Agryo

agryo

Welcome to HackerNoon’s Writing Prompts! Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. Please tell us your name, what you currently do, and where you work: My name is Maria Carolina. I'm a data scientist with 4.5 years of experience, currently working at a tech company in Brazil. How did you get into Data Science? My journey to data science is unique, I guess. I began my career as an agronomist, completing advanced degrees including a master's and doctorate, and worked as both a postdoctoral researcher and university professor (did not like teaching undergrad very much though). When I first learned about data science through international websites and blogs, it was still an emerging field in Brazil, with very few local job opportunities. So that seemed pretty impossible to me. But somehow, despite living far from the country's major financial centers where most tech jobs were concentrated (and I could not move out of state for a job), I managed to break into the field. My agricultural background was the main reason, I joined a company focused on agribusiness. What does your day-to-day role involve? My role varies depending on current projects, but research is a constant and significant component. Some tasks require several days of research before any coding begins (which I really enjoy). What technology or programming languages do you frequently use to get your work done? I primarily use Python, which is standard across our team. Given our focus on agribusiness, I also work extensively with GIS software, particularly QGIS (a big fan of this tool), and SQL. What do you like the most about your job? The research-intensive nature of my work is what I enjoy most. It feels like an extension of my academic research background but with the added satisfaction of developing practical products. I have to stay current with the latest research, state-of-the-art developments in the field, statistical analysis, machine learning techniques, and efficient programming practices. What is something you think people do not know about data science or data scientists? I understand that there is a wide variety of data roles. Even though data scientist is just one of them, there are many different profiles that a data scientist can embody, depending on the company, client, and projects. I don't know if everyone realizes the diversity of possibilities that this role provides - and of course, how much it evolves and seems to change by the year. But I believe that any data scientist should be very interested in research and learning, and I say this in addition to knowing how to run models for example (which of course also requires a lot of study). While technical skills are crucial, a fundamental curiosity and passion for research and continuous learning are essential traits for any data scientist. What are some trends in data science that you’re particularly excited about? I'm particularly excited about AI's evolving role in data science (although at the same time, I feel the need (daily) to continue learning much more about what we already call "traditional"). While it began by streamlining basic tasks, I believe we're moving toward more sophisticated and complex applications of AI. If you weren't a Data Scientist, what would you be doing? I would probably be in a research position (if I managed to, of course), as I'm deeply passionate about the scientific process - forming hypotheses, developing methodologies, testing assumptions, and documenting findings. What are 3 quick ways for someone to get into Data Science and land a job within a year? For aspiring data scientists, my advice is to: Develop a genuine interest in continuous learning and problem-solving (NEVER ends….and maybe that's very good)
Focus on understanding underlying concepts and their connections (understanding the reasons behind the things!)
Balance your studies between statistics, programming, and business domains (no one knows all…) Welcome to HackerNoon’s Writing Prompts! Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. Welcome to HackerNoon ’s Writing Prompts! Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE . HackerNoon HERE Please tell us your name, what you currently do, and where you work: My name is Maria Carolina. I'm a data scientist with 4.5 years of experience, currently working at a tech company in Brazil. How did you get into Data Science? My journey to data science is unique, I guess. I began my career as an agronomist, completing advanced degrees including a master's and doctorate, and worked as both a postdoctoral researcher and university professor (did not like teaching undergrad very much though). When I first learned about data science through international websites and blogs, it was still an emerging field in Brazil, with very few local job opportunities. So that seemed pretty impossible to me. But somehow, despite living far from the country's major financial centers where most tech jobs were concentrated (and I could not move out of state for a job), I managed to break into the field. My agricultural background was the main reason, I joined a company focused on agribusiness. What does your day-to-day role involve? My role varies depending on current projects, but research is a constant and significant component. Some tasks require several days of research before any coding begins (which I really enjoy). What technology or programming languages do you frequently use to get your work done? I primarily use Python , which is standard across our team. Given our focus on agribusiness, I also work extensively with GIS software, particularly QGIS (a big fan of this tool), and SQL. Python What do you like the most about your job? The research-intensive nature of my work is what I enjoy most. It feels like an extension of my academic research background but with the added satisfaction of developing practical products. I have to stay current with the latest research, state-of-the-art developments in the field, statistical analysis, machine learning techniques, and efficient programming practices. What is something you think people do not know about data science or data scientists? I understand that there is a wide variety of data roles. Even though data scientist is just one of them, there are many different profiles that a data scientist can embody, depending on the company, client, and projects. I don't know if everyone realizes the diversity of possibilities that this role provides - and of course, how much it evolves and seems to change by the year. But I believe that any data scientist should be very interested in research and learning, and I say this in addition to knowing how to run models for example (which of course also requires a lot of study). data scientist While technical skills are crucial, a fundamental curiosity and passion for research and continuous learning are essential traits for any data scientist. What are some trends in data science that you’re particularly excited about? I'm particularly excited about AI's evolving role in data science (although at the same time, I feel the need (daily) to continue learning much more about what we already call "traditional"). While it began by streamlining basic tasks, I believe we're moving toward more sophisticated and complex applications of AI. If you weren't a Data Scientist, what would you be doing? I would probably be in a research position (if I managed to, of course), as I'm deeply passionate about the scientific process - forming hypotheses, developing methodologies, testing assumptions, and documenting findings. What are 3 quick ways for someone to get into Data Science and land a job within a year? For aspiring data scientists, my advice is to: Develop a genuine interest in continuous learning and problem-solving (NEVER ends….and maybe that's very good) Focus on understanding underlying concepts and their connections (understanding the reasons behind the things!) Balance your studies between statistics, programming, and business domains (no one knows all…) Develop a genuine interest in continuous learning and problem-solving (NEVER ends….and maybe that's very good) Focus on understanding underlying concepts and their connections (understanding the reasons behind the things!) Balance your studies between statistics, programming, and business domains (no one knows all…)

From Agronomist to Data Scientist: My Journey into the World of AI and Data Science

Table of Contents Agrotech: What is Agrotech? History of Agrotech Recent Developments in Agrotech How Agrotech makes Agriculture easier for workers Agrotech in 2021 and Beyond: The Future What is Agrotech? Agricultural technology or agrotech is the use of modern technology to improve yield in farming, horticulture, aquaculture, and animal husbandry. Agrotech aims to increase food production and make agriculture easier for farmworkers. Using sophisticated equipment for otherwise time-consuming tasks has helped increase productivity and reduce time wastage in the agricultural industry. For instance, if a farmer chooses to use a tractor and plows for tilling a piece of land, the tilling job will take less time than if human workers were employed to till that same plot of land. Similar technologies are employed from the production stage of agricultural products until the harvest stage to reduce the workload on farmworkers and ensure that agricultural products get to the consumers right on time. History of Agrotech Agricultural technology is not new to humans: the first group of humans survived by farming and hunting animals. They the knife, hoe, and scythe. developed tools such as Then, a large percentage of the population was involved in agriculture because of the high demand for food and the low yield that farming with small tools provided. In the mid 18th century, new developments in technology allowed farmers to work on larger plots of land and harvest more crops. This eliminated the need for a large number of farmworkers and reduced the uncertainty associated with agriculture. The helped bring about the Industrial revolution by reducing the number of farmworkers: more workers were available for employment in the industries. Agricultural Revolution The 1890s saw the , which we all know today as the tractor. It ran on gasoline and could move forward and backward. Iowan John Froelich improved his tractors for the next 20 years and formed a company that later sold out to John Deere Manufacturing. development of Iowan John Froelich's traction motor Much later, developments such as genetically modified plants, hybrid plants, herbicides, and fertilizers took the world of agriculture by storm. Agricultural technology has evolved over the years: who knows what next is to come? Recent Developments : The GIS software offers a precision-based method of monitoring fields, plant health, weather conditions, crop yield, etc. GPS , on the other hand, helps farmers with smart machinery to optimize fertilizer and herbicide application, thus saving resources and time. 1. GIS and GPS Software software Genetically modified crops are being developed to meet the food demand of the world's growing population. These genetically modified are designed to have a different growth pattern than the original product or develop disease resistance. 2. Genetic Engineering: crops : Drones help farmers monitor the hard-to-reach areas of their farms, access the fertility of crops, apply fertilizers and pesticides, and successfully plan irrigation systems. can even be used to measure the extent of soil damage: for instance, in case of a flood. 3. Drones Drones : AI is used to optimize data in real-time: from weather conditions to temperature and soil conditions. It provides a system in which farmers can monitor crop development and yield. In addition, AI agriculture help in carrying out some tasks that would have required human labor. 4. Artificial Intelligence bots : , a decision-making tool, helps farmers monitor fish movement during feeding. This helps farmers understand fish appetite and provide better meals for the fish, resulting in improved growth and fish survival. Indirectly, more fish are produced to meet the protein demand of human consumers. 5. Digital Feeding Cage Eye How AgroTech Makes Agriculture Easier For Workers Agrotech is a blessing to the field of agriculture: it reduces work hours and improves productivity. Many years before agricultural technology developed, farmers had to work up to six out of seven days a week in the rain and sun to ensure that the harvest was good. If they didn't have that capacity, they had to employ and pay more workers. Agrotech removes that burden from the farmer, and it reduces the wastage of resources. Using GPS and GIS software helps the farmer spray pesticides and fertilizer onto the problem areas rather than spraying the whole farm. The use of genetically improved crops improves yield and reduces the number of crops destroyed by plant diseases. All of these factors increase profit after these crops are sold and indirectly increase the farmworker's income while reducing their work hours. Agriculture Technology in 2021 and Beyond: The Future In the years that have passed, agricultural technology has taken a different turn. The GIS and GPS technology, IoT Technology, Blockchain, Automation, and Genetically Improved Crops are gifts these years have given to agricultural technology. These developments have reduced work hours, created more jobs, increased yield, and provided food for us all. In the years to come, there will be much greater technological developments in the field of agriculture. Amid all these developments, consumer health and employment statistics should be taken into consideration. The future is uncertain: years from now, we could have farms completely run by robots.

