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Meet the Winners of Startups in North and Central America

Simply put, Supercell is mobile gaming royalty. When the Finnish game developers launched in 2010, If their 2020 milestones of crossing 5 billion total installs and having brawl stars – one of their 5 game offerings to the global market – , are any indication then they are well on the way to achieving many of their initial goals. they set out to build games that people would play for years . hit $1 billion in total gross sales The Magic of Clash of Clans In their early stages and following an original plan to create cross-platform gaming services, Supercell released gunshine.net, a multiplayer role-playing game that was playable over desktops, the web, Facebook, tablets, and mobile. However, they quickly realized that it didn’t fit into their plans of long-term playability. They did however learn an important lesson from its release and relatively short lifespan – A mobile-first gaming landscape was replete with opportunities to pioneer. In a fearless pivot, Supercell – believing in the , put aside ‘magic’ (a game that was being developed by a 5-man team at the time), in a bid to focus on the world of mobile gaming. However, this same team would eventually develop one of the biggest mobile-facing strategy games of all time, Clash of Clans. comparative value of small teams Fun fact: It was also nicknamed ‘magic’ before its release and eventual global launch on the 12th of August 2012. was born from a love for real-time strategy games as well as the goal to make this type of gameplay widely accessible. Clash of Clans From Clash of Clans to Clash Royale As supercell describes it, . As I describe it, Clash Royale is equal parts the most satisfying and most frustrating mobile game I’ve ever played. Clash Royale is the home of Epic real-time card Battles One interesting metric that can be used to judge the popularity of a game (and something that has been a big part of Supercell’s culture), is the number of vibrant and self-sustaining communities that release content adjacent to said game. A simple search on Youtube, with this metric in mind, should give some insight into just how big of a deal Clash Royale has become, in the years since its March 2016 release. With many of its in-game characters adapted from the already successful , Clash Royale broke into the market with the gift of immediate gratification. Clash of Clans Gameplay Overview In Clash of Clans,  you would typically spend time building an empire, with troops, spells, defenses, and royales. You would then earn points by combating against other would-be empires. This process could take long painstaking hours, but ultimately, the joy of watching your empire grow and expand while laying waste to those that challenge your rule, made it worth it. With Clash Royale, on the other hand, You’re faced with 2 minutes (+ Overtime) and an 8-card deck, to duel with a randomly selected opponent. Think of Clash Royale as a sprint, where Clash of Clans would be a cross-country marathon. Before we go on to describe your arsenal, let’s talk a little more about Clash Royale’s Gameplay in general. At the start of the game, you and your opponent have 2 minutes 56 seconds, and an elixir bank that fills up to a maximum of 10 bars to achieve one goal – Deal more damage to the other player. While you have an 8-card deck with each duel, your screen only displays 4 cards at any given time. These cards are randomly selected at the start of each duel, resulting in a different approach to the start of each game. This and many other factors (that will unfold as we go along) make the deck selection process truly exciting, a tad complex, but very rewarding once you get the hang of it. On Clash Royale’s latest offering, there are 97 cards, all with unique abilities and utility within the game. Something that’s always fun to still see are the unique opportunities for the cards within a deck to collaborate and play off each other’s strengths and weaknesses as the game progresses. Each card on the roster is given an elixir rating. This rating (between 1 & 10), indicates how much a card would draw from your in-game elixir supply (that maxes out at 10 every 10 seconds). This means that while you’re working on selecting devastating card combinations that give value on attack and defense, you’re also aware of the constraints that card ratings and their elixir draws; relationship with time, institute. Pretty Exciting stuff if you ask me! Let’s take a look at things from a personal point of view. My Deck A description of my current deck, and the linked videos that accompany it, should provide some more insight on what I’ve been going on about till now. 1) – This is, no doubt, one of my favorite cards on the entire Clash Royale roster. Valkyrie This character is an orange-haired menace that, in my opinion, looks a lot like Merida, from Disney's Brave – an independent Archer of Scottish descent that goes on a journey to rectify the consequences of her actions, discovering what Bravery means along the way. Unlike Merida’s arrow, Valkyrie wields an ax that she swirls around in tiny bursts as she attacks oncoming grounded characters. For her small, unassuming frame, she can take a mean punch, giving her considerable utility in both attack and defense. She is the perfect nightmare until she’s faced with flying cards, in which case she is completely helpless unless supported by flying cards or spells on her team. . Here are 15 quick tips on how to best use her in game 2) – Clash Royale’s roster boasts an impressive range of flying characters, from the 7-elixir drawing Lava hound – rock-bodied lava-spewing monstrosity, that only attacks buildings and breaks up into smaller components after receiving a certain amount of damage, to bats demanding only 2-elixir points. Bats This card releases 5 (easy to kill) purple bats that nibble annoyingly at grounded and flying characters that roam the grounds without support. According to Orange Juice gaming, bats can be used to counter everything, 3) – An upgrade on an already existing character ‘Barbarians’, the elite barbarians are a pair of high-powered yellow-haired barbarians that have been reinforced with horned helmets – a mix of keratin and metal. They deal much more damage than the regular barbarians, are exceptional on the counter-attack and draw 6-elixir points in-game for 2 characters, whereas the regular ‘barbarians’ card draws 5-elixir points for 5 – characters. Elite Barbarians Look at just how devastating they can be. 4) -  This is my favorite and as the name implies it is, quite simply, a hut filled with spear goblins. Typically, building cards are designed to distract heavy-hitting attackers from doing any damage to your princess and king towers while you try to bring them down. Goblin Hut building card However, each building card does a little more than distract – the zap tower, for instance, damages and slows down oncoming attackers with bursts of electricity, the furnace churns out deceptively effective fire spirits, and so forth. The Goblin hut produces small spear-wielding green goblins that are a great distraction and offer great value on the attack, as well. 5) – Without the camaraderie of friends, s. Other times they’re great distractions and can come in handy in emergencies where you don’t have the 5-elixir points that the entire Goblin hut would require. Spear Goblin these sneaky characters can be the difference between a win and a loss on many occasion 6) –  This is one of Clash Royale’s 18 cards (PS: these cards tend to come through as the game nears its end). This one time burst of electricity draws only 2-elixir, disperses weak troops, and can take down a princess or even a king tower (provided it had already been considerably damaged, to the point where it had become more rubble than tower) Zap spell 7) –  Mega is a great way to describe this thick-metal suited, . In addition to having a considerable resistance to attacks from other characters. The Mega Knight can also cause devastating damage, with high-intensity lunges that it makes at grounded characters and buildings alike. For all its might, however, bats could take it down, if used cleverly. Mega Knight clobbering mass 8) – Last, but not least, on my war deck, is this . . She shoots in slow bursts, but what she lacks in speed she makes up for in the ground she can cover with her arrows, both on attack and defense. She’s also pretty easy to kill, but if you play your card rights (haha), the Princess and her 3-elixir points draw can be an extremely frustrating card for your opponent to deal with. Princess long-range archer with fiery arrows Me, My 5300 Trophies and Clash Royale’s Algorithms With every duel win, you amass trophies (which you can lose just as easily), and the more trophies you have, the harder your duels become. This is understandable, seeing as – just like with every game – the better you are the further you go. In a  multi-player game of this proportion, the better you are, the harder your challenges become as you start to compete with the best of the best. I’ve been playing this game non-stop since the middle of 2021 (my second bite of the apple, seeing as I had played it for nearly 18 months from my first battle in 2017, until I lost all of my progress) and I currently have 5300 trophies. Not bad if you ask me ( I haven’t spent a dime in the in-game store) Clash Royale has two major algorithms that define your gaming experience. 1) The Opponent selection algorithm, selects at random (but based on some criteria such as; the number of trophies, region, win condition, and so forth) opponents for you to test your mettle against. This is the crux of my topsy turvy relationship with Clash Royale. The further I’ve gone, the harder it has been to play the game without care, for fear of losing my hard-earned trophies. Because this is such a well-thought-out game, every card (no matter how devastating) can be made to seem useless, by some other card or combination of cards. When the algorithm is in my favor, my deck (which  I think is pretty good), serves me well, matching my opponents’ attacks and tearing through their defenses. On the other hand, when the algorithm is not in my favor, the game morphs into a contest of will and perseverance as I face opponents with cards that feel like they were specifically curated to destroy me. 2) The Card Unlock algorithm randomly decides the cards that you have access to as you spend more time playing the game. This has a telling effect on your strategy and winning card combinations, but the further you go, the less it matters as every player that makes it to a certain level, soon unlocks all the cards on offer. Final thoughts Summarily, Supercell has done exceptional work in the mobile gaming industry and if they maintain their values, one can only imagine that there’s a lot more to come. Throughout this article, I have tried to describe one of my favorite games of all time, without giving too much away, I hope you give it a shot. If you do, ‘ASH’ is my Supercell ID and #JOJOVJL82 is my Clash Royale player ID. Let’s play a game some time.

