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An Independence man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to illegally purchasing a firearm through another person that he then showed off in various posts on his social media account. Kurup C. Seuell,

Lee's Summit

Social media posts land Independence man back behind bars after illegal gun purchase

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Kansas City Star on MSN.com

Olamide

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Nigerian fast-rising musician Seyi Vibez sparked some controversy online as he addressed the comparisons around his style of music , more info on Legit.ng.

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“I Am Olamide Badoo Junior, I Don’t Need Any Record Label”: Seyi Vibez Brags, Slams Critics in Viral Video

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Bella Shmurda, a talented Nigeria afrobeat singer has disclosed how Olamide Badoo 39;s significant role in his life vehemently lit his career. Besides Olami

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Bella Shmurda Holds Olamide Badoo Responsible For His Success: Read About His Contribution

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The Nigerian Voice

Popular Nigerian singer Bella Shmurda has recently shared the untold story behind his breakthrough song "Vision 2020.

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“He is so supportive” – Bella shmurda reveals Olamide ‘badoo’ financed his first hit song

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A social worker who lives in a violent neighborhood of San Pedro Sula, the country’s economic capital, told AP she learned the hard way that the networks aren’t infallible. When a friend fainted and was bleeding heavily after taking the pills ...

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Burner phones, aliases, code words: How secret networks help women circumvent Honduras' abortion ban

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She began her entrepreneur journey working as a Tinder executive. She is also the co-owner of Badoo, a dating-focused social network. In 1997, Radha Vembu began her profession as a product manager at Zoho Corporation, an Indian software development firm.

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26 Billionaire Women Who Made Their Fortunes On Their Own

BBC Sport

Dejphon Chansiri has been Sheffield Wednesday owner since January 2015 Sheffield Wednesday have revealed owner Dejphon Chansiri was the subject of an "appalling" racist post on social media after ...

Dejphon Chansiri: Sheffield Wednesday owner victim of 'appalling' abuse on social media

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Social media, along with appealing content, was seen as a game changer in the 2023 election and is even believed to have played a key role in the victory of the Moving Forward Party, according to ...

Social media plays key role in election

Bangkok Post

On Tuesday, the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, issued a public advisory warning of the risks of social media use to young people. Last week, the American Psychological ...

How Parents Can Actually Help Teens Navigate Social Media

The New York Times

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281 Stories To Learn About Mobile Apps

Hi everyone. My name is Ivan Prokofyev, I am a payment fraud lead and this is my first (hope not last) post. HackerNoon I have over 10 years of experience in the fraud prevention domain. In my career, I’ve spent time working at Tinkoff Bank, ForexClub(aka LibertEx), Gett, and Booking.com. I’ve also worked on a couple of projects with Sbermarket. I’m currently working in Bumble(Badoo). A bit more about myself: Experience in these companies allowed me to work in different domains and different business models where fraud prevention was part of IT, Security, Marketing, Finance, and Operations. Most of my fraud positions were related to payment fraud (everything which relates to credit cards, PayPal, and the rest of payment methods such as Klarna, boleto, etc). I also have experience working with marketing abuse (coupon, loyalty fraud), collusion, resellers, etc. In today’s post, I’ll aim to answer the following questions: Do you need fraud prevention as well as cybersecurity? Why do you need a Fraud Specialist? Why is it hard for a Business Analyst to become a Fraud Analyst? Why does a fraud specialist have to know how to work with SQL? Let’s get to it! 1. Do we need fraud prevention if we already have cybersecurity? Cybersecurity and fraud prevention are 2 different professions that respond to different aspects of a business. Work in cybersecurity focuses more on access, DDOS attacks, protecting devices, networks, data breaches, etc. Fraud prevention covers payment disputes, coupon abuse, testing fraudulent credit cards, reselling services or/and goods, etc. There is of course overlap and both areas aim to protect companies from financial loss. However, expecting a cybersecurity expert to handle fraud prevention cases and vice versa is not the right approach and may cause issues for both sides because the focuses are so different. This would be the equivalent of expecting a Backend Developer to work on the Front end — it might be achieved, but the time and resources wouldn’t be used effectively. TL;DR point 1: Cybersecurity and fraud prevention are 2 different professions. Cybersecurity is about protecting your infrastructure, while fraud prevention is about protecting your business processes. 2. Why do you need a Fraud Specialist? . This is only the number of confirmed losses that have to be opened to the public, the real numbers are expected to be much higher. It was ± 17B$ two years ago in 2020 and the prediction for 2023 is ± 50B$. Payment fraud losses were ± 41B$ in 2022 This should be reason enough! But let’s not stop there. Whenever a company decides to start accepting payments there are several payment fraud prevention options: In-house solution (An in-house fraud team). Payment provider solution with a guaranteed high acceptance rate and low fraud decline rate. An external solution that prevents all possible fraud. However, it is important to remember when choosing one of the last two solutions that you need to have someone on your side. Otherwise, solutions will focus on their own success, not the protection of your interests. What could go wrong? Without regular communication, the company can face an increase in reject rate, decline payments from genuine customers, and chargeback(dispute numbers) will grow, which can lead to consequences such as fraud/dispute programs from Payment systems ( , , Amex, etc) and as a result initiate even more declines from banks because the company becomes risky and on top of this there will be a monthly fee, starting from 10k $. Visa MasterCard Fraud specialists will lead all conversations with providers, communicate about changes on the business side, feedback about false positive declines with requests to review solutions, and most importantly keep your company away from fraud/dispute programs. You might think that if you’re not working with payments, you don’t need Fraud Specialists, and you might be right. It might be true. For example, in some regions even when you accept payments, domestic fraud is so low and you will never have a rate higher than 0.001%. But these markets have other fraud risks, which you might have never known about. Let’s take as an example “Invite friends”. I believe each of you knows about these marketing campaigns. After launching the campaign most of the time all dashboards/charts show only the growing number of new customers. But if you start to analyze “new” customers you might find that 20 new users are related to one email or phone. The main account already has a super high balance and 20 accounts will never have any activities after being created. In the end, you have misleading information and expectations from numbers. Businesses that work with 3rd party companies or people (for example delivery or taxi services) are faced with collusion and fake orders which cost a lot. For these cases, you have to have a fraud specialist, that will focus on analyzing all these areas, work closely with the product team and find and resolve cases that affect company revenue. Also, preventing you from making a decision when you don’t have any fraud, but also don’t have any orders and customers. It is very difficult to prevent fraud and keep it under a specific level to make sure that the business is operating and all fraud prevention solutions aren’t affecting real customers and prevent only fraudsters. TL;DR point 2: Fraud losses are growing year over year. The worse the economic situation, the more fraud there is. External providers are good but better to have someone on your side to focus on your company’s interests. Fraud isn’t just about fake credit cards. It also relates to coupons, collusion, etc. 3. Why is it hard for a business analyst to become a fraud analyst? I know some people who started out as Business Analysts and became amazing Fraud Analysts, but it’s not always the case. Usually, when Business Analysts are asked to work on fraud prevention, it starts with simple requests from the business side — define fraud or fish out fraudulent activity. This task doesn’t contain enough information or clarity about fraud and what fraud actually means. Analysts will usually start analyzing traffic and identifying anomalous activity. For example, 20 orders in a specific area at a time you would usually find three. After a couple of these attempt approaches, the percentage of fraud (usually it is 5–7%, in some cases 17–20%) is erroneously defined, and the “party” begins. Everyone stops their work and tries to find out why we have so much fraud. Unfortunately, finding anomalies is not enough even if it is a good process. But finding anomalies, reviewing the number of orders, finding a pattern, linking issues, and explaining why they are fraudulent is different. On top of this, fraud prevention requires manual work, most of the time, and it becomes boring for business analysts. They lose motivation and are ready to switch to another project. Finding a pattern is not the end of the story, the hardest part is to make a decision and say — yes it is fraud and we have to block these accounts and refund money back to prevent more losses. Additionally, it's important to note that while business analysts typically rotate between departments, focusing solely on fraud allows for a deeper understanding of emerging trends and potential risks. With fraud, there are no established manuals or descriptions outlining how to identify it, so it requires sustained focus and expertise. Waiting three months to uncover fraudulent activity while calculating EBITDA can prove challenging without this specialized knowledge TL;DR point 3: Business Analysts can make excellent Fraud Analysts but the skills needed for the roles are very different. Not every analyst wants to find fraud, review orders, and review conspiracy theories. Fraud Analysts can’t be rotated as you’ll have a risk of missing trends. 4. Why does a fraud specialist have to know SQL? It's much easier to detect issues and solve problems when equipped with the proper tools. For instance, identifying suspicious orders, analyzing historical data, and recognizing current trends can be done swiftly through SQL queries (or Python, R, etc.). Conversely, manually comparing multiple Excel files or examining orders individually and recording them in a text document can be a time-consuming process that may result in outdated information by the time the task is complete. If you intend to employ a fraud specialist without SQL expertise, it may make sense under specific circumstances, such as: outsourcing work to an external provider whose primary focus is reviewing individual orders, having a dedicated analytical resource to provide full support, or employing junior specialists to assist a skilled individual who understands how to work with databases. While Python or R may offer additional options for data analysis and pattern recognition, my view is that SQL suffices. Nonetheless, some companies, including large ones, still require expertise in Excel, and SQL is viewed as an added advantage. TL;DR point 4: Without SQL, Python, or other tools that allow you to work with big data, you can work to a maximum of 50 orders per day. SQL is a must-have. The information above is based on my experience and situations that I have encountered in different companies. Also published here. Lead image from giphy.

Do You Need to Hire a Fraud Specialist?

Online dating is still so popular that there are countless new startups in the space. Often, young founders will start businesses in the online dating niche because of their own experiences with more widely known apps like Bumble, OkCupid and Match.com. While there is plenty of room for growth in the market, I also know that some challenges need to be addressed. Five problems, in particular, are not necessarily apparent to new founders, but they can be the difference between success and failure in a competitive industry. Here are the five non-obvious issues I have experienced while reviewing dating companies as an investor. Dating apps are transactional by nature. The primary goal of an online dating app or website is to help users find a perfect match. Of course, this means that the best apps have the highest churn rates because they've fulfilled their purpose, and people no longer need their services. So, here's the paradox: The better the company is at its mission, the faster its users stop delivering value. On the surface, this can suck away a founder's motivation to do well at their job of matchmaking. After all, the purpose of any business is to grow and be profitable. Founders should consider other avenues for retention when developing a business plan. For example, an option to search for platonic matches or non-date hangouts would give users a reason to keep returning. Lack of interesting content. If you've ever used a dating app, you know how quickly it can become boring, especially if you don't have any new matches or messages. Many founders don't think about a common problem: chats often become meaningless, and there's no other content to view on the platform. To combat this, many new startups are incorporating alternative content such as celebrity webinars, AR features, AI dating assistants, games and even educational videos. Most dating apps have limited scalability due to geography. Dating apps typically base matches on a user's GPS location. Since most people hope to find a match close by, this makes sense. Companies like Tinder, Badoo and Bumble all operate this way. However, from a business standpoint, this model is nearly impossible to scale in a meaningful way. Companies have to launch city by city, which requires a substantial amount of time, effort and capital. Such a slow and uncertain process doesn't look good to investors. An alternate approach would be to consider ideas such as international dating. People are increasingly interested in virtual hangouts. This means there's potential for an app that connects people internationally with no immediate intention of meeting in person. This could also help people with social anxiety and similar struggles ease their way into making meaningful connections. High rates of scammers across the industry. An unfortunate problem that the online dating industry faces is the issue of scammers and spammers. Recent reports say anywhere from of . In addition, online daters reported in 2021 alone. 10-20 percent online dating profiles are fake losing $547 million in romance scams These scammers not only harm the overall user experience but substantially worsen the metrics for investors. Some of the less trustworthy platforms will leave these fake profiles in order to bolster their numbers and give the appearance of more user activity. However, the best companies often mitigate the issue by hiring moderation teams specifically to monitor and delete these profiles. Slow market growth rates and low ARPU. Right now, the anticipated annual market growth rate is hovering . Expert projections point to a , with a 5.4 percent rate by the end of 2022. around six percent user penetration of 6.4 percent by 2026 These numbers work out to give an estimated average revenue per user (ARPU) of just under $9. From an investment standpoint, these numbers are painfully low. Such low figures are the main reason why there are so few VC investments in the online dating industry. However, I think that one way, in particular, new founders could address this is by expanding the scope of the product. Creating something new that intersects dating and social discovery or dating and gaming would substantially increase these numbers. It would also address other problems of churn rates and lack of content. Online Dating Founders Must Think Outside the Box to Succeed The problems I've outlined are ones that many new founders don't consider until it's too late, which is another reason why they often struggle to obtain VC funding for their startups. The truth is that there is plenty of room for growth and expansion in the online dating market. However, founders must be agile, creative, and mindful of the challenges they will face in order to succeed in the long term.