Agrotech: Making Agriculture Easier for Workers

Welcome back to another HackerNoon Startups of the Week! If you’re not already in the loop, each week, the team at HackerNoon showcases a list of startups from our Startups of The Year database. All these startups have been nominated as one of the best in their respective category or region. This week, we’re pleased to bring you Cropler, Connectech, and DoubleShift. Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here. Meet Startups of the Week Cropler Cropler is the world’s first real-time remote photo plant monitoring technology that is about to become an AI-powered digital agronomical assistant. Cropler uses smart AI-powered mobile agri-cameras to help farmers and agri-businesses identify the key phenophases, diseases, and inputs efficiency to perform necessary agricultural operations timely. Located in Warsaw, Poland, this startup has been nominated as one of the best in their region, along with nominations in IoT, Hardware, and Climatetech. Support Cropler - Vote here! Connectech Connectech is a digital marketing agency specializing in community building, social media management, content creation, and podcast production tailored for tech companies and startups. They aim to bridge global tech companies with the Indonesian market through effective digital strategies and collaborative community activation. This company has been nominated as one of the best Startups of The Year for South Jakarta, Indonesia, with additional nominations in the Marketing, Creative Agency, and Social Media industries. Support Connectech - Vote here! DoubleShift DoubleShift is a creative agency focused on building impactful brand strategies and communications for "challenger" brands. They handle brand identity, design, and storytelling, aiming to help clients connect deeply with their audiences. Based in Pretoria, South Africa, DoubleShift was recognized as one the best startups in its location, with additional nominations across the following industries: Marketing, Creative Agency, and Media Production. Support DoubleShift - Vote here! Featured Interview of The Week Follow Cropler’s example and take advantage of your free Startups of The Year interview: simply create your business page on HackerNoon, and pick from one of our interview templates here. https://hackernoon.com/ai-driven-solutions-for-modern-agritech-interview-with-soty-2024-nominee-cropler?embedable=true Today, we’ll focus on the Media Startup Interview. This template lets you highlight what makes your startup unique, including what inspired you to enter the media industry and the specific value your company brings to it. Share your biggest challenges in transforming the traditional media landscape, your strategies to overcome them, and how you keep pace with rapidly changing trends to stay competitive. Finally, outline your long-term vision, goals, and plans for future growth, showing voters why they should support you in Startups of The Year. Here’s a quote from Cropler featured in their published interview, telling us why they decided to participate in Startups of The Year: Entering into HackerNoon's Startups of the Year is not an opportunity for Cropler but rather a stage to revolutionize the agribusiness panorama. We come to introduce our pioneering AI agri-camera technology that's going to change the world and make agriculture more predictable and effective. This is a moment in the spotlight to galvanize an industry for the attention of global investors, tech enthusiasts, and potential partners who are committed to transforming agriculture through innovation as much as we are. Want to be featured on HackerNoon’s Startups of the Week? Share your startup's story - use this interview template.
Here’s how the 2023 nominees did it: Meetanshi, Sniper.xyz, Wallet Factory, Grownu Workforce Management System, Motif, Lightrun Featured Startup Specials Package Discover our Lead Generation package, delivering 1M impressions through the HackerNoon Newsletter! With this package, you’ll get: 4 Total Newsletters Sent: 325,000 per send (85% of subscribers reside in the US)

Open Rate: 13% - 15%
Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61%
Sample: Here


Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page Learn more about this package here. That’s all we have for you today, folks! We’ll see you at the next one. The HackerNoon Team Welcome back to another HackerNoon Startups of the Week! If you’re not already in the loop, each week, the team at HackerNoon showcases a list of startups from our Startups of The Year database . All these startups have been nominated as one of the best in their respective category or region. Startups of The Year database This week, we’re pleased to bring you Cropler , Connectech , and DoubleShift . Cropler Connectech DoubleShift Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here. Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here. Want to be nominated for HackerNoon’s Startups of The Year? Learn how here . here Meet Startups of the Week Meet Startups of the Week Cropler Cropler Cropler is the world’s first real-time remote photo plant monitoring technology that is about to become an AI-powered digital agronomical assistant. Cropler uses smart AI-powered mobile agri-cameras to help farmers and agri-businesses identify the key phenophases, diseases, and inputs efficiency to perform necessary agricultural operations timely. Located in Warsaw, Poland , this startup has been nominated as one of the best in their region, along with nominations in IoT , Hardware , and Climatetech . Warsaw, Poland IoT Hardware Climatetech Support Cropler - Vote here! Support Cropler - Vote here! Support Cropler - Vote here ! here Connectech Connectech Connectech is a digital marketing agency specializing in community building, social media management, content creation, and podcast production tailored for tech companies and startups. They aim to bridge global tech companies with the Indonesian market through effective digital strategies and collaborative community activation. This company has been nominated as one of the best Startups of The Year for South Jakarta, Indonesia , with additional nominations in the Marketing , Creative Agency , and Social Media industries. South Jakarta, Indonesia Marketing Creative Agency Social Media Support Connectech - Vote here! Support Connectech - Vote here! Support Connectech - Vote here ! here DoubleShift DoubleShift DoubleShift is a creative agency focused on building impactful brand strategies and communications for "challenger" brands. They handle brand identity, design, and storytelling, aiming to help clients connect deeply with their audiences. Based in Pretoria, South Africa , DoubleShift was recognized as one the best startups in its location, with additional nominations across the following industries: Marketing , Creative Agency , and Media Production . Pretoria, South Africa Marketing Creative Agency Media Production Support DoubleShift - Vote here! Support DoubleShift - Vote here! Support DoubleShift - Vote here ! here Featured Interview of The Week Featured Interview of The Week Follow Cropler ’s example and take advantage of your free Startups of The Year interview: simply create your business page on HackerNoon , and pick from one of our interview templates here . Cropler your business page on HackerNoon here https://hackernoon.com/ai-driven-solutions-for-modern-agritech-interview-with-soty-2024-nominee-cropler?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/ai-driven-solutions-for-modern-agritech-interview-with-soty-2024-nominee-cropler?embedable=true Today, we’ll focus on the Media Startup Interview . This template lets you highlight what makes your startup unique, including what inspired you to enter the media industry and the specific value your company brings to it. Share your biggest challenges in transforming the traditional media landscape, your strategies to overcome them, and how you keep pace with rapidly changing trends to stay competitive. Finally, outline your long-term vision, goals, and plans for future growth, showing voters why they should support you in Startups of The Year. Media Startup Interview Here’s a quote from Cropler featured in their published interview, telling us why they decided to participate in Startups of The Year: Here’s a quote from Cropler featured in their published interview , telling us why they decided to participate in Startups of The Year: Cropler published interview Entering into HackerNoon's Startups of the Year is not an opportunity for Cropler but rather a stage to revolutionize the agribusiness panorama. We come to introduce our pioneering AI agri-camera technology that's going to change the world and make agriculture more predictable and effective. This is a moment in the spotlight to galvanize an industry for the attention of global investors, tech enthusiasts, and potential partners who are committed to transforming agriculture through innovation as much as we are. Entering into HackerNoon's Startups of the Year is not an opportunity for Cropler but rather a stage to revolutionize the agribusiness panorama. We come to introduce our pioneering AI agri-camera technology that's going to change the world and make agriculture more predictable and effective. This is a moment in the spotlight to galvanize an industry for the attention of global investors, tech enthusiasts, and potential partners who are committed to transforming agriculture through innovation as much as we are. revolutionize the agribusiness Want to be featured on HackerNoon’s Startups of the Week? Share your startup's story - use this interview template. Here’s how the 2023 nominees did it: Meetanshi, Sniper.xyz, Wallet Factory, Grownu Workforce Management System, Motif, Lightrun Want to be featured on HackerNoon’s Startups of the Week? Share your startup's story - use this interview template. Want to be featured on HackerNoon’s Startups of the Week? Share your startup's story - use this interview template . use this interview template Here’s how the 2023 nominees did it: Meetanshi , Sniper.xyz , Wallet Factory , Grownu Workforce Management System , Motif , Lightrun Meetanshi Sniper.xyz Wallet Factory Grownu Workforce Management System Motif Lightrun Featured Startup Specials Package Featured Startup Specials Package Discover our Lead Generation package, delivering 1M impressions through the HackerNoon Newsletter! Lead Generation With this package, you’ll get: 4 Total Newsletters Sent: 325,000 per send (85% of subscribers reside in the US)

Open Rate: 13% - 15%
Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61%
Sample: Here Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page 4 Total Newsletters Sent: 325,000 per send (85% of subscribers reside in the US) Open Rate: 13% - 15%
Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61%
Sample: Here Open Rate: 13% - 15% Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61% Sample: Here Open Rate: 13% - 15% Click-to-Open Rate: 13.61% Sample: Here Here Your Evergreen Tech Company News Page Evergreen Tech Company News Page Learn more about this package here. Learn more about this package here . here That’s all we have for you today, folks! We’ll see you at the next one. The HackerNoon Team

