When Shift Happens

Jesse Pollak is the creator of Base, Coinbase's ethereum layer 2 network offering a secure, low-cost way for anyone to build decentralized apps onchain. He is also the Lead at Coinbase Wallet and a member of the Coinbase Exec Team.

In this conversation, Jesse shares his deeply personal journey of building Base, from the intense pressure of early ideation to the physical and emotional toll of its launch.

He opens up about almost quitting, losing 20 pounds from stress, and how his wife's intervention helped him through the darkest moments.

Beyond the struggles, Jesse discusses his ambitious vision for an onchain future, predicting that "everything will be onchain in 5 years."

From his unique background in Quaker schools to his unconventional problem-solving methods, Jesse offers rare insights into what it takes to build a platform that could transform how billions of people interact with the digital world.

In this episode, we explore:
Jesse’s mind and struggles
What gave him a big chip on the shoulder
How hard the beginning of Base was on a personal level
Why the most successful products in crypto DO NOT have a token
The Coinbase’s centralization Paradox
How Jesse built the leading Ethereum Layer 2 in the crypto space.
Why Jesse owns a Cryptopunk
What it takes to be a successful founder in crypto
Why Jesse cuts his hair earlier this year
How Jesse finds solutions to the most complex problems!

And much more!