I was doing my Sunday night scroll on Twitter last night and came across this video of Bill Gates on Letterman back in 1995. I highly encourage you to watch the clip, it is a great reminder as to how people first perceived the "use-case" of the internet.
This is so relatable to ho the public is currently perceiving the growth in adoption of blockchain technology, crypto, and NFTs.
I have surprised even myself on how much I have written about blockchain over the last few months. When I set out to write this blog I was primarily focused on personal finance and traditional investing philosophy. But blockchain is just so exciting. There is so much to learn, and it feels like we are in the midst of the greatest technological revolution of my lifetime. (Remember, I wasn't born yet in this clip with Bill Gates, I didn't see the invention of the internet. I am open to the argument that the advent of the internet is the greatest tech innovation of all time.)
If crypto and blockchain meet their potential as both a technological advancement and an asset class, we are still extremely early and undervaluing the technology and opportunity that exists across the landscape. If you are a young person interested in finance or technology, you most likely are planting your flag in this industry for years to come.
As you should.
I'm no hockey buff, but there is a saying from legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky that I believe relates well to the future employment opportunities within this industry.
"Skate to where the puck is going, not to where it has been."
When I look to the future of finance and technology, it all gets tracked back to the principles of blockchain, NFTs, and crypto. That is where the puck is going. Thinking about how you can get involved in this technology now, may set you up for the future of the industry in a big way. It takes a certain level of conviction and belief in this technologies adoption to dive into it, but as they say, fortune favors the bold.
As all of this is going on, we are also seeing a boom in start-ups and entrepreneurship. The private markets have been exploding over the last few years, thanks in part to additional capital getting pumped into the financial eco-system with record amounts of stimulus. These trends don't show any sign of slowing down, and I think we will continue to see growth in employment opportunities both in start-ups and blockchain tech companies alike. Check out this chart showing the growth in AUM within Private Equity over the last decade, and look where it's headed.
I wrote a blog a few weeks ago on a conference put together by Hirect on the current state of the crypto market, and how to seek employment opportunities within in it.
The webinar took place on Nov. 17th, but in case you missed if I have the link to watch it here: Do You Want A Job In Crypto? - YouTube
Here's a breakdown of some of the speakers and companies that spoke at the conference, most notably Masha Boone, who is the VP of People at Rarible, one of the most recognized NFT marketplaces currently out there today.
Lesley Baughman, Head of People at Horizen Labs
Boomer Saraga, Co-Founder and CEO at Khelp Crypto
Pryce Adade-Yebesi, Co-Founder at Utopia Labs
If you are interested in getting started in this industry, I encourage you to watch the webinar, and even to reach out to some of these key-note folks who spoke.
The groundwork is being laid out for a totally new ecosystem of technology and finance. It's an exciting time to be curious in this space, and I look forward to seeing what comes from it.