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Doing Business in Web3

Explore the fundamentals of Web3 and discover how its emerging digital technologies are transforming business.

1,040 enrolled on this course

Young IT support woman using 2 monitors computer with coding document in a dark room, doing business in Web3.

Doing Business in Web3

1,040 enrolled on this course

  • 6 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Accreditation available

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Intermediate level

Find out more about how to join this course

The CPD Certification Service

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Examine business strategy and decision making for start-ups in Web3

Web3, a stack of technologies underpinned by blockchain smart contracts, is revolutionising digital business and creating exciting opportunities for entrepreneurs.

On this six-week course from RMIT University, you’ll explore Web3 technologies, and examine business models, financing, strategy, governance and law, and learn how to harness Web3 for business growth.

Explore the business implications of Web3 technology

Delving into the Web3 stack, you’ll see how core Web3 technologies are transforming businesses and delivering innovative new business solutions.

You’ll learn to assess the implications of Web3 and identify any advantages for your own business.

Analyse business models in Web3 contexts

Guided through the basics of building a Web3 business, you’ll begin by exploring a range of challenges faced by start-ups from product-market-fit to understanding the economic flywheel. You’ll then analyse how these familiar issues are different in the context of Web3.

Moving on to financing, you’ll learn how to fund your Web3 venture and assess the practicalities of various funding approaches. You’ll then address strategy, governance, and legal frameworks that affect businesses in the digital space, identifying unique opportunities and challenges within Web3.

Deliver business growth in Web3

You’ll finish this course by exploring how to grow your Web3 business. You’ll identify common issues faced by scaling businesses and how to address them, from community management to ecosystem incentives.

By the end of this course, you’ll be familiar with the business models and processes unique to the Web3 industry. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to plan your own start-up using Web3, understanding the risks and rewards of working with innovative and emerging technology.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Web3 technology

    • Hand holding glowing ipad

      Introduction

      Introduction to the course.

    • road at night with purple streaks of lights from cars

      The road to Web3

      This section will frame the evolution of the internet from Web1 to Web2 to its latest generation Web3.

    • Glowing laptop opening in dark room

      Web3 technologies

      An overarching view of Web3 infrastructure.

    • Two women looking at laptop

      Web3 and the ownership economy

      Explain what you think the ownership economy is or how it might change the way you engage in the economy.

    • shadows of people in dark room surounded by vertical strands of lights

      Week 1 wrap-up

      A summary of what we have covered this week.

  • Week 2

    Business models for Web3

    • A man and woman working at computer together

      Introduction to Week 2

      Let's get started with Week 2.

    • Man pointing at a slide during a presentation. He looks engaged in explaining a concept

      On start-ups

      Some of the fundamental concepts of start-ups and their role in the economy.

    • Blue beams of light flying out of iPad on dark background

      Product-Market-Fit

      What product market fit is and how it differs in Web3.

    • Hand holding iPad with luminescent icons floating off the screen

      Digital platforms

      What a digital platform is and why Web3 platforms are different.

    • Interconnected icons of people over web of lines and world map

      Network effects

      What network effects are and why the Web3 network effects are different.

    • Two women at whiteboard. A graphic of a brain surrounded up circles is laid over the top

      The Cold Start Problem

      In this section we explain what the Cold Start Problem is and how it differs for Web3 businesses.

    • Person looking at computer stats on screen

      The Flywheel Effect

      We introduce the concept of economic flywheels.

    • Looking over shoulder of person coding on computer

      Week 2 wrap-up

      A summary of what we have covered this week.

  • Week 3

    Financing in Web3

    • Person's hand holding phone displaying stock market graph. Laptop in background also shows stock market graph.

      Introduction to Week 3

      Welcome to Week 3.

    • Three men discussing a finance report on whiteboard

      Financing 101

      It's time for some financing 101.

    • Iphone showing stock prices floating over screen showing stock prices

      Private sales and venture capital

      This section introduces the venture capital (VC) industry and explains the differences between Web2 and Web3 VCs.

    • Graphic of charts on blue glowing background

      Web3 financing

      We introduce the democratisation of financing with the rise of Web3 businesses.

    • Woman typing on laptop

      Public sales

      We explore what Web3 public sales are, the reasons for doing them, and the risks behind them.

    • Cityscape at night with green and blue charts superimposed.jpg

      Vesting

      What is vesting and why is it important?

    • abstract image of beams of light

      Week 3 wrap-up

      A summary of what we have covered this week.

  • Week 4

    Web3 strategy and governance

    • Man presenting at large screen covered in charts

      Introduction

      Welcome to Week 4.