An Intro to Clash Royale: Supercell’s Mammoth Brainchild

281 Stories To Learn About Mobile Apps

The widespread adoption of deep learning models has launched artificial intelligence to earworm status. Everywhere you turn, there’s yet another newsworthy event with AI at its center - and understandably so. Over the past few months, the evolving capabilities of ChatGPT (and its growing competition) have seduced the entire tech ecosystem, from , and making some others stealing some companies away Metaverse-shaped lovers obscene amounts of money. The rise of AI-powered tools has brought with it a complex wave of excitement, apprehension, and even fear - as we watch the collective future of work, creativity, and productivity change forever.  And according to OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, we’re just scratching the surface. In with Connie Loizos for StrictlyVC earlier this year, Sam shared that the OpenAI team is fully aware of the potential economic impacts that its rockstar brainchild (ChatGPT) can, and probably will, have. As such, they’re committed to throttling the releases of better and smarter GPT models year-on-year to allow society to ease into a progressively new normal and hopefully iterate adequate guard rails. an interview This means that the version of ChatGPT that’s causing such a ruckus - to slow down its development, , , and so forth - isn’t anywhere near its final form. open letters bans in Europe doomsday predictions “We’re very much here to build an AGI” Sam went on to say when asked about more partnerships moving forward. “...products and partnerships are tactics in service of that goal.” Microsoft-esque All of this indicates that we’re galloping toward a future where Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is a reality and not just a cool Sci-Fi trope. A future that, as Sam Altman puts it, could see an increase in abundance, a turbocharged economy, and new scientific discoveries that would change the limits of possibility. However, it's a future that also comes with a potent risk of misuse, drastic accidents, and societal disruptions. A blessing and a curse, if you will. Regardless of which way the pendulum swings, we can safely predict that people are going to be living, and working, very differently. As AI reshapes the workforce, questions about compensation or a “plan for society” have come to the fore. After all, it is our collective data that is fed to these models, even though it becomes something unrecognizable after being ingested. Should We Get Paid for Our Contributions to AI Data? In a recent , we asked our community of 4M+ monthly readers if they thought we should be getting compensated for our data contributions to AI models. HackerNoon poll Unsurprisingly, a 59% majority voted yes. 22% had a different take on things, as 15% of them expressed some reservations about the practicality of compensation at scale. The 7% left over were absolutely thrilled about the idea of contributing to AI and they believe that it's something we should all be ecstatic about, as it contributes to the advancement of humanity. The full poll result and comment section can be found__ __ here. What would this payment look like? This is where things get a little tricky. It's been widely speculated that implementing a UBI, which ensures a reliable and consistent lifeline for individuals, is the ideal solution to support people as they navigate shifting career paths in this AI-driven era. However, Sam Altman a UBI is only a little part of the solution. thinks I think it is a little part of the solution. I think it’s great… But I don’t think that’s going to solve the problem. I don’t think that’s going to give people meaning, I don’t think it means people are going to entirely stop trying to create and do new things and whatever else. So I would consider it an enabling technology, but not a plan for society. Computer Scientist, Jaron Lanier, sees a concept called “Data Dignity” as a potential road to equitable compensation at scale. , a data-dignity approach would identify the most unique and influential sources of inspiration when a big data model produces valuable output. According to Lanier For instance, if you ask a model for “an animated movie of my kids in an oil-painting world of talking cats on an adventure,” then certain key oil painters, cat portraitists, voice actors, and writers—or their estates—might be calculated to have been uniquely essential to the creation of the new masterpiece. They would be acknowledged and motivated. For this to work, Lanier believes that the “black-box” nature of our current AI tools must end. We need to know what’s under the hood and why. He also points out that a UBI is in some ways a scary idea. U.B.I. amounts to putting everyone on the dole in order to preserve the idea of black-box artificial intelligence. This is a scary idea, I think, in part because bad actors will want to seize the centers of power in a universal welfare system, as in every communist experiment. Final Thoughts As we figure out a “plan for society” and settle into the “Age of AI”, one thing is clear - there’s intrinsic value in offering people some ownership over their work, even in cases where the output is transformed by the extensive processing of a large language model. The debate around compensation underscores the need to assess the future of work and address the ethical and economic implications of collective data utilization. What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments and keep an eye out for other Technology polls by HackerNoon. The featured image for this piece was generated with Kadinsky 2. Prompt: Illustrate a human head being sucked in by a robot and converted to money.

6 in 10 Users Advocate Pay for Our Contributions to AI Training Data 

It was a casual Friday evening in early April when I found myself mindlessly browsing TikTok, only to stumble upon a with over 5 million views on my feed. A ‘finance bro’ was going over their spending from the previous week using an unfamiliar app interface. video The comments section was flooded with questions about the app, which turned out to be called "Oops." My curiosity was piqued, and I decided to download it. What Is Oops? Oops is a new personal finance app that removes budgeting from the equation. The brainchild of a 24-year-old entrepreneur Anastasia Shaura, the app promotes spending tracking as the key to financial comfort. Anastasia’s goal is to make spending tracking go viral - and catalyze a shift toward mainstream financial mindfulness. The app quickly gained popularity on TikTok, leading to 100,000 downloads within just a few months of its launch. The Development of Oops Developed by Gen Z for Gen Z, Oops Finance is led by Shaura, whose journey highlights the power of unexplored paths. Starting as a 16-year-old mathematics undergraduate at University College London, she moved to Singapore to join the startup scene before relocating to New York to study computer science at NYU. It was in her NYU dorm that she decided to make a TikTok about an app she built that fixed her mindless spending. Oops's rapid adoption can be attributed to its unconventional approach to personal finance. Historically, budgeting has been the cornerstone of money management. However, Anastasia recognized that traditional budgeting techniques would never become mainstream due to the discipline and sustained effort required. So instead, she sought to redefine the problem and develop a solution that demanded far less attention and effort. This counterintuitive strategy led to eliminating budgeting in favor of financial mindfulness through daily reflection on spending decisions. By shifting the focus from budgeting to spending awareness, Shaura and her team tackled the first principle problem in personal finance. Their guiding philosophy is that, much like fitness and nutrition, success in personal finance hinges on making tracking as effortless as possible. Despite facing considerable challenges in developing an app that rejected long-established budgeting practices, Shaura persevered. Early users' engagement with Oops provided strong signals that they were on the right track. In fact, users even preferred to check their finances on the app versus browsing social media during their daily commute. This positive response solidified Shaura's belief in her approach and encouraged her to continue disrupting the status quo. Shaura’s vision for the future of personal finance is rooted in optimism. While Gen Z has often been criticized for prioritizing short-term spending over long-term saving or investing, Shaura believes this pattern is a symptom of a deeper generational issue. Unfortunately, existing financial institutions and older generations have done little to address this problem, leaving young people trapped in a cycle of financial insecurity. To combat this issue, Shaura and her team are championing the concept of financial self-care, or "fin-care." Drawing parallels with the mindfulness revolution, they foresee a future where everyone will have a spending awareness app on their phone. By instilling a sense of financial consciousness in young people, Oops is paving the way for a more responsible and financially literate generation.

Can This 24-Year-Old Tech Whiz Make Spending Tracking Go Viral With Oops? 

¿Puede este genio de la tecnología de 24 años hacer que el seguimiento de gastos se vuelva viral con Oops?

Ce génie de la technologie de 24 ans peut-il rendre le suivi des dépenses viral avec Oups ?

क्या यह 24 वर्षीय टेक विशेषज्ञ उफ़ के साथ खर्च ट्रैकिंग को वायरल कर सकता है?

この 24 歳の技術の達人は、おっとで支出追跡をバイラルにすることができますか?

Este gênio da tecnologia de 24 anos pode tornar o rastreamento de gastos viral com Oops?

Chuyên gia công nghệ 24 tuổi này có thể khiến việc theo dõi chi tiêu trở nên phổ biến với Oops không?

这位 24 岁的技术高手能否让支出跟踪变得像病毒一样流行？

You don't need to tell me that life is getting faster with every day that passes. As someone with a million different projects on the go (and enough aspirations to fill several lifetimes), I'm all too aware that time is slipping away. It's a precious and fleeting resource – but what if I told you we're wasting it without even realizing it? We've covered cognitive distortions here before: black-and-white thinking, catastrophizing, and the rest. I've noticed that a number of these distortions are particularly relevant to time. They warp our perception of it, leading to an unhealthy relationship with the clock that can have far-reaching consequences for our well-being, productivity, and creativity. Today I want to take a closer look at the cognitive distortions that stop us from making the most of our days – and how we can start challenging them for better results. Let's unpack them together. 1. All-Or-Nothing Reasoning Also called dichotomous thinking, this cognitive distortion is characterized by two extremes – it's either all good or all bad. I've got an example for this one I think you'll all relate to (even if you pretend not to!) Picture this: it's Monday morning after a pretty jam-packed weekend. You've got a healthy to-do list waiting for you; there are emails begging for responses and projects that need your attention. But when that alarm goes off, you accidentally hit 'snooze' and rest the morning away. It's midday by the time you wake up. Of course, if you started now, you'd still get a solid six or seven hours of work in, but all-or-nothing reasoning tells you that it's a total write-off; the day is ruined, and you might as well just go back to bed. I'm not totally sure what the logic behind this is. Well, that's the point – it's an irrational perspective, not a logical one. Imagine how many more hours we'd save by taking life an hour at a time, rather than compartmentalizing it into 24-hr blocks. 2. Overestimating (or Underestimating) Time Some would call this less of a distortion and more of a lapse in judgment. It certainly gets better with experience – but there's nothing quite so disarming as realizing you've underestimated or overestimated the amount of time it takes to complete a task. I don't know about you, but when I'm pressed for time and have a lot of tasks on my plate, I tend to do one of two things: either underestimate how long something will take me (and then get overwhelmed) or overestimate it (and end up feeling like I wasted valuable hours). Either way, it's not great news for productivity. To avoid this distortion, we need to focus on accuracy over speed – take the time to accurately estimate how long each project will take you before diving in. I've come up with a system for this, which is to break up my regular tasks into categories based on their complexity (for example: writing emails, writing blog posts, creating a website, etc.), and keep a record of how long they take each time. After a while, I've got enough data points to create averages for each category. It's a very simple solution – but sometimes simple is the most effective. 3. Present Bias We humans have been commenting on procrastination . It's a common thread between us all; to varying degrees, we value our present comfort over any potential future gain. since Ancient Greece This is what we call 'present bias'. Yes, you might have the most important investor call of your career in a few days' time – but it's easy to get distracted by the tasks that give us short-term gratification, like posting business social media content or replying to emails. It's the present-day stuff that makes us feel productive, even if they aren't the most pressing tasks. I've learned to be very aware of this bias, but it's not always obvious. I use Stephen Covey's Eisenhower Matrix to help me stay on track – you can read my . full write-up on it here 4. Time Confetti Who here is guilty of the five-minute doom scroll? The one where, during little time pockets throughout the day, you 'take a break' by filling your minutes with something low-value? For me, this often happens when I'm trying to procrastinate on something. I'll tell myself "I just need a five-minute break" – and then end up spending 30 minutes scrolling through Instagram or Twitter. It's time confetti; it's gone as soon as you spend it, but the effects last much longer than that. Confetti is so small – just a few minutes here and there – but it doesn't stay small for long. The scariest part? You never really notice just how much time you've wasted, because it's in such small chunks. 5. Parkinson's Law Just as gas will expand to fill a space, work expands to fill the time you give it. You've devoted three hours to a task? It'll take three hours to finish. This is Parkinson's Law – the idea that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion". Knowing this, it's important not to give yourself too much time for a task. The more 'wiggle room' you give yourself, the bigger the task will become in your mind, and the longer it will take you to complete it. There are obvious holes we can poke here. You can't set yourself 15 minutes for a detailed financial report and expect the end result to be perfect – and you probably won't take five hours to write one email, even if that's the time you've allowed yourself. But it's a useful concept if you understand what the implications are. It's less of a literal perspective and more of a wake-up call: our minds get very fixated on the fictional constraints and deadlines we set, and we can either let that reality take over or use it to our advantage. 6. Time Scarcity Mentality At the beginning of today's newsletter, I mentioned how quickly time seems to be flying past – and ironically, that's a prime example of time scarcity mentality. We've got it into our heads that, no matter how many hours there are in a day, we don't have enough. We feel rushed and hurried. We look at the years laid out before us and think, 'That's all? That's all I've got?' Of course, the tension at play here is that no one – not a single person on this planet – knows how much time they've got left. So in my mind, we've got two options: assume we're rich with time, or believe we are just moments away from running out. I know which I prefer. How to Combat Time-Waster Distortions As entrepreneurs, we're not in the business of wasting time. Every second wasted is a second we could've spent investing in our brainchild. Don't get me wrong – I'm not an advocate for workaholism, nor will I ever be. We need our rest. But there's a huge difference between rest and waste. Your best chance at combatting cognitive distortions is to observe which ones apply to you and how they're affecting your productivity. As you were reading through the list of distortions, did any make you feel particularly... attacked? It might be a good indication of the distortions you frequently engage with. For example: if you're typically an organized person, but your long-term deadlines always end up in a rush – you've got a Present Bias problem. If you spend hours laying out your calendar but always seem to be in a rush, it's probably a case of underestimation. The key to battling cognitive distortions is understanding them, and the best way to do that is by taking a step back and looking at how they're affecting you. Once you've identified which ones are causing problems in your life, it's just a case of consciously changing your behavior and working against them. Wrap Up Cognitive distortions will run our lives if we're not careful. Some people gain awareness of them through therapy, others through learning the hard way. The worst place to be is in a state of oblivion – and that's why I write articles like this. I encourage you to take some time reading through this list and figuring out exactly where all your time is draining away. You might have forty or fifty years ahead of you yet, but that doesn't make your time any less valuable. Use it for all it's worth! If you enjoyed this article, I’d love to hear from you. Reply to this email or at me and I'll do my best to get back to everyone! tweet @ScottDClary

