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For our latest interview on The Founder, we’re thrilled to speak with Mr. Sean Robb, Head of Product at Flow. Flow has been at the forefront of Web3, pioneering consumer-facing crypto apps and creating an ecosystem that has captivated millions of users globally. With landmark partnerships with brands like NBA Top Shot, Disney, Hot Wheels, and more, Flow is redefining how people interact with blockchain technology. Sean joins us today to discuss Flow's exciting developments, their recent upgrade, Crescendo, which works to integrate with Ethereum, and the launch of Flow Rewards—a program that promises to enhance user experiences by offering both digital and real-world rewards.
Q. Please introduce yourself.
Hi! I’m Sean Robb, Head of Product at the Flow Foundation.
Q. Could you share a bit about your journey in the tech industry and what led you to become the Head of Product at Flow?
I’m a technologist with a diverse background in software engineering and marketing. I built mission-critical systems for military planes, and cloud computing solutions before focusing on distributed compute and network technologies at Mastercard. My journey in consumer crypto started at Dapper Labs, where I contributed to user onboarding and ecosystem expansion through the Dapper Wallet. Now, as Head of Product at Flow, I leverage technical expertise to drive developer experience and network growth.
Q. What is Flow? What problem does it solve?
Flow is the home of consumer crypto, and the only blockchain designed from the ground up for consumer applications. It empowers massive mainstream experiences at low-cost, offers features you can’t find on other networks (like protocol-level account abstraction, account linking, and mobile support for onboarding new users), and it currently enables next-gen experiences from world-renowned brands, including the NBA, Mattel, and TicketMaster.
Q. What excites you most about working in the Web3 space, particularly as it evolves to reach more mainstream consumers?
We are approaching a fundamental shift in how everyone uses digital spaces. Empowering digital rights, unlocking new business models, and connecting communities to the next generation of the consumer internet is an incredibly exciting opportunity. The future of these consumer experiences is being built on Flow.
Q. How do you balance innovation with creating user-friendly experiences, especially when dealing with new technologies like blockchain?
Flow makes great UX easy and boasts a programming environment designed for innovative apps because innovation is only as useful as it is accessible. However, the special thing about innovation is that “accessibility” is measured by its power users, not everyday consumers. Creating “advanced” features that are only possible with emerging technologies like blockchain starts with audiences who are willing to dive deeper. You’re probably not creating something innovative unless some of your users are complaining: the call for more features and more usability is a sign you’re pushing the boundaries of something people care about.
There were (and still are) assumptions taken for granted regarding how the internet works and how the average consumer interacts with it. The next generation of digital experiences will learn from the work that came before it, and it will leverage many of the same templates and paradigms.
Q. Is there a personal project or hobby you’re passionate about that helps inspire your work at Flow?
I’m a huge sports fan who’s passionate about woodworking and BBQ — hobbies where you can study others' techniques and then build something unique. This mirrors what we're enabling with Flow: an open ecosystem where developers can examine existing solutions, innovate on them, and create something entirely new. I’m always excited by what people build, and the new possibilities a new creation enables.
Q. Flow Rewards is gaining attention as a new way to incentivize user engagement across the ecosystem. Can you share how this program aligns with Flow’s broader mission of bringing blockchain to mainstream users?
The Flow Rewards program is designed to make every interaction in the Flow ecosystem meaningful and rewarding, creating a sustainable model where value creation is both user-driven and user-shared. Rather than just incentivizing activity, Flow Rewards empowers developers to demonstrate practical token utility within their applications while helping users understand the real benefits of web3 through tangible rewards — from digital assets to real-world experiences. This aligns perfectly with Flow's mission of bringing blockchain to mainstream users by focusing on actual utility and sustainable engagement rather than speculative value. It's about creating an ecosystem where engaged users become genuine stakeholders in the products they interact with.
Q. With Flow Rewards offering items like NBA Top Shot packs, PlayStation 5s, and iPhone 16s, what inspired the decision to offer both real-world and on-chain items as rewards?
Flow Community Rewards bridges the gap between digital engagement and tangible value. By offering both digital and physical items, we're demonstrating how blockchain technology can create meaningful value in both realms. This approach introduces familiar and desirable rewards to everyday audiences while also showcasing the unique benefits of digital ownership. It's about making the value proposition of web3 immediately clear and accessible, whether you're a crypto native interested in digital collectibles or someone just beginning to explore blockchain applications. Ultimately, the combination of digital and physical in Flow Rewards is our mission to bring blockchain utility to everyday consumer experiences.
Q. How do you see Flow Rewards shaping the way both crypto-curious and experienced users engage with the Flow ecosystem?
The design of Flow Rewards aims to empower valuable engagements in the wider ecosystem. For crypto-curious users, Flow Rewards provides a familiar entry point through recognizable rewards while demonstrating the unique advantages of the Flow network. For experienced users and developers, it showcases how tokens can function within applications and creates new opportunities for deeper ecosystem participation. This dual approach helps build a sustainable ecosystem where value creation is both user-driven and user-shared.
Q. Crescendo promises to connect to Ethereum. How does this impact Flow’s positioning as a leader in Web3, and what benefits will this integration bring to users?
After the latest upgrade, Flow is seeing more new apps than ever. Since 2020, Flow had seen 4,800 contracts deployed. In September 2024, after the most recent upgrade, Flow saw over 3,000 new contracts.
The most recent upgrade to Flow was the biggest since the network’s genesis, introducing developer-friendly updates (anything from Ethereum works out of the box on Flow) and major performance upgrades (all future Cadence code is forwards compatible). Web3 products and platforms no longer have to compromise between great user experience and access to Ethereum's liquidity and infrastructure. Builders in the Ethereum ecosystem can easily deploy on Flow and begin supercharging their applications with Flow-native capabilities.
Now Flow applications are fully interoperable with the wider web3 ecosystem, catalyzing a new wave of users, liquidity, and apps.
Q. With Flow expanding its relationships with major brands like Disney and Mattel, what can users expect in terms of new experiences and collectibles in the near future?
Whether it’s an innovative experience or a novel approach to collectibles, the next killer app will be on Flow. To date, over 45-million people have used a product on Flow. Top tier creators like Dapper Labs (NBA, NFL, Disney) and industry leaders such as Mattel (Barbie, Hot Wheels) and LiveNation/Ticketmaster use Flow for the next-gen experiences.
At recent ETHGlobal hackathons, Flow was the developers choice of network to build on. Whether devs are building on the network’s existing killer apps or creating their own from scratch, the next big thing is being built on Flow.
Q. Any message for our readers?
One of the most exciting things we’re working on right now is Flow Community Rewards. By creating an ecosystem where engaged users are not only participants but also stakeholders in the products they interact with, I hope Flow Rewards can act like a decentralized "App Store" designed to accelerate adoption and solve the biggest challenges facing developers once they’ve built their product: sustainable distribution. Check it out at rewards.flow.com and let us know what you think.
If you’re a developer interested in building on Flow, check out developers.flow.com and join the Flow World Tour and find out why Flow was the most built-on network at the most recent ETHGlobal.