5 Non-Obvious Business Problems in the Online Dating Market

Photo by on Miguel Bruna Unsplash The HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. women in tech We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. ! Share your story today Tell us about yourself! My name is Alexa, I am Ukrainian. I am the Co-Founder & CEO at Moeco.io and WTech Berlin curator. I am a global business executive and entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience in the digital transformation between industry and technology. I am the one who builds the bridge between deep tech and its application in the real world, looking for the best use cases in various industries. Why did you choose this field in the first place? I have always been excited about how technology is transforming the way we live and always wanted to be a part of it. Even though I don't have an engineering degree, I’ve spent a lot of time understanding it and finding ways to explain it to non-tech people and this is how I gained the skill of selling tech solutions for enterprises. I have always worked with tech founders (real nerds!) and helped them to find the best way to apply their knowledge and package their ideas for business applications. So far, I have helped several startups to find their products’ market fit and get their first clients, and co-founded Moeco.io to apply this experience to my startup this time. What tech are you most excited/passionate about right now and why? I am excited about the data and how it can be used daily to help people make better decisions by sourcing, analyzing, and turning the data into actionable insights. The sourcing part is the most exciting for me right now as the real-time data flow from our sensors enables our customers to understand the conditions of the goods in transit. This is all due to the most recent connectivity options that have only been available in the last few years. The cost of hardware and connectivity slowly reduces every year, which allows us to source the data in the most cost-efficient way for our customers. Our plan for the near future is to be able to fully automate all the processes in logistics with the help of real-time data flow and eliminate all the risks and manual operations in the supply chain. 5G expansion will make it even faster than we thought. What tech are you most worried about right now and why? I am most worried about my Ukrainian colleagues. There are plenty of great tech projects and bright minds in Ukraine such as 3DLOOK, Readdle, Petcube, Grammarly, Ajax, etc. Due to the war, we must adapt, relocate teams, and open hubs in other countries. Luckily, Ukrainians are cool beans, we are resilient and will come back stronger. That is why you will hear more and more Ukrainian names from all around the world in the upcoming year. What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? I practice yoga and meditation and am a certified yoga teacher. Additionally, I ran the San Francisco half marathon and created a female-focused health and wellness community called SupergirlsSF. When I moved to Berlin, I became the ambassador of Wtech - a community of Ukrainian and global female entrepreneurs, so I devote a lot of my free time to events, mentorship, and helping Ukrainian founders and entrepreneurs to expand globally. Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? This is the most common question I have been asked in the last 10 years and I think the answer to that question was being taken seriously in my career. I first started as an executive assistant at a media-tech startup, and I have always been treated as “the girl who sends emails and brings coffee” until I once expressed my opinion on the project we were doing. Then and there I was heard and treated seriously because I was always thinking more than I was required. I think that the expectations from women in tech are quite low in modern society, but more and more women are proving that we can do so much more than people would expect. I think standing up, expressing your point of view, and taking action to make a change in this world is what a lot of modern women dare to do just as you read these lines right now, so please expect more and more female-led companies in the near future. Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled, and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? The recent experience I had in Saudi Arabia showed me that the world is changing the right side up. Even 5 years ago it would have been hard to imagine a female founder pitching her project to the Tech Accelerator in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in front of nearly 200 investors at the time of Ramadan. It was not easy to get a visa for a woman, even if she had a business partner/client there. Now Saudi’s government is opening the doors for female tech founders, welcoming and integrating them into their economy, making the 2030 vision of a “digital country” a reality. This is a very impressive change that happened very recently and that is a good example of how the governments of different countries should approach their improvement. What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? The deepest and biggest insight of all time for me is that the wrong hiring process can ruin the business. Even hiring one person who has different values could dramatically shift the way a company develops and the direction in which it goes. I think aligning the vision and constantly checking in with the team is the only way to build the company right. If the values and vision are not aligned, the company will be falling apart slowly but surely. One cannot build a company on their own; everyone was always telling me that the people are the key, but I want to make a statement from my experience now: “Each individual is the key and the company has to have the right set of keys to open up the door into the unified dream.” What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? I think building the company is an achievement on its own, but having a diverse and distributed team is definitely a highlight. I am proud of the people I was able to bring to the team and I am proud to keep it up even during the time of war in my country, as it is not that easy these days. I think that the creation of a team diversity protocol together with the 5G Open Innovation Lab and the successful implementation of the diversity program in Moeco is the key to success. Creating diversity in teams makes the company more sustainable and stronger during shaky times. It makes the organization operate as a single organism with different functions and capabilities to get to a single goal faster, more efficiently, and have some fun along the way. Don't forget about that part! In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? I think it has a lot to do with the leadership aspect. It was always common for men to lead and most of the time women were just following. Some really good examples like Cisco, Goop, 23andme, Bumble, Eventbrite, Glossier, RentTheRunway, and CreditKarma have changed the perception of women’s leadership and created role models for females to follow. Now we can see more and more companies founded or co-founded by women and the better performance statistics these companies show investors and the whole world. I think it’s a great example of how the mindset can be shifted dramatically in such a short timeframe. Who is your tech idol? Why? Whitney Wolfe Herd started her successful career in dating apps when she was a . co-founder and vice president of marketing at Tinder When she filed a lawsuit against her boss for sexual harassment, she was forced to leave the company. After Tinder, Herd decided to compete against her former employer and create a new dating app. With financial help from Badoo founder Andrey Andreev, Herd created Bumble, which allows women to make the first move after matching. Today, Herd remains the CEO of Bumble, which is valued at . $1 billion and has 35 million users Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field? Fears will always be there until you tap into them and decide to change them. We all have fears of not being good enough and in the tech world, females were always considered as “not technical enough”, “not smart enough”, and “not very good at taking the lead”, so it became even easier to just stick with the common ideas and not to take any steps towards changing it. Changing the world starts with changing yourself and getting rid of all the obstacles on this path are, primarily, our own fears and insecurities. Be brave and curious, always get to the core of things and be able to transform yourself on the go. “Build the place on the flight” is the best description of the field you are joining. If you are ready for that, take the step and don't wait for the invitation;  it is already there for you, waiting for you to accept the new reality, the new you.

Power Plays for Women in Tech: Fears Will Be There Until You Tap Into Them and Decide to Change Them

Juegos de poder para las mujeres en la tecnología: los miedos estarán ahí hasta que los aproveche y decida cambiarlos

Le pouvoir joue pour les femmes dans la technologie : les peurs seront là jusqu'à ce que vous les exploitiez et décidiez de les changer

टेक में महिलाओं के लिए पावर प्ले: डर तब तक रहेगा जब तक आप उन पर टैप नहीं करेंगे और उन्हें बदलने का फैसला नहीं करेंगे

技術業界の女性のパワープレイ: 恐れは、あなたがそれらを利用して変更することを決定するまでそこにあります

Jogadas de poder para mulheres na tecnologia: os medos estarão lá até você tocá-los e decidir mudá-los

Quyền lực dành cho phụ nữ trong ngành công nghệ: Nỗi sợ hãi sẽ có cho đến khi bạn chạm vào họ và quyết định thay đổi họ

科技界女性的权力游戏：恐惧会一直存在，直到你深入了解她们并决定改变她们

With the technological evolution of artificial intelligence (AI), many companies have explored ways to incorporate this new capability into their products and services to serve their customers better. Many industries, such as manufacturing, retail, transportation, and logistics, etc., have already successfully incorporated this technology into their business. The medical field has also seen AI aiding in discovering new drugs and improving diagnostic capabilities to help physicians and medical staff. Android app development services have been working on these apps for some time. The potential for using this technology in personal goods and services is limitless. Some of today's "smart" apps, such as personal assistants, show how AI could improve people's lives on many levels. Artificial intelligence is now taking over our personal lives by integrating personal relationship technologies. From finding a partner on a dating app to psychology and communication aids for better relationships, artificial intelligence can now occupy a central place as a technology allowing access to new possibilities. No longer just a human domain, relationships and love are now approached from a technological point of view. There are many possibilities for improving people's lives using AI-assisted applications. For example, you could date a custom avatar in the future with AI, the new matchmaker! Dating Industry and AI - Current Scenario In a constantly expanding industry, online dating is now big business. The multi-billion dollar industry is dominated by Match Group, which owns more than 40 dating companies, including the famous "Tinder" service. However, unlike traditional apps and programs, AI-assisted dating apps can predict, analyze and offer a more exciting product. The Match Group and its competitors have accumulated vast amounts of personal data, which technology like AI can now take full advantage of. Predictions like how people decide on a mate are just one way AI could use data. React Native app developers can easily leverage this data. With the expansion of the dating industry, examples of AI can already be used. For example, a female AI chatbot can guide users through finding love and romance by offering suggestions for analyzing personal data. After asking the user their preferences, the program separates the profiles that best match your personality. When a profile is selected, the app can then offer more details about the particular choice. Some of the AI ​​applications so far in the industry are based on a novelty approach. An exciting app using AI can be seen with the Loveflutters app feature, which suggests restaurant recommendations to give a date a little boost. Now, there are plenty of dating apps that provide users with suggestions for first date ideas, whether it's a club, restaurant, cafe, or bar. The Badoo service has fun technology that matches your partner's face with that of a similar celebrity. This feature uses the integration of AI technology and facial recognition to match the user with the celebrity. By uploading an image, the app can search a massive database for lookalikes. On a slightly more sophisticated level in terms of relationships, the well-known eHarmony website uses technology to analyze discussions to develop suggestions to users on how to approach their next "move." Another example of technology is helping users by ranking profiles and predicting user preferences. Simply put, the basic premise of AI in the dating world was explained by Tinder CEO Sean Rad - AI will act as a 'smart filter' and predict a person's interest. Therefore, custom mobile application development services should take this aspect very seriously. Today's dating services leverage AI to filter big data to create a larger pool of potential matches for users. The possibilities are also found in websites and dating apps, such as public social media posts, providing insight into personal preferences. This analysis could avoid potential biases based on more deliberate or artificial responses provided on dating questionnaires. Inaccurate or misleading answers are one of the main reasons people are unsuccessful with online dating. Data and Meetings AI can process vast volumes of data. As more and more data is generated on the internet through social media, AI-assisted applications will generate very accurate predictions. Complementary technology to virtual reality (VR) is evolving with AI. The potential of these two apps to work together in the dating world is only a matter of time. There is a growing demand for products like "virtual girlfriends." Ever-evolving technology aims to provide users with the ability to practice dating in a virtual environment to aid them in their attempts in the real world. What all of this will lead to in the future could be your very own personalized VR partner! The volume of data that AI-assisted technology can process could lead to creating the "perfect" partner. By integrating with other advanced technologies, the concept could take it further by allowing users to experience their personalized avatar physically. Disrupting human relationships would be the creation of an interactive robot or companion. Although this idea can be confronted at first glance, it harbors several possibilities to improve people's lives. For example, an AI-assisted virtual reality companion could be used by the elderly or widowers, the disabled, or anyone facing a challenge to find an intimate partner or companion. The Fate of Dating Apps With advancements in technology and AI and growing interest in online dating services, businesses in this space need to keep abreast of the latest developments to stay relevant and meet customer demand. One area that has yet to be touched on is where technology can resolve some of the negatives encountered when using dating apps. One of these negative experiences for some users is meeting users operating under false identities, also known as "catfishing." This behavior can drastically change the user's trust in the service. One solution that businesses are exploring is for users to confirm their identities through facial mapping technology. Problems remain, however, regarding the need to verify details against the implementation of requirements that infringe on privacy and discourage the adoption of the app. A new feature seen in some dating apps is a concierge service where the program helps users create an ideal online profile. Using a combination of AI, machine learning, and human intervention, the feature tries to maximize your profile and improve appeal. While the feature often comes at an additional cost, it does provide the ability to develop a profile for full matches. Future AI developments may explore other elements that could lead to more successful matchmaking on dating apps. The level of sophistication will increase as AI-based programs "learn" what works with improved data and feedback. Features such as psychological profiles may be developed in the future to delve into more than just personal preferences. Physical characteristics are another crucial area of ​​unique attraction that can be further explored with the help of technology. Another possible direction is the use of DNA and collaboration with existing ancestry services. DNA-based people matching still has a long way to go before it can be considered a viable concept for people matching; However, with AI, the scope of these possibilities is increasing in the dating app industry. A React Native app development company can take advantage of these opportunities. Money Matters There is enormous potential for dating apps to generate income through several innovative feeds that complement their service. One way is to leverage partnerships with appropriate third parties to increase growth and generate revenue for mutual benefit. As previously stated, the Loveflutter dating app uses data from chats to match people and recommend places to eat or meet. In addition, it can suggest suitable places for both users based on their location using another specially designed app to find nearby services such as bars and restaurants. It could be extended by redirecting the suggestions made by the app to third-party apps. For example, this can be direct to a restaurant or even to an aggregation app like Uber Eats. Different income options could then be explored between the dating app and the third-party provider. For example, one possibility could be that the third-party provider receives a lead from the dating app; various fees could apply, including a fee based on the average cost of acquiring a new customer if known. Or a commission or fee based on a percentage agreed upon when the user orders. The discount could also be incorporated into a model to influence user choice of a restaurant or location. Opportunities may also arise using similar revenue models based on leads from a wide range of applications or third parties. These can be directly related to the dating industry or completely separate but want to attract users. But, again, it is up to the application companies to decide whether the involvement of third parties would add value or compromise their core product. Growing Opportunities One challenge for dating apps is to continue to get user engagement once a date has been successful. Many dating app users indicate an interest in finding long-term relationships. If later dates arise, AI could suggest different options to users than previously tried. In this way, the app can analyze the newly introduced date suggestions or extend the idea to kitchen choices or even gifts. At this point, the application may be showing real creativity. The user might see the benefit of providing information to users on specific preferences. For example, a comment on a taste for jewelry or clothing could be associated with a color preference mentioned. This information was suggested to one of the users as a great gift idea. A third-party provider could then be suggested and an order seamlessly placed through the dating app. What AI-assisted apps offer is the ability to understand users through their chats on the app and to be able to learn and therefore suggest other ideas continuously. All of this can add to the app's value outside of the core function or matchmaking and ensure that the experience attracts a loyal following of users. As mentioned, these features can add value and produce leads for third parties in the dating industry and other opportunities outside of this space. Innovation and AI - Challenges As with any innovation, the implications must be considered, and the impact on the user must be at the forefront. Especially when considering human relationships and emotions, which can be unpredictable and spontaneous, any suggestion given by the AI ​​function should be taken into account as to whether it will add value and support the primary function of the application or if it can disable a user or confuse their decisions and interactions. The conversation and rapport built on a dating app chat is an integral part of the success of the overall experience. Too many suggestions could interrupt the report; however, suitable program interventions could reveal users' new understanding. Ideally, the concept of innovation and income should help the user in their quest and not distract their minds by too many options that seem intrusive. A Blockchain application development company should incorporate the above points. AI-enabled Developers and Dating Apps AI is already being used in innovative ways in the dating industry. Many early adopters have managed to find the balance between technology and improved user experience. Fun features can keep people coming back as well. Developers can still focus on using technology to iron out problems, solve user problems, and generate insight from data. In addition, it is possible to take advantage of the growing volume of data generated through apps and online. Conclusion The world of AI and dating apps continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Matchmaking innovations go beyond traditional old-fashioned ways and evolve towards a better personal understanding of people and relationships. AI-assisted solutions in the dating world leverage large volumes of new and old data to analyze user behavior like never before. Working hard behind the scenes, algorithms increase the chances of finding their life partner, or just a great friend, even a casual one, if that is their criteria. If the ideas in this article are interesting, a developer's experience in AI applications could help harness the basic capabilities of artificial intelligence in dating applications. In addition, it can make sure you keep in touch with the future of high-tech human relations.