These 6 Cognitive Distortions Are Wasting Your Time 

Estas 6 distorsiones cognitivas te están haciendo perder el tiempo

Ces 6 distorsions cognitives vous font perdre votre temps

ये 6 संज्ञानात्मक विकृतियाँ आपका समय बर्बाद कर रही हैं I

これらの 6 つの認知のゆがみはあなたの時間を無駄にしています

Estas 6 distorções cognitivas estão desperdiçando seu tempo

6 sai lệch nhận thức này đang lãng phí thời gian của bạn

这 6 种认知扭曲正在浪费你的时间

As a seasoned tech entrepreneur, Ivan Mishanin co-founded and served as the CEO of Bright Box, a globally connected car software vendor, for over 8 years. The company reached a staggering $10M in annual revenue before being acquired by Zurich Insurance Group, which was ranked 79th in the Forbes rating. Global 2000 Currently, Ivan is the COO and co-founder at , a cutting-edge company revolutionizing the drug development process for depression and other psychiatric disorders. Brainify.AI In the interview, we discussed the challenges of being a tech entrepreneur and key strategies of transforming the company’s growth around the globe. Let’s talk about Bright Box. What market did you start with, and when? I established Bright Box in 2012 as an IT company that focuses on solutions and platforms in the connected car market. By the end of 2014, we were in the final stages of negotiations with a few Eastern European auto companies. We also managed to secure $1.5 million in investments from the LETA Capital venture fund. However, at the time, the Eastern European markets experienced a downturn that became a real issue for our business. To bounce back and find clients quickly, we leveraged all available channels, including networking through friends, participating in exhibitions, and attending conferences worldwide. At one such event, the Connected Cars conference in Amsterdam, we met potential partners from the Middle East, and after seven months, we won our first significant contract with Nissan in the region for three years and 45,000 cars. How did you transform the company once it started developing in other markets? As we began expanding into other markets, we had to transform the company in several ways to adapt to the unique challenges and requirements of each region. Here are some of the changes we made: Adjusting our team's schedule. Since the work week in the Middle East is from Sunday to Thursday, we adjusted our team's schedule to provide support on Sundays. This required some effort and incurred minor additional costs, but it was crucial for meeting our clients' expectations in the region. Adapting our product to the market. We began focusing more on achieving a better product-market fit by tailoring our product to the specific needs and demands of the new market. This involved understanding the unique preferences and requirements of local customers and adjusting our offerings accordingly. For instance, we added right-to-left writing and Arabic language support for the Middle East market, and we integrated Baidu Maps and the Chinese version of Microsoft Azure for the Chinese market. Restructuring the product team. As our growth continued, we realized that having a single product team for all regions was not feasible. To address this issue, we split the team into two parts: Core and Regional. The Core team was responsible for implementing technological and infrastructure changes that would simplify market adoption, while the Regional teams were responsible for catering to the specific needs of each country or region. Overcoming language barriers. Not all of our team members, including myself, spoke fluent English at that time, so we had to work on improving our language skills to facilitate effective communication in the international market. To improve my English, I began watching movies exclusively in English with subtitles during my flights, which helped me become familiar with conversational language. Additionally, I changed the language settings in all my operating systems and software to English and used a dictionary on my iPhone to look up unfamiliar words. I also started reading books in English, which helped me expand my vocabulary and grasp sentence structure. Traveling. In 2014-2015, I took around 100-120 flights per year to support our expansion efforts and maintain close communication with our teams across the globe. Learning about local culture and market needs. My team and I began investing more time in understanding the culture and specific needs of the market we were entering. This knowledge allowed us to better connect with our customers, partners, and stakeholders in the region and ultimately helped us succeed in our international expansion efforts. Wow, that’s a lot of traveling! What are a few crucial things you did when expanding Bright Box into new markets? Did you have to move to the country yourself? It's essential to prioritize and make some tough decisions. As a founder, you don't necessarily have to move to the country yourself. However, in my case, I decided that the success of the company was my top priority — even more important than my personal life or family. As a result, I made sacrifices in my personal life to focus on the company's growth. For many years, I didn't have a stable home. I lived out of my suitcase and occasionally spent weekends in an apartment. This level of commitment and dedication was necessary for me to ensure the success of our international expansion. To keep our team motivated and focused on the goals, I did everything I could to convey the importance of our work and why we needed to put in the extra effort. I believe that this motivation and a shared sense of purpose played a crucial role in our eventual success in expanding into new markets. In 2017, Zurich Insurance Group acquired your company, Bright Box, for $75M. Can you share some of your experience of how it feels to grow your company from scratch and be able to sell it to one of the largest companies in the world? As the ex-founder and ex-CEO of Bright Box, I can attest to the fact that building a company from scratch and eventually selling it to a global giant like Zurich Insurance Group for $75 million in 2017 was an emotional rollercoaster filled with unique experiences and valuable lessons. Initially, I was over the moon with excitement, knowing that all the hard work had paid off and our company was being acquired by an industry leader. However, this excitement was soon followed by a profound sense of loss and emptiness. It felt like I had given away a part of myself, something I had nurtured and grown from the ground up. The realization that I was no longer in complete control of my "baby" hit hard and left me feeling adrift for some time. After the acquisition, I found myself in a familiar yet changed role. While I continued as the CEO of the company, my decision-making power was reduced, and the ability to make bold moves to propel the company forward quickly became more limited. Nevertheless, I believe that selling your company can be the right decision and a new chapter in your life. Based on my experience, I would like to offer the following advice to those who aspire to a successful exit: Embrace change: Understand that selling your company is a significant milestone and the start of a new phase in your life. You may venture into new industries or explore new spaces, but remember that your experience as a founder will always stay with you. Be prepared for a shift in dynamics: As a founder, you're used to having control and making critical decisions. However, after an acquisition, you may need to adapt to a new corporate structure where you have less autonomy. Prepare yourself mentally for this transition. Negotiate a reasonable transition period: When selling your company, try to avoid a lengthy transition period. As a founder, your entrepreneurial spirit might not align with the role of an employee, even if it's at the company you founded. Ensure that the terms of the acquisition allow you to move on to new ventures in a timely manner. In conclusion, selling a company can be a bittersweet experience, filled with emotional highs and lows. Embrace the change, learn from the experience, and continue to innovate as you embark on your next entrepreneurial journey. Let’s talk a bit about your current project, a deep tech startup, Brainify.AI? How did the idea come about? In 2020, I experienced depression firsthand and was taken aback by the subjective nature of psychiatry. When you have chest pain, a doctor will scan your heart and conduct blood tests, but no one was able to scan my brain. My co-founder Mariam, a neuroscientist from Harvard, had pitched the idea of precision psychiatry to me earlier, but it didn't resonate with me at the time. However, once I went through depression and started feeling better, I immediately recognized the huge need for a more objective approach to mental health. Brainify.AI is an AI/ML electroencephalography (EEG) biomarker platform for depression treatment response prediction that increases the likelihood of new drug approval by 80% and reduces R&D costs. Our products, PlaceboInsight AI, TherapyInsight AI, and CleanSpectrum AI, are designed to enhance the efficiency of clinical trials and improve patient outcomes. We identify biomarkers that predict treatment response during clinical phase 2, use them to select patients for clinical phase 3 trials, and predict placebo response in phase 2 and phase 3 to increase the likelihood of drug approval. Brainify.AI’s long-term goal is to be the go-to biomarker platform for drug development and in-clinic diagnostics. Our product relies on two decades of scientific research in psychiatry, neuroscience, and psychopharmacology. Like many other scientists, we want to be able to recommend the best treatment approach for different groups of patients. However, most importantly, we want to identify “state-markers,” which can be used as the indicator of the treatment results and patient state. By predicting treatment responses, Brainify.AI can become the go-to biomarker platform for drug development and in-clinic diagnostics, ultimately impacting over one billion people affected by psychiatric disorders worldwide. To achieve this goal, we are collaborating with scientists from institutions like Harvard Medical School, Cornell University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Northwell Health. What are the next goals for Brainify.AI? As we accumulate more data and refine our algorithms, we can expect a future where mental health treatment is no longer a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather a highly personalized experience designed to maximize recovery and overall well-being. Companion diagnostics have proven to be incredibly effective in oncology, and I expect to see the same situation play out in CNS over the next 10 years. We are now at the forefront of this shift toward personalized medicine in mental health. Our cutting-edge AI and machine learning techniques allow us to develop innovative solutions that can help people lead happier and healthier lives. This revolution in care will not only increase the success rate of depression treatments but also offer hope and a better quality of life to millions of people around the globe. We are excited to be a part of this journey and look forward to the advancements yet to come.