Meet Cropler, Connectech & DoubleShift: HackerNoon Startups of the Week

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Hey Hackers! Cropler has been nominated in HackerNoon's Startups of The Year 2024  awards in Warsaw, Poland under the Emerging Tech category and others. Please vote for us here: 1️⃣ https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-warsaw-poland 2️⃣ https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/iot 3️⃣ https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/hardware 4️⃣ https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/climatetech Meet Cropler Cropler is the world’s first real-time remote photo plant monitoring technology that is about to become an AI-powered digital agronomical assistant. Cropler uses smart AI-powered mobile agricameras to help farmers and agribusinesses identify the key phenophases, diseases, and inputs efficiently to perform necessary agricultural operations in a timely manner. The Winning Team 1️⃣ Nik Bedunkevich
LinkedIn
Founder & CEO
With over 10 years in software and 7+ years in hardware development, Nik's leadership in precision agriculture, backed by his experience at OneSoil, where he co-founded and led hardware development, has been instrumental. His background in Radio Engineering and his ability to integrate data exchange and soil analysis sensors have enabled Cropler to push the boundaries of AI-driven agricultural solutions.2️⃣ Marie SinkovaLinkedIn
CMO
Marie’s 6+ years in marketing, including her impactful work at MEDvidi and EduDo, have significantly boosted our brand’s visibility. Her ability to develop engaging content and manage successful teams has increased revenue and brand recognition while minimizing negative reviews. Her strategic approach in various marketing areas has laid a solid foundation for Cropler development.3️⃣ Andrii ZbrytskyiLinkedIn
BDM
With over 17 years in the agritech area, Andri Zbrytskyi has witnessed firsthand the ins and outs of clients resulting in better client/corporate relations, sales and even more business development for the company. AI agriculture solutions have found strategic partnerships thanks to his efforts and these have increased expanding the market base.4️⃣ Xenia NiaborskayaLinkedIn
Head of Design
Xenia’s experience of more than 4 years in UX/UI design has played a key role in ensuring that our user interfaces work as expected and look good as well. Her capability in business-centered design and the process of user-centered design has improved the usability of our platform tremendously.5️⃣ Eugene VoronetsLinkedIn
Tech Adviser
Eugene’s 10+ years in backend development, particularly his expertise in high-load systems, ensures the robustness and scalability of our technology. His work at OneSoil, building APIs and fostering collaborations with industry leaders like John Deere and AWS, has played a critical role in shaping Cropler’s technical infrastructure. What Cropler does differently We aim to revolutionize agriculture with Cropler's global plant monitoring technology, which uses AI-powered agricameras and remote sensing data to provide farmers, agronomists, and agribusinesses with predictive field insights and global yield analytics for optimized crop production. Cropler’s unique, AI-powered plant health data allows farmers and agribusinesses to address issues before they escalate, unlike drones or weather stations, which often provide information only after problems have already progressed and plants experience severe damage. Early disease and crop stress detection ensures that farmers can act timely to maximize yields and optimize fertilizers and pesticides application. Cropler isn’t just about monitoring—it’s about driving actionable insights that make farming more efficient, sustainable, and profitable. Milestones and achievements 🏆 357 devices deployed
🏆 Revenue of $53k in 2024
🏆 AI disease & leaf damages integration
🏆 iOS & Android app release
🏆 10 dealer centers in multiple countries
🏆 16 countries (EU + USA) have chosen our devices
🏆 USA & EU issued certificates for our devices
🏆 EIT Food Test Farm winner Finalist of 2024
🏆 China Overseas Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition
🏆 Partnerships with key market players (Varda Field ID, AGRIVI, SAS Agro, Kalo, Basf (Xarvio), Bayer, Syngenta etc.) Lessons learned 1️⃣ This was quite a challenge in building AI tools that could accurately adapt to the vast complexities of agronomic data. Initial models developed were rather far from the precision that agronomists required, struggling with symptom and stage variability across different crops. However, we further invested in our AI capabilities, enhancing our models by adding extensive data sets and collaborations with agricultural experts. This achieved two things: it not only enhanced the precision of our AI but also made our tools an inseparable companion for any agronomist by providing them with second-to-none insights and recommendations. 2️⃣ Another challenge was to convince the highly practical and quite skeptical agronomists to adopt this high-tech tool called Cropler. So, we shifted strategy and focused our efforts on education and hands-on involvement, showing agronomists not only how but why our technology worked. 3️⃣ One of the most significant challenges of launching the international expansion of our solution was overcoming the many regulatory, environmental, and operational hurdles spanning across continents, which drastically changed from region to region. We learned flexibility and local partnerships. By aligning ourselves with local agronomic experts and adapting our technology to meet regional regulations and needs, the stage was set for global impact-development of preparations for a major rollout in Europe by 2025. 4️⃣ Last, but not least, was a technical and logistical challenge to scale our technology from pilot projects to widespread usage by agronomists. So, we invested in scalable architecture and robust systems, supporting high demand for real-time data processing and global access. Our platform is not a tool; it's a 24/7 digital agronomist turning that data into actionable and timely advice. What Startups of The Year means to us Entering into HackerNoon's Startups of the Year is not an opportunity for Cropler but rather a stage to revolutionize the agribusiness panorama. We come to introduce our pioneering AI agri-camera technology that's going to change the world and make agriculture more predictable and effective. This is a moment in the spotlight to galvanize an industry for the attention of global investors, tech enthusiasts, and potential partners who are committed to transforming agriculture through innovation as much as we are. To be present there is already a loud statement of the capability and vision that we have. More than that, we are not just in attendance; we are leading from the front in this charge into the future where technology and sustainability come together to remake the standard of agriculture around the world. The insights and feedback that we get here from this eclectic tech community are very critical; it fuels our drive toward the 2025 launch of our Global Analytics. For us, this is more than a competition; this is a launching pad toward growth, visibility, and impact. Join us while we lead the way to a more efficient, sustainable, and predictable agricultural future! Vote for us today: https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-warsaw-poland Hey Hackers! Cropler has been nominated in HackerNoon's Startups of The Year 2024 awards in Warsaw, Poland under the Emerging Tech category and others. Cropler Cropler HackerNoon's Startups of The Year 2024 HackerNoon's Startups of The Year 2024 HackerNoon's Startups of The Year 2024 Emerging Tech category and others. Emerging Tech Emerging Tech Please vote for us here: Please vote for us here: 1️⃣ https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-warsaw-poland https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-warsaw-poland https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-warsaw-poland 2️⃣ https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/iot https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/iot https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/iot 3️⃣ https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/hardware https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/hardware 4️⃣ https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/climatetech https://hackernoon.com/startups/industry/climatetech Meet Cropler Cropler is the world’s first real-time remote photo plant monitoring technology that is about to become an AI-powered digital agronomical assistant. Cropler uses smart AI-powered mobile agricameras to help farmers and agribusinesses identify the key phenophases, diseases, and inputs efficiently to perform necessary agricultural operations in a timely manner. Cropler is the world’s first real-time remote photo plant monitoring technology that is about to become an AI-powered digital agronomical assistant. Cropler uses smart AI-powered mobile agricameras to help farmers and agribusinesses identify the key phenophases, diseases, and inputs efficiently to perform necessary agricultural operations in a timely manner. Cropler Cropler agricameras The Winning Team 1️⃣ Nik Bedunkevich LinkedIn Founder & CEO With over 10 years in software and 7+ years in hardware development, Nik's leadership in precision agriculture, backed by his experience at OneSoil, where he co-founded and led hardware development, has been instrumental. His background in Radio Engineering and his ability to integrate data exchange and soil analysis sensors have enabled Cropler to push the boundaries of AI-driven agricultural solutions. 2️⃣ Marie Sinkova LinkedIn CMO Marie’s 6+ years in marketing, including her impactful work at MEDvidi and EduDo, have significantly boosted our brand’s visibility. Her ability to develop engaging content and manage successful teams has increased revenue and brand recognition while minimizing negative reviews. Her strategic approach in various marketing areas has laid a solid foundation for Cropler development. 3️⃣ Andrii Zbrytskyi LinkedIn BDM With over 17 years in the agritech area, Andri Zbrytskyi has witnessed firsthand the ins and outs of clients resulting in better client/corporate relations, sales and even more business development for the company. AI agriculture solutions have found strategic partnerships thanks to his efforts and these have increased expanding the market base. 4️⃣ Xenia Niaborskaya LinkedIn Head of Design Xenia’s experience of more than 4 years in UX/UI design has played a key role in ensuring that our user interfaces work as expected and look good as well. Her capability in business-centered design and the process of user-centered design has improved the usability of our platform tremendously. 5️⃣ Eugene Voronets LinkedIn Tech Adviser Eugene’s 10+ years in backend development, particularly his expertise in high-load systems, ensures the robustness and scalability of our technology. His work at OneSoil, building APIs and fostering collaborations with industry leaders like John Deere and AWS, has played a critical role in shaping Cropler’s technical infrastructure. 1️⃣ Nik Bedunkevich Nik Bedunkevich LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn Founder & CEO Founder & CEO With over 10 years in software and 7+ years in hardware development, Nik's leadership in precision agriculture, backed by his experience at OneSoil, where he co-founded and led hardware development, has been instrumental. His background in Radio Engineering and his ability to integrate data exchange and soil analysis sensors have enabled Cropler to push the boundaries of AI-driven agricultural solutions. 2️⃣ Marie Sinkova Marie Sinkova LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn CMO CMO Marie’s 6+ years in marketing, including her impactful work at MEDvidi and EduDo, have significantly boosted our brand’s visibility. Her ability to develop engaging content and manage successful teams has increased revenue and brand recognition while minimizing negative reviews. Her strategic approach in various marketing areas has laid a solid foundation for Cropler development. 3️⃣ Andrii Zbrytskyi Andrii Zbrytskyi LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn BDM BDM With over 17 years in the agritech area, Andri Zbrytskyi has witnessed firsthand the ins and outs of clients resulting in better client/corporate relations, sales and even more business development for the company. AI agriculture solutions have found strategic partnerships thanks to his efforts and these have increased expanding the market base. 4️⃣ Xenia Niaborskaya Xenia Niaborskaya LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn Head of Design Head of Design Xenia’s experience of more than 4 years in UX/UI design has played a key role in ensuring that our user interfaces work as expected and look good as well. Her capability in business-centered design and the process of user-centered design has improved the usability of our platform tremendously. 5️⃣ Eugene Voronets Eugene Voronets LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn LinkedIn Tech Adviser Tech Adviser Eugene’s 10+ years in backend development, particularly his expertise in high-load systems, ensures the robustness and scalability of our technology. His work at OneSoil, building APIs and fostering collaborations with industry leaders like John Deere and AWS, has played a critical role in shaping Cropler’s technical infrastructure. What Cropler does differently We aim to revolutionize agriculture with Cropler's global plant monitoring technology, which uses AI-powered agricameras and remote sensing data to provide farmers, agronomists, and agribusinesses with predictive field insights and global yield analytics for optimized crop production. global plant monitoring technology, Cropler’s unique, AI-powered plant health data allows farmers and agribusinesses to address issues before they escalate, unlike drones or weather stations, which often provide information only after problems have already progressed and plants experience severe damage. Early disease and crop stress detection ensures that farmers can act timely to maximize yields and optimize fertilizers and pesticides application. Cropler isn’t just about monitoring—it’s about driving actionable insights that make farming more efficient, sustainable, and profitable. Cropler isn’t just about monitoring—it’s about driving actionable insights that make farming more efficient, sustainable, and profitable. Milestones and achievements 🏆 357 devices deployed 🏆 Revenue of $53k in 2024 🏆 AI disease & leaf damages integration 🏆 iOS & Android app release 🏆 10 dealer centers in multiple countries 🏆 16 countries (EU + USA) have chosen our devices 🏆 USA & EU issued certificates for our devices 🏆 EIT Food Test Farm winner Finalist of 2024 🏆 China Overseas Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition 🏆 Partnerships with key market players (Varda Field ID, AGRIVI, SAS Agro, Kalo, Basf (Xarvio), Bayer, Syngenta etc.) 🏆 357 devices deployed 🏆 Revenue of $53k in 2024 🏆 AI disease & leaf damages integration 🏆 iOS & Android app release 🏆 10 dealer centers in multiple countries 🏆 16 countries (EU + USA) have chosen our devices 🏆 USA & EU issued certificates for our devices 🏆 EIT Food Test Farm winner Finalist of 2024 🏆 China Overseas Talents Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition 🏆 Partnerships with key market players (Varda Field ID, AGRIVI, SAS Agro, Kalo, Basf (Xarvio), Bayer, Syngenta etc.) Lessons learned 1️⃣ This was quite a challenge in building AI tools that could accurately adapt to the vast complexities of agronomic data. Initial models developed were rather far from the precision that agronomists required, struggling with symptom and stage variability across different crops. However, we further invested in our AI capabilities, enhancing our models by adding extensive data sets and collaborations with agricultural experts. This achieved two things: it not only enhanced the precision of our AI but also made our tools an inseparable companion for any agronomist by providing them with second-to-none insights and recommendations. 2️⃣ Another challenge was to convince the highly practical and quite skeptical agronomists to adopt this high-tech tool called Cropler. So, we shifted strategy and focused our efforts on education and hands-on involvement, showing agronomists not only how but why our technology worked. agronomists 3️⃣ One of the most significant challenges of launching the international expansion of our solution was overcoming the many regulatory, environmental, and operational hurdles spanning across continents, which drastically changed from region to region. We learned flexibility and local partnerships. By aligning ourselves with local agronomic experts and adapting our technology to meet regional regulations and needs, the stage was set for global impact-development of preparations for a major rollout in Europe by 2025. global impact-development 4️⃣ Last, but not least, was a technical and logistical challenge to scale our technology from pilot projects to widespread usage by agronomists. So, we invested in scalable architecture and robust systems, supporting high demand for real-time data processing and global access. Our platform is not a tool; it's a 24/7 digital agronomist turning that data into actionable and timely advice. Our platform is not a tool; it's a 24/7 digital agronomist turning that data into actionable and timely advice. Our platform is not a tool; it's a 24/7 digital agronomist turning that data into actionable and timely advice. What Startups of The Year means to us Entering into HackerNoon's Startups of the Year is not an opportunity for Cropler but rather a stage to revolutionize the agribusiness panorama. We come to introduce our pioneering AI agri-camera technology that's going to change the world and make agriculture more predictable and effective. This is a moment in the spotlight to galvanize an industry for the attention of global investors, tech enthusiasts, and potential partners who are committed to transforming agriculture through innovation as much as we are. revolutionize the agribusiness To be present there is already a loud statement of the capability and vision that we have. To be present there is already a loud statement of the capability and vision that we have. More than that, we are not just in attendance; we are leading from the front in this charge into the future where technology and sustainability come together to remake the standard of agriculture around the world. The insights and feedback that we get here from this eclectic tech community are very critical; it fuels our drive toward the 2025 launch of our Global Analytics. For us, this is more than a competition; this is a launching pad toward growth, visibility, and impact. For us, this is more than a competition; this is a launching pad toward growth, visibility, and impact. Join us while we lead the way to a more efficient, sustainable, and predictable agricultural future! Vote for us today: https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-warsaw-poland Vote for us today: https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-warsaw-poland Vote for us today: https://hackernoon.com/startups/europe/europe-warsaw-poland

