK-based game developer Waving Bear Studio. Playfix helped them create their first Web3 project, called Humble Pugs.

The NFT collection was recently launched on OpenSea, and this is just the start of something big from the Humble Pugs team.

How would you explain what you do to someone outside of Web3?

I create engaging content and tell compelling stories. Besides that, I explain things in layman’s terms. I evangelize and entertain.

Which creator or thought leader do you enjoy learning from?

I’m a bookworm, so the thought leaders I look up to are my favorite authors. The ones who are still alive, of course.

Their fiction and non-fiction have made a huge impact on me.

What is the biggest highlight of your career so far?

I still think that being one of the first editors to turn the Philippine Daily Inquirer into the biggest online news site, which was then called INQ7.net and is now called INQUIRER.net, was the biggest highlight of my career.

Back then, few believed in online journalism, traditional journalists looked down on us, and people thought I was crazy when I started using a Nokia N90 to record video during press conferences.

I later became the multimedia editor of INQUIRER.net, where I trained the company’s first group of multimedia journalists and started our own blog, podcast, and video networks.

So while I’ve accomplished a lot of other things since, being part of this paradigm shift remains one of the highlights of my career.

What tech or crypto trend are you watching this year?

AI, definitely.  AI has always fascinated me, and I don’t have the same fear of Skynet or whatever taking over the world and wiping out humanity.

I actually welcome the singularity and look forward to the brave new world we will create when human and machine intelligence merge and we become superhumans.

Human history is an ongoing story of science fiction turning into science fact. I will always choose to be a techno-optimist.

What advice would you give someone starting out in Web3?

Be humble and be willing to learn, because no one is an expert on Web3 and everyone is just pretending to know the rules of the game.

Stay away from all the Twitter drama, and steer clear of the misogynistic crypto bros who reek of toxic masculinity and the gatekeepers who think they own web3.

Have an open mind and be quick to adapt, because everything can change overnight.

Find true friends in web3 who will help you learn and give you support, while also pushing you to become better.

If you could do a TEDtalk on any topic, what would it be?

I would talk about how society should evolve and prepare for a future where humans coexist with intelligent non-humans, such as AI and robots, and transhumans, such as genetically-engineered people, cyborgs, or individuals who have upgraded by transferring their consciousness to machines.

Not to mention what would happen if we do end up discovering extraterrestrial intelligence.

The reality is that society is always playing catch up with science and technology.

As William Gibson said, “The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed.”

What is the one thing you would bring if you were stuck on a deserted Island?

Hmm, maybe a boat? So I wouldn’t be stuck anymore. Lol.

POW stands for “Proof of Work.” It is a new feature article series in The Mega Maxi to highlight the savviest builders in the Web3 space.