From Connected Cars to Mental Health: Ivan Mishanin's Journey as a Co-Founder and Tech Leader

Hey, you beautiful, big-brained motherf*cker! Are you tired of being that person who can solve quantum physics problems in their sleep but can’t stick to a single project for more than a week? Yeah, I’m talking to you, the smart*sses who have a Ph.D. in overthinking and a knack for getting absolutely nothing done. Welcome to the club. We’re diving headfirst into the intoxicating world of “cerebral seduction,” where the intellectual allure of new ideas keeps us trapped in a never-ending cycle of flirting but never committing. We can debate the merits of existentialism versus nihilism until we’re blue in the face, but when it comes to actually doing something, we’re stuck in the starting blocks. But fear not, my fellow procrasti-geniuses! This blog post is here to help you break free from the chains of cerebral seduction and finally commit to doing something for a f*cking change. We’ll explore why we’re so addicted to shiny new ideas, how to recognize the distractions that keep us from committing, and the strategies that can help us make tangible progress in our lives. It’s time to put your big ‘ol brain and start getting sh*t done. Are you with me? Let’s do this! to work The Appeal of New Ideas So, what’s the f*cking deal with our obsession with shiny, new ideas? Let’s face it; we’re all a bunch of intellectual magpies, chasing after the next fascinating concept that tickles our curiosity and curbs our ooh-shiny craving. The more complex and abstract the idea, the more we’re drawn to it like moths to a flame. But why is this? For starters, very smart people often thrive on intellectual stimulation. The dopamine rush we get from engaging with a new idea is like a drug we can’t resist. We find comfort and validation in our ability to grasp and dissect complex concepts, and motherf*cker, it feels good. But there’s a darker side to this cerebral seduction, and it’s called “intellectual procrastination.” It’s the trap of constantly seeking out new ideas, theories, and perspectives while neglecting to make any real progress in our own lives. We become masters of the theoretical, but novices at actually getting sh*t done. This tendency has some ugly consequences. Our lack of focus means we struggle to achieve our goals, whether it’s writing that novel, launching that startup, or finally f*cking learning to play the guitar. We become paralyzed by the endless options available to us, and instead of focusing on one project, we end up spinning our wheels in a whirlwind of half-baked ideas and unrealized dreams. It’s time to put an end to this frustrating cycle of cerebral seduction and start committing to something for a change. Because, let’s be honest, as great as it is to be a smartass, it’s even better to be a smartass who gets sh*t done. Identifying Your Distractions Alright, smarty-pants, it’s time for some tough love. To overcome this cerebral seduction bullsh*t, we need to face the demons that keep us distracted from making progress. It’s time to dig deep and identify those pesky triggers that send us down the rabbit hole of endless intellectual exploration. You know the culprits I’m talking about: social media, news articles, online debates, podcasts, YouTube videos — the list goes on. These distractions are like kryptonite to our already scattered brains, making it nearly impossible to focus on one task for an extended period. And let’s not forget about FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out. As intellectual junkies, we’re constantly afraid that we’ll miss out on the next groundbreaking idea or that we’ll fall behind in our fields if we don’t consume every f*cking piece of information available (even if we know rationally that that’s not possible). This FOMO fuels our insatiable hunger for new ideas, making it even harder to commit to a single project. FOMO can be a real b*tch. Ironically, if you’re always too afraid of missing out to commit, you guarantee that you’re missing out. While you were over-optimizing, the train has already sailed. But here’s the good news: self-awareness is the first step to overcoming these distractions. By recognizing our personal triggers and acknowledging our FOMO, we can begin to take control of our wandering minds and start focusing on what truly matters. (More on that another day.) So, take a moment to reflect on your own habits and distractions. Be brutally honest with yourself. What’s keeping you from committing to a single idea? Once you’ve identified these roadblocks, you’ll be better equipped to tackle them head-on and break free from the vicious cycle of cerebral seduction. It’s time to start getting shit done, and it starts with recognizing what’s holding you back. The Art of Commitment Alright, brainiacs, let’s throw conventional wisdom out the f*cking window. We’re not here for the same old productivity advice that never seems to work for us. We need something tailored to our big, beautiful, overthinking minds. So let’s dive into the unorthodox art of commitment. Procrastinate as long as possible — until the pressure to deliver becomes irresistible. Instead of fighting your natural tendency to procrastinate, use it to your advantage. You might find that you work best under pressure, and that focused, last-minute effort can lead to great results. Embrace your inner procrastinator: Commit to one task at a time, but only for a short period. Pick a task, set a timer for 25 minutes, and work like a mad genius until the timer goes off. Then, take a break before moving on to another task or idea. This way, you’re still focusing on one thing at a time without feeling overwhelmed by long-term commitments. Become a serial mono-tasker: Design a personalized productivity system that caters to your quirks and habits. Throw conventional productivity advice to the wind and do what works best for you. If you’re a night owl, schedule your work when you’re most awake and creative. If you find inspiration in chaos, embrace it. Create your own rules: Identify your biggest distractions and find a way to incorporate them into your work. If you can’t resist scrolling through Twitter, use it as a source of inspiration or a platform to share your progress. The key is to accept your quirks, and use them to fuel your creativity. Turn your weaknesses into strengths: Be prepared to pivot or abandon ideas that aren’t working. It’s okay to change your mind or take a different direction if you’re not making progress. The goal is to be adaptable and open to new possibilities. Adopt a “f*ck it” mindset: When to Say “F*ck It” and Move On Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: not every idea or project is worth pursuing indefinitely. Sometimes, we need to recognize when it’s time to say “f*ck it” and move on. The point of the exercise is to remain intellectually committed to something and to invest the time and energy into those things you’ve chosen to prioritize. The point is to pursue a deadend indefinitely for the sake of “commitment.” not If the idea is a dead-end of any new shiny concepts that are vying for your attention, it may be time to move on. regardless Knowing when to abandon a project or idea can be crucial to our success. Clinging to a sinking ship can drain our time, energy, and resources, keeping us from pursuing more fruitful endeavors. So how do we know when it’s time to throw in the towel? Here are some guidelines: If you’re failing to make headway, it might be a sign that the idea isn’t worth pursuing. Lack of progress: consistently When the effort you’re putting into a project is no longer yielding meaningful results, it’s time to reevaluate. Diminishing returns: If you no longer feel excited or motivated by the idea (even when you’re actively engaged in it), it be time to let it go. Pay attention to the feelings you have surrounding the idea. Do you feel like you don’t have enough time to pursue the idea? Are you nervous or struggling with impostor syndrome? Key in on which feelings you’re experiencing and evaluate whether or not it’s best to let it go or hang on a while longer if the issue doesn’t actually stem from the idea itself. Loss of passion: might Take, for example, the story of Instagram’s founders. They initially created a location-based app called Burbn, but quickly realized that users were more interested in the photo-sharing feature. So they pivoted, dropped the original concept, and created Instagram — a decision that ultimately led to a billion-dollar acquisition. The lesson here is clear: Be willing to let go of ideas or projects that aren’t working and embrace new opportunities. The key to success lies in our ability to adapt, pivot, and move on when necessary. Building Momentum and Celebrating Success Alright, brainiacs — it’s time to talk about the sweet, sweet taste of victory. As we start committing to ideas and projects, we’ll begin to experience a sense of accomplishment that’s far more satisfying than the fleeting thrill of flirting with new concepts**. Let’s explore how to build momentum and celebrate our success in our own unique, genius way:** Learn to appreciate the victories, no matter how tiny they might seem. Finished a chapter of your book? Fucking fantastic! Solved a small coding problem? Hell yeah! These seemingly insignificant achievements add up and contribute to our overall progress. Savor the small wins: : Forget about traditional benchmarks — establish your own personalized milestones that align with your quirks and goals. Celebrate them with your own unique rituals, whether it’s dancing around your living room, ringing a f*ck yeah bell, or treating yourself to a fancy espresso. Just be careful not to put too much weight on extrinsic rewards, and savor the intrinsic value of your progress throughout your ritual. Create your own milestone markers Use your victories as fuel to propel you forward. Revel in the satisfaction of overcoming challenges and remind yourself that you’re capable of achieving even more. Don’t lose sight of your end goal, but stay focused on the journey and the progress you’re making. Read my take on why work-life balance can be total bullsh*t here. Keep the momentum going: Connect with others who share your passions and understand your struggles. Building a network of like-minded smartasses can help keep you motivated and accountable. Share your successes and setbacks, and celebrate each other’s achievements. Surround yourself with support : : Remember, you’re not just any smart person — you’re a f*cking genius. Use your incredible brainpower to create tangible achievements that you can be proud of. Show the world what you’re capable of when you commit to your ideas and projects. Embrace your unique intelligence By building momentum and celebrating our successes, we not only break free from the trap of cerebral seduction (by training ourselves like one of Pavlov’s favorite puppers) but also become more fulfilled and productive individuals. Let’s lean into our weird, wonderful, and wickedly smart selves, and start making sh*t happen! (Woof, woof, motherf*cker.) Conclusion: Well, brainiac, we’ve reached the end of our journey. Let’s recap the key takeaways before we set forth to conquer the world: , and use them to fuel your creativity. Identify and embrace your personal distractions and design your own unorthodox approach. Throw conventional productivity advice out the window, and find the right balance between flexibility and focus. Learn the art of commitment, and move on from projects that aren’t working. Recognize when it’s time to say “f*ck it”, , celebrate your successes, and use your unique intelligence to achieve greatness. Build momentum Now it’s time to put these strategies and tips into action. Let’s find an idea, put a ring on it, and embrace commitment like never before. (Cue bad b*tch energy Beyonce playlist) So go forth, my dear, brainy comrades, and show the world that we’re not just a bunch of burnt-out intellectual-f*ckboi smartasses. We’re a force to be reckoned with, and we’re ready to make our mark on the world — one committed, unorthodox, and f*cking brilliant idea at a time! Are you ready to finally see what you’re capable of with people who get it (and who aren’t going to just give you a list of the same old productivity hacks)? Find success on your own f*cking terms. actually ➡️➡️🤓Join us at Liferise. At the time of this writing, you can join on a donations-only basis (e.g., free) in exchange for feedback during the alpha phase. or . 💯 Sign up using Gumroad here learn more here Also published here