The Next Revolution in the Dating Industry: Will AI Help Me Find a Boyfriend?

Following the introduction of Tinder in 2012, we’ve been living in the “on to the next one” paradigm, ending relationships at the first sign of misunderstanding. And the impact of the swipe culture stretches far beyond that. Instead of actually meeting people offline, talking to each other, and discussing issues face to face, we lean in the comfort of emojis, likes, and instant messaging. Is there a way to persuade the 270 million people who to adopt a more meaningful approach to dating? Surprisingly, technology emerges as a double-edged sword here. We’ll examine the benefits of combining artificial intelligence technology with dating apps. use apps like Badoo and Tinder AI dating apps: a match made in heaven Algorithms help users find more compatible partners The early dating websites and apps, such as Match.com, eHarmony, and Grindr, only allowed users to search for potential partners by age, gender, location, sexual orientation, and shared interests. As a result, single-and-looking people had to scroll through thousands of profiles corresponding to these criteria. Today, machine learning models can do the job for you. Dating apps that use AI may identify common facial features in profile pictures of users you’ve swapped left or right and figure out your dating type. Image source: Mashable Besides physical appearance, AI may detect objects in images and show you more profiles of users who, say, play the guitar or frolic on the beach in their pics. For example, Tinder harnesses Amazon Rekognition to detect personality markers and improve the matching algorithm for premium users. The bad thing is, ML models to make accurate predictions, so you’ll have to spend a lot of time in the app to get more likes and matches. need training data For lazy daters, there’s an option to search for potential partners who resemble celebrities. The feature is currently supported by Dating.AI and Badoo, the dating app veteran with 60 million active users globally. Besides matching you with a person who looks like Bill Skarsgård or Gigi Hadid, the celebrity doppelganger feature helps you find and ignore imposters. Some dating AI applications go even further and attempt to predict the chemistry between two people based on their DNA profiles! We’re talking about DNA Romance, an app that uses artificial intelligence to match couples by linking their DNA samples to sixteen personality types according to the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator. Algorithms encourage users to get to know each other Remember the Black Mirror’s Hang the DJ episode where individuals were matched into a relationship by a digital coach? The artificial intelligence dating program, which lived on a Nest-like device, set expiration dates for relationships (some encounters would only last a couple of minutes!) and analyzed breakups to find a better fit. Image source: Corleones & Lannisters Corleones & Lannisters Lasting, healthy relationships are defined by the amount of time we spend with a person. It is technically impossible to establish an emotional connection with someone if we put quantity over quality. Artificial Intelligence Matchmaker (AIMM) is a real-world dating app that aims to solve this problem. Similar to the Black Mirror Coach system, the virtual assistant communicates with a person for at least one week before introducing them to other people. The AI-based application makes sure to suggest candidates one at a time, thus allowing users to learn a few things about each other and make a well-informed decision about whether they should stick together or move on to the next partner. The application also guides users through the matching process by arranging phone calls and offering dating advice. Algorithms improve the courting experience A less common way to use AI technology for dating apps revolves around improving the overall dating experience in a variety of ways: In a world where 72% of dating app users block other people’s profiles for misbehavior and offensive content, more applications turn to artificial intelligence to curb harassment. An example of this is Tinder’s reporting system that detects the use of improper language and asks users how they feel about it. An algorithm developed by a team of researchers from the University of Warwick flags bot accounts with 99% accuracy based on their IP addresses, messages, and stolen images. And a popular live streaming dating app to spot inappropriate content and block users who spread it. Filtering fake accounts and inappropriate content. uses machine learning Sean Rad, Tinder CEO, defines artificial intelligence as a smart filter that knows what people are interested in — and delivers content that best matches their interests. Besides finding users with similar hobbies and life goals, Lara, Match.com’s chatbot that works in sync with Google Assistant, suggests ideal date locations in your area. Another example comes from eHarmony, whose AI studies user behavior to figure out the best time to email each other. Coming up with personalized recommendations. You may spend weeks choosing perfect photos for your Tinder profile and still get 14% fewer responses just because you’ve made two spelling mistakes in the About Me section! In fact, proper grammar than good teeth and self-confidence! To fix typos and grammatical errors in your profile and messages, you can use AI-powered tools like Grammarly’s Mobile Keyboard, which also conducts sentiment analysis to make sure you sound friendly and respectful. Correcting grammar and spelling mistakes. ranks higher on your date’s wishlist Why AI apps might be the future of dating By 2040, 70% of all couples would be initially meeting online — compared to just 24% in 2017. And there are several reasons for that: - Even it were not for the pandemic, our lives have become more digital, and the amount of data we consume daily continues to grow - Younger people prefer to focus on their education and careers, meaning they have less time for in-person interactions with peers - Our well-being has skyrocketed in the past 20 years — and wealthy, educated individuals tend to socialize less Artificial intelligence might be a silver bullet solution to the information overload problem. Just like marketers and editors turn to AI to source quality content for their clients from all over the web, dating apps utilize machine learning to help users establish finely tuned connections — even if it means compromising on their quantity. And if your company is looking to conquer the $3.33 billion dating app market, the best time to is now. develop your AI application