AI-Driven Solutions for Modern Agritech: Interview with SOTY 2024 Nominee, Cropler

The vast majority of modern systems are built on a microservice architecture. This means that you can be the maintainer of about a hundred services, which are being worked on by several teams of software engineers. As the person responsible for the system, it is important for you to monitor the relevance of the master branch of all projects. One of the easiest and fastest ways to do this is to check how much your main project branch lags behind the test branch after the release. Thanks to this simple check, you will be sure that the teams have brought all the services to production. Also, a quick report on the lag of the master branch from dev will be useful for understanding the state of development. If more than a few hundred commits have accumulated in the dev branch, then this is a red flag and you, as a team lead, should raise this issue at the sprint retro, because it is obvious that there were interruptions in the process of delivering improvements to production. To solve the problem of quickly viewing ahead/behind my projects, I use the rest API for GitLab (https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/rest/), which provides me with all the necessary capabilities. As a language, I chose JavaScript without frameworks, because we have a fast development for ourselves, which should not require a special environment. As a result of the script's work, I want to see a table with columns in the console: group_id - gitlab project group id
group_name - the name of the project group
id - project id
name - project name
behind - how many commits is the master branch ahead of the dev
ahead - how many commits is the dev branch ahead of the master To access the data, I will use a personal access token, which can be obtained in the settings of my GitLab profile. First, I'll get a list of groups using the/api/v4/groups method. After that, I need to get a list of project repositories using the /api/v4/groups/${group.id}/projects method. All that remains is to get the number of commits using the /api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare method. Next, I collect the data in a table, perform a sorting that is convenient for me, and highlight problematic lines. To perform REST requests, I use axios, and to output a table with data, I use the console-table-printer project. As a result, I got the following script. const { Table } = require('console-table-printer');
const axios = require('axios');

const token = token';
const baseUrl = 'https://git.my-company.net';
const from = 'master';
const to = 'dev';

(async () => {
    let data = [];
    const groups = await axios
        .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/groups?private_token=${token}`)
        .then(res => res.data);

    await Promise.all(groups.map(async (group) => {
        const projects = await axios
            .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/groups/${group.id}/projects?per_page=100&private_token=${token}`)
            .then(res => res.data);

        await Promise.all(projects.map(async (project) => {
            const behind = await axios
                .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare?from=${from}&to=${to}&private_token=${token}`)
                .then(res => res.data)
                .catch(err => {});
            const ahead = await axios
                .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare?from=${to}&to=${from}&private_token=${token}`)
                .then(res => res.data)
                .catch(err => {});
            if (behind && behind.commits && ahead && ahead.commits){
                data.push({
                    group_id: group.id,
                    group_name: group.name,
                    id: project.id,
                    name: project.name,
                    behind: behind.commits.length,
                    ahead: ahead.commits.length,
                });
            }
        }));
    }))

    data = data
        .sort((a,b) =>
            (a.group_name > b.group_name)
                ? 1
                : ((b.group_name > a.group_name) ? -1
                    : (a.name > b.name)
                        ? 1
                        : ((b.name > a.name) ? -1 : 0)));

    const table = new Table();
    data.forEach((row) => {
        table.addRow(row, {
            color: row.behind ? 'red' : undefined,
        });
    });
    table.printTable();
})(); After its execution, the following table is output to the console: group_id

group_name

id

name

behind

ahead



235

common

34

common_service

5

2



235

common

455

master_data

0

0



379

core

453

core_service

7

0



379

core

344

core_tasks

3

1 The vast majority of modern systems are built on a microservice architecture. This means that you can be the maintainer of about a hundred services, which are being worked on by several teams of software engineers. As the person responsible for the system, it is important for you to monitor the relevance of the master branch of all projects. One of the easiest and fastest ways to do this is to check how much your main project branch lags behind the test branch after the release. Thanks to this simple check, you will be sure that the teams have brought all the services to production. Also, a quick report on the lag of the master branch from dev will be useful for understanding the state of development. If more than a few hundred commits have accumulated in the dev branch, then this is a red flag and you, as a team lead, should raise this issue at the sprint retro, because it is obvious that there were interruptions in the process of delivering improvements to production. To solve the problem of quickly viewing ahead/behind my projects, I use the rest API for GitLab ( https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/rest/ ), which provides me with all the necessary capabilities. https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/rest/ As a language, I chose JavaScript without frameworks, because we have a fast development for ourselves, which should not require a special environment. As a result of the script's work, I want to see a table with columns in the console: group_id - gitlab project group id group_name - the name of the project group id - project id name - project name behind - how many commits is the master branch ahead of the dev ahead - how many commits is the dev branch ahead of the master group_id - gitlab project group id group_name - the name of the project group id - project id name - project name behind - how many commits is the master branch ahead of the dev ahead - how many commits is the dev branch ahead of the master To access the data, I will use a personal access token, which can be obtained in the settings of my GitLab profile. First, I'll get a list of groups using the /api/v4/groups method. /api/v4/groups After that, I need to get a list of project repositories using the /api/v4/groups/${group.id}/projects method. /api/v4/groups/${group.id}/projects All that remains is to get the number of commits using the /api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare method. /api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare Next, I collect the data in a table, perform a sorting that is convenient for me, and highlight problematic lines. To perform REST requests, I use axios , and to output a table with data, I use the console-table-printer project. As a result, I got the following script. axios console-table-printer const { Table } = require('console-table-printer');
const axios = require('axios');

const token = token';
const baseUrl = 'https://git.my-company.net';
const from = 'master';
const to = 'dev';

