Update – Hempchain™ Meetup

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Last week, I attended a Meetup here in Austin about the convergence of blockchain and the CBD/Hemp Industry.

(No, this is not what a Hempchain™ Meetup looks like.)

Quick note: there is a difference between CBD and marijuana. There is a difference between hemp and marijuana. Do your own research to understand the difference.

Presenter Mark Morris, creator and CEO of Hempchain™ technology, discussed some of the incredible opportunities and roadblocks the industry faces. Infrastructure and a reliable supply chain aren’t available now in the United States. Mark hopes that using his blockchain technology, Hempchain™, it may solve some logistics problems (that’s what I surmised from this meetup).

According to a Texas Department of Agriculture website, the application process to grow hemp (not marijuana) will start sometime in 2020. One of my relatives owns acreage in South Texas that isn’t producing a lot of revenue. Perhaps I can convince them of a new crop to grow there. 😉

In the meantime, I will continue research into the hemp industry and blockchain. I’ll keep y’all updated.

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Quick Update – My Visit to Newchip

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I visited the Austin office of Newchip this afternoon. Every Tuesday in July, the office will have a free co-working event, and so I decided to stop by and say hello.

Newchip, according to their page, is about focusing on product development, as well as ” … fundraising, negotiating, partnerships, and scaling revenue …”. I’ve done a bit of research on firms such as Newchip, and it is one of the few I’ve found that has such an extensive accelerator program for startups, and the only one I’ve found so far in Austin.

This appears to be a great place for startups that are just beginning their venture. There is a general work space open regular business hours Monday through Friday. There are also dedicated desks and small offices that are open extended hours.

Kim, the receptionist, was kind enough to offer me a quick tour of the place. I liked that it was a “lean” working environment without it feeling spartan.

Next week, I have a short telephone meeting with a Newchip representative. We’ll go over the various accelerator programs they provide and see if my company is a good fit. I’ll keep you updated!

Six – SXSW PanelPicker

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The 2019 SXSW PanelPicker is here!

A summary of the PanelPicker is described below. The links will take you to the appropriate sections.

PanelPicker is the official SXSW user-generated session proposal platform developed to encourage the community to pitch their proposals for our daytime conference programming. This easy, two-step online process allows the SXSW community to have a voice in what creative and thought-provoking programming is scheduled at the SXSW Conference and SXSW EDU.

There are many session formats to choose from. Here are a few:

  • Book readings and signings
  • Meetups
  • Pitch events
  • Presentations and panels

The PanelPicker runs from July 1 to the 19th. I am in the process of submitting my pitch for the Pitch Event. Although I am unable to describe in detail what my idea is,

  • It does involve Blockchain for the special needs community in the United States , and
  • It may involve a cryptocurrency for this population.

I will drop hints here and there in future posts of my ideas. In the meantime, send me comments if you’ve attended SXSW before. I’ve attended SXSW Edu, but I’d like to know your experiences with past SXSW Interative sessions.

Five – SQL, HTML, JS, OMG

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I’m not a programming expert. In fact, I hate programming. My main career path has been in general management; computer science courses were not required for an Accounting degree. I can’t even spell pergramming.

My first college major was Engineering. There was a joke circulating in the engineering department. It went something like this:

What do you call an Engineering Major dropout? An Accounting Major.

Initially, things went well with my intro Engineering courses. However, I was required to take a Pascal Programming class. I failed the class once and almost failed the class again.

Computer Programming stressed me so much I changed my major to Accounting.

There was a joke circulating around the business school:

What do you call an Accounting Major dropout? A Marketing major.

For years, I avoided learning any programming language. Besides, I enjoyed Accounting, and programming was not needed.

When I heard about Cryptocurrency, I wasn’t initially impressed. Another future dot-com failure, I erroneously assumed.

However, once I discovered the Blockchain and its worldwide implications, I was hooked. I felt I needed to be a part of this.

I had to learn a few programming languages to get a deep understanding of the Blockchain,

Soon after, I began online HTML and CSS courses. I eventually understood the basics, but I wasn’t interested in proceeding further.

