James Florentino is the CEO of Warpgate Technologies Corp, a metaverse game development company that combines decentralized finance, artificial intelligence, and the creation of virtual 3D worlds.

They developed Chain Crisis, a third-person Metaverse gaming experience on the Solana network. Players can explore the city's various districts, form groups or guilds, and take on quests and challenges together in order to defeat difficult enemies and advance in the game.

👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

My job is to make sure everything is running smoothly and come up with new ideas for these immersive digital experiences. We're talking about all kinds of stuff, like gaming, decentralized finance, AI, world-building and business.

On top of all that, I'm also in charge of managing our team and ensuring we're all working towards the same goals.

🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

I've worked in the crypto world since 2011 and even helped start the first bitcoin exchange in the Philippines.

I've done a bunch of different projects in the space, but my current company is definitely my favorite. I get to blend together art, crypto, and world-building to create these awesome virtual 3D worlds that incorporate elements of decentralized finance and AI. It's really cool stuff, and I'm excited to keep pushing the boundaries with this company.

🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Since I got into crypto, I've always been about trying new things and thinking big.

I've had some cool highlights in my career as a developer and CEO, but I'm always looking for the next challenge. I feel like the best is yet to come.

🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

I'm always checking out market trends and keeping track of new tech and economic shifts. Crypto has been my thing for a while, but I'm also paying attention to AI, 3D, and AR/VR.

I've been following these fields for quite some time, and I'm always looking for ways to bring them into what we do.

💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

If you're just starting out in this industry, my advice is to be smart with your money, stay humble, always work hard, and make sure you have a good reputation for integrity.

I used to be kind of arrogant and hotheaded when I was younger, but as I get closer to my 40s, I take a more long-term view when working with people.

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

Future societies, implications of technological shifts, programming, building, thinking of new ventures

🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show?

Recently, The Mandalorian!

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Mocha