(async () => {
    let data = [];
    const groups = await axios
        .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/groups?private_token=${token}`)
        .then(res => res.data);

    await Promise.all(groups.map(async (group) => {
        const projects = await axios
            .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/groups/${group.id}/projects?per_page=100&private_token=${token}`)
            .then(res => res.data);

        await Promise.all(projects.map(async (project) => {
            const behind = await axios
                .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare?from=${from}&to=${to}&private_token=${token}`)
                .then(res => res.data)
                .catch(err => {});
            const ahead = await axios
                .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare?from=${to}&to=${from}&private_token=${token}`)
                .then(res => res.data)
                .catch(err => {});
            if (behind && behind.commits && ahead && ahead.commits){
                data.push({
                    group_id: group.id,
                    group_name: group.name,
                    id: project.id,
                    name: project.name,
                    behind: behind.commits.length,
                    ahead: ahead.commits.length,
                });
            }
        }));
    }))

    data = data
        .sort((a,b) =>
            (a.group_name > b.group_name)
                ? 1
                : ((b.group_name > a.group_name) ? -1
                    : (a.name > b.name)
                        ? 1
                        : ((b.name > a.name) ? -1 : 0)));

    const table = new Table();
    data.forEach((row) => {
        table.addRow(row, {
            color: row.behind ? 'red' : undefined,
        });
    });
    table.printTable();
})(); const { Table } = require('console-table-printer');
const axios = require('axios');

const token = token';
const baseUrl = 'https://git.my-company.net';
const from = 'master';
const to = 'dev';

(async () => {
    let data = [];
    const groups = await axios
        .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/groups?private_token=${token}`)
        .then(res => res.data);

    await Promise.all(groups.map(async (group) => {
        const projects = await axios
            .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/groups/${group.id}/projects?per_page=100&private_token=${token}`)
            .then(res => res.data);

        await Promise.all(projects.map(async (project) => {
            const behind = await axios
                .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare?from=${from}&to=${to}&private_token=${token}`)
                .then(res => res.data)
                .catch(err => {});
            const ahead = await axios
                .get(`${baseUrl}/api/v4/projects/${project.id}/repository/compare?from=${to}&to=${from}&private_token=${token}`)
                .then(res => res.data)
                .catch(err => {});
            if (behind && behind.commits && ahead && ahead.commits){
                data.push({
                    group_id: group.id,
                    group_name: group.name,
                    id: project.id,
                    name: project.name,
                    behind: behind.commits.length,
                    ahead: ahead.commits.length,
                });
            }
        }));
    }))

    data = data
        .sort((a,b) =>
            (a.group_name > b.group_name)
                ? 1
                : ((b.group_name > a.group_name) ? -1
                    : (a.name > b.name)
                        ? 1
                        : ((b.name > a.name) ? -1 : 0)));

    const table = new Table();
    data.forEach((row) => {
        table.addRow(row, {
            color: row.behind ? 'red' : undefined,
        });
    });
    table.printTable();
})(); After its execution, the following table is output to the console: group_id

group_name

id

name

behind

ahead



235

common

34

common_service

5

2



235

common

455

master_data

0

0



379

core

453

core_service

7

0



379

core

344

core_tasks

3

1 group_id

group_name

id

name

behind

ahead 235

common

34

common_service

5

2 235

common

455

master_data

0

0 379

core

453

core_service

7

0 379

core

344

core_tasks

3

1 group_id group_name id name behind ahead group_id group_id group_name group_name id id name name behind behind ahead ahead 235 common 34 common_service 5 2 235 235 common common 34 34 common_service common_service 5 5 2 2 235 common 455 master_data 0 0 235 235 common common 455 455 master_data master_data 0 0 0 0 379 core 453 core_service 7 0 379 379 core core 453 453 core_service core_service 7 7 0 0 379 core 344 core_tasks 3 1 379 379 core core 344 344 core_tasks core_tasks 3 3 1 1

