builder / reformed vc / accidental media empire operator
shipping from a kitchen table in costa rica since the world stopped making sense
i build ai systems and defi infrastructure from costa rica. previously ran a blockchain vc fund, invested in 50+ startups, helped raise $20M+, realized i'd rather build things than evaluate other people building things.
now i run two organizations, a handful of tokens, an ai trading bot that occasionally outperforms me (which isn't the flex i thought it would be), and a growing collection of open source repos that i ship to at 2am because time zones are a construct.
i don't have a 5-year plan. i have a terminal window and a parrot outside my window that won't shut up during standup.
i write typescript until my eyes hurt. then i write more typescript. sometimes i write python when nobody's looking.
the thesis is simple: open source everything, build in public, ship nightly. the demo reel is a lie. the failed tests are the product.
kr8tiv-ai — the main thing
decentralized ai for the masses. this is where most of the code lives. two product lines:
KIN — AI Companions 57 unique 3d characters across 6 bloodlines. each one runs on a different frontier ai model. soul authoring, skill portability, nft ownership on solana. the tagline is "we build you a friend" which sounds corny until you see the soul drift detection system recalibrate a personality in real-time. then it's just unsettling. in a good way.
kr8tiv-ai/Kin— next.js 15, fastify 5, 200+ tests, 55+ api endpoints, 7 llm providers, three.js 3d rendering
PinkBrain — DeFi x AI (the $BRAIN ecosystem) the pinky and the brain product line. defi infrastructure that converts on-chain activity into ai capabilities. because apparently i needed more things to maintain.
PinkBrain-Router— converts bags.fm defi fees into openrouter api credits for 300+ ai modelsPinkBrain-lp— auto-compounding meteora damm v2 liquidity enginePinkBrain-Alvara— erc-7621 basket tokens on base
Also in the org:
DLMM-auto-sell-assets-into-staking-contract— automated dlmm position manager with validator staking on solanakr8tiv-runtime-truth-contracts— schema-first runtime contracts for multi-agent governancekr8tiv-mission-control— ai agent governance dashboardkr8tiv-Travelswap-on-Bags-App— travel booking on bags.fm
kr8tiv-io — the design samurai
kr8tiv.io is our creative agency. branding alchemy. no corporate cringe. direct-to-founder. the tagline is "designing brands too good to ignore, too real to forget" and honestly we mean it.
i spent years paying agencies that didn't understand founder problems. layers of account managers between me and the person actually doing the work. so i built the design partner i always wished existed. $20 business cards to $50K rebrands — we don't gatekeep quality behind a price tag. tools evolved. we're democratizing.
web design, branding, 3d animation, video editing, packaging, ux/ui, blockchain design, marketing automation, paid ads, ecommerce, content strategy. and creative consulting — which we affectionately call "weaponized autism." radical concepts for any industry. if we're not the right fit, we'll tell you immediately. no point wasting anyone's time pretending.
some things we've designed and built:
| What | Repo | |
|---|---|---|
| auroraventures.agency | our own vc studio site — quiet infrastructure for the next internet | Aurora-Ventures-Website |
| meetyourkin.com | kin ai companion platform — 3d creatures, soul authoring, the works | Kinbykr8tiv-website |
| kr8tiv.ai | our ai branch — autonomous content creation meets the singularity | kr8tiv-ai-website |
| kr8tiv.io | the agency itself — had to eat our own cooking on this one | kr8tiv-website |
| wethesavage.com | savage fit — online fitness coaching for an IFBB pro (client build) | savage-fit-website |
| jarvislife.io | jarvis lifeos — landing page for the trading bot that sometimes listens | Jarvis-by-Kr8tiv-Website |
| matthaynes.fun | personal portfolio — built it at 3am, no regrets | matthaynes-website |
| coming clean | book sales landing page — conversion-optimized (client) | Coming-Clean-Book-Landing-Page |
| evolve | commercial surface restoration rebrand (client) | Evolve-Rebrand |
| pinky and the brain | $brain token ecosystem site — yes it's as fun as it sounds | Pinkyandthebrain |
good design is invisible. great design makes you feel something. we aim for the second one and occasionally nail it three whiskeys deep at midnight.
aurora ventures — the parent company
started as a blockchain vc fund in 2017. invested in 50+ startups. contributed to 15+ protocols. now it's the umbrella for everything i build. less "we write term sheets" and more "we write code at weird hours and hope the tests pass."
the kr8tiv ecosystem token on solana via bags.fm. powers the kin ai companion platform, fee-sharing for holders, and the whole kr8tiv-ai product suite.
the pinky and the brain ecosystem token. powers pinkbrain router, pinkbrain lp, and pinkbrain alvara. defi fees go to $brain holders through bags.fm infrastructure. yes i named a token after a 90s cartoon about a lab mouse trying to take over the world. the metaphor writes itself.
| Project | What it is |
|---|---|
| Jarvis | ai trading bot on solana. 81+ active strategies. occasionally profitable. always entertaining. |
| gsd-2 | meta-prompting and spec-driven dev system for long-running autonomous agents. we contribute the odd pr — we didn't build this one, just help keep it sharp. |
| kr8tiv-MSW | make shit work — an iterative loop that does what it says on the tin |
| kr8tiv-launchpad | solana token launchpad with configurable taxes via bags api |
i run 5 orgs on github. yes, five. no i don't sleep much.
| Org | What | GitHub | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| kr8tiv-ai | decentralized ai + defi infrastructure | github.com/kr8tiv-ai | kr8tiv.ai |
| kr8tiv-io | marketing + design agency — websites, branding, 3d, packaging | github.com/kr8tiv-io | kr8tiv.io |
| aurabnb | decentralized community-owned stays in costa rica | github.com/aurabnb | gitbook |
| Aura-H2o | dao-governed free water through ad sponsorship | github.com/Aura-H2o | aurah2o.net |
| Aura-Farms | aeroponics + blockchain for sustainable food | github.com/Aura-Farms | aurafarming.net |
because the orgs weren't enough apparently.
| Brand | What | URL |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora Ventures | the parent company — blockchain vc turned build studio | auroraventures.agency |
| KR8TiV Agency | design samurai — $20 business cards to $50K rebrands | kr8tiv.io |
| KR8TIV AI | autonomous content creation + ai products | kr8tiv.ai |
| KIN | ai companion nft platform — 57 3d characters | meetyourkin.com |
| AuraH2O | free premium water with sponsored advertising | aurah2o.net |
| Aura Farms | free food, sponsored vibes | aurafarming.net |
| AuraBnb | decentralized stays in costa rica | gitbook |
| WanderMind | travel + philosophy youtube | youtube |
i'm aware this looks like the output of a founder who can't say no to ideas. that's because it is.
wake up → coffee → check if jarvis lost money overnight → open terminal
→ ship code → push to github → repeat until the parrot starts screaming
→ maybe eat → more code → push at 2am → sleep → repeat
- language: typescript. always typescript. python when the ml libraries demand it.
- stack: next.js, fastify, viem, solana web3, three.js, ollama, vitest
- philosophy: open source everything. build in public. ship nightly. the failed tests are the product.
- location: costa rica. volcano visible through the fog. coffee that costs less than a london bus ticket.
- building kin for the bags global hackathon ($4m developer fund)
- shipping pinkbrain defi products for the $brain ecosystem
- teaching jarvis to stop revenge trading (we've all been there)
- writing code from a kitchen table in guayabo while a parrot judges my architecture decisions
"open source everything"