In the wild world of crypto startups, where meme tokens can moon overnight and blockchain projects chase the next big narrative, one piece of timeless wisdom cuts through the hype: build something that actually makes money. Or at least, something that can flip the switch to profitability faster than you can say "bear market."

That's the core of a recent thread from Raagulan Pathy, the founder and CEO of KASTcard and a former VP at Circle in APAC. With his background in stablecoins and fintech, Pathy's not just theorizing—he's lived it. His post, dropped on a lazy Sunday, packs a punch for any blockchain builder eyeing VC dollars. Let's break it down, meme coin hustlers and DeFi dreamers alike.

Why Profitability Trumps Everything (Even VC Hype)

Pathy kicks off with a blunt opener: "Build a profitable business, or build a business which can turn profitable very fast if required." Sounds old-school, right? In a space obsessed with viral TikToks and token launches, it's almost revolutionary.

But here's the rub—venture capitalists (VCs) aren't your cheerleaders. Their North Star? Deploying capital for the greatest return. Sure, plenty talk a big game about "empowering founders," but Pathy reminds us that's priority number two. Don't mix up the two, or you'll end up with funding that's more distraction than rocket fuel.

For crypto practitioners, this hits home. Remember the 2022 crypto winter? Projects that burned cash on paid ads and influencer shills folded like cheap lawn chairs. Those with lean operations—think community-driven DAOs or utility-focused meme tokens—survived and even thrived. Pathy's advice? Prep for those "inevitable hard days" by staying scrappy from day one.

Real-World Scrappiness: Lessons from KASTcard and Amazon

Pathy walks the talk at KASTcard, a crypto-friendly card platform that's all about seamless stablecoin spending. No paid ads in sight (yet). Instead? Laser-focused community building. It's the kind of bootstrap move that echoes through meme token lore—think Dogecoin's organic Reddit pump or PEPE's grassroots virality.

And he pulls from his Amazon days too: "Thinking (very) big and being scrappy are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they work very well together." Imagine that for your blockchain side hustle. You're eyeing a multi-chain meme ecosystem that could onboard millions, but you're starting with free Discord AMAs and GitHub collabs. No fluff, just fundamentals.

This approach isn't easy. You'll scrape by on limited resources, grinding harder than a Solana transaction during peak hours. But as Pathy notes, it builds resilience. And the payoff? Two big wins:

• VCs respect you more. When your pitch deck shows real revenue (or a clear path to it), you're not begging—you're partnering.
• Capital becomes acceleration, not survival. No more diluting your vision to chase the next payroll. That seed round? Pure firepower for scaling your meme token's liquidity pools or your DeFi protocol's TVL.

Tying It Back to Meme Tokens and Blockchain Growth

At Meme Insider, we live and breathe the chaotic energy of meme tokens—those cultural lightning rods that blend humor, community, and (sometimes) serious tech. But Pathy's thread is a gut-check for anyone in the space: Whether you're launching a frog-themed ERC-20 or a serious Layer-2 scaler, profitability isn't optional. It's your moat.

Take KASTcard as exhibit A. In a market flooded with flashy wallets, they're betting on utility that pays the bills. For blockchain self-improvers, this means diving deeper: Study revenue models in DeFi, experiment with no-code tools for quick MVPs, or even audit your tokenomics for sustainability. It's not sexy, but it's smart.

Pathy wraps with a chill vibe—"enough of sounding like an old man, go and enjoy your Sunday"—but his words linger. In crypto, where fortunes flip faster than a bad trade, building with profits in mind isn't just advice. It's armor.

What do you think—time to audit your project's burn rate? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and if you're a founder grinding in the trenches, tag us @MemeInsider. Peace ✌️