Git Ahead Dashboard: A Quick Guide

Welcome to HackerNoon’s Writing Prompts! Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. 1. What is your company in 2–5 words? Digital product agency disrupting healthcare. 2. Why is now the time for your company to exist? There is no denying that the pace of innovation and technology has accelerated in the last decade. However, the healthcare industry has not evolved as quickly as other industries. It faces unique challenges, like a lack of agility, strict regulations, antiquated processes, and slow innovation. Although there are many people in the sector working to improve quality and accessibility, systemic problems and financial interests limit what can be achieved. Our strategy is to bring agility to this setting by using our knowledge of technology, user-centric approach, and in-depth knowledge of the business to create software that is strategically planned, scalable, and cleverly constructed. 3. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? When we first set out, we were quite excited about developing digital solutions that prioritized the needs and wants of users and delivered genuine value. By then, we collaborated with businesses in every sector of the economy, including real estate, retail, food, entertainment, agronomy, retail, and finance. Even though we've produced incredible products and gained a lot of knowledge from the process, we believed that focus and mission were still lacking. In 2020, during the pandemic, we made a strategic shift and decided to focus 100% on healthcare, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the industry, gain specialized knowledge, and, most importantly, have a shared, meaningful purpose. This change gave our entire team a compelling mission and a defined path. Who wouldn't find satisfaction in working on initiatives for a sector of the economy that ultimately saves lives? I guess that’s what I love most about the team and why we are the ones who solve problems. We’re a team of focused, knowledgeable, and creative people with a shared purpose: improving healthcare. 4. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? I would probably be building another startup. I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was a teenager, so I’m sure that if Light-it had not succeeded, I would be building something else. 5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics? We work with OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and they are measured quarterly. We have company-wide OKRs and OKRs per department. They help us stay aligned with the same goals quarter to quarter. 6. In a few sentences, what do you offer to whom? In broad terms, we partner with our clients to help them ideate, design, and develop healthcare digital products. The challenge we resolve is the lack of expertise in developing healthcare software with a product mindset and keeping strategy, budget, compliance, and user experience in mind.  There are hundreds of software development firms with no experience in healthcare, which can lead to short-term gains at the expense of long-term scalability and maintenance. We at Light-itadopt a unique strategy. We follow industry best practices, implementing scalable models across several platforms and providing end-to-end product development services with extensive user experience support and consulting. Since we have an agile approach, startups are our bread and butter. Nevertheless, our interactions with health systems have also been excellent. Our introduction of an agile vision and innovative mindset has been extremely effective in these circumstances, given their customary bureaucratic and slower ways. Finding a reliable partner is usually difficult for a healthcare organization, but finding someone who can offer both high-tech development and strategic advice is much more difficult. That's what makes us unique. 7. What’s most exciting about your traction to date? **Light-it'**s traction has been steadily growing year after year, an incredibly encouraging trend. Last year was particularly exciting for us as we forged partnerships with industry giants like ABInBev Foundation, the world's largest beer company, and Inviza, a groundbreaking RPM and DTX product for the US Air Force.  These collaborations are not only about business and transactions – they validate our position as leaders in our field and serve as a powerful encouragement to continue our hard work. 8. Where do you think your growth will be next year? We have been collaborating with startups, supporting them through the entire product development process, from launch to scaling. Now that we are collaborating with Health Systems, we plan to continue doing so because we have seen such a positive impact. We don't intend to expand the company too quickly because, as a team, we want to keep our boutique approach. We aim to keep our crew size between one hundred and two hundred. We always have new projects coming up. In my opinion, one of the biggest promises in health technology is generative AI. Puppeteeris a spinoff company we launched last year, and it is the result of the realization that 2024 was going to be the year of generative AI and that humanity will either have to accept it or perish. Our first round is presently being raised, and we have high hopes for it this year. Regarding our long-term future, Light-it's DNA will always embrace new technologies and pathways, so who knows what else might emerge! "You win, or you learn" strikes a chord with me. Every new endeavor, whether it succeeds or fails, adds to our development and resiliency. I'm committed to establishing a positive work environment that prioritizes curiosity, boldness, ownership, and dedication to ongoing development while also considering the well-being of our team. 9. Tell us about your first paying customer and revenue expectations over the next year. The first paying customers we had were family members and friends building e-commerces. Since then, we’ve worked with startups from pre-seed to Series D, with Fortune 500s and some of the biggest health systems in the world! In terms of revenue, we expect to keep growing at the rate of 50% per year. 10. What’s your biggest threat? We have all heard that AI will replace software engineers, so I guess that should be my biggest thread as a software development company owner. Still, I’m convinced that our team has minds that no AI can substitute: Empathy, strategy, and creativity are some of the skills needed in a product team that AI can't substitute. Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. Welcome to HackerNoon’s Writing Prompts! Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. Welcome to HackerNoon ’s Writing Prompts! Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. HackerNoon The link for the template is HERE. 1. What is your company in 2–5 words? Digital product agency disrupting healthcare. 2. Why is now the time for your company to exist? There is no denying that the pace of innovation and technology has accelerated in the last decade. However, the healthcare industry has not evolved as quickly as other industries. It faces unique challenges, like a lack of agility, strict regulations, antiquated processes, and slow innovation. Although there are many people in the sector working to improve quality and accessibility, systemic problems and financial interests limit what can be achieved. Our strategy is to bring agility to this setting by using our knowledge of technology, user-centric approach, and in-depth knowledge of the business to create software that is strategically planned, scalable, and cleverly constructed. 3. What do you love about your team, and why are you the ones to solve this problem? When we first set out, we were quite excited about developing digital solutions that prioritized the needs and wants of users and delivered genuine value. By then, we collaborated with businesses in every sector of the economy, including real estate, retail, food, entertainment, agronomy, retail, and finance. Even though we've produced incredible products and gained a lot of knowledge from the process, we believed that focus and mission were still lacking. In 2020, during the pandemic, we made a strategic shift and decided to focus 100% on healthcare, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the industry, gain specialized knowledge, and, most importantly, have a shared, meaningful purpose. This change gave our entire team a compelling mission and a defined path. Who wouldn't find satisfaction in working on initiatives for a sector of the economy that ultimately saves lives? I guess that’s what I love most about the team and why we are the ones who solve problems. We’re a team of focused, knowledgeable, and creative people with a shared purpose: improving healthcare. 4. If you weren’t building your startup, what would you be doing? I would probably be building another startup. I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was a teenager, so I’m sure that if Light-it had not succeeded, I would be building something else. Light-it Light-it 5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics? We work with OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), and they are measured quarterly. We have company-wide OKRs and OKRs per department. They help us stay aligned with the same goals quarter to quarter. 6. In a few sentences, what do you offer to whom? In broad terms, we partner with our clients to help them ideate, design, and develop healthcare digital products. The challenge we resolve is the lack of expertise in developing healthcare software with a product mindset and keeping strategy, budget, compliance, and user experience in mind.  There are hundreds of software development firms with no experience in healthcare, which can lead to short-term gains at the expense of long-term scalability and maintenance. We at Light-it adopt a unique strategy. We follow industry best practices, implementing scalable models across several platforms and providing end-to-end product development services with extensive user experience support and consulting. Light-it Since we have an agile approach, startups are our bread and butter. Nevertheless, our interactions with health systems have also been excellent. Our introduction of an agile vision and innovative mindset has been extremely effective in these circumstances, given their customary bureaucratic and slower ways. Finding a reliable partner is usually difficult for a healthcare organization, but finding someone who can offer both high-tech development and strategic advice is much more difficult. That's what makes us unique. 7. What’s most exciting about your traction to date? **Light-it'**s traction has been steadily growing year after year, an incredibly encouraging trend. Last year was particularly exciting for us as we forged partnerships with industry giants like ABInBev Foundation, the world's largest beer company, and Inviza, a groundbreaking RPM and DTX product for the US Air Force.  These collaborations are not only about business and transactions – they validate our position as leaders in our field and serve as a powerful encouragement to continue our hard work. 8. Where do you think your growth will be next year? We have been collaborating with startups, supporting them through the entire product development process, from launch to scaling. Now that we are collaborating with Health Systems, we plan to continue doing so because we have seen such a positive impact. We don't intend to expand the company too quickly because, as a team, we want to keep our boutique approach. We aim to keep our crew size between one hundred and two hundred. We always have new projects coming up. In my opinion, one of the biggest promises in health technology is generative AI. Puppeteer is a spinoff company we launched last year, and it is the result of the realization that 2024 was going to be the year of generative AI and that humanity will either have to accept it or perish. Our first round is presently being raised, and we have high hopes for it this year. Puppeteer Regarding our long-term future, Light-it's DNA will always embrace new technologies and pathways, so who knows what else might emerge! "You win, or you learn" strikes a chord with me. Every new endeavor, whether it succeeds or fails, adds to our development and resiliency. I'm committed to establishing a positive work environment that prioritizes curiosity, boldness, ownership, and dedication to ongoing development while also considering the well-being of our team. 9. Tell us about your first paying customer and revenue expectations over the next year. The first paying customers we had were family members and friends building e-commerces. Since then, we’ve worked with startups from pre-seed to Series D, with Fortune 500s and some of the biggest health systems in the world! In terms of revenue, we expect to keep growing at the rate of 50% per year. 10. What’s your biggest threat? We have all heard that AI will replace software engineers, so I guess that should be my biggest thread as a software development company owner. Still, I’m convinced that our team has minds that no AI can substitute: Empathy, strategy, and creativity are some of the skills needed in a product team that AI can't substitute. Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. The link for the template is HERE.