Cerebral Seduction: How To Stop Flirting With New Ideas

Emotional intelligence should be taught as a subject in elementary school – that's always been an opinion I hold. Not only is EQ a crucial tool for self-regulation and self-concept, but it underpins every action we take in our personal and professional lives. To me, emotional intelligence means understanding that our emotions aren't a reflection of reality (or not necessarily, anyway). It means having the ability to interpret our feelings in a conscious and deliberate way, so that we can make decisions with clarity and purpose. Recently, I've been reading up on how this important trait plays into being an entrepreneur, and what it means to be an emotionally intelligent entrepreneur. I know a pretty big chunk of my readers are super interested in this kind of thing – so I thought it would be valuable to share my findings. Here's what I've gathered on the traits of an emotionally intelligent entrepreneur. First of all – what's emotional intelligence? I find it fascinating how so many of our psychological concepts were born hundreds or thousands of years ago. Both Eastern and Western philosophies stretch back centuries; we still learn about the teachings of Confucius and Lao Tzu today, and Sigmund Freud's theories remain widely studied. So it's interesting to see that emotional intelligence – one of the most popular psychological concepts in the 21st century – was actually first formulated very recently, in the '90s. John D. Mayer of UNH and Peter Salovey of Yale teamed up to coin and research emotional intelligence. Here's : how they defined EQ "...emotional intelligence is the ability to accurately perceive your own and others’ emotions; to understand the signals that emotions send about relationships; and to manage your own and others’ emotions. It doesn’t necessarily include the qualities (like optimism, initiative, and self-confidence) that some popular definitions ascribe to it." I absolutely love this definition because I think it draws some important distinctions. Emotionally intelligent people aren't chronically optimistic, nor do they ooze confidence every second of every day. That's not what EQ is about. Emotional intelligence is the ability to shape your reality based on how you respond to your emotions and those of the people around you. And it's pretty powerful stuff. Hallmarks of emotionally intelligent people One of my favorite figures in the history of- well, history- is . He was a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist whose book, Man's Search for Meaning, is one of the most crucial pieces of literature I've read in my life. Viktor Frankl Frankl wrote about how people can find meaning even in the darkest moments. His work has been studied by everyone from philosophers to psychiatrists to entrepreneurs. And I think it speaks volumes about emotionally intelligent people: they are able to take something that other people consider negative and find a way to use it in their favor. Here's something he said that I'll never forget: "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space lies our freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom." An emotionally mature person lives their life as though the universe owes them something. They are completely at the mercy of their emotions, forgetting that an emotion is just a chemical reaction in the brain. It's fleeting, and it doesn't necessarily dictate how we should act or think. An emotionally intelligent person takes that space between stimulus and response to choose their reaction wisely. They take responsibility for their emotions, and they use them as a guide to making decisions that are in line with their values, rather than letting them rule over them. Why Entrepreneurs Need Emotional Intelligence Let's think about the role of an entrepreneur. First and foremost, it's a career of total devotion. It isn't a part-time job. You wake up at dawn and you work until late into the night. You take on a double workweek to get your ideas off the ground. You wear every hat and you do whatever needs to be done. Alongside that complete dedication, you're interacting with tens or hundreds of people – employees, consultants, potential clients, investors, etc. You're also managing tasks, delegating responsibilities, and dealing with a variety of complex issues every single day. If you're disarmed by something as unpredictable and unpreventable as an emotion, all of these responsibilities fall by the wayside. Emotions are going to ebb and swell in the life of an entrepreneur; you need to be able to ride the waves and stay afloat at all times. Traits of an Emotionally Intelligent Entrepreneur Wondering whether you have the chops to be an emotionally intelligent entrepreneur? Here are a few traits that show you may already be on the right page. 1. You approach your industry with a sense of awe, humility, and curiosity. A common trap of entrepreneurs is that they try to enter their niche with the attitude that they know everything. It's partially a self-serving fallacy to make themselves feel better, but it's also an avoidance mechanism; spotting your knowledge gaps means stepping into the unknown. An emotionally mature entrepreneur is curious about their own industry. They're startlingly aware of their own shortcomings, but they embrace the process of learning and growing – and that means knowing when to pivot. 2. You make changes earlier rather than later. If an entrepreneur has high EQ, they don't resist change at all whatsoever. Instead, they understand that their original idea might not be the one they stick with for the long haul. They're comfortable with making changes if something isn't working out, especially if it's hurting their team or their customers. Entrepreneurs who resist change do themselves a massive disservice. It's not only a sign of emotional immaturity but also a missed opportunity to take control and shape the future. 3. You wait for strong emotions to pass before responding. The decision-making process of a successful entrepreneur is often rooted in logic and reason. But when emotions come into play, it's important to take a step back and let yourself process the situation without being reactive. A good example of this is when entrepreneurs are confronted with difficult questions or criticism from stakeholders. As long as their emotional state isn't too overwhelming, they can pause for a moment and respond thoughtfully and constructively. It's the same with team communication – too many CEOs are highly reactive and let their emotions enter communication with their staff, which can be very damaging. An emotionally intelligent entrepreneur takes a step back and considers the situation from different angles before responding. 4. You understand how to lead with empathy. A high-EQ entrepreneur doesn't just know when to keep their emotions in check, but also when to use them effectively. They don't shy away from showing vulnerability or compassion, as they recognize that these qualities can be powerful tools for connecting with others and fostering team spirit. They know how to draw on their own experiences, or listen carefully to the stories and perspectives of others, in order to create an understanding of shared goals and objectives. They also understand that emotional intelligence is a two-way street; they have to be willing to take responsibility for their own feelings as well as those of the people around them. 5. You invest in yourself outside of your business. No matter how much energy you invest into your business, or how attached you are to your brainchild, it doesn't change what really matters. The only consistent presence in your life is yourself – and if you don't take good care of yourself, you risk being left with nothing. Emotionally intelligent entrepreneurs maintain a balanced perspective here. They're fully aware that careers aren't the be-all and end-all. For that reason, they make sure to invest in activities that nurture their own well-being, such as exercise, meditation, and hobbies. 6. You embrace criticism and ask for feedback. If there's one thing I'd like to see more of in the entrepreneurial space, it's humility; the willingness to admit mistakes and accept criticism. High EQ entrepreneurs understand that feedback is essential for personal growth and development, so they make sure to continually ask for it from their team members. (They don't just wait for a nasty Tweet. They actively seek out constructive criticism, allowing them to understand their own weaknesses and capitalize on their strengths). At the same time, these entrepreneurs are secure enough in themselves to take criticism without feeling personally attacked. They recognize that it's a necessary part of success – not something to be feared or avoided. 7. Your relationships matter more than money. At the end of the day, relationships are paramount for successful entrepreneurs. It's not just about networking and making connections; it's about building strong, meaningful relationships that will stand by you no matter what. And no, it isn't enough to buddy up with workmates. Emotionally intelligent entrepreneurs seek out and invest in platonic and romantic relationships that exist outside the realm of their business. The reason here is simple; it's the separation of work and personal life that makes them more resilient and able to handle difficult situations without letting their emotions take over. 8. You invest in employees rather than viewing them as assets. The difference between an emotionally intelligent entrepreneur and a traditional CEO is that the latter views employees as nothing more than assets to be used for their own benefit. The former, however, understands that people are much more complex than that – they have goals and dreams of their own. That's why emotionally intelligent entrepreneurs make sure to invest in the development of their team members, giving them the tools and resources they need to reach their full potential. They recognize that it's in their best interest, both professionally and personally – investing in people is the surest way to create long-term success. 9. You show up authentically in all settings. It's very unsettling to meet CEOs and business owners who change their tone drastically depending on their environment. You've probably met these people before; they seem to have a certain "business persona" that they put on when in the company of clients or investors. High EQ entrepreneurs take the opposite approach, showing up authentically in all settings and interactions. They understand that their relationships (and businesses) will only benefit from genuine conversations, so they make sure to be open and honest with everyone they meet. 10. You actively consume the thoughts, opinions, and ideas of people you disagree with. I think number 10 is true of everyone, not just entrepreneurs. It's one of the most important traits of emotionally intelligent people; the ability to listen, understand, and learn from those who have different opinions than us. High EQ entrepreneurs make sure to open themselves up to perspectives that differ from their own – both inside and outside of their industry – recognizing that these conversations are essential for personal growth and development. I love this trait because it's a sure-fire way to keep yourself humble and eliminate your comfort zone. You're not stuck in an echo chamber; you're actively expanding your knowledge and understanding of the world. What If You Can't Relate? The beauty of emotional intelligence is that it's a learned trait. Some of us were fortunate enough to begin learning it at a young age; perhaps we had emotionally balanced parents, or went through a life-changing experience that forced us to confront and manage our emotions. But if none of the above applies to you, don't be discouraged – emotional intelligence is something we can all learn over time. Working with a psychologist and consuming content from the likes of Brene Brown and Gary Chapman can help you gain greater insight into your own emotions, as well as how to manage them. Wrap Up Emotional intelligence is one of the most important traits an entrepreneur can have. It's not just about being able to ‘read’ people; it's also about having the courage and humility to learn from them, invest in relationships, embrace criticism, and show up authentically in all settings. If you're looking to become a more emotionally intelligent entrepreneur, start by taking steps towards understanding your own emotions, as well as the feelings of those around you. From there, you can begin to build a meaningful life – both inside and outside of your business. Thanks for reading, all! Also Published Here

Emotionally Intelligent Entrepreneurs Should Have These Traits

Do you have a clean break from work at the end of the day? Or does your work life tend to bleed into your personal life, creating a sense of never-ending stress? If the latter is true for you, then it's time to start practising shutdown rituals. Continuing on from last week's topic – the importance of getting proper rest – I thought we'd touch on a profound tool called the 'power-down ritual' (Cal Newport called it the ' .') shutdown ritual If you felt slightly called out by my last newsletter and want to work on separating your work and personal life, you're in the right place. Let's unpack what it means to power down. End-Of-Day Habits Here's a question – how easily can you separate your work hours from your personal hours? For example, maybe you've got a standard nine-to-five job and your work computer never comes home with you. If you're an entrepreneur or business owner, however (like most of my readers), I'm guessing that isn't the case. Running a company is a surefire way to blur the lines between your work and personal life. You're literally responsible for every aspect of the business; it's your brainchild, the lifeblood of your future. No wonder it's hard to put it down and walk away. The result is an endless stream of residual stress that can cause major burnout. With no start and end time, your life feels like one giant workday with intermittent breaks. It's no wonder that work-from-home employees report higher burnout rates than those who work in an office. You literally never leave the workplace. It's all too easy to forget where your work ends and your life begins. The Power of Rituals By now, I'm sure you've read Atomic Habits by James Clear – but if not, the message is very simple. Habit-building is one of the most powerful tools you'll ever use for personal and professional growth. In my experience, the best habits are those that signify different phases of the day. For example: When I wake up and get straight into exercise gear, my brain knows I'm about to work out and enter the energetic, alert phase of my morning. I brew a calming tea every night before bed, symbolizing the onset of relaxation and sleep. At the end of my work day, I power down my laptop and set myself to 'inactive' on communication platforms, letting my colleagues know I'm done for the day. These habits aren't anything crazy – but they break up my day into distinct phases so that my mind is always on the same page as my daily schedule. My end-of-workday habit is actually an example of a shutdown ritual. Let's zoom in on that one. Shutdown Rituals In his book called Deep Work, , "When you work, you work hard, and when you’re done, you can be done.” That's the intention behind his concept of the shutdown ritual – to completely separate your work life from your free time. Cal Newport famously said Here's what his own shutdown ritual looks like: Update master task list (collated list of immediate and long-term tasks) Review task lists and set completion dates for urgent tasks Peruse the calendar to see what appointments are coming up in the next two weeks Read through the current weekly plan to ensure everything is on track After all of that, he shuts down his computer and walks away, putting work out of his mind until the next day. The idea of a ritual like this isn't just to tell your brain the workday is over. It's to ensure that nothing remains on your mind after hours. You answer every question, tie up loose ends, and resolve anything that would prevent your mind from fully resting. The reality is that you can never properly rest if you're thinking about work. Employment is directly tied to your livelihood; it is incompatible with relaxation. A shutdown ritual allows you to make a clean break from work, allowing your mind and body to fully rest. Do You Need a Shutdown Ritual? Reading this, you might be thinking, "I don't need a ritual. I leave my computer at work and I refuse to respond to emails after hours." Sometimes, however, these measures alone aren't enough. Just because you're not working after hours doesn't mean you're not thinking about work. You might still be worrying and stressing out over the tasks you left undone. A ritual helps to consolidate your thoughts; you leave work with total awareness of what needs to be done, and you can rest easy knowing that it's all written down. Wondering whether it's time to craft your own shutdown ritual? Here are a few signs that your work and personal lives need more separation: You're irritable, overly emotional, or easily overwhelmed You feel tense and anxious when you think about work It feels like you never have time to get through your task lists You feel guilty for taking time away from work You might recognize these as – and left unattended, burnout can derail your career. A shutdown ritual is one way to make sure that doesn't happen. symptoms of burnout Creating a Shutdown Ritual Cal Newport's ritual is an excellent example of a shutdown ritual, but the best rituals are tailored to your specific needs. Answer these questions to make your own. 1. What work-related tasks and events keep you up at night? By this question, I'm talking about the tasks and to-dos that linger in your mind after leaving work. For instance – some people spend all night drafting emails in their head if they don't get them sent during the day. Others feel overwhelmed by their workload if they don't write or review their to-do list. 2. What can you do to put those thoughts to rest? I want to be clear that the point of a shutdown ritual is not to get everything done, but to rest easy knowing that the tasks are accounted for. You might not have time every afternoon to write and send all of your pending emails or tick off the tasks on your to-do list, but you can write everything down and leave work with a clear plan for the next day. 3. What would this look like as a ritual? Now that you know what tasks and thoughts need to be addressed, it's time to turn them into a ritual. For example – if your shutdown ritual focuses on follow-up correspondence, it might look something like this: Spend 10 minutes writing and responding to emails. Write a quick to-do list for the next day, including any tasks you weren't able to finish today. Scan your calendar for upcoming appointments or deadlines. Take 5 minutes of quiet time before leaving work – use this time to reflect on the day and reset your mindset. I personally like to add a symbolic element, too, like powering down my laptop or turning off my work lights. It serves as a tangible reminder that I'm leaving work for the day and entering into relaxation mode. What If You're Working From Home? I would almost assert that WFH-ers need a shutdown ritual even more than office workers. The boundaries between work and home are often blurred. Scratch that – they're blurred by default. You need to go out of your way to create a clear break between your work and home life. A shutdown ritual is a perfect way to do this. It doesn't have to be elaborate – it could just be something as simple as taking 10 minutes to journal about your day, followed by some light stretching or meditation. Anything that helps you disconnect from work and transition into relaxation mode is fair game. I'd warn against keeping the ritual too simple, however. The point is to resolve all loose ends so that you can completely relax without worrying about tomorrow's tasks. A simple yoga ritual might not be enough to achieve this. (It's the perfect post-ritual activity, though!) Will My Business Suffer? For my entrepreneurial readers, I want to assure you that taking breaks is okay. It's not just okay; it is absolutely essential for long-term success. It will always be tempting to remain on-call 24/7, but no one can sustain that lifestyle forever. Shutdown rituals as an entrepreneur require a bit more preparation. They need to be supported by a culture of delegation; otherwise, you'll never feel confident stepping away for the evening and letting your colleagues handle things. Trust me when I say that carving out time for yourself becomes less possible as time goes on. If you aren't disciplined from the very beginning of your startup venture, it will be impossible to practice self-care and meaningful shutdown rituals as business picks up speed. Set a precedent by making yourself completely unreachable after certain hours. Don't give anyone the impression that you're the 'on-call' CEO. Make it part of your culture to leave work on time and honor your shutdown ritual. The Takeaway Shutdown rituals are a powerful tool for improving productivity, reducing stress, and creating a healthy balance between work and home life. They're also an important part of maintaining mental health as an entrepreneur or remote worker. Start by identifying the tasks that keep you up at night, then create a ritual that puts those thoughts to rest. Whether it's 10 minutes of correspondence or consolidation of your to-do lists, it's important to make sure that your ritual is tailored to your specific needs. I'd be fascinated to hear what your shutdown routine looks like. Feel free to share your stories with me – or if you haven't got a ritual to share just yet, take this as your sign to create one. If you enjoyed this article, I’d love to hear from you. Also published here .