I discovered Solidity. Simply put, it is a programming language to create smart contracts in the Blockchain. I visited a training website, BitDegree, where there was a fun, interactive course on Solidity.

When I started the free course, I wasn’t sure if I would be succesful on creating a smart contract via Solidity and “Space Doggos”. But after three online lessons, I felt a sea change. It was still difficult, but it wasn’t impossible. My skin didn’t break out in a rash. What happened?

I had fun with the program. I completed the first three tasks without a hitch; I gained confidence to continue.

Maybe I’m older and wiser. Maybe I just had to be motivated due to something so exciting, so earth-shattering like the Blockchain, that programming was now possible.

I’m not a programmer. I can do create a WordPress website with plugins, but I’m light years away from applying for a Full Stack web developer position.

My goal is to have a rudimentary knowledge of a few programming languages. I feel my career path is leading me to a finance position at a startup Blockchain company. Understanding programming languages will help me gain insight as to what my programmers are doing, and why.

I’ll continue to post updates on my adventures in Blockchain.

Four – My First Blockchain Meetup

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Really excited to attend my first Blockchain Meetup

Thoughts before, during, and after my first Blockchain Meetup:

  • I’d rather climb the 17 stories to the meeting than take that glass elevator again
  • Where are the refreshments?
  • Thank goodness I sat through the entire video of the Token Taxonomy Workshop yesterday
  • My hand’s cramping. Nope, that’s my brain.
  • Non-Fungible tokens … yea. Fun.
  • Oh, wait – CRYPTOKITTIES are non-fungible tokens?!? Whoa.
  • I get it. I get it! The TTF wants to create a protocol similar to GAAP in Accounting.
  • Where did I park my car?

Three – Proof of Eureka

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Last Saturday, I had a Eureka! moment. No, my idea didn’t form in my head while I bathed in the rub like Archimedes. It didn’t hit me like a ton of bricks the way it does like Dr. House.

When an idea forms in my head, it occurs when I am in the middle of a mundane task – washing dishes, running an errand, or listening to a cruddy podcast.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about ideas, a theory that can never be proven. I can make millions on it – writing a best selling novel, becoming the female Seth Godin. Although this secret is pretty incredible, I have a low tolerance for keeping such juicy morsels from you, dear reader.

Here it is:

When an idea pops in your head, don’t dismiss it.

“That’s it?” you mutter, as you throw your iPhone out the kitchen window. Please, my fellow lover of knowledge, hear me out. Most humans, when an idea presents itself, will ignore it and move on to more pressing, present errands.

I have to pick up the kids. The dishes are piling in the sink. Did I pay my utility bill? In other words, I don’t have time for this!

Listen to me: Listen to yourself. Don’t dismiss your thoughts.

This is meant for perfectly rational thoughts and not those that will cause harm to yourself or others. This is meant for those thoughts that have the potential to become great ideas, that then have the potential to become great services or products.

I may wax poetic about my idea theory in another article.

An idea popped in my head listening to a podcast while doing laundry. The podcast was delving into the Blockchain protocol “proof of work”. This subject interests me immensely, but unfortunately, the podcaster had a unique ability of sucking the life out of an interesting topic.

“Maybe this is boring,” I thought, “because I can improve on this idea.”

POP! My idea explodes in my head. Stuck in the middle of piles of clothing in my laundry room, I mutter under my breath the idea so that I don’t forget it. A few minutes pass as I shove clean clothes into recognizable piles then walk quickly to my desk.

The idea is scribbled on the only piece of paper available – a crumbled receipt. I have a bad habit of leaving my note pads everywhere else but my desk.

I discover scraps of paper in the recycling bin nearby. Writing furiously for two pages, I feel confident all the info I had in my head is out.

At this time, I cannot divulge what the idea is. It is connected to Blockchain. It may be complete rubbish. It may lead to another great idea. This idea will may become the reason why I create a Blockchain company. Stay tuned.