AI Is Changing The Future Of Online Dating

If you care just a slightly bit about the stock market ( ), you probably know that on 02/11, Tinder-rival Bumble made its debut on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol ‘BMBL’. It was initially priced at $43 per share, and by the end of the first trading day, the stock soared to $70.31 apiece (you do the math, that’s a 63.5% rise). and maybe, dating apps The stock closed at $71.75 per share on the trading day of 02/19, marking the market cap at $8.28B. Bumble's stock price (Resource: Google ) There was a lot of buzz around the company. We know that Bumble’s Founder and CEO, Whitney Wolfe Herd, was indeed the former co-founder of Tinder (the tea!) We know that they had a much-talked about in 2018. We also know that at 31, Herd is to lead an IPO. lawsuit the youngest female executive So, back to business. What is the deal with Bumble? But first, what is Bumble? For those who don’t know, Bumble is essentially a location-based dating app: you log in, browse profiles of people in your area, then swipe right if interested, or swipe left for Thank U, Next. If both individuals swipe right, it’s a match. There is a twist: after the right swipe, , and the match goes away if no message is sent after the first 24 hours. That gives the women their control of the conversation, and saves users from the exasperation of a 6-month match without a move. only the woman can send the first message While Bumble is free to use, you can pay an extra fee for advanced features. We have Boost, starting at $12.99 per week, where you can unlock options like Rematch, SuperSwipe, or Spotlight. Or, if you are feeling fancy, you can pay $17.99 per week for the Premium, where you get even more features like Travel (match with people from other cities) or Beeline (see all the singles who like you). real Bumble also offers BFF mode for platonic relationships, Bizz mode for professional networks, and Badoo - its sister app in Europe and Latin America. Bumble's IPO (Resource: @bumble ) Why Is It a Big Deal? Impressive Performance with Opportunities to Grow Now, let’s talk . numbers These figures below reflect the financial indicators of Bumble Holdings from its Bumble and Badoo apps. Figure 1: Bumble’s Financial Indicators 2018-2019 (Resource: SEC.gov ) Figure 2: Bumble’s Financial Indicators 9/2019 - 9/2020 (Resource: SEC.gov ) Pre-COVID, Bumble saw a lucrative revenue of $488.9M - a YOY growth of 35.8%. This is impressive compared to the YOY increase of 11.59% by Match Group ( ). In 2019, Bumble also enjoyed a net earnings YOY growth of 17.6% and net cash provided by operating activities of 41.2%. resource: MacroTrends In 2020, the company posted less-impressive revenue growth of 15% with a net loss of $84.1M. This was attributed to the impact of COVID-19 and the company’s increasing costs. However, this shouldn’t be a factor to predict Bumble’s financial performance in the next few years, considering the high volatility of the market. We will need to wait for its reports in the coming quarters to be able to observe the performance and use of money flow from the public offering to weigh the performance. Even with the slowdown in revenue and negative profitability, Bumble managed to grow its usage by 25% and steadily increase its market present in the U.S. dating app market, and almost doubled in market share in 2020 from 2017: Figure 3: U.S. Dating App Market Share by Revenue (Resource: SensorTower ) The real potential growth for Bumble lies in its international market, where it now occupies 2% of market share (the big guys are Badoo and Tinder, but Badoo has been declining for the past 5 years). OC&C projects that in North America alone, the online dating scene will grow 11% annually to a $3.4B market in 2025. The global market will see an annual growth of ~13% to 981M singles having access to the interweb and a $9.9B market in 2025 ( ). It is without question that Bumble will enjoy the benefits of scale in the years to come. resource: SEC.gov Strong Brand Presence In the Company’s introduction, Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd writes: S-1 Our users connect deeply with our brand, making it a powerful marketing tool which generates word of mouth virality and strong, efficient user acquisition. This is evidenced by the fact that only 22% of new users across our apps came from attributable performance marketing in the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Take a second to look bumble up on Instagram, you will see several accounts such as , , or (which is mad hilarious), each with a hundred million followers; not to mention the hashtag #bumble with more than 400K related posts. With gen Z rising and living their life through social media, this Instagram influence is a real deal. @bumble @bumblebizz @overheardbumble (Resource: @overheardbumble ) The Bumble team makes extra efforts to connect with other organizations and give back to the community. For example, for Valentine’s Day Special, it for special virtual dating experiences. It also launched the Bumble Fund to . It also pushes market presence through programs like Bumble Honey, recruiting college students to be the ambassadors. teamed up with AirBnB invest in women founders With its continuous efforts to improve brand awareness, Bumble is now the second largest dating app in the U.S. with 5M users, and comes 4th on the global scale ( ). resource: Business of Apps The Powerful Whys: Bumble's Mission to Create a Safe Space It is undeniable that even though we are in 2021, discrimination against women in both their and romantic life still exists. Being the women-first dating app, Bumble works to address the situation. professional “The Bumble brand was built with women at the center—where women make the first move. We are rewriting the script on gender norms by building a platform that is designed to be safe and empowering for women, and, in turn, provides a better environment for everyone.” Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble SEC S-1 Bumble claims to create a safe and equitable environment for the users. For instance, in 2019, they introduced that blurs nude images automatically, leaving users’ the decision whether to see it or not. a new feature Challenges Ahead Industry Competition and User Base Flux The booming online dating market can be a double-edged sword to Bumble. The most prominent competitor is Match (Tinder’s parent), who is close to monopolizing the space, with a wide-ranged portfolio of 45 businesses in total. And the rival is not just Tinder. In Figure 3 above, we can see that Hinge expanded rapidly from less than 1% in the U.S. market (2017) to 6% in 2020. Not to mention other apps like , , , by which Match caters to users of all backgrounds. Match SingleParentMeet SeniorPeopleMeet A glance at Match Group’s portfolio (Resource: The Motley Fool ) Even Herd admits that the dating app market is not a winner-takes-all situation, “ ”. With dating apps now operating on a freemium basis, the cost of switching apps for users is minimal, which leads to potential user base fluctuations. with people using or having an average or two different apps installed on their phone at the same time There are a number of risks associated with the user base for any app, and Bumble is not an exception. Users can engage less in Bumble, which leads to a potential decline in in-app purchases. Users can also find preference in competitive apps, which offer more in terms of features and product innovation. Or, users can find their significant other on Bumble and no longer see the need to use the services. The question is, while Match can rely on other revenue streams if Tinder goes south, what alternatives does Bumble Holdings have if Bumble falls short? Can Badoo take place with a declining performance? Will the company have enough time and resources to roll out other services to keep up in the game? The Role of BFF and Bizz Launched in 2016 and 2017 respectively, BFF and Bizz shows Bumble’s ambition to tap into the “non-romance” aspects of forming a relationship, both platonic and professional. The question is, how much of an impact is there? Bumble BFF sounds like an exciting platform for young people (*cough* gen Z *cough*) to make new friends especially in a new city or in this pandemic we are living in. However, its similarity to Bumble Date is questionable. Would you really decide to be friends with an individual based on a minimum of 4 photos and an excerpt of their life (some won’t even fill it in)? not What would you do when all you want is to make new friends in your new place, but some think that you’re not cool enough for a conversation? It seems like Bumble hasn’t quite reached its goals to convert the traditional way to form a friendship, at least . from what I gather The professional platform, Bumble Bizz, can be an addition to the networking book; however, it is not the ultimate networking site. Do you want to swipe hours to find a potential business match who may or may not be interested in the same field as you are? If you want to network with other people based on professionals and locations, LinkedIn seems like a much more optimal solution. Don’t get me wrong here. If by any chance, you’re reading this story and happen to have a very good experience on either platform, I’m very happy for you. Yet, I believe these two leave a lot to be desired in order to stand out from the crowd. Furthermore, since there is no record of BFF and Bizz generating revenue for Bumble, their role is almost oblivious to potential investors. Conclusion At the end of the day, it depends on the investor to decide whether BMBL is their perfect match. Do you see Bumble as a portfolio maker in the future, providing its steady increase in market presence and high potential of dominating the market? Are you moved by its mission and core value? Or are you still reluctant, waiting to see the public balance sheets in 2021 before making an investment decision? As for me, I am excited about Bumble's earning calls, where I have a more thorough understanding of its financial health and efficiency, after raising $2.51B from the IPO. Disclosure: On the date of publication, the author of this story does not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned above. Disclaimer: This story is intended only for informational purposes, which does not, and will not serve as a recommendation or offer of buy or sell of the securities. This reflects the opinions of the author who is an associated person of Hacker Noon and does not reflect the opinions of Hacker Noon or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. Nothing in this story should be taken as a solicited advice to buy or sell the securities.

$BMBL: Swipe Left or Right? An Insight Into One of the Hottest Tickers in 2021

An In-Depth Look Into the World's Most Popular Dating Apps

As technology advances, we continue to use these innovations to make our lives better, and that includes how we find love. Today, around is single — that's over 124 million people. This higher rate of singles has many people pointing the finger at online dating for making love obsolete. But online dating apps empower singles to find what they're looking for, whether that be a relationship, a casual hookup, or marriage. 50.2 percent of the U.S. population Digital courtship exploded after the release of the first iPhone in 2007 and has since , but it's been around for a while. Match.com laid the groundwork as the first online dating site in 1995, followed by eHarmony in 2000. As the online dating industry grew, more apps came on the scene. There was OkCupid in 2004, Grindr in 2009, Tinder in 2012, and then Bumble in 2014 — and these are just a few of the available online dating apps. become a multi-billion dollar industry actively use one or more of these platforms, sometimes . Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, online dating apps have not only seen a surge in signups, but an increase in user activity as well. These apps may seem pretty straightforward, but they're anything but simplistic. Users look to online dating apps to be their modern matchmakers, but it takes advanced technology like location-tracking and complex algorithms to do this, and do it well. Three-in-ten adults up to ten hours a week However, users still want an even more personalized experience, which requires even more sophisticated technology. By 2040, are expected to meet online. What are dating apps doing to heighten compatibility? 70 percent of couples The future of digital matchmaking Will we have digital assistants filtering out potential matches for us? Will virtual reality be the first-dates of the future? Will our phones assign compatibility percentages to other singles in close proximity to us? These dating scenarios sound like Black Mirror episodes, but they're closer to reality than you might think. People don't always know what they want in a match, so innovations like artificial intelligence could help solve for that uncertainty. can monitor what profiles you look at and for how long, it can decipher the contents of your chats, and it can even analyze patterns in how you swipe. As AI becomes more advanced, it can even track your behaviors outside of your dating apps, like overseeing what websites you frequent, the kinds of articles you read, what Netflix shows you binge-watch, and also inspect images on your camera roll. All of this data will be used to improve your matches. Machine-learning There's , a voice-activated matchmaking service that interviews you and uses your answers to better customize your matches. Before you agree to talk to anyone, this bot will recite their personal information to you so you can decide if they're worth pursuing further. Then there's , which pairs you with people who look like your favorite celebrity doppelgangers. AIMM Badoo's Lookalike feature Badoo, Bumble, and other online dating apps have begun implementing video features on their apps as well. that allows users to add two-second looping videos to their dating profiles after feedback that a still image doesn't always adequately portray someone's personality. Tinder recently launched a Loops feature These technological advancements help online dating apps become better matchmakers, but it leaves people wondering whether these apps are doing anything to make sure they're even more protected against false profiles, scammers, and predators. The future of online dating is better, but is it safer? There have always been concerns about online dating safety, and for good reasons. What exactly are online dating apps doing to ensure the safety of their users? An editor at wondered the same thing, and later published an investigation into the safety of some of the most popular online dating apps singles use today. What they found was initially concerning. Quartz Grindr has a " " page, but it's buried somewhere in their Help Center and only accessible to users who are actively looking for it. Tinder also has a " " page, which also requires that users do some digging to uncover it on their website. A majority of sites encourage users to report inappropriate or aggressive behavior, and OkCupid even employs a support staff that . While offering tips for safe dating is helpful, and flagging and banning dangerous accounts eliminates the chance of repeated behavior, is it enough? safety tips dating safety tips monitors accounts for false profiles, scams, and abuse Some companies remain complacent, even silent, but others have stepped up to begin addressing how they can better ensure user safety. Tinder's Traveller Alert feature protects their LGBTQ+ users by . They have the option to temporarily hide their sexual orientation or gender identity on their profiles so they can't become the targets of government agencies or individuals. They are , when triggered, will alert emergency services of a user's location and personal information in case they're in danger and can't call 911. alerting them when they are in a country that has discriminatory LGBTQ+ laws also adding a panic button that Other organizations are also inciting action where other online dating apps won't. The is designing AI technology that can scan dating sites for fraudsters and scammers and alert other users of their presence. My company, , generates Reputation Profiles with Reputation Scores that helps users uncover important information like criminal and civil court records, links to their social URLs, and photos before they decide if it's safe to meet with someone they met online. Additionally, uses facial recognition that helps users verify whether the person they're talking to is actually who they say they are. University of Warwick MyLife.com Truly.am Is online dating safer today than it was decades ago? Yes, but not by much. The industry still has a long way to go. With online dating apps working on initiatives that better protect their users, and other platforms working in conjunction with dating apps to help users verify the authenticity and trustworthiness of another person's dating profile, we're well on our way to a safer future.

Dating Apps Will Be Better Matchmakers Thanks to AI, but will They Be Safer?