Light-it: Empowering Healthcare through Purpose-Driven Digital Solutions

The transaction that first gave Bitcoin any sort of monetary value happened in October 2009 when a Finnish computer science student Martti Malmi (‘Sirius’) sold 5,050 coins for $5.02, meaning each Bitcoin was worth $0.0009. In today’s terms, if he had held on to his coins, he’d be (circa) NZ$555,500,000 richer. Today, we all know “someone who knows someone” who invested around that time and has become a multimillionaire; and we’re kicking ourselves for not doing the exact same thing… With the fourth Bitcoin halving firmly in our rearview mirror and some very recent all-time highs for Bitcoin, new investors (or even existing ones wanting to build or increase their crypto portfolio) might be asking if they’ve waited too long to invest… On the other hand, those who have HODLd - or ‘held on for dear life’ - for a while might be fretting about the lack of an immediate, dramatic change in price over the past weekend. An Immediate Ascent Is Always Unlikely… In the past, halvings have been followed by periods of increased demand and price surges due to the dynamics of supply-demand - but this is never immediate and market dynamics, sentiment, and regulatory factors all influence Bitcoin's price trajectory, making a straight-line ‘ascent’ unlikely. While analysts anticipate an upward trend (which has been the case historically post-halving), the reality is nuanced, and these events are often followed by periods of consolidation and correction - including rallies, reactions, and a lot of volatility on (hopefully) the way up. TLDR: If you were expecting prices to skyrocket overnight, you should have been reading my blogs sooner to get those expectations in check! The Danger of Letting Disappointment Drive Decision-Making Some analysts predicted that the halving would trigger an immediate price slump that would lead to widespread ‘panic selling’; but this hasn’t yet happened... Prices have currently remained buoyant (increasing by 9%); and as a result, investor morale remained buoyant. There was no immediate sell-off… But things often change very quickly in crypto, and this is when underwhelming can lead to panic as pricing drops. In particular, ‘newbies’ who have recently invested in Bitcoin ETFs might not be used to the asset class’s volatility and when pullbacks occur, they could decide that they prefer a move back to more traditional (and more predictable) vehicles. These ‘knee-jerk’ reactions could still lead to a ‘sell-off’, despite looking at only a ‘moment in time’ being a dangerous way of making investment decisions. TLDR: We might not have seen an immediate slump, but this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be pre-prepared for one with a sound investment strategy to boot. Taking a Broader View on Volatility… The recent halving of Bitcoin block rewards is foundational to Bitcoin’s well-known four-year cycle. This cycle has been historically closely linked to price, with the cycle progressing through ‘Bull’ (rising prices), ‘Bear’ (falling prices), ‘Accumulation’ (a leveling out of prices), and ‘Expansion’ (steady growth). Understanding this cycle is foundational to an ability to take a much broader view of volatility. In terms of ‘what’s next’, we can expect a lot of analysis around any retracements (minor pullbacks or changes in the direction of a financial instrument in terms of price). These retracements are often temporary in nature and do not necessarily indicate a shift in the larger trend. TLDR: In analyzing your next investment move, it’s important to understand what point we are at in the asset cycle. Playing the ‘Long Game’ Seasoned investors all tell us that playing the ‘long game’ is often far wiser than making knee-jerk decisions. As the saying goes, time in the market beats timing the market. Given the crypto market’s volatility, strategies you can employ include: Dollar cost averaging (DCA): Regularly invest fixed amounts regardless of market conditions to average out costs and reduce risk. The hold-on-for-dear-life (HODL) strategy: Hold onto assets long-term despite market fluctuations, focusing on fundamentals rather than short-term movements. Diversification: Spread investments across different assets (such as types of coins) to minimise risk from volatile market swings. ** Too many investors don’t ‘Keep calm and invest on’, getting caught up in ‘timing the market’ in terms of entry or running aground when the market becomes more volatile. An ability to confidently navigate volatility is key to avoiding being a ‘Sirius’ and will help you have the confidence to invest, HODL, and sell successfully. **Disclaimer: Crypto is volatile, carries risk, and the value can go up and down. Past performance is not an indicator of future returns. Please do your own research. The transaction that first gave Bitcoin any sort of monetary value happened in October 2009 when a Finnish computer science student Martti Malmi (‘Sirius’) sold 5,050 coins for $5.02, meaning each Bitcoin was worth $0.0009. In today’s terms, if he had held on to his coins, he’d be (circa) NZ$555,500,000 richer. Today, we all know “someone who knows someone” who invested around that time and has become a multimillionaire; and we’re kicking ourselves for not doing the exact same thing… The transaction that first gave Bitcoin any sort of monetary value happened in October 2009 when a Finnish computer science student Martti Malmi (‘Sirius’) sold 5,050 coins for $5.02, meaning each Bitcoin was worth $0.0009. In today’s terms, if he had held on to his coins, he’d be (circa) NZ$555,500,000 richer. Today, we all know “someone who knows someone” who invested around that time and has become a multimillionaire; and we’re kicking ourselves for not doing the exact same thing… With the fourth Bitcoin halving firmly in our rearview mirror and some very recent all-time highs for Bitcoin, new investors (or even existing ones wanting to build or increase their crypto portfolio) might be asking if they’ve waited too long to invest… halving On the other hand, those who have HODLd - or ‘held on for dear life’ - for a while might be fretting about the lack of an immediate, dramatic change in price over the past weekend. An Immediate Ascent Is Always Unlikely… An Immediate Ascent Is Always Unlikely… In the past, halvings have been followed by periods of increased demand and price surges due to the dynamics of supply-demand - but this is never immediate and market dynamics, sentiment, and regulatory factors all influence Bitcoin's price trajectory, making a straight-line ‘ascent’ unlikely. While analysts anticipate an upward trend (which has been the case historically post-halving), the reality is nuanced, and these events are often followed by periods of consolidation and correction - including rallies, reactions, and a lot of volatility on (hopefully) the way up. TLDR: If you were expecting prices to skyrocket overnight, you should have been reading my blogs sooner to get those expectations in check! TLDR: If you were expecting prices to skyrocket overnight, you should have been reading my blogs sooner to get those expectations in check! The Danger of Letting Disappointment Drive Decision-Making The Danger of Letting Disappointment Drive Decision-Making Some analysts predicted that the halving would trigger an immediate price slump that would lead to widespread ‘panic selling’; but this hasn’t yet happened... Prices have currently remained buoyant (increasing by 9%); and as a result, investor morale remained buoyant. There was no immediate sell-off… But things often change very quickly in crypto, and this is when underwhelming can lead to panic as pricing drops. In particular, ‘newbies’ who have recently invested in Bitcoin ETFs might not be used to the asset class’s volatility and when pullbacks occur, they could decide that they prefer a move back to more traditional (and more predictable) vehicles. These ‘knee-jerk’ reactions could still lead to a ‘sell-off’, despite looking at only a ‘moment in time’ being a dangerous way of making investment decisions. TLDR: We might not have seen an immediate slump, but this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be pre-prepared for one with a sound investment strategy to boot. TLDR: We might not have seen an immediate slump, but this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be pre-prepared for one with a sound investment strategy to boot. Taking a Broader View on Volatility… Taking a Broader View on Volatility… The recent halving of Bitcoin block rewards is foundational to Bitcoin’s well-known four-year cycle. This cycle has been historically closely linked to price, with the cycle progressing through ‘Bull’ (rising prices), ‘Bear’ (falling prices), ‘Accumulation’ (a leveling out of prices), and ‘Expansion’ (steady growth). Understanding this cycle is foundational to an ability to take a much broader view of volatility. In terms of ‘what’s next’, we can expect a lot of analysis around any retracements (minor pullbacks or changes in the direction of a financial instrument in terms of price). These retracements are often temporary in nature and do not necessarily indicate a shift in the larger trend. TLDR: In analyzing your next investment move, it’s important to understand what point we are at in the asset cycle. TLDR: In analyzing your next investment move, it’s important to understand what point we are at in the asset cycle. Playing the ‘Long Game’ Playing the ‘Long Game’ Seasoned investors all tell us that playing the ‘long game’ is often far wiser than making knee-jerk decisions. As the saying goes, time in the market beats timing the market. Given the crypto market’s volatility, strategies you can employ include: Dollar cost averaging (DCA): Regularly invest fixed amounts regardless of market conditions to average out costs and reduce risk. Dollar cost averaging (DCA): Regularly invest fixed amounts regardless of market conditions to average out costs and reduce risk. The hold-on-for-dear-life (HODL) strategy: Hold onto assets long-term despite market fluctuations, focusing on fundamentals rather than short-term movements. The hold-on-for-dear-life (HODL) strategy: Hold onto assets long-term despite market fluctuations, focusing on fundamentals rather than short-term movements. Diversification: Spread investments across different assets (such as types of coins) to minimise risk from volatile market swings. ** Diversification: Spread investments across different assets (such as types of coins) to minimise risk from volatile market swings. * * Too many investors don’t ‘Keep calm and invest on’, getting caught up in ‘timing the market’ in terms of entry or running aground when the market becomes more volatile. An ability to confidently navigate volatility is key to avoiding being a ‘Sirius’ and will help you have the confidence to invest, HODL, and sell successfully. ** Disclaimer: Crypto is volatile, carries risk, and the value can go up and down. Past performance is not an indicator of future returns. Please do your own research. Disclaimer: Crypto is volatile, carries risk, and the value can go up and down. Past performance is not an indicator of future returns. Please do your own research.

Making Cents (Sense!) of Post-Halving Pricing…

As we head towards mid-April, the investment world is abuzz with speculation and hype around the upcoming ‘Bitcoin halving.’ But what is a Bitcoin halving, and why is it so significant in terms of price? More pointedly, should we place our faith in predictions about the current Bitcoin halving, leading to a bull run? And if prices do inflate, will they stay there? TLDR: If the ‘Bitcoin halving’ and the crypto market has a relationship status, it would probably be: ‘It’s complicated…’! Quick recap - what is a Bitcoin halving event? Bitcoin operates using a technology known as blockchain (a secure digital ledger) that records transactions across a network of decentralized computers spread around the globe, ensuring transparency and immutability. Unlike traditional currencies, where new money can be printed by central banks and governments, the supply of Bitcoin is limited, and there will only ever be 21 million Bitcoins in existence, making it a deflationary digital currency. To understand the halving, let’s do a quick overview of a few key terms: A block is simply a batch of transactions - i.e., payments between people - that are bundled together and added to the list of previous blocks, making a blockchain! A blockchain miner is a participant in the network who uses computational power to validate and add these blocks (batches of transactions) to the blockchain. A block reward is the amount of new Bitcoin given to a blockchain miner for adding a new block to the chain. A Bitcoin halving is an in-built, pre-programmed event that takes place every 210,000 blocks or roughly every four years. During a halving event, the block reward is cut in half. Currently, mining a new block gets you a reward of 6.25 Bitcoin, and after halving, the reward drops to 3.125 Bitcoin. As more people adopt Bitcoin and demand rises, the halving ensures that supply growth slows down, creating an environment reminiscent of precious metals like gold. A halving event’s influence on price A fixed supply of 21 million Bitcoins means that, over time, these become increasingly scarce. Based on past experience, it is believed that the halving will have a profound economic impact on Bitcoin's ecosystem. With the reduction in block rewards, the flow of newly mined Bitcoins decreases, leading to a decrease in selling pressure from miners. In the past, halvings have been followed by periods of increased demand and price surges due to the dynamics of supply and demand. It is this history of post-halving price increases that has fueled the excitement and anticipation surrounding each event. It’s not that simple… However, while some analysts anticipate an upward trend (which has been the case historically post-halving), the reality is much more nuanced. These events spark widespread excitement but have also been followed by periods of consolidation and correction. Market dynamics, sentiment, and regulatory factors all influence Bitcoin's price trajectory, making a straight-line ‘ascent’ unlikely. Understanding the broader context The halving of Bitcoin block rewards is foundational to Bitcoin’s well-known four-year cycle, which is often referred to as the ‘halving cycle’. This cycle has been historically closely linked to price, with the cycle progressing through ‘Bull’ (rising prices); ‘Bear’ (falling prices); ‘Accumulation’ (a levelling out of prices) and ‘Expansion’ (steady growth). Importantly, it’s rarely smooth sailing within each of these phases, and there might be rallies, reactions, and a lot of volatility on (hopefully) the way up. ( depicting Bitcoin’s entire price history.) Chart Many analysts have also raised the possibility of a ‘Super Cycle’ off the back of the recently. These have led to an injection of investment in the industry over the last 3-4 months, setting out an unprecedented landscape in terms of all prior cycles. We have had several huge all-time highs (ATHs) hitting the market ahead of this halving and a number of new everyday investors with an interest in crypto as part of their investment portfolio. What this will do to the typical variance in price post-halving is still unknown. Bitcoin ETFs being approved Staying calm Given the crypto market’s volatility, strategies that seasoned investors often employ include: Dollar-cost averaging (DCA): Regularly invest fixed amounts regardless of market conditions to average out costs and reduce risk. The hold-on-for-dear-life (HODL) strategy: Hold onto assets long-term despite market fluctuations, focusing on fundamentals rather than short-term movements. Diversification: Spread investments across different assets (such as types of coins) to minimize risk from volatile market swings. It’s important that Bitcoin investors understand the basic essence of this market cycle, together with Bitcoin's long-term value proposition. This will empower them to ‘stay calm’ and not run aground (such as ‘panic selling’ prematurely) when the market hits rough seas. Only then will they be able to confidently navigate volatility and tap into its potential for the future.