Harnessing the Power of Shutdown Rituals

What Are Progressive Web Applications and Why Are They Important? Progressive Web Application (PWA) or Progressive Web App is a type of application software delivered through the web. It is built using common web technologies like HTML, JS, and Web Assembly. PWAs are websites that look and behave exactly like native mobile applications, which means that they can be added to the home screen on a smartphone, send push notifications, access device hardware, and; most importantly; work offline by caching content. It’s been more than a decade since Steve Jobs introduced the idea of web apps that look and behave like native apps, and it’s been half a decade since the term “PWA” was coined. Developers can just publish the web application online, ensure that it meets baseline “install ability requirements” and users will be able to add applications to their home screen. To run a native mobile application, a user must follow through 6-7 steps like opening the app store, searching the app using a search bar, loading the app page, determining whether the app is what you are looking for, loading and installing, all before the user even starts using app.  This is not the case with web applications where you just need a URL to gain access. At this point, it is important to note that “Progressive Web Apps” is not a technology or framework, or programming language. It’s more like a . There are some new things to master in the process, but nothing too complicated. set of requirements your web application must meet to properly function as progressive When a PWA is launched for the first time, it immediately puts all the static resources that its app shell is built off into the cache. The next time the app is launched, it serves the static content from the cache, dramatically improving response time. What’s all the Fuss About PWAs? Pinterest rebuilt its mobile site as a PWA and noted a significant hike in core engagements. They also noticed a 1/2x increase in user-generated ad revenue and average time spent. Uber’s PWA takes less than 3 seconds to load on a slow network. BookMyShow PWA is nearly half the size of an android app and 180 times smaller than an iOS app. How it is Different from a Responsive Web Application? Experience: Responsive web design ensures consistent UX across various devices and platforms. PWA is an advanced form of Responsive web design with a mobile-specific environment. Codebase: Responsive Web apps share a single code base for web and mobile platforms, and PWAs share a single code base with a mobile-first environment. Adaptability: Responsive Web apps provide automatic adaptability according to screen sizes and resolutions, while PWA shares an extra benefit of “Push Notification” and “Add to home screen” prompts. Performance: Performance varies based on different platforms and devices How it is Different from Native Mobile Applications? A native app is specially built for one platform, PWA is an app that runs in a browser and behaves pretty much like a native app. Platform: A native app needs a separate codebase for each platform (Android, iOS). A PWA doesn’t need a separate code base as you don’t need to install it from Google Play or the App store. Codebase: : Native apps give an unbeatable user experience due to native hardware access. PWAs give superior user experience through modern web standards. User-Experience Native apps implement additional security layers with the help of built-in device components, and PWAs offer HTTPs encryption. Security: : Native apps require a higher budget to write platform-specific code. PWAs are relatively cheaper than native apps as they run on multiple platforms with a single code base. Budget : Native apps need to be downloaded from an app store, while PWA provides “Add to Home Screen” prompts and runs directly in a browser. Installation : Native apps require more device storage space, while PWA requires very little space. Space : Native apps consume more data and networks. PWAs work well in slower networks and even offline. Connectivity : Native apps take longer to create and require verification from the app store. PWAs are quicker to create. Time to market : Push notifications are available for both iOS and Android with for Native apps, but running PWAs on iOS doesn’t support push notifications. Push Notifications : Native apps support inter-app communication while PWAs don’t. Inter-app communication Pros of PWAs : Since a PWA is accessed via a browser, it runs on any type of OS and mobile device. Compatibility : Because a PWA is still a website, you don’t need a large budget for its development. Lower Costs : You don’t need to download and install a PWA to start using it. You only need a URL to access it via a browser. URL Access : Technically, PWA is a website. To this end, instead of launching a marketing campaign, you can rely on SEO benefits for its promotion. SEO benefits : Since a PWA is not installable, it needs only a small amount of memory. Memory-friendly : A PWA keeps users engaged with push notifications. User engagement PWAs feel like native apps. App-like UI/UX: : PWAs update without the user clicking any buttons – all new features are available automatically. Updates Cons of PWAs PWAs run on technologies that aren’t intended for the mobile environment. As a result, devices need to work harder to interpret the code. Battery Consumption: : Since PWAs are google’s “brainchild,” be prepared to deal with iOS devices not supporting all its features. Limited functionality : Such apps have limited access to software and hardware features. They don’t support features that are not maintained by HTML5. Limited hardware access How to Make a PWA To make a PWA, the development team can choose any of the following options: Create PWA from scratch, or Convert your existing application into a PWA. The following steps will help you convert your existing application to a PWA. Let’s assume you are running some weather application that gives you weather updates based on the location you entered. We would need to configure “service worker” into our existing web application to make it behave as PWA. Before we proceed let’s talk about the service worker. An important feature of PWAs that we discussed earlier is their ability to work offline and cache content. This caching is performed with the help of a service worker, which is basically a JS file residing in your app but running in a separate thread so that it doesn’t terminate when your app is closed in the browser.  In addition to caching, it can send notifications, push messages, synchronize local cache, and can even mock responses (if programmed). A service worker is useful for always keeping your app up-to-date, and is a major advantage compared to mobile apps which you must remember to update. My application is an angular application and to make this it a PWA, the developer must run the following command. ng add @angular/pwa This command will add and entry into the production configuration of angular.json file. service worker:true ngswConfigPath:”ngsw-config.json” The same command will create two new files and manifest.webmanifest ngsw-config.json Finally, build the application with production configuration. ng build --prod This will create a create production build for the application. Now deploy this application to HTTPS hosted server (as we discussed earlier PWAs run on HTTPS). Users can click on “Add weather-app to Home screen” or “Add to home screen” to install the application to their devices. Summary If we compare PWAs with Native mobile applications, we can find a significant difference between the problem one approach tries to solve over the other. In my view, PWA will be a good option if you want to launch your existing web application as a native mobile application in a very short duration and you don’t have enough budget or time to develop the complete application from scratch as a native mobile application. PWAs also help you to analyze the “what if” of launching your application as a native mobile application. As we already discussed a few limitations of PWA, there are high chances that developers prefer to approach native mobile application development over PWA depending on business requirements and needs. P.S.: Information has been collected from various sources and after visiting numerous blogs and posts and sharing what I understand and my personal viewpoint. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below. Also published here. Featured image source.