I know, with this story probably all of the bitcoin enthusiasts will start to hate me, but I think that someone has to analyze this threat. Abstract If you make a simple search online everyone sees Bitcoin as the Digital Gold, and maybe it was, anyone, talks about this simple question: Could Bitcoin be surpassed from other cryptos in terms of market cap? Usually in my opinion when an investment became obviously good for everyone as a status quo, like Real estate in 2008, I’m becoming skeptical… I think someone has to argue this threat with a serious and pragmatic analysis on what is happening in the crypto world. Also, personally I never invested in technologies without future use cases only because people believe in it. So, I’m starting to think about what could happen if Bitcoin will be surpassed as market cap and if this scenario could really happen? Analysis 1 | Technological Prospective Let’s talks about the technology of Bitcoin, Bitcoin is the first generation of blockchain technology designed to store and transact values without intermediaries. For the first time in human history, we’re able to transact values without intermediaries and especially without trusting any entities, but a democratic and opensource governance based on anonymous miners (validators) and mathematical algorithms. Bitcoin introduced the logic of a trustable ledger without the possibility of eliminating data with the smart idea of transaction blocks system. This concept was awesome and was starting to disrupt our concept of security, trust, and values, but now we’re in 2018 and every Crypto Coin have the same standard, a lot of AltCoins are designed to do the same things but faster and cheaper than Bitcoin, even Dogecoin have some improvement, for who didn’t hear about Dogecoin, is a Crypto Coin that become the 43 most valuable Coin for his style and his funny dog meme. PS: I love DogeCoin is one of funniest internet memes ever! The blockchain of Bitcoin is one of the slowest, expenses and larger in the entire blockchain community without any plans to improve except for the lighting network, that is no more than a state channel structure, not a real improvement but for different use cases and here I want to dispel a myth: Lightning is a state channel like Raiden on Ethereum, this is not a solution because every transaction in a lightning network will not be decentralized but only the first state and the last state of the connection, so it’s massive dangerous that Bitcoin ambassadors sell it like an upgrade to improve the scalability. In the tech industry the First Mover Advantage is never a killer app, but sometimes a gap, because the history of tech market, teach us that first mover advantage could be bad if the company are not able to reinvent himself quickly to compete with companies with late or even last mover advantage like Yahoo/Google, IBM/Apple, Myspace/Facebook, PayPal/Stripe or eBay/Amazon. This doesn’t mean that the first movers usually fail, but that they open the market for who really understand how to disrupt it from the data about success and unsuccess of the first movers. When First Movers Are Rewarded, and When They’re Not | HBR Let’s destroy Bitcoin | MIT Technology Review There is nothing about Bitcoin that makes it a good store of value.| Hackernoon The End of Bitcoin HODL | Michael K. Spencer Scaling Cryptos: Bitcoin Lightning Network vs Ethereum Raiden Network | mooncryption Analysis 2 | The community In the Tech Market, a fast, visionary and strong leadership are critical. Bitcoin with his community have too many different points of view and different needs. Speculators want to improve the price, miners want to reduce expenses, developers want to improve transactions speed, enthusiasts don’t want to update anything from the WP of Satoshi Nakamoto and in the end, the tech behind Bitcoin is the most stagnant in the crypto ecosystem because anyone cares to follow a vision. The early community of Bitcoin was awesome they change how we store values and this technology in my personal opinion is the most important invention ever made in the tech world. But early adopters community and the early developers are no longer there, they are in other projects like Ethereum, EOS, AION etc. and on Medium, there is a lot of stories about from them about how the community is changed and how the left it. The community of Bitcoin today is driven by speculators rather than innovators, today the community is dominated by conservatives laggards and it’s at the end point of the Technology adoption lifecycle and usually this period for every tech-related company is dangerous. Bitcoin community today is in a conservatives state, in fact, lasts fork of Bitcoin like Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Bitcoin Atom etc, are from people that didn’t like the conservative and stagnant approach of the majority in the community. Satoshi Nakamoto Is Not Relevant | Hackernoon Speculators Are Corroding Bitcoin | Mark Toohey “The Flippening” & How I Learned to Stop Loving Bitcoin | Hackernoon Analysis 3 | Can the history help us to understand what could happen next? In the tech history, I want to make some parallelism with IBM, MySpace or Nokia. In the 80s IBM had a huge early mover advantage it was the bigger computer company at the time, and people had the idea that was impossible to surpass his value. But this idea wasn’t true, in fact in that situation IBM didn’t fail, but other companies like Apple, thanks to the late-mover advantage grew faster and better. Today the IBM market cap is $80B and Apple market cap is $950B IBM didn’t grow faster as apple for his stagnancy on innovation and to deliver the right product to the masses. Bitcoin have this problem today instead of other projects with 3/5 year’s strategy, great leadership, innovator-based communities and more applications on the real world than mere financial transactions. I’ll argue about this in the next chapter. Another interesting comparison is with Nokia, the most famous cellular production company in the early day of it. As well as IBM, Nokia was surpassed and even disrupt by the idea of the smartphone with the touch display that opened the usage of cellphones to a lot of new applications rather than calls and mere SMS. The case of Myspace in the social media space could be another interesting correlation. Myspace was the first massive social network as consumer adoption, followed by Badoo, Netlog and Live Messanger. But what they didn’t understand at the time was the idea to store and use data as a business model instead of the old concept about sell stuff to users or expenses memberships or too much casual adds without caring user experience. This first wave of social Media was disrupted by Twitter and Facebook at the time because thanks to their late mover advantages they understood the values of data rather than mere online businesses and this were huge. Will Bitcoin Become the MySpace of Cryptocurrencies? | INC Analysis 4 | Use cases To introduce this section I have to set the difference from: Blockchain 1.0 technology, a network designed to store and transact financial values. (Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Litecoin etc.) Blockchain 2.0 technology, a network designed to Decentralize and Transact values and logic, with a structure like an O.S. for Decentralized Applications, Smart Contracts, and Decentralized data. (Ethereum, EOS, NEO etc.) The use cases of Bitcoin are not clear because it failed as a payment system, slow, not scalable and expensive. In the Blockchain 1.0 ecosystem, there are more efficient and cheaper projects. In the Blockchain 2.0, the challenge is more difficult, the applications are larger, here everyone is more efficient than Bitcoin in terms of transactions and scalability. So what’s the the real value and the real use of it? Speculation? Maybe yes, because with bitcoin architecture you can’t decentralize applications, data or something that really could have an impact in the future, you can only make slow and expensive values transaction. Ten years in, nobody has come up with a use for blockchain | Hackernoon Bitcoin is failing as a currency | Engadget Bitcoin — Store of Value is a Useless Use Case | Hackernoon Analysis 5 | Is the bitcoin Governance still Decentralized? This threat is more difficult to analyze than other because we are in a philosophical field, Decentralization is about to deliver trustless in general, from the bottom of the Proof of Work, in the case of Bitcoin, to the Community-Driven decision-making structure. The problem that I want to analyze is more pragmatic if we’re in a scenario without leaders and the decision making is made by speculators or people without a vision of this technology or merely that makes decisions not for the future of the project but for their personal wallet, is this correct? Is this the culture-driven future we want? Is this a way that in the long run can’t destroy a project? BTW Bitcoin is decentralized and I love that, but a lot of other projects are decentralized too, so it’s not a unique competitive advantage. Who Really Owns Bitcoin Now? | Financial Times Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin on the Bitcoin Bubble and Running a $125bn Blockchain | Financial Times Is Bitcoin Truly Decentralized? | Hacked Who Controls the Blockchain? | HBR Analysis 6 | Is bitcoin still gold? In the lasts, 8 years Bitcoin was interpreted as digital gold because was the only Crypto easily exchangeable in USD and every altcoin were calculated as values using the price of Bitcoin. In this situation called Bitcoin, the digital gold makes perfect sense. But in the last two years, after the Ethereum release, Bitcoin is definitely no more the only digital gold, because decentralized exchanges are based on Ethereum, at the same time every centralized exchange are using ETH as BTC like gold. Every new Blockchain related projects, especially after the 2017 ICO bubble, are exchangeable only in ETH and ETH is easily exchangeable in USD as well as Bitcoin. This would mean that in two years a lot of crypto values are not correlated directly with Bitcoin but instead only with the price of Ethereum and the price of Ethereum could drive Bitcoin price and vice versa because it’s exchangeable easily in USD too. Why Bitcoin Can Never Be Digital Gold | BitFalls Bitcoin might be the Crypto-Gold. But Ethereum is the Crypto-Silicon | Michael K. Spencer Why Bitcoin May Not Be Digital Gold After All | Fortune Nope, Bitcoin Is NOT Digital Gold (But Here’s What It Is…) | Clint Siegner Etherium is Not “a Commodity”, and Bitcoin isn’t “Digital Gold” | Hackernoon Analysis 7 | Financial Analyzing in therms of crypto-financial values, the “Bitcoin Dominance” is massively fallen down from March 2017. Bitcoin had always an 85%-90% dominance in terms of market capitalization respect other AltCoins, today this dominance is 40% and in January 2018 reached his bottom at 33%. Ethereum at the same time during the Bitcoin Dominance bottom reached his high in July 2017 as 31% vs the 38% of Bitcoin and in January 2018 as 21% vs the 33% of Bitcoin. This financial scenario, express clearly that for the first time in history Bitcoin is starting to be called into question as the dominant Coin in the Crypto Ecosystem. I want to ask a question for readers, is it possible that in 2017 the BTC price high in 2017 was driven by the price of ETH and the FOMO for ICOs? Does anyone have some proof of the contrary? Another critical issue that could down the price of Bitcoin is the futures made from some non-crypto exchanges like Cboe’s “XBT” because this futures are in the regular market from regular banks and they could inflate the BTC without any ask order correlation in the Crypto world. The problem is that Bitcoin hasn’t a company or a foundation, so in the future, the Bitcoin community couldn’t stop this kind of speculations, it’s like the other side of the coin to be a worldwide community without any regulated government issues. Will Bitcoin Futures Herald the End of Bitcoin? | Justin Danneman 4th Dimension: Bitcoin-Manipulation-Cartel — Price-Suppression is the Goal | Super Crypto The End of BTC Dominance | CryptoYoda Dominance | Coinmarketcap.com The verdict The questions is, what makes Bitcoin more valuable than other Blockchain 1.0 projects like DogeCoin, liteCoin, or any other crypto that can transfer values only? Without early adopters, without a tech-driven vision and especially without a real-world use case, it sounds like a religion… The concept of Bitcoin that have a secure value in the next years, in my opinion, it’s sounds like how people talk about the Real State investments before the 2008 bubble, were people saw houses a secure and trusted investment without cares on what was happening in the entire ecosystem. BTC could be surpassed in terms of market cap from projects like Ethereum EOS, AION, Cardano? My personal answer is YES, is not impossible based on their blockchain 2.0 structure, huge vision, and real-world use cases. In the scenario were BTC is no more the most valuable cryptocurrency, what’ll happen next? If BTC will be surpassed and the myth of digital Gold will be disrupted, people start to think about what makes it more valuable than other Blockchain 1.0 projects? A well-hidden question that I want to ask to the community. With this article, I don’t want to say that Bitcoin is a bad or good investment or that his technology is unuseful but dispel the myth about Bitcoin-like digital gold.

What if Bitcoin could be surpassed in terms of values? Is that possible??

