Polygon Labs is the creative arm of the Polygon blockchain, a solution that allows for better scalability on the Ethereum blockchain. For Senior VP of Marketing Jennifer Kattula, it’s strange territory in which to find herself, given her past roles at incumbent tech and financial giants Meta, Microsoft and American Express. Yet in less than one year, Kattula has not only achieved a smooth transition but has catapulted Polygon into one of the most trusted brand partners in Web3.

Reddit, Starbucks, Meta, Afterpay and Bentley are among the marketers that have found a home on Polygon for everything from NFT drops to branded crypto wallets.

“Getting big brands on board in order to drive adoption is paramount,” Kattula said.

While crypto is still in a bear market, Kattula is paying close attention to the needs of developers, who are operating in a kind of productive hibernation. There is no playbook for building Web3, she said, so while Polygon plans for the long term, Kattula is keeping an eye on the relative peaks and valleys of the day-to-day.

What advice would you give to teens about using social media today?

It’s vital that teens understand the value of privacy and having ownership over their own data. Mainstream social media is able to harvest, analyze and monetize personal information as they see fit. Conversely, Web3 unlocks a new world where each individual controls their own data and online identity. I’d encourage everyone to be well-informed on this so that they can make choices accordingly. 

In addition, I would say for teens—and really, everyone—you have 24 hours in a day; use them wisely.

How is new technology changing the way you work?

Over the past few years, there’s obviously been a shift to remote or hybrid working. The Web3 space has always taken a decentralized approach to work, but new tools have emerged as other industries have caught up. Because we’re based globally, working asynchronously and effectively from wherever we need to be is critical for Polygon Labs. 

There are two areas that have improved our efficiency and connection in a remote environment. First, Async voice or video notes. In our company culture, this can replace super long Slack messages or emails and create more human connection with your colleagues.

Another area that I am particularly excited about is the use of AI in marketing. We’ve already seen automation in marketing happen with things like CRM, etc. But AI is providing new ways to empower our marketing team. For example, anyone on the team can generate images using AI. We can use AI for starter content or even research. Today, AI is not replacing humans and I think the real power of AI will happen when I can train AI on our brand design system in order to scale some routine deliverables like decks or web pages. I also think there is an art to AI prompts and that’s something I’m spending a ton of time on.

What’s your favorite blog, TikTok account, podcast or any must-follows in your media diet?

Bankless, Andrew Huberman and The Skinny Confidential.

What is the biggest technical leap you’ve had to adjust to in your career, and how did you do it?

The biggest technical leap in my career was moving to Web3. After 11 years at Meta, I felt ready for a change. I dove headfirst into the Web3 rabbit hole and formed enough of a conviction that this tech would completely transform the world that I joined the industry full-time. It was a massive learning curve, and after experiencing my first crypto winter, I realized that I was much more interested in blockchain technology than crypto itself. While the move away from traditional tech was not always straightforward, what kept me going was focusing on the potential of the space.

Web3 reminds me of the early days of Facebook. While technical leaps can be challenging, that risk is what will keep you excited and motivated.