What Everyday Investors Need to Know About a ‘Bitcoin Halving’ 

Humans! One interesting twinkle in the dark, vacuous expanse of the cosmos. Trapped on a floating ball of rock to mope into space and be tormented by relentless, conflicting emotions. Prison within and prison without. Awaiting the summon of death. What the hell is this existence and what is its use? At least we have each other. Right? Yes, we do. Plus, the resources of the earth. And most importantly, there's that small voice that keeps telling us to become more. So, we stagger on. Nothing is certain in this great maze of existence but we don't just give in. We grope for purpose in the confusing unknown. We do what we do in search of fulfillment. Thus, we solve problems for those we love. We really dig in and harvest ingenious creations from within us. It makes us happy, so we keep going. We keep chasing that which our heart yearns for. What is it many have asked? What is it that we really want? Some of the smartest among us have given a name to it, and I dare agree with them. It is what it is; Freedom! Freedom from wants, death, and ourselves. Freedom from whatever dares limit us. Freedom from this great bondage that is us. Hence, in our relentless yearning, we build this great bridge of science. Into matter, into space, into life. Into technology! Oh that we may find that which we seek. Oh that we may find; Autonomy! Autonomy Has Always Driven Technology Humans have always been bound by limitations that we constantly rebel against. Imagine the caveman days. Small, slow, and weak as we were, we were completely bound by the harsh laws of the jungle. Dominated by powerful creatures. Yet, our big brain brought us to the very top of the food chain. Inventions like the spear, knife, and arrow with advanced hunting strategies helped us overcome the powerful beasts that ruled the wild. Then, we created our own societies and were ruled by tribal laws. Not very different jungle laws though but strong humans were in charge now. Then came the reign of religion, and priests were in charge. Then came countries with cunning politicians. Then came capitalism with wealthy businessmen who are now running the show. All these changes have been driven by advancements as humans try to take more control of their lives. From being ruled by wild beasts to strong men to priests to politicians and businessmen, people have always invented systems that gave them more control of their lives. And this progress is not only evident in the technology of our leadership but also in the everyday devices that we use. First, we had caves and stone tools, then came villages and metal tools, and then came towns and analog machines. Now, we have cities and digital technology. This drive for autonomy in our technology has culminated in what we call a decentralized internet or web3. Autonomy in Web3 Web 3 remains a relatively recent technology that is yet to be widely understood. Yet, it is already being widely adopted as the advantages are very obvious. Simply put, web3 aims to put the Internet and financial system under the control of everyone and not just a few giant corporations. Why is this necessary you may ask? Well, the answer is simple: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!" The internet and financial systems represent the most critical technologies that humans have been able to develop. Hence, there is a great power in the hands of anyone who controls them. It's no wonder that top government officials and tech billionaires dominate the list of most powerful people in the world. This great power which allows such people to exercise control around the world is akin to the legendary absolute power that absolutely corrupts the wielders. And we have already seen this corruption at play. For example; , , , etc. Facebook has recorded multiple user data breaches Twitter has been accused many times of stifling free speech US politicians were caught cheating through insider trading in the stock market Hence, the internet and financial market which have lasting effects on people’s lives need some level of democracy. This is what web3 promises. Cryptocurrencies were introduced as a means for people to transact directly without passing through middlemen in the banking institutions who often benefit fraudulently from people’s money with little or no punishment. Combining crypto with blockchain technology provides the world with a global decentralized financial internet that no one fully controls and everyone can benefit from. Is Autonomy Truly Possible? Many reservations have been raised about the practicality of web3 and whether it can be truly autonomous. For example; fundamental blockchain infrastructures are often hosted on web2 servers with centralized control. Also, mining cryptocurrency is energy intensive which makes the entire system dependent on power companies. Would the power companies and server owners not be the new bosses in town? Well, that's a critical problem that is yet to be solved. However, blockchain technology is slowly solving the centralized server problem through compressed distributed storage of the technology on the devices of its users. Basically, a blockchain is a database, and every device that connects to the blockchain has a version of the database stored on it. This makes it possible for the billions of devices that users use to connect to the blockchain to function as servers distributed around the world instead of just one central server. Fingers crossed for what will come in the future. About the electricity problem, well, most cryptocurrencies have a limited amount of tokens to be mined, hence, mining is not a forever thing. Also, alternative versions of power like solar make it possible for miners to set up affordable sources of personalized power. Hence, centralized power companies can possibly be bypassed. With these considerations, the autonomy that web3 promises can foreseeably be accomplished. Future of Autonomy Picture this... You fall asleep now and awaken in the autonomous age. Robots run the world now. The planet is one big country run by the United Nations and headquartered in Earth City (a giant circular artificial island built in the Atlantic Ocean on longitude 0 degrees and latitude 0 degrees). Networks of underwater hyperloop lines and speed train bridges interconnect all the continents in minutes and the former countries are nothing but political provinces for proper documentation and security. Autonomous vehicles with little or no accidents dominate the roads and autonomous spaceships transverse space to transport people and resources around the solar system. Humans have finally colonized the solar system. The world lives in abundance as automated high-tech farms meet all our agricultural needs. Basic amenities like water, electricity, and education are free, and everyone gets a living wage to cover secondary needs like real estate around the planets, internet access, and transportation. Advanced amenities like technology, art, entertainment, exploration, and financial trading are where businesses operate. Web3 is fully operational. Hologram devices are all over the place for people to experience the dinterverse (decentralized internet metaverse) which uses all those devices as servers. DAOs, running on open-source technology, are the global means of voting, with Auth ID being the prominent open-source platform for decentralized technology. Industry-based crypto coins are the means of exchange (e.g., techon for technology, agrocoin for agriculture, muse for music, etc.) and cryptex trading (forex trading of the time) is the primary means of employment for everyone with people speculating on which industry will do better based on the season. Bitcoin is, however, immortalized as the only currency accepted around the world across all industries. Global poverty has been eradicated and financial inequality is very low around the world with cryptex trading available to everyone. A decentralized financial system was the game changer as it led to an explosion of prosperity through relatively easy cryptex trading. You investigate your trade on your holophone. You're doing very well and will be making another $50,000 this week. You smile to yourself as you glance out the window of your noiseless starjet (silent speed jets that ferry people around the world in minutes). The city below is a great wonder as people said. You're on vacation in Earth City. It's your first time. You came for it. The statue of autonomy or "the human spirit" as it is fondly called. Many weep upon first beholding its glory. The symbol of human victory on the earth. It appears on the horizon. The shiny bust of a crowned androgynous human child stops at the waist so it's neither male nor female. Completely transparent as if entirely made of glass, hence, the name human spirit. With both hands upraised in freedom, it holds Bitcoin (the first global crypto) in the right hand and a scroll in the left. Your ship does the ceremonial circling of the statue. Then it passes the scroll and you behold those legendary words. You read it in a low voice. "We humans hold that all of us are born free. Free to live, free to love, free to prosper!" A smile crawls up your face, and you resolve to uphold this great motto. Then you hear a phone ring. A familiar ancient music. It gets louder and louder. It's your phone. You were dreaming of course. You curse as you pick up your phone. It's your boss calling you to return to work. You cut the call and sigh in disappointment. That dream was just beautiful. Then it occurs to you: The current world is one big nightmare! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN Web3 is upon us. Cryptocurrencies are everywhere and blockchain infrastructure gets more sophisticated every day. Many crypto millionaires roam the earth to prove the real value of the technology. Decentralization is on its way. Below are the predictions you should know about web3; Decentralization is the future. Digital commodities e.g., NFTs, in-game items, virtual real estate, and decentralized exchange (DEX) will create a new industry. Currencies will become more globalized. Companies will become smaller and more personalized. Self-service will become the new way of operating the financial industry. HOW DO I PREPARE FOR AUTONOMY Educate yourself on cryptocurrencies, blockchain technology, and the metaverse. Invest in promising crypto coins. Participate in public web3 forums. Fund web 3 projects if you can. Learn how to make money on your own from the internet.

Behold: The Autonomy We Always Sought

দেখুন: যে স্বায়ত্তশাসন আমরা সবসময় চেয়েছি

Siehe: Die Autonomie, die wir immer gesucht haben

He aquí: la autonomía que siempre buscamos

Voici : l’autonomie que nous avons toujours recherchée

देखिए: वह स्वायत्तता जो हम हमेशा से चाहते थे

見よ、私たちが常に求めていた自律性

보라: 우리가 항상 추구했던 자율성

Eis: a autonomia que sempre buscamos

Вот: автономия, к которой мы всегда стремились

Bakın: Her Zaman Aradığımız Özerklik

Kìa: Quyền tự chủ mà chúng tôi luôn tìm kiếm

看哪：我们一直寻求的自主权

Authors: (1) Dong Jiang, School of Internet, Anhui University, National Engineering Research Center of Agro-Ecological Big Data Analysis and Application, Anhui University & jiangd@nju.edu.cn; (2) Zhen Yuan, School of Internet, Anhui University; (3) Wen-xin Li, School of Internet, Anhui University; (4) Liang-liang Lu, Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Technology of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Normal University, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Nanjing & lianglianglu@nju.edu.cn. Table of Links Abstract & Introduction Strategy Description Encryption Speed Evaluation Statistical Evaluation Security Analysis Parameter Setup Comparison To Previous Works Conclusions Acknowledgments & References Acknowledgments This work is financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFA0303 704), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12274233, 62273001), the Major Scientific Research Project of Anhui Province (KJ2021ZD0005), the Compiled Scientific Research Plan Project of Anhui Province (2022AH040020), the Outstanding Research and Innovation Team Project of Anhui Province (2022AH010005), the University Collaborative Innovation Project of Anhui Province (GXXT-2021-091). References [1] Pareek NK, Patidar V, Sud KK. Image encryption using chaotic logistic map. Image Vision Comput 2006; 24:926-934. [2] Fang P, Liu H, Wu C, Liu M. A survey of image encryption algorithms based on chaotic systesm. Visual Comput 2022; 2022: 1-29. 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