With over 27% of committed relationships starting via the internet, online dating is no longer a taboo.It is estimated that there are over 20 million matches on dating apps and websites worldwide, that comes down to approximately 40 million users.India is the 9th largest market for online dating users.With the fast-food economy and increased internet penetration, these numbers are going to increase multi-fold. Image Source It is predicted that by 2031, at least 50% of married couples would’ve met online. The average online dating service user spends $243 annually. Computers are now going instinct and mobiles are definitely the future. 48% of users access dating services via their smartphones.With Reliance Jio, smartphone and the 4G internet have become more readily available boosting up the number of smartphone users in the country to an estimated 300 million. Online Dating in India India has come a long way from the days when online dating was more or less limited to sending friend requests to people with good DPs. Then, of course, looking for soulmates moved from scrolling down newspaper classifieds to searching on matrimonial websites.This being the online equivalent of meeting with ladke/ladki waale. Image Source Dating like Tinder, Badoo, Truly Madly and Happn have changed much of this scenario specifically in India.It looks like the young Indians are finally ready to search their own partners without having parents trawling through websites.59% of the youngsters said they did not look down upon online dating compared to 27% in 2012. Apps India is the fastest growing market for Tinder and the largest in Asia.One Million “super-likes” are sent every week, with women sending more than men.India, therefore, has witnessed a huge change since it was difficult for women traditionally to even choose their partners. The success of Tinder has encouraged several entrepreneurs to develop some amazing applications in the online dating segment.These dating apps have attracted an ever-increasing userbase and also huge funding from investors.Users have found dating apps helpful whether they are looking for marriage, serious relationships or — the crowd’s favorite — hookups. Transforming the Dating World What may have started as a hook-up movement has quickly and radically transformed the way the generation to come will meet their better halves.A research predicts that one-third of marriages will be a direct result of online dating, there is, of course, no other and more subtle way of expressing interest as swiping right on a profile. With a platform for all that one can imagine — posting the food you had, stalking the life of a friend, putting forth bitterness in under 140 characters and even one that puts dog ears on you, it is not surprising that people have separate applications to find “BAE”. Humans have an innate desire to find companionship but we’re getting increasingly constrained by our growing responsibilities.Trash cans are overflowing with coffee cups and lunch breaks are getting replaced with extra work sessions.Being busy is normalcy and probably a pride but this leaves little scope for meeting offline. Therefore “find BAE” apps have gone viral and collecting matches has become more of a sport.It comes as no surprise then, that the online dating market is worth $2.2 billion with revenues of 381 million dollars in 2016.It’s a hot market and Facebook all set to add a dating feature in-built in the app is prove enough to suggest the enormity of the market. Nevertheless, here are some facts: Image Source • The Market Size — Revenues in the online dating segment amounted to $1383 mn in 2018.• User Penetration is at 5.7% and is expected to increase to 6.3%• There are 50 million users on Tinder alone with an average of 12 million matches every day. This means that there are at least a billion swipes.• The average daily time spent on dating apps has increased to 90 minutes.• India is the biggest market in Asia for online dating as most of its population is young.• The number of swipes in India alone is 14 million going up from 7.5 million in 2015.• Truly Madly has seen a 100% month-on-month growth rate. With a demand as high as this, there is a lot of scope for entrepreneurs and startups to take a dive into this market and make it. To App or Not to App Image Source The number one reason why dating apps have become so popular is that they are more efficient.A site is not a click away and as accessible as an app.An app, on the other hand, travels with the user. With features like geo-proximity and machine learning tailor-making choices to your preferences, websites may soon become redundant. In fact, 4 out of 5 people prefer mobile dating to online sites.61% of users are more likely to “hook-up” on a dating app rather than a website. Websites are not as easy to use and revenue generating as apps.Variety of apps have come up entering niche markets like LGBT dating services, serious dating, and even dislike-based dating apps.All these preferences are made possible through Big Data and Machine Learning which are much easier to collect and implement via smartphones. Building an App is now no more a matter of choice.So, if you wish to develop a dating app of your own, the key to keep your user addicted is the UX behind it.The interface has to make meeting people online as simple as swiping left or swiping right. The Top Matchmakers Online dating is relatively new in India, with Tinder making its entry only as recently as 2015.However, matrimonial sites like and have been prevalent for the past decade.Let’s face it though, they are not very romance-inducing and several times you might be chatting with his/her mother.Dating apps are a savior for us romantics. In this season of love, let’s take a look at the most popular dating apps in India: Matrimony.com Shaadi.com Image Source 1. TINDER Tinder, since its launch in 2015 has been the market leader in online dating segment in India.With over 14 million swipes every day, it still remains unbeatable. The app delivers the highest number of matches mostly among individuals looking for casual dating popularly called “hook-ups”.Tinder has become popular in the hook-up segment but not without consequences. Several of the people surveyed reported joining Tinder just for fun and got bored quickly.Boredom, however, is not a major concern especially with issues like women facing harassment when they refuse to go out on dates.This may be a result of Tinder having 66% male users. 2. MTJF | MORE THAN JUST FRIENDS Expressing your feelings comes with a big risk of making things awkward if your friend doesn’t feel the same for you.Not with MTJF. MTJF’s double opt-in mechanism ensures that a person knows about the other person liking him/her, only when they both Like each other.While the other Dating apps are filled with millions of fake accounts, MTJF guarantees you that you will never come across a fake account.MTJF verifies each user using Mobile number & OTP verification mechanism.So that you can always be sure that you are talking to the person you intend to talk to. 3. TRULY MADLY With the harassment issues and fake profiles reported on Tinder, Truly Madly came as a welcome change.The app assigned trust scores to its users based on their social media integration, job verification, User ID and mobile verification.The App has a user base of 2.2 million users but women compromise only 30% of it.Although Truly Madly wants genuine verified users and claims to keep all information confidential, the recent Facebook data leak is not very reassuring. Users, therefore are pretty reluctant to sharing such details online. 4. WOO WOO, like its international rival Tinder, requires login via Facebook and has LinkedIn integration to provide professional details.WOO founder claims that it is not very “tinder-like” as it is more concerned with creating meaningful matches based on interests, likes-dislikes, and professions.WOO offers several security enhancements most important being that the name of the person is displayed as initials only until there is a match. 5. FLOH FLOH is an invite-only dating app specifically targeting those looking for serious relationship transforming into marriage.Ideally, the user base of FLOH falls between 26–36 age group.The app needs you to shell out INR 7000 for three months of access, however, it guarantees meeting 50 singles at their events and an introduction to 10 matches one on one.Unlike other dating apps, FLOH has 55% of female members. 6. HAPPN A location-specific match-making app, Happn helps discover people that users have already crossed paths with.The users just need to enable their location services and they can see people who have passed by them, giving them an option to message instantly.It had a big-bang launch campaign with Hrithik Roshan advocating it.However, Happn has not been strikingly successful in India keeping in mind the conservations of Indians and the possible hazard of creeps following around women just to match on HAPPN. 7. BUMBLE Bumble has a potentially large scope for Indian online dating market, which so far has not been very promising for women.The creeps and stalkers have for long been troubling downside of major dating apps, Bumble solves this.It has overcome this problem by allowing only women to initiate conversations. Basic Features of Dating Apps What makes a dating app addictive and appealing? For Tinder, it is the unmatchable user experience. Making meeting people a swipe away with almost immediate matches is the USP of Tinder.For TrulyMadly, it is verified users who are matched on basis of interests and preferences. If meeting people has to be made as simple as a right swipe, the interface has to be brilliant.Here is a breakdown of the essentials of a good dating app: The world is online and it is important to integrate platforms like Facebook and Instagram to make log-ins and sign-ups easy and fast.This also allows applications to collect data on likes and dislikes and access to the friend list of the user. Facebook is also a great way of authenticating a user to avoid fake profiles.The possibility of a successful relationship venturing out of an app match is higher when two users have common matches and friends.This makes first dates less awkward giving couples common grounds to talk about. #1 Social Media Integration: Everyone hates filling out long forms.The hospital-like UI has become a thing of the past and with all the data already online, log in with Facebook makes initial data entry like Name, Gender, Email, etc automatic.Several dating apps have gamified the entire process by adding cool graphics and making it fun. #2 Profiles: Matching with a person away from your place of residence is of little of no use.Thus, for dating apps, it’s important to have location-based matches.People living in the same vicinity or city are more likely to meet unless they are daring enough to start long distance relationships.Apps like Tinder have premium paid services that allow users to change the location to a place they might be visiting in the near future or planning to shift to. #3 Geo-positioning: Image Source The who, what, where and why of match-making are run by some internally developed algorithms that match users based on their likes and dislikes.Dating algorithms are not however that simple, for a match-making app to work it is essential to have algorithms that show the users that have liked you before others.It is also common to note that users with a high number of swipes and matches will be displayed first.This may not be very ethical but is essential for a business in order to increase the number of matches. #4 Matching: To facilitate conversations and keep the app more engaging, it is essential to have a chat box to enable matched users to strike up conversations.This is also a safer way to communicate with women especially keeping in mind that an abusive user cannot get hold of the contact details.Several users have not exchanged contact details after finding the matched user not compatible.This further establishes the need for a messaging platform within the app. #5 Chat/Messaging: It is important that users get notified when they have a match.Push notifications need to be a part of the app for this very reason — to avoid missing out on a possible romance. #6 Push Notifications: Monetizing on a Dating App Monetization has been an issue from the very start of online dating.This becomes even more prominent with the advent of dating apps and the huge war over providing the best quality.The average user spends 90 minutes on a dating app every day, the potential for revenue is huge but so are the risks.Here are some established ways of earning from a dating app: The model entails high-quality features at a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis.FLOH is based on a subscription model and matches users with specific users as per their choice.It guarantees at least 10 one on one introductions. Subscription Model: Several apps, the biggest being Tinder use a freemium revenue model. All basic services are free, premium services are available only to the customers who have paid for them.Tinder, for instance, provides Tinder Plus service that enables unlimited matches and going back on the profile you’ve already swiped left on. Freemium: Integrated gift sending facilities can also be a viable revenue model. Gifts like flowers, chocolates and greeting cards can be provided for a fee. Gifts: Advertising can be a risk for dating apps are given the competition. Users tend to be averse to repeated ads showing up and will soon uninstall.However, subtle ads that are un-interrupting can be used. Advertising: Dating apps can involve services that allow booking taxis or booking a table with special offers and even movie date facilitators. Third Party Services: The Tech Behind Dating Apps The mind-blowing features of dating apps like Tinder are a visible result of hours of hard work put into development and the many tools tested and applied.An app’s performance is its best asset and thus best technologies and teams should be put to work behind it.EB team has been a market leader in developing apps that have not only been award winners but have also raised thousands of dollars in funding from global giants. Image Source Technology Stack for an app like Tinder includes JavaScript, HTML5, and Python as programming languages and AWS platform for building and testing apps.For Geo-positioning, most dating apps use the GPS inbuilt into smartphones. NoSQL and MongoDB are among the best platforms to use as scalable database environments.GoDaddy SSL certifications ensure safety while keying in data and carrying out transactions. Tinder has its own custom map designed on the open source platform, Mapbox. It is important to know which platform the app has to be developed, the most popular being IOS and Android since the behind the development on these platforms can be totally different.Note, if the plan is that your dating app will be in use by thousands or probably millions of users, building an ascendable backend would take much more time. The Future of Dating Apps Hinge and ‘Coffee Meets Bagel’ have already initiated a video chat option to date virtually and avoid disappointments.Since 44% of online daters have reported having been disappointed after meeting their match offline, virtual video dates have huge potential.This has already started catching traction with some apps providing an option to video call in-built in the dating app. Video Dates: Have you played the viral game Pokemon Go? Dating in Augmented Reality is on similar lines, except in this you catch dates instead of a Pokemon. Sounds fun, right?FlirtAR is the first of a kind to step into this market. It works kind of like Happn but here you see you familiar surrounding with a balloon marker.Click on the balloon and it opens up a profile.Now you could initiate the first move on the app if they like you back or in person if they are nearby. Dating in AR: Image Source Virtual Reality has been a ground-breaking development in technology and the scope of its use is only coming to light in the near past.A top mobile app development company came up with VRCHAT that builds a virtual space for interactions where the user could talk to anyone from around the globe visualizing them as if they were in the same room.This makes romantic blind dates possible even if virtually. Dating in Virtual Reality: The key selling points of VR Dating are the benefits it has to offer: • It saves time to date in Virtual Reality • VR Dating is more efficient • Helps in developing meaningful connections • Makes Romantic Dates possible without ever stepping out of your home • Dates are made fun with gamification and also makes group dates possible • Getting to know a possible partner or makes you wary of red flags • Saves Money While nothing replaces physical presence, the entire concept of technology integration into online dating and dating apps is definitely promising of a better future.Young and hopeful couples hope VR technology will in the near future be successful in being able to transmit physical sensations like hugs and handholding, of course in a virtual space. Build your Dating App The shallowness of today’s dating experience has brought in an increasing sense of fatigue in online daters worldwide.Though the market is promising, unicorns haven’t yet emerged from the online dating segment and there is no clear leader.While this is a brief guide to building a dating app, your app need not include all of these features.But whatever it is trying to achieve, it has to be done well so that it sets your app apart from the crowd. Take a look at one of our recent projects, a dating app for friends MTJF, short for More Than Just Friends. While it might be easy to write off mobile or online dating as trite and shallow, we’ve seen that there’s a lot more value added over and above the gamification aspect of an app or the instant gratification of more matches.Dating apps have streamlined the initial and often cumbersome process of finding and meeting a compatible mate and are enabling tools that users find valuable, helpful and worth their time. In the years to come, the market will need a reload to make online dating better. If you have an idea for a dating app, let’s build it better than Tinder. If you enjoyed reading this article, don’t forget to clap it once, twice, or many times. — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — - Read My Other Hackernoon Articles 2. 3. 4. 5. How my non-tech female cofounder built 45 CTOs for top-notch Startups! How much does it cost to make a Mobile app? How to Hire a Right Designer or Developer How to Build a Food Ordering App? An Ultimate Guide on Food Ordering Mobile App How Mayank Pratap built EngineerBabu- A Profitable IT service company staying bootstrapped _| mayank@engineerbabu.com_In addition Help startups, enterprises, and owners to grow their business by building high class IT solutions. 95% of projects developed by them were completed on-time. , Win most innovative Premier Design Award, selected in Y-Combinator 2016 & 2017. I am Mayank, Cofounder of EngineerBabu . Feel free to reach out to me on Linkedin EngineerBabu 30+ funded by VCs

How to Build a Dating App? An Ultimate Guide on Dating Mobile App

A lot of people interested in ICOs confuse the differences between protocol and app blockchain companies. They ask companies holding ICOs the question, “How do you use the blockchain in your ecosystem?” and expect a protocol blockchain answer. This is the wrong expectation. has received similar questions from investors. The purpose of this article is to explain the main differences between the two. LiveEdu ICO Protocol blockchain companies are companies that build their own complete blockchain from scratch and do not use any of the existing blockchains. Their blockchain is completely independent and can run on its own without the need for interaction with other blockchains. Protocol blockchain companies are rare and their success rate is significantly low because most do not reach the minimum user base needed for mass adoption. From day one, a protocol blockchain needs a huge ecosystem for it to survive. From a ROI perspective, protocol blockchain companies generate less return than app blockchain companies. Imagine the internet as a protocol blockchain and all the companies running on the internet such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, Alibaba, and Badoo as app blockchain companies. The latter do not have any blockchain themselves; they build their entire business on a protocol blockchain called “internet”. Protocol blockchain companies are technically and scientifically hard to build and much riskier than app blockchain companies. App blockchain companies get to use the protocols built by the protocol blockchain companies for almost free and reap the benefits. Example: is an app blockchain company which will run on the Ethereum blockchain protocol using ERC20 technology. LiveEdu Another example you can use to understand the differences between protocol and app blockchain is the railway system in a county. Imagine the railway as a protocol blockchain and all the train service companies running transportation services on it as app blockchain companies. Ninety nine percent of all ICOs so far can be categorized as app blockchain companies built on top of the Ethereum network. They use ERC20 blockchain technologies to tokenize certain aspects of their business operations, rewards systems or payment transactions. App blockchain companies do not build any protocol, at least in the beginning. They launch on an existing blockchain and use the blockchain as a way to develop their product cheaper, faster, more collaboratively and transparently. Which protocol blockchain are you building your ecosystem on?Now that we have explained the difference between the two, next time you approach an ICO, do not ask how they use blockchain technology, but categorize them first either as protocol or app blockchain company. If they are an app blockchain company, the right questions to ask are: Which aspects of your internal and external network are you tokenizing with the blockchain protocol you selected? How do your token mechanics work? What are the weak points of your token mechanics? Will the protocol you are building on be able to maintain small transaction fees in the future so that it can be used for small payment transactions? Has this article shed some light on the differences between protocol blockchain and app blockchain companies? Comment below.

