Blockchain has opened up the doors to something truly special. Every minute I spend researching, diving further down the rabbit hole, this belief is further cemented. In my first post for The Hard Fork, I explained the thoughts that prompted big change in my life. However, I didn’t express much of a direction or plan. How exactly am I approaching these changes and what am I doing to make them happen?
Reaching out to other blockchain enthusiasts has been incredibly informative. With such a new space, everyone has questions. No single person has all of the answers but the crypto-community is very willing to work together to find them. A major factor in this technology’s growth will be that dynamic, incentivizing improvement through collaborative efforts. That general thought is something I’ve been trying my best to implement in day to day life. It is why I created this blog. We can all be better prepared to handle what comes next by sharing our experiences and how we learned from them.
I recently began chatting with a gentlemen named John that I met through the Facebook group “The Bad Crypto Mastermind” - built by the creators of the Bad Crypto Podcast. He asked me a question that hit hard: “I'm really curious about how close you are to jumping off and quitting your day job?”.
When I first read the question, I was ready to pounce with a defensive approach. Immediately trying to think of “reasons” that were really excuses. Thoughts like “I can’t quit right now because I have to pay the bills”. If we are being honest with ourselves, isn’t that always going to be true? What are the odds of this happening if I am waiting until bills are no longer a burden? So I let the question marinate. I slept on it and tried to think of a REAL answer.
This was my response:
“That is a really good, hard hitting question. I read this last night and had to let it sink in a little bit - really think about an honest answer with minimal ‘excuses’.
I have gone down to part time but not able to completely step away. I've been way too comfortable for far too long in my current position (server, restaurant at Disney) - one that has allowed me to buy a house and live very happily...but I've been coasting for a few years now and hadn't been too concerned with the next step until recent months. I set a goal to truly give 100% focus and time by June. That will be tough to accomplish but I expect things to begin ramping up, soon.
Thankfully, I am still able to spend a solid 6-8 hours a day (minimum) trying to move forward. My partner is aiming to step away from his job at the end of February. On his end, he doesn't have the same flexibility to contribute so much time on a daily basis. Up to this point, it has really just been me, using him as a sounding board. I'm looking forward to having his full focus to take that next big step.”
I’m still not sold that this was the best response. Reading it a few days later, I feel that I probably deflected the attention off of myself and on to my partner too much. At the end of the day, it is all going to come down to what I can accomplish. While support from the right people certainly makes the path easier to travel, I can’t wait around for someone to hold my hand.
John asked another question that is very important to discuss, “What are some of the steps you're taking now to move forward, other than blogging about the experience?”
For anyone looking to make a big change, this question should be asked on a regular basis. At this point, there’s no telling where this path is taking me. I just know there is endless opportunity ahead in blockchain. I immediately fell in love with the technology and potential for the future, as well as a new space to fit myself in.
No previous skills in any field remotely relating to crypto...so where do I even get started? At first, it was 100% dedication to learning every general aspect of the space - building a foundation and knowledge base that I could then expand on. Not only did I discover how impactful this technology is, I realized how much I enjoyed digging deeper into the intricate details. Once I was sucked in, I couldn’t stop my mind from contemplating the millions of ways that blockchain will impact our lives. From that moment, I had no idea what the end game would be but I was certain I would find a way to better my professional and personal life through blockchain.
The next step for me was finding a way to attach myself to the technology. If I can’t immediately put a crypto related job on my resume, what can I do that shows a connection to the space? As someone that loves writing, SteemIt was a perfect fit. Look at me now...I’m a paid writer!
While the early stages of this blog highlight experiences and random thoughts coming from me, I do want this to be about all of us. Creating relationships will be very valuable as I move forward. Taking a step in that direction, I’ve reached out to a few people who may provide excellent examples for us all:
- Swinging for the fences, I reached out directly to Taylor Monahan - the co-creator of MyEtherWallet.com and now, MyCrypto.com. Splitting off from MEW to create a new competitor had to have been an incredible struggle. I will try my best to get some insight in to her frame of mind during the process of making that choice.
- I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam, another member of the Bad Crypto Mastermind group. I caught him the night before his first pitch as a blockchain entrepreneur and got a decent feel for aspirations. In the coming days, I will catch up with him to see how things went.
- John is putting in work to create his own ecosystem of collaboration, “I'm actually in the process of forming a monthly meet-up that gets together just to hear pitches from members within the group and offer critiques on the idea/business plan.”
We’ve got some nice, varying degrees of change to follow closely.
I’m very interested to see where this blog heads. At the very least, it serves as an additional layer of motivation. I want to put it all out there...that way I can’t take anything back. There is no avenue for excuses or imaginary reasons explaining failure, if all of the facts are out there. With this blog, I’ve essentially built a way to publicly shame myself. It’s a lot easier to back out when the only one who knows the plan is you. If I can build a community behind my pursuit, it will be exponentially harder to back down.
Wouldn’t it help to have a skill relating to this technology? Thinking more long term, I’ve used the resources on Codecademy.com to learn the basics of certain coding languages, starting with Python. Things have been challenging but when a lesson clicks and genuine understanding sets in, it is very rewarding. It certainly makes you want to keep fighting through the confusion. Over the last few years, I’ve toyed with the idea of learning a new language. Spanish was always the heavy favorite...I would have never bet on Python to be the winner.
- Immediate: Education, education, education.
- Short Term: Build the Blog
- Mid Term: Grasp Coding Language Basics (Python, C++, Solidity)
- End game…
While I would love to sit here and say that I have the finale written, it’s just not possible. After hitting that hard fork in the road, I’ve only taken the first few steps in this new direction. As far as my eyes can see, the path just keeps going forward. All I know: I’m taking this hard fork up and to the right.
Thank you for taking the time to read! Don't forget to check out the rest of my blog posts that cover:
- My Forking Education:
- Showcasing the things I’ve learned that are inspiring me to stay on my path
- Quick Breakdowns/Easy Reads
- Written so those with no prior knowledge of a given topic can comprehend and learn
- My Forking Updates:
- Describing the roadblocks, obstacles, and breakthroughs I’ve encountered
- My Forking Inspirations:
- Profiling examples of others that provide great learning experiences
- Other Steemians
- Celebrities
- Obscure entities, great examples
- Profiling examples of others that provide great learning experiences
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