Exploring the Nature of Progressive Web Apps

Every cryptocurrency investor shares the random thought of bitcoin getting ousted. The oldest cryptocurrency and blockchain has spent all its years of existence on top of the charts. By dominating a fast-growing space and pioneering tremendous developments; the ‘future of money’ controls over 30% of the total crypto market valuation. The top list is ever-changing, a number of projects have occupied top positions in the elite league of cryptocurrencies. Only a few have kept this position for a reasonable duration. The competition at the top is stern, but for ; it is lonely at the top. bitcoin Apart from the alpha cryptocurrency, only one project has spent a ‘long’ time in the elite position — . Vitalik Buterin developed a technology that has won the heart of many. Ethereum Since its debut in 2015, Ethereum has become a household name in the space. The most used and emulated project - a simple description of Ethereum’s reputation amongst developers and enthusiasts. The most actively developed too. Thanks to brilliant technology and widespread adoption, Ethereum has claimed a position just below bitcoin. Unlike other projects that once occupied this position, it has retained it for a relatively long time and had been dubbed bitcoin’s successor. Well, dare to dream. If any current cryptocurrency project stands a chance of taking over bitcoin at the top, it’s Vitalik’s brainchild. Does Ethereum have what it takes to move to the absolute top? I’d say YES; technically. But then these need to happen before that… Ethereum’s ascension will need a little bit of bitcoin’s share of attention. Not just bitcoin maximalists, the whole space depends much on bitcoin and what happens around it. The old ‘reserve currency’ is currently the sole dictator of the direction of other assets in this space. It will be tough for Ethereum to climb to the top while bitcoin retains this undisputed rulership figure. The bitcoin hype needs to die, at least a little. This won’t be easy, bitcoin moving over to second place will be a bizarre sight too. Anyways, bitcoin’s hype isn’t the only impedance on Ethereum’s ascension. Ethereum has its own problems too. Fees, speed…you name it. Despite being the most developed blockchain to date, the smart contract chain is still unusable to many. If any cryptocurrency is going to trump bitcoin, it has to be special. Ethereum is special, no doubt; but it still needs a whole new level of efficiency to move over to the number one position. A lot of developments are rumored to be coming to the chain, maybe this will be a revolution…who knows. Unlike bitcoin, Ethereum is built for several purposes. A long list of unique things can be built on the chain. The quality of projects built on Ethereum has a big impact on its growth. The tons of projects currently running on Ethereum are the principal reason for the price growth over the years. This growth will continue for as long as reputable projects launch on Ethereum and existing ones continue to make great progress. However, if Ethereum will ever grow past bitcoin, mainstream institutions will have to build alternatives or replacements for normal products or services on Ethereum. Visa recently shared plans to build a payment solution on Ethereum. This and even more are possible on Ethereum. Mainstream firms and brands can launch incredible services on Ethereum. This will boost the price greatly and ease Ethereum’s journey to the ultimate top. Like Visa’s payment solutions, Central Bank Digital Currencies ( ) can be launched on the Ethereum blockchain. Most cryptocurrency enthusiast frown at CBDCs, but the reality is; they are here to stay. Not just here to stay, they stand more chances of survival than most normal payment solution crypto projects. Most governments are building their own blockchains to launch CBDCs. While this is for obvious reasons, the Ethereum blockchain can easily host as many CBDCs as possible. Nations should consider taking this route, which is relatively cheaper and easier. CBDCs Ethereum as a hub for CBDCs will be a huge boost for adoption and value as well. You surely have your preferences and you hope to see them at the top. If anyone is ever going to come too close to overthrowing bitcoin, Ethereum is first on my list. This space is unpredictable and the most reasonable scenario is bitcoin retaining its position. But anything is possible and Ethereum could go all the way. Or XRP? Well, feel free to dream! Also published here.

When Will Ethereum Finally Top Bitcoin?

A can-do attitude mixed with a cocktail of opportunities and a pinch of hope has secured a new home in the metaverse for journalist and activist Jillian Godsil. After interviewing the founders of Metropolis, siblings Rania and Rashid Ajami, Godsil discovered that individuals were creating their own homes in this innovative virtual world. This led her to become one of the founding citizens of the city of Celeste. Her inclusion as one of the founder members hails not so much from her position as a leading Web3 journalist but more from her backstory, which befits a virtual metaverse so well. Since her painful home repossession in 2014, Godsil had been unable to find the means to buy a new home – a much more modest cottage for her, her children and their rescue horses. So, to become a homeowner in Celeste is really inspiring – it’s the first time she has achieved the first step to getting back on the property ladder again. Although she is not sure the horses will like the view – they may stay in more lowly surroundings, closer to the ground and with plenty of grass. Not only does it fulfil her professional interests, but it also provides hope for her personal condition. And to explain why this virtual home, high in the clouds, is so important, we need to go back to 2008 to a financially crushed Ireland with its property market in pieces and a nation suffering from a terrible recession. There is no shame in failing Jillian Godsil became broke and famous through a series of random and connected actions. Once a successful businesswoman and aspiring writer, she was hit by the double whammy of divorce and recession. Accordingly, she was left in possession of a rather large mortgage (in excess of €1,000,000) on a Georgian manor house reduced to less than half that value in the 2008 financial crash. Her ex-husband returned to the UK and became bankrupt, effectively giving her and their two children the entire debt. She fought every way she could but could not hold back the tide. She made a video to sell the house, which went viral. She received an offer of €500,000, but the banks refused the sale. In Irish law, even if the bank accepted the offer, she and her two children would still be liable for the balance. The banks went on to repossess the home and sold it five months later for a miserly €165,000. Following the tide of woes, Godsil’s company failed, and bailiffs were sent in, but her story continued to travel around the world. Asked why she kept talking, even as she was backed into a financial corner, she cited one reason; suicide. She believed she had been given a voice to keep talking about debt, what it feels like, how to live with it and how one day to conquer it. Ireland in 2012 witnessed two suicides every day. While not all were down to financial reasons, a significant proportion could be attributed to such a cause. Godsil’s mantra is that she was not ashamed she failed financially. She worked bloody hard, but life threw her a curve ball. In Ireland, financial failure is viewed as a stigma, unlike other cultures that view it as a necessary path for any businessperson. It is ironic that the quote is from none other than the Irishman of letters, Samuel Beckett. ‘Fail once, fail better the second time In the end, after the home repossession, she was the first female bankrupt under the new insolvency laws in 2014. She was not allowed to run for public office under archaic Victorian law. She then took the Irish government to the High Court and all the way to the Supreme Court, claiming that her constitutional rights were being infringed. She won. Then she had to run - after all, she had won the right. So, Godsil ran in the European Parliamentary elections in 2014, and while she did not win a seat, she earned 11,500 votes – topping the tally for independents in the country. Discovering a new path to democratic freedom After discovering Bitcoin in 2017, Godsil could see the beautiful symmetry in blockchain that democratized the world across every sector. She turned her fintech journalist skills firmly into blockchain writing and was soon in demand writing for tier 1 blockchain and crypto publications. At the same time, she was invited to chair and moderate blockchain conferences around the world. It was the beginning of a thrilling time; she could see a path back to financial solvency again. This September, she has to move from her rented accommodation yet again – a fourth time since the banks took her home – but now she has hope and a house in the metaverse. And so it came to pass. Her new digital home is in Celeste, a city in the sky, the first city of Metropolis, and it is modelled on her own Georgian manor house, Raheengraney House. The banks may have taken her physical bricks and mortar but not her spirit and now not her memory of the house she lovingly saved from possible destruction. Godsil is now one of the founder citizens of the city of Celeste, the first city of Metropolis World, the brainchild of siblings Rania and Rashid Ajami (insert cityam link), who are well-established filmmakers and music producers, respectively. Metropolis World is a 360° curated universe that blends unique properties, e-commerce, gaming, art & experiences that span both the digital & real world. It is possible to rise again – into the lovely clouds of Celeste. The Virtual City of Celeste The city of Celeste, also known as the city of the air, is the first of six unique cities to be developed in the Metropolis world. It is constructed on the Flare Network. Each building is a bespoke, 1/1 NFT designed and handmade by the Metropolis team of artists. Ownership gives voting and participation rights within the community. Godsil joins a stellar cast of founding members, including Steve Aoki, 3LAU and Dillon Francis. Her virtual home is perched in the High Flyer district of the first tower, and the image is iconic – it features Godsil sitting in front of her lovely house, Raheengraney House, the name of which means a small sunny fort in Irish. This is the house she first restored from ruin, but which was repossessed by the banks some 15 years later. What next - a brick-and-mortar house in Ireland!

Saved by the Metaverse

Without a doubt, Jesslyn Rollins is leading a thriving organization that has carved out an impressive base in a market dominated by the likes of Coca-Cola and Pepsi. I’m not talking about canned sodas or soft drinks, but I’m referring to the realm where the names Gatorade and Powerade reign supreme. Her company, BIOLYTE, has successfully achieved a foothold in the business of sports drinks, such that it was featured prominently on INC.’s 5000 list, and is slated to earn $25 million in sales in 2022. Like many CEOs of new and expanding companies, Rollins had to excel in numerous areas of expertise. As such, attributing all her hard work and achievements to a single idea or course of action is difficult. However, I believe her ability to perceive the potential in a situation, and then capitalize upon it is at the heart of her success. I developed this theory after hearing her discuss her journey with BIOLYTE, and I saw this at play in her approach to the product itself, its marketing, and the company as a whole. Necessity Is the Mother of Invention When I first asked Rollins what was her key to success, her answer was as profound as it is simple and apparent. “We saw a need, that no one was supporting.” Now the potential for success encapsulated in this concept is clear. It can be applied to every single industry, as a means of finding demand in need of supply. As necessity is the mother of invention, BIOLYTE was born from a distinct void in the market. This hydration drink was the brainchild of Rollins’ father, who couldn’t find a suitable product to help his wife combat her dehydration. Rollins’ mother was battling cancer and having trouble staying hydrated enough to receive her chemotherapy. She distinctly remembered that doctors had difficulty finding viable veins to administer treatments. After looking for a solution, they realized that there were limited options available for consumers, each with its own problems. Bottled water didn’t provide the necessary electrolytes. Not even Gatorade, Powerade, Pedialyte, nor electrolyte packets contained the amount necessary to keep her hydrated for her treatments. Rollins’ father developed a drink with six and a half times the electrolytes of sports drinks, with one-third of the sugar. Colloquially called an “IV in a bottle”, Rollins and her father saw the incredible potential that BIOLYTE had. She understood that this was a beverage that solved an ongoing problem, with minimal, direct competition. The Best Marketing Doesn’t Feel Like Marketing Now that she had a lucrative product on her hands, the next step was to unleash its marketing potential. Initially, she believed that BIOLYTE could be applied to countless applications, each one with a dedicated consumer base. Her mind flooded with all manner of individuals. She saw an iron man athlete, pouring sweat on the fifteenth mile of his marathon. She saw an HVAC duct installer, crawling around a sweltering attic in the middle of a Mississippi summer. She saw expectant mothers, wanting to make sure their babies received all the nutrition they needed. Her mind ultimately returned to her own mother and her struggle against dehydration in her battle with cancer. Just as Pedialyte is hampered in competing for BIOLYTE’s business by its marketing to children, Rollins knew that her branding strategy needed to appeal to the best demographic possible. Despite her imagery of various potential customers, she understood that the 80/20 concept would apply, where 80% of sales are attributed to 20% of customers. Choosing the right target audience was difficult, as customers and her team offered conflicting advice. Individuals who participated in long-distance running insisted BIOLYTE was custom-made for cross-country and marathon competitors. Others who enjoyed the nightlife believed that BIOLYTE was a godsend for staving off the ill effects of overindulgence. In the end, she saw the greatest potential in branding BIOLYTE as a product focused on 360 degrees of health care. It now became a product for anyone wanting to live healthier and feel better, encompassing many people across the various marketing groups. The slogan “IV in a bottle” now became the heart of Rollins’ approach to expanding the company's reach. Don’t Be Afraid to Give up the Good to Go for the Great. With a solid product, and a strategy to advertise and market it, Rollins now saw the grand potential that the BIOLYTE company had. As mentioned, the drink was created by her father, who received the very first palettes of bottles at his own doorstep. With no staff, production facility, or administrative space to speak of, BIOLYTE was born from incredibly humble beginnings, and no one could be faulted for failing to see the potential of the company. However, Rollins and her father did see that potential, and BIOLYTE saw numerous, consecutive years of doubling revenues, reaching the current year value of close to $25 million. This scaling was achieved without any outside investment, as BIOLYTE has been cash flow positive since 2019. This fact is a source of identity and pride for Rollins and her team, as BIOLYTE has proven it is a sustainable company. I have interacted with countless CEOs, and the desire to create a business that can last generations and weather the storms of market volatility is almost always a constant factor among them. Rollins further clarified that she did not want BIOLYTE to be a shooting star, which fizzles away after a moment of brilliance. She admits that BIOLYTE faces distinct challenges by relying on its own revenue for growth, but she is confident that carefully chosen investments and robust risk assessments will guide BIOLYTE to becoming a $50 million and eventually $100 million company. Scaling to these sizes will be a challenge for Rollins, as she has fully acknowledged that BIOLYTE fits comfortably into $25 million shoes. With growth will come change that will shake the solid foundation she has established. Staff will have to report to different supervisors. The sales department will need to reach further and call more often. New contracts with suppliers will need to be drafted. New buildings will have to be purchased or leased. Rollins is fully aware that this is going to be a taxing, though rewarding endeavor, and I see no reason to doubt her intuition on the potential for BIOLYTE now. I Plan to Eat With the People I Starved With In her final words of wisdom, Rollins said “Never underestimate the power of a good massage.” I was confused at first, but she explained that this was a great way for her to let go of all the physical stresses plaguing her thoughts. Once this became clear, I fully agreed that a healthy rejuvenated body can help clear the mind of anxiety and stress, enabling people to focus on what’s important. I then thought that this is the true essence of BIOLYTE itself. Here’s a drink that can help heal and revitalize a tired and dehydrated body, so that the user can focus on what’s important. A rock climber can have fun on her mountain. An electrician can work on the high-voltage panel in front of him. A patient can focus on defeating an illness. In closing, Rollins told me about driving through Atlanta, soaking in the beauty of the rolling hills and the changing colors of the leaves. She drives past an old boyfriend’s place, before arriving at her parents’ house, where this journey began years ago on four-and-a-half palettes sitting by the front door. The whole trip takes less than ten minutes, but she remembered all the positive changes and successes she has achieved in that short amount of distance and time. As I mentioned, it’s difficult to quantify a successful entrepreneur’s entire journey into a single thought, but in Rollins’ case, I firmly believe her ability to see potential where others overlook or dismiss it has been the primary factor driving her numerous achievements in her market.