Differences Between Protocol Blockchain and App Blockchain Companies

Unchaining the Potential: Exploring Philosophical Implications of Blockchain

Greetings, salutations, and well wishes, intrepid readers! It's your favorite crypto enthusiast, Jin Park, back at it again with another dose of digital currency discourse. For those who have been following me, you'd know that I'm a staunch believer in the transformative power of cryptocurrencies. As someone unaffiliated with any crypto platform, I delve into these discussions with an unbiased viewpoint, simply aiming to fuel your curiosity and knowledge in this fascinating domain. Today, we're exploring two significant platforms straddling the realms of e-commerce and digital currencies - Shopping.io and NOWPayments. Buckle up as we dive headlong into how these innovative solutions are potentially steering us toward widespread crypto adoption in commerce. The Dawn of Crypto Commerce: A Deeper Look Into Shopping.io and NOWPayments Well, fellow netizens, prepare to have your minds blown as we delve deeper into the universe of these intriguing platforms. Let's peel back the layers and really get under the hood. Shopping.io: The Crypto Shopaholic's Dream What if I told you there's a space where your crypto wallets and retail therapy can live in perfect harmony? Enter Shopping.io. This savvy platform is making waves in the crypto sphere by pushing the envelope of what's possible in e-commerce. Imagine the hustle and bustle of online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. Now imagine cruising through these bustling digital aisles and paying with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or your favorite altcoin. You might think this is some sort of digital pie in the sky, but it's not! This is the reality that Shopping.io is crafting, one transaction at a time. But make no mistake, Shopping.io isn't just facilitating transactions—it's creating bridges between digital currencies and e-commerce giants, thereby pushing the envelope of how we perceive and use cryptocurrencies in our everyday lives. In essence, they're contributing to changing the game in how we approach spending in the digital age, making strides toward normalizing cryptocurrencies in the day-to-day financial landscape. Shopping.io's peculiar 'no-go' list – gift cards, weapons, and GPUs – a quirky combination that sounds like a nerdy ninja's failed shopping spree. I guess it's their way of saying, "Sorry, we deliver everything but the kitchen sink...and bazookas” NOWPayments: Unlocking the Crypto Potential for Businesses On the other end of this digital seesaw, we find NOWPayments - an unassuming superhero in the crypto realm. Amid the relentless humdrum of rapidly evolving e-commerce trends, NOWPayments stands as a steadfast lighthouse for businesses navigating the choppy waters of digital transactions. As a crypto payment gateway, it's an enabler, allowing businesses of all shapes and sizes worldwide to integrate and accept various cryptocurrencies as a form of payment. But don't be fooled by the "gateway" moniker - NOWPayments is more than a mere passageway. It's a catalyst that is assisting businesses in capitalizing on the crypto wave. This is not merely about adding an extra payment option. It's about businesses staying agile, forward-thinking, and being adaptable in an increasingly digital economy. It's a call to evolve or risk being left behind. It's an invitation to partake in a transformative journey toward a more inclusive and diverse financial ecosystem. In a nutshell, both Shopping.io and NOWPayments are not just platforms but potential catalysts for change, facilitating a progressive shift toward mass adoption of cryptocurrencies in the commercial arena. But remember, these are just tools to shape the future of commerce. The power to steer this change lies in the hands of users like you and me, so let's wield it wisely! Down the Twitch Stream Allow me to steer this ship slightly off course for a moment and share a nugget from my own experiences. As a streamer on Twitch, I've had first-hand experience with NOWPayments' API. This nifty tool lets me receive crypto donations from viewers by simply adding a donation button to my profile. Talk about smooth sailing! Parting Thoughts: Till We Meet at the Crossroads of Crypto Adoption As we tread towards the sunset on this enlightening journey through the avenues of Shopping.io and NOWPayments, let's take a moment to appreciate how they are working to reshape the landscape of e-commerce and online transactions. They are charting an exciting course toward the seamless integration of digital currencies into our daily lives. Despite the questions that cloud our minds and the doubts that might hold us back, one can't deny the forward momentum that these platforms represent in the broader push toward mass crypto adoption. But remember, my fellow crypto explorers, our journey in understanding and navigating this fascinating realm does not end here. It's a dynamic world out there, filled with innovation and discovery at every turn. So, keep your minds open, your wits about you, and continue to delve into the promising vistas of the crypto world. In the grand tapestry of cryptocurrency, Shopping.io and NOWPayments are but two threads, albeit important ones. The full picture, however, is much larger and continually evolving. It's up to us to keep exploring, keep questioning, and above all, keep adapting. The road ahead might be fraught with uncertainties and challenges, but it's also laden with immense possibilities. So, fasten your seatbelts and keep your eyes on the horizon. The future of crypto commerce is exciting, and we are all part of the journey. So, till we meet again at the next crossroads of this crypto highway, keep exploring, stay curious, and remember - in the world of crypto, the only constant is change. As always, I'm your crypto comrade, Jin Park, signing off, Stay savvy, crypto comrades. Happy shopping and transacting in the brave new world of cryptocurrencies! Support me, and unleash your inner ‘Jinius’ with Jin Park - dive in now! @ ❤️ https://ko-fi.com/jiniusme

Fanning the Flames of Crypto Commerce: A Personal Take on Shopping.io and NOWPayments

In a recent conversation about state management in React, the topic of scalability came up. I was disappointed, but not at all surprised to hear it written off as an unimportant buzzword. Having been a fly on the React state management wall for 8 years, I've seen this general sentiment expressed over and over: All popular React state management solutions are "scalable" and that's all you need to know. It isn't. Join me for a minute and I'll tell you why. What Is Scalability? I hate to be one of those blogs that starts off a lawn-treatment article by defining grass. But the very definition of scalability when it comes to state management has been lost in the React community. Allow me to define it. "Scalability" refers to a tool's ability to adapt to new challenges over time. Importantly, it goes both ways - scaling up . A scalable tool handles every situation well - elegance in every facet of complexity: and scaling down This would be a very idealistic state manager. In reality, there is no such silver bullet. Scalability is the art form of getting as close as possible to this perfect plateau. Elegance is largely subjective, but there are a few measurable statistics like performance benchmarks, lines of code (read boilerplate), and the number of unique concepts the user is required to know to do a given task. Still, some state managers will be more "scalable" . And that's fine! for you Just keep this in mind. The Criteria Apps grow. Teams grow. A scalable state management tool needs to elegantly solve a number of problems at every stage of an app's growth. These problems include: Performance. Bigger apps need to move data quickly and prevent unnecessary re-renders. Debugging. Are updates predictable? Can you track down unexpected changes? Boilerplate. Tiny apps don't need a bazooka and big apps don't want thousands of them. Side effects. Are these defined clearly? Are they flexible and simple? Caching/Memoization. Big apps need control over memory usage and tiny apps don't care. I'll call these the . There are more considerations like code splitting, testability, extensibility, interoperability, adoptability, even-more-abilities, and the learning curve. But these 5 will do for this article. 5 Great Scalability Criteria As a general example, an overtly simple state manager might look something like this: A naive solution becomes less useful over time, requiring you to find uglier and more complex workarounds. Such a tool can start to get in your way more often than it helps. A truly scalable state manager doesn't drown a tiny app in config files and boilerplate and it doesn't leave a big app stranded in a sea of missing features and unstructured simplicity. at the same time, I'm sure this all sounds pretty straightforward. So why do I feel like this art has been lost? React Context Don't get me started. Nope, too late. React's new(ish) context API is a thing of beauty and a joy to work with, you don't use it for state management (directly). if React context is the quintessential example of a non-scalable React state management solution. As an app grows, React context inevitably leads to performance problems and dev X nightmares like indirection, mystery updates, implicit dependencies, and lots of tightly-coupled logic that makes abstraction, testing, and code splitting difficult. React context creates as much lock-in as a real state manager - and even more, since you'll write the boilerplate yourself. All that added boilerplate also increases the surface area for bugs. // There are many potential footguns with even this many providers - e.g.
// UserProvider creating an implicit dependency on AuthProvider, Routes
// rerendering due to UserProvider's state updating, etc.
function App() {
  return (
    <AuthProvider>
      <UserProvider>
        <RouteProvider>
          <Routes />
        </RouteProvider>
      </UserProvider>
    </AuthProvider>
  )
} I've seen this happen countless times on and : Twitter Reddit Someone complains about how they regret starting with React context and asks what they should use instead. Within a few hours, someone else will say, "Hey, I'm new. Where should I start?" and we all jump on and tell the poor guy to start with React context, dooming him to the same fate. This goes on in an endless loop. Are We Ever Gonna Learn? The advice to use React context for state management is not malicious. In fact, I believe it comes from good intentions. React devs tend to recommend React context for state management because it sounds like a decent, unopinionated, neutral, objective, diplomatic solution that's readily available. And it is all of those things. But it's also really bad advice. I know that React state management is a polarizing topic. Avoiding it sounds like smooth sailing. But don't forget that competition breeds innovation. In the last 8 years, React state management has evolved in many, many ways that will benefit . Don't ignore it! you To be clear, I'm not talking about ` ` and `useReducer` by themselves. Those are great tools for keeping the local state tied to a component's lifecycle. You should use these even when you have a good state manager. useState I'm talking about the moment when you need to (which you will need to do). Simple props are totally fine, as shown in that linked doc. But when you run into prop drilling problems, have a plan from the very beginning for what you're going to use. And don't use raw React context. Just don't. You'll thank me. lift state up Doing It Right Now, I'm sure you've heard that React context can be used effectively at scale. And that's true (to an extent), you do it right. if The main principle for this is using React context for . That article is an excellent breakdown of this technique. The gist is that React context is a very powerful model that requires at least a thin wrapper to be used for state management. dependency injection, not state management low-level The "thin wrapper" can be as simple as an . RxJS BehaviorSubject Bad: function UserProvider({ children }) {
  const [user, setUser] = useState({})

  return (
    <userContext.Provider value={{ user, setUser }}>
      {children}
    </userContext.Provider>
  )
} Good: function UserProvider({ children }) {
  const subject = useMemo(() => new RxJS.BehaviorSubject({}), [])

