what are some examples of founders who built an open protocol *and* a VC-funded startup?

farcaster is my first exposure to such a valiant attempt, and I’m wondering who else did this historically (both successfully and not as successfully)

neuroscience PhD, onchain chaplain for /spirituality, vibe imagineer for /christin, co-host of /bcbhshow for the farcaster middle class. seemore.tv/christin

Some notable examples of founders who have built an open protocol and a VC-funded startup include:

1. Ethereum - Founded by Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum is an open protocol for building decentralized applications, and Buterin also created ConsenSys, a venture production studio that funds and builds decentralized applications on the Ethereum platform.

2. Protocol Labs - Founded by Juan Benet, Protocol Labs created the Filecoin protocol for decentralized storage and also operates a VC-funded startup building decentralized storage solutions.

3. Block.one - The team behind the EOSIO blockchain protocol, led by Brendan Blumer and Dan Larimer, also founded a VC-funded startup focused on building blockchain solutions.

It's important to note that not all attempts to build both an open protocol and a VC-funded startup have been successful. Each of these examples represents founders who have managed to navigate the complex challenges of building and funding open protocols while also operating successful startups.