A Veterans Introduction to Entrepreneurship via Cryptocurrency and Dreams
We Can Change the World Together.
Ever since I was about eight years old I have dreamed of making a name for myself, changing the world for the better in anyway possible. I knew that change might be small. I knew I might find a minute success and directly impact other persons directly. I tried many different activities to help put me on the right path: boy scouts, volunteerism, after-school activities, and so much more.
Then I graduated high school still feeling that urge and joined the Air Force. The Air Force is a great organization to join and teaches young men and women so much: morals, timeliness, a sense of being part of something bigger than yourself. It is not all roses however, nothing is. There are downsides and I can say that, while I have enjoyed my time getting to know my coworkers, representing the Air Force at volunteer events, and deploying, it still left me with the same urges as before. I still wanted to contribute more.
Computer Science Was Just a Beginning
I have always been an avid technology enthusiast. I went through and still love to play PC games. I even took my first programming classes, Java I & II, in high school. My mind was amazed with how easy one could create something useful. How someone could type these abstract lines into a editor and be presented with a usable and possibly create an impact through applications.
Throughout the years I picked up HTML, Javascript (Nodejs), CSS/SASS, PHP, and Ruby. I loved to create new experiences for the general web, for freelance clients, and for personal projects. I even had the opportunity to design the character account system for the now defunct western publisher of a Korean grind-fest named Divine Souls (MMO.tm). It was during that time that I knew my future laid in developing applications and creating user experiences. This was going to be my path towards impacting society.
A New Hotness Named Bitcoin
I was at a coffee shop in downtown St. Louis, Park Avenue Coffee, when I first overhead the term cryptocurrency. I did not know what that term meant at the time but I did know that it sounded futuristic and wanted to learn more. They were gracious enough to allow me to crash their conversation and give me a back-brief. I walked away from this conversation with a Bitcoin wallet and $10 worth of Bitcoin. My mind was blown at all the future possibilities.
Bitcoin, or any cryptocurrency that can become widely accepted, could serve to change our world. To change the way people interact and transfer value between each other. To forever change how humans can interact with machines. Any company or person could easily create a game-changing experience, they just have to have the right amount of daring and the right idea.
Back to Entrepreneurship
While my time was dwindling in the Air Force I started looking towards the future. I knew that I wanted to make a difference. I knew that difference would occur by affecting user experiences. I now knew I would do this through cryptocurrency. The coins themselves, the possibility of writing smart contracts and distributed applications. So many great choices to change the world: Bitcoin, Ethereum/Ethereum Classic, maybe even Lisk if things pick up more. This is where the modern day developer and dreamer can change the world. This is where the future is. This is where not just my, but our futures will be made.
I am going out on a limb, harnessing the power and promise of these systems, and believing in what they can offer. Let us build and enjoy this future together.