  return <userContext.Provider value={subject}>{children}</userContext.Provider>
} This is just the (simplified) Provider. To use React context properly, you also have to learn to colocate logic, create hook wrappers, and create a system for triggering and taming rerenders using the pub/sub or similar model. Sound like a lot of work? Good, because it is! To use React context properly, you essentially have to roll your own state manager. If you're willing to tackle the 5 Great Scalability Criteria yourself, this is totally fine. Just don't go off the deep end with generators and stage 2 ECMAScript proposals. Keep concepts familiar for the sake of future team members and your own future self. Alright, you knew was coming. Redux Redux I'm talking about Redux pre- here. Due primarily to its infamous boilerplate, raw Redux has proven to not be a very scalable solution - it's clumsy for small apps to get started with and at the same time is clunkily verbose for large apps. RTK Redux did, however, make long strides over previous Flux implementations in other scalability criteria: #2 Debugging - Redux's time travel model was revolutionary #4 Side Effects - Redux's middleware finally gave these a comfortable home Redux Toolkit (RTK) finally fixed many of the boilerplate problems. This alone makes RTK a very "scalable" state management solution. Redux excels in the moderate-to-fairly-high complexity range. RTK is an overall improvement but is still a little verbose for very small apps. Overall, I'd draw its scalability like this: I'll cover that sharp drop at the end in a minute, but first: Zustand This excellent state manager removed even more of Redux's boilerplate at the cost of some debugging power. You can think of as a very simplistic RTK that scales down way better and scales up only a little worse. Zustand I'll cut to the graph: Since Zustand covers the full spectrum better, altogether, I would call Zustand more "scalable" than RTK. It's more comfortable for small apps to use and will be a steady companion all the way up almost to the extremes of complexity. I've seen many people on the RTK train bewildered about Zustand's success when RTK clearly scales up better. I hope the above graph clears this up a little - many apps don't need to scale up that far. But they do want a state manager that scales all the way to elegantly handle state in even the initial PoC/prototype phase. down Alright, it's time to talk about those steep drops at the end. Singleton vs Atomic Redux and Zustand use a singleton model. You create one store. All side effects and state derivations (selectors) hook into that store. This approach has a hard upper limit. I wrote some thoughts about this on . The gist is that an app with lots of fast-moving data can start to bottleneck a store with lots of subscribers, reducers, and deep selector graphs. this Reselect discussion introduced a new pattern for storing state and propagating updates. This atomic model has proven to scale up better than the singleton model at the cost of some hefty learning curves. Recoil Still, it can be very useful in even very small apps. I'd draw its overall scalability something like this: That slow tail-off at the end is 👌 and is why I believe atomic (or similar) models are the future. Jotai Jotai did to Recoil what Zustand did to Redux; it sacrificed a little long-term power for some short-term elegance. This makes Jotai an excellent all-around tool. The graph: Please remember that this is just a dude drawing lines on . These lines don't accurately reflect each tool's capabilities in every aspect of every app or in the hands of every programmer. I'm trying to communicate only the general "scalability" of these tools from my experience given the scalability criteria I outlined. Excalidraw With its simple APIs and very gracefully declining performance and capabilities, Jotai is the closest any of these tools have come to the "perfect plateau" at the beginning of this article. Yes, that's right. Jotai is the most scalable state management solution. The end. Well alright, the end. I wouldn't be here if there wasn't a little bit more to the story: almost We Need To Go Deeper After encountering the hard limit of the singleton model, a few coworkers and I started studying Recoil and Jotai. We loved the concepts and the performance scalability but determined that they were lacking in other scalability criteria. In 2020, I hatched a plan for an in-house solution that would sacrifice only a tiny bit of Jotai's simplicity in exchange for a much more powerful atomic model. Designed from the ground up with the 5 Great Scalability Criteria (and a lot more) in mind, this model scales up better than any of its predecessors and scales down only a little worse than Jotai. This new tool started driving our production apps in early 2021 and has been a lifesaver in the extremes of complexity. 2 years later, we have finally open-sourced this tool as . "Zedux" Zedux Besides solving better for all of the 5 Great Scalability Criteria, Zedux added many features over Recoil/Jotai like React Query-esque cache management, cross-window support, real Dependency Injection, evaluation tracing, and atom exports. These are fun to say, but I'll write more about them in a separate article. Overall, by design, Zedux's scalability looks like this: Besides a clear bias and my own experience using Zedux in data-intensive applications, the reason why I draw Zedux's scalability so generously is because of the 5 Great Scalability Criteria: Performance (benchmarks , , , ) here here here here Debugging Boilerplate Simple but completely powerful side effects model Cache control features There are many more reasons, but I'll limit it to these 5 for this article. Zedux was designed primarily to manage extremely volatile states in big fintech applications and to scale down well too. But that doesn't mean it does everything perfectly. fairly For small apps, Jotai and Zustand are certainly great options. Beyond that, personal preference can also come into play. As I said at the beginning, some tools are more scalable . for you Does Scalability Matter? Scalability is a general principle, but that doesn't mean that every extreme applies to every app. You are free to analyze your own application and determine which parts of this discussion matter for it. Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of leeway in your predictions. and will ever matter Anything with live-time data visualization may need to scale up performance-wise beyond what the singleton model can handle. Additionally an app that's "just very, very big" might need more power. This is all up to you to decide. But no, not all of this applies to every app. Conclusion All modern state managers are solid options for most apps, but they scale up and down differently for each of the 5 Great Scalability Criteria. Pick one you like that will suit the relative size and future complexity of your app. And don't use React context for state management unless you really want to make a state manager from scratch. If the decision is too hard, here's my recommendation as someone who's been using React for 8 years: Pick either Zustand or Jotai if you want something you can start with quickly and that will scale up to moderate complexity (think an e-commerce or forum app). Pick RTK if you want something that will scale very well to almost the extremes of complexity and has a solid community. up Pick Zedux if you want all your bases covered - from simplicity to ultimate complexity and everything in-between. Lastly, I know that I've omitted many great tools like , , and . These tools are utilities that are very scalable in their own right, but aren't full replacements for a good state manager. XState React Query SWR As for other global, atomic, proxy-based, and signal-based state managers, I'm sorry I couldn't get to them all in this article. Feel free to comment or start a discussion in for better details or more comparisons. the Zedux repo If you get nothing else from this article, just remember that applications grow. Plan for growth and you'll succeed. Featured photo by on Unsplash. trail

Scalability: the Lost Level of React State Management

THE LEUCOPSES

My personal experience comes from two different worlds. One world is a big corporation with tens of thousands of employees, and I was one of the people who actually built it. The other world is my experience of working with small startups and watching how modern digital companies work. No matter how different these worlds may seem, my peek into both of them suggests to me that the flattest business structures usually generate the best results. In these structures, employees work as micro-entrepreneurs within a company. That means modern corporate models are based on maximum competition between people, leading to better quality at each level, lower costs, and a better client experience. Middle Ages: Flat Earth and Flat Structures By saying ‘modern’, I do not mean that flat, decentralized, or self-directed models are actually a novelty. Today, it might seem that previous human history was entirely based on a rigid hierarchy, but it is not so. For instance, look at the feudal society typical of Western Europe’s early Middle Ages. At the time, vassals were empowered with quite strong autonomy over the lands and people under their rule. Their powers included routine economic management, justice, and sometimes even monetary policy. Vassal’s duty to his lord was more or less limited to paying taxes (in monetary or natural form) and providing a certain number of military units in times of need. Think of those duties as performance KPIs for an autonomous division in a modern flat-model company. What’s also important, the king's control (think of him as a flat company CEO) , because the vassal's bond was with his own lord, not with his lord's master: ‘the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal’. was, in any case, weak However, with the rise of absolute monarchies, empires, and colonialism, hierarchical systems indeed became mainstream. These new social orders relied on overwhelming military power, and the military organization can be viewed as the pinnacle of the management model that I refer to as ‘classic’ in this article. The classic model is aimed at controlling employees, assuming that without such control their performance would be poorer by default. Tight control means that each group of 10-15 employees must have their boss, who, in turn, is controlled by the next-level boss, and so on. On one hand, such a model is based on control and lack of trust; on the other hand, it encourages deception between different management levels. So everyone is playing a game with low efficiency and very high costs. Modern Findings and Success Stories As tides changed in the 19-20th century, absolute monarchies gave way to democratic rule in many parts of the world. Subsequently, researchers started questioning the benefits of a traditional (i.e., ‘tall’, or highly hierarchical) management model, trying to apply the new social governance standards to corporations and studying ‘flat’ or less hierarchy-dependent structures. A classic work on the topic, , was released in 1972 by Edwin E. Ghiselli and Jacob P. Siegel. This paper is still being cited by other researchers half a century later. ‘Leadership and managerial success in tall and flat organization structures’ After a thorough study of many companies, Ghiselli and Siegel came to the conclusion that ‘there is a link between employee success and the level of autonomy and self-realization in flat organizations, and there is more participation in broader decision making creating a sense of ownership, which in turn, increases productivity’. Another study, by John M. Ivancevich and James H. Donnelly, Jr. published in 1975, revealed that salesmen working in flat organizations perceived more satisfaction with respect to self-actualization and autonomy. ‘Relation of Organizational Structure to Job Satisfaction, Anxiety-Stress, and Performance’ Also, they perceive lower amounts of anxiety stress and perform more efficiently than salesmen in medium and tall organizations. Based on these findings and my own empirical experience, I think that corporate management should be based on empowering employees and forging mutually beneficial relationships between them. Taxi drivers and delivery couriers are good examples of such relations and management. They work not because they are controlled by their bosses, but because they are partners of a taxi operator or a delivery company. It is an entirely different type of motivation, which I consider to be much more effective in all aspects, from economics to client experience. However, the success of flatness and decentralization is not limited to drivers and couriers alone. Arguably the most famous and successful example of decentralization is Johnson & Johnson, a company with an over 100-year history. It is worth noting that it does not come from the tech sector, operating in consumer healthcare, pharma, and medical technology. is based on granting full autonomy to each of the more than 265 companies it owns located across 60 countries and working in three major business segments. J&J’s modus operandi The company is in constant search of new assets. After an M&A deal, the new asset continues to work as a separate entity under the common brand. Caution: do not get flat broke For the sake of truth and accuracy, I cannot omit flat structure failure stories as well. Different companies, including some cutting-edge digitals, rejected the boss-less concept at some point. These examples include shoe company; online trading platform; social network management service; social journalism platform launched by Twitter co-founders and project hosting and collaboration service (thank you Lighthouse Blog for this list and for the on the topic). Zappos Treehouse Buffer Medium GitHub scathing article Being an avid advocate of a flat and decentralized business model, I do not mean to promote diving into it without a second thought. Nor do I intend to proclaim hierarchy altogether evil. After all, as Bob Sutton, Stanford professor, bestselling author, and speaker , ‘If you can find a group of people (or dogs or baboons) without a hierarchy, I want to hear about it. Yes, power and status differences are sometimes reduced, but hierarchy is a fact of organizational life.’ said Choosing the right way to set up your business leaves no room for the luxury of being dogmatic, maximalist, or naive. A business model, no matter how tall or flat, is just a tool. And there is no such thing as a tool equally good for everyone. Considering which model suits us most, we should not swing between extremes, but rather shift our emphasis to either of the poles, gently and carefully. Two major things to keep in mind are: a. whether a flat model would benefit your particular business and b. whether you are personally up to it. One of the of the Ghiselli and Johnson study is that flat organizations rewarded managers and also that flat organizations work better than tall organizations in . most important outcomes who worked well and enjoyed situations that demanded autonomy and independence encouraging individuality Their peers, Lyman W. Porter and Edward E. Lawler III that organizations with many reporting levels (i.e., ‘tall’ ones) were better in . found producing security and the satisfaction of social needs In other words, flatness is good for people with a specific mindset and a certain level of courage and ambition. But it might disappoint and frustrate those seeking a safe haven. Make sure you and the people you are going to lead match the right description. Think twice, and be realistic. Models and Rules If, at some point, you come to the conclusion that flatness and decentralization are for you, there is a whole new world out there. There are a lot of specific models to choose from, starting from a classic bunch of friends launching their garage-based startup to more sophisticated schemes for large-scale structures. It all depends on your needs and the circumstances. For instance, in the wake of the COVID pandemic, McKinsey & Company suggested introducing decentralized structures as an effective means of crisis management: Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/to-weather-a-crisis-build-a-network-of-teams Also, there is an interesting thing known as a ‘helix’ organization, positioned as a decent tradeoff between the centralized and decentralized worlds: Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-helix-organization There are so many studies dedicated to choosing the right alternative model configurations that they simply would not fit in this article, which is anyway aimed at introducing readers to the topic. However, there are some rules of thumb worth sharing, useful to anyone opting for flat and decentralized models with scaling potential. In 2021, a group of Harvard Business Review contributors studied several self-directed companies located in the greater Helsinki region, often referred to as the ‘Silicon Valley of the North’. Among these companies were Supercell and Futureplay game developers, Futurice and Vincit tech consultancies, and Wolt, a last-mile delivery company. They came up with that should guide self-directed companies as they grow: four major principles Self-direction is something that can easily be lost unless it is actively maintained and promoted. This requires that companies come up with solutions to the new challenges that arise as they grow (for example, through organic modular design) and that they work hard to maintain their spirit and values (for example, through stories that encourage a shared sense of identity). It matters how coordination is organized and control exercised. Usually, this requires a mix of enabling mechanisms that do the trick without undermining self-direction. Self-directed organizations need to share information in non-hierarchical ways. This requires that companies take transparency seriously and use AI to share data in novel ways throughout distributed organizations. Self-directed companies that succeed while they grow are those that invest in learning, celebrating successes and failures, and updating their identities by promoting living stories. There seems little to add to that apart from one note, last but not least. This truly universal rule was brilliantly formulated in an ten years ago by Mark B. Templeton, president and C.E.O. of Citrix, the Internet software company: interview with The New York Times ‘You have to make sure you never confuse the hierarchy that you need for managing complexity with the respect that people deserve. Because that’s where a lot of organizations go off track, confusing respect and hierarchy, and thinking that low on hierarchy means low respect; high on the hierarchy means high respect. So hierarchy is a necessary evil of managing complexity, but it in no way has anything to do with respect that is owed an individual.’

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