Andrey on Warpcast

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I've always been puzzled why in Web 3 everyone builds web-first products instead of mobile-first (meaning proper native mobile apps). And then we wonder why there's no mainstream adoption...

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1/ At Goverland, we are building mobile-first, and it is indeed a tough path. One of the core challenges is creating a mobile-friendly crypto identity. Falling back to email as a crypto identity is, in my opinion, a false path to adoption. This creates a natural barrier for mobile dApps, where users need to connect an external wallet (or, even more challenging, create a crypto identity from within the mobile dApp itself). This is similar to the situation with emails: it doesn’t matter to Web2 apps if users created an email account because they needed to send messages first or because they needed to use a Web2 app first. Web3 users face the same challenge — they need to create a Web3 identity (wallet) because they need it to use a dApp, or they start using a dApp because they are already in the Web3 ecosystem and have a Web3 identity.

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2/ If we see Web2 as a stack that MUST be replaced by Web3, new dApps MUST offer something Web2 couldn't (e.g., decentralized ownership alongside basic app benefits). So, users MUST first buy into this value. Alternatively, Web3 dApps should solve problems Web2 can’t (e.g., permissionless, cost-effective transfers). With that in mind, mobile-first in Web3 is more about: 1. Value Proposition: Does a dApp offer enough value over a similar Web2 app where current inconveniences (like needing a wallet instead of an email or requiring funds to transact) outweigh the UX/costs of Web2 apps? 2. Understanding Web2 vs. Web3: How much should users understand the difference? How far can we abstract away complexity without losing the cypherpunk ethos? 3. Web3 Identity Adoption: Mobile adoption in Web2 happened after users gained Web2 identities (emails, Facebook). What compels users to adopt a Web3 identity? Do they even need a fully self-sovereign identity?

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/3 Currently, the industry focuses on web-first because it’s cheaper and easier to validate theories, especially for use cases that show "what Web3 can do that Web2 can’t." Here, convenience and UX aren’t top priorities. The current target groups are niche: cypherpunks (who see Web2 as unfair), those underserved by Web2 (like the unbanked or those in underdeveloped areas), or speculators (who find Web2 more regulated or less profitable). Thus, the rationale for building web-first is the lower cost and faster validation. Mobile wallets emerged only after browser wallets gained traction, and mobile swaps followed after web-based swaps achieved product-market fit. Building on mobile (a slower, costlier stack) only makes sense when web validation isn’t feasible, mobile competition is low, or when it’s cheaper/more efficient for your team to validate hypotheses on mobile (e.g., if your CTO is a mobile engineer).

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