    • Man presenting to group in boardroom

      Web3 strategy

      Let's explore Web3 strategy.

    • Hand with illuminated shapes floating above it

      Token Economics 101

      This section looks at tokenomics options available to a Web3 business.

    • person parachuting over ocean

      Airdrops

      Should you airdrop, and how should you do it?

    • Two people in suits looking at ipad and talking collaboratively

      Governance

      Let's identify the strategy and governance decisions required of a Web3 business.

    • Hundreds of images zooming through cyberspace

      Constitutions

      Many Web3 projects (particularly DAOs) create constitutions. Here we explore what they are.

    • Group of people working together over table

      Creating a team

      We explore the importance of a team and discuss what a successful Web3 team looks like.

    • blue round lights and binary code

      Week wrap-up

      Well done! You've reached the end of Week 4.

  • Week 5

    Web3 and the law

    • woman on laptop leaning against glass in front of servers

      Week 5 introduction

      Welcome to Week 5.

    • Illustration of threads connecting hundreds of multicoloured nodes or dots

      Regulating cyberspace

      What is the extent that cyberspace can be regulated and what issues does this pose for users in Web3 businesses?

    • glowing city with digital streams of light

      Business structures

      An introduction to different types of business structures.

    • Abstract high tech digital technology background made of particles and metallic plates.

      DAOs and legal entities

      This section gives an overview of legal take on DAOs.

    • A Person Holding Tablet with Graph on Screen

      Other legal issues

      Here we cover a series of other legal issues you should think about.

    • Man sitting at computer in front of giant server room

      Seeking legal advice

      In this section we discuss the importance of legal advice.

    • Computer code on a screen

      Week 5 wrap-up

      A summary of content covered in Week 5.

  • Week 6

    Growing a Web3 business

    • Globe with interconnecting lines superimposed

      Introduction

      Welcome to Week 6, the final week of the course.

    • Blue code flying through space

      Scaling 101

      What does it mean to scale a business? What are the challenges?

    • City with individual beams of coloured light rising from it

      Managing your community

      How do you manage your Web3 community? We explore the concepts of working in a distributed workforce.

    • woman working at two computer screens

      Governing a growing Web3 business

      An overview of governance when it comes to subgroups and available tools to help you scale your governance.

    • Hands typing on a laptop computer

      Working in Web3

      Guidelines for working in the Web3 world

    • Two men discussing something on iPad

      Course wrap-up

      Looking ahead to your next step in Web3 after completing this course.

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Explain fundamental Web3 technologies
  • Describe Web3 business models
  • Discuss Web3 financing options
  • Identify the strategy and governance options available to a Web3 business
  • Describe the legal considerations of a Web3 business
  • Discuss the issues encountered when growing a Web3 business

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone wishing to learn more about Web3 in business contexts.

It’s particularly suited to entrepreneurs and investors who want to further their knowledge of Web3.

It will also benefit those working outside of Web3 businesses who want to understand the opportunities that Web3 technology presents.

Who will you learn with?

Darcy Allen

Darcy Allen is the Deputy Director and a Senior Research Fellow at the Blockchain Innovation Hub at RMIT University. His research focuses on the economics of Web3.

Jason Potts

Jason Potts is a Distinguished Professor of Economics, Co-director of the Blockchain Innovation Hub at RMIT. His research work focuses on the economics of innovation and new technologies.

Stuart Thomas

Head of Learning for RMIT Digital3, Stuart is an established university learning and teaching leader, an experienced senior educator, and is an active researcher and advisor in the digital economy.

Chris Berg

Chris Berg is an Associate Professor at RMIT University, co-director of the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub, and author of 'Understanding the Blockchain Economy'

Who developed the course?

RMIT

RMIT University

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) is a global university, with over 80,000 students, specialising in technology, design and enterprise.

  • Established

    1887
  • Location

    Melbourne, Australia
  • World ranking

    Top 210Source: QS World University Rankings 2022
RMIT D3 Logo

RMIT University Digital3

D3 provides a simple way to work with a single, multi-disciplinary group of experts in a collaborative, innovative educational environment.

bih logo

RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub

RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub is the world’s first research centre on the social science of Blockchain.

We are an interdisciplinary team of researchers in economics, political-economy, organisational theory, law, sociology, politics and communications. We work on crypto-economics, business strategy and adaptation to blockchain technologies, mapping the blockchain economy, and identifying the public policy challenges that will hold back or accelerate this economic revolution.

  • Established

    2017
  • Location

    Melbourne, Australia

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Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$109/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 24 Mar 2025

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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