How This CEO Has Successfully Scaled Her Business With One Simple Rule

The power of cryptodollar. Disclaimer, NFA, all that legal stuff: All the information presented on this publication and its affiliates is strictly for educational purposes only. It should not be construed or taken as financial, legal, investment, or any other form of advice. Hi folks 🙋🏻‍♂️, There are 66 days left in 2022. Yikes. Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you there but I can’t believe that it has almost been a year since BTC and ETH almost hit $70,000 and $5,000. You read that right — the crypto market cap hit its peak of $3 trillion in market capitalization in mid-November last year. Time flies. Billions were raised and billions are evaporating as investors and builders experiment and try to find product-market fit. Some ideas were genuinely exciting and others were incredibly stupid when we stop smoking the hopium. Liquidity dries up as the US Fed and Central Banks around the world raised interest rates, putting the entire global economy in a state that we’ve not been in since 2008. Yet, amongst all this mess, there is one crypto sector that’s thriving more than ever: stablecoin. Binance’s Quest for Stablecoin Dominance The top three largest stablecoins, USDT USDC BUSD, collectively amass $135 billion in market capitalization. At the current interest rates of approximately 4%, these stablecoin providers are generating $5.4 billion per year. The entities related to these stablecoins are also related to the world’s biggest crypto exchanges: Bitfinex-USDT, Coinbase-USDC, and Binance-BUSD. To grasp the growth of these stablecoins, USDT, the oldest of them all, had a market cap (hence supply) of ~$10 million in January 2017. Within the span of five years, USDT grew 6,800 times, enabling crypto market participants around the world to have quick and easy access to USD, further strengthening the US Dollar’s position as the world’s reserve currency. USDC found its product-market fit thanks to DeFi. It brilliantly capitalized on the DeFi summer of 2020, becoming the de-facto USD stablecoin for all major DeFi markets. USDC also differentiates itself by using a brand strategy technique called : which is an attempt to deposition competitors by highlighting their weaknesses. To be precise, USDC did this by building a moat around . USDC advertises on the fact that it’s US-based, has brand name partners (BNY Mellon, BlackRock, and is more transparent about its reserves compared to its competitors. laddering compliance BUSD found success by piggybacking Binance’s established dominance when the stablecoin was launched in 2019. The world’s largest exchange had a lot of ways to promote the usage of BUSD on its own platform, as well as on its own blockchain, the BNB Chain. Fast forward to 2022, BUSD is the third largest stablecoin and Binance is more eager than ever to grow its stablecoin dominance. When we talk about crypto use cases, the promise of decentralization, web 3.0 potentials, and a more equitable internet is often what comes out of VCs’ talking points. Although all the above are exciting, they’re all currently in a development phase, and it would take years before any tangible crypto products that don’t have anything to do with facilitating speculation or trading, will achieve mainstream success. That said, there is one very obvious use case of crypto that has been widely adopted in the past couple of years. A graphic designer in Brazil can now easily accept payment in USDC from her client in Finland without having to rely on centralized systems, pay an exorbitant amount of fees, and worry whether she’ll be able to access her money. Simply put, the growth of USD stablecoins propelled the global flow of capital, enabling a thriving digital-first economy. In this piece, we discuss Binance’s recent strategic move regarding BUSD conversion and elaborate on why despite all of the recent regulatory issues, innovating on stablecoin designs will continue to be an important area for DeFi in the next few years. Here are the quick takeaways: Stablecoin has the best PMF compared to any other crypto product. The three largest stablecoins, USDC USDT BUSD, collectively amount to $135 billion in market capitalization, generating $5B+ in annual interest. Even though Binance is the largest crypto company, being the dominant stablecoin player is a strategic win that it needs. Having control over a stablecoin can unlock enormous value for one’s protocol. Stablecoin providers’ affinity toward decentralization will be tested in a high-interest rates environment. https://pensivepragmatism.substack.com/?embedable=true Magnum Opus Binance is the Magnum Opus of crypto. It is the largest exchange in the world. The company that was started in 2017 recently celebrated its 5-year anniversary back in July. I don’t think anybody who has been in crypto can deny that Binance is one of the greatest companies built in the past five years. While tech bros in Silicon Valley were chasing Uber, BNPL, and the next 15-minute quick commerce to bolster their returns, the most profitable companies built in the past few years were instead building under their noses the whole time. Perhaps, it was too successful to accept any substantial outside capital, was geographically too risky for institutional US investors, and deemed. To truly comprehend how large Binance is, let’s do some back-of-the-napkin math. CZ, the CEO of Binance, reported that the exchange did . Actually, I’m not going to reinvent the wheel and let Zaheer, a Portfolio Manager at Ledgerprime, do the rest. $34 trillion in crypto trading volume in 2021 At a conservative estimate of $300 billion valuation, Binance will become the #21 largest company in the world. All this is happening while crypto hasn’t unlocked its full potential. The total crypto asset market cap is stagnating at around $1 trillion. It would be prudent to think that this value won’t go back up to $3 trillion, or even reach $5 trillion in the future. Binance is also aggressively growing its product suites across different emerging markets, as well as being more active with its on-chain initiatives. Binance as a $1 trillion company is extremely probable. The bottom line: Despite all of the success and amazing accomplishments stated above, Binance is in a tricky position. Take a look at the list above. Only three out of the 21 largest companies in the world with $300B+ market capitalization are not US-based. Saudi Aramco is government-backed, LVMH is Arnault’s brainchild that only targets the top 1%, and TSMC is one of the most important companies in the world. all three companies are US-friendly adjacent What’s in common: Saudi Arabia/Aramco is an important ally LVMH/France is not controversial and is an ally TSMC is an ally(?) — anyway, it listens to the US We can clearly see how much attention the world is putting on TSMC right now as it’s the most important company that might fall under the crossfire between the US and China. Not only crypto as an industry is still under a lot of scrutiny from governments around the world, but Binance itself also is not a “western” company. Mainstream financial publications around the world had published investigative pieces on Binance, some justifiable, others looked like hit pieces. Although CZ himself is a naturalized Canadian citizen (he was born in China), Binance had been marked as a Chinese company by uninformed journalists due to his ethnic background. This, combined with the fact that crypto is a nascent space that touches finance (the most regulated industry in the world), puts Binance in a tough spot with unique risks to consider. Enter BUSD Not only does it makes perfect business sense for Binance to continue expanding its stablecoin initiatives, but I would argue that it’s also a necessary strategic tool that can help them mitigate potential risks. The USD is the world’s reserve currency. Many stablecoin providers around the world have tried to create their own form of non-USD stablecoins, to limited success. The number one talking point that stablecoin lobbyists use when explaining the benefits of stablecoin to US lawmakers is that USD-denominated stablecoin will help the USD’s role as the world’s reserve currency. That argument is extremely valid and we’re already seeing its impact in the past few years. As a global company that’s been constantly under scrutiny from governments around the world, Binance has been making strategic moves by placing headquarters and partnerships with developing nations around the world. https://twitter.com/binance/status/1573734906424868865?s=61&t=lbxBBR4S8fiFyaA71o7_Pg?embedable=true having control over your own USD stablecoin will provide Binance with more power in its regulatory discussion with governments around the world. Where am I going with this: OFAC risks: I don’t think Binance will completely ban BUSD like how USDC banned addresses associated with Tornado Cash. Sure Paxos (BUSD partner) is US-based, but Binance isn’t. Eurodollar → cryptodollar: this theory isn’t new — eurodollar refers to USD-denominated deposits held outside of the US, they’re not subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve Board. Cryptodollar is an extension of the eurodollar, fulfilling the insatiable demands for USD outside of the US. Binance is a global company that has been under a lot of scrutiny by governments around the world, primarily western adjacent governments. In its regulatory play by establishing partnerships around the world with developing nations — combined with the uncertainties on whether or not some aggressive move will be made by US regulators against it, Binance will benefit significantly by being the numero uno provider of cryptodollar. TL;DR: Binance started converting users’ USDC USDP and TUSD balances to BUSD automatically on September 29 and the strategy has worked quite well so far. USDT isn’t included. There might be some strategic benefit, but that’s for another post ;) https://twitter.com/fintechfrank/status/1583914189315510272?s=61&t=lbxBBR4S8fiFyaA71o7_Pg?embedable=true https://twitter.com/SBF_FTX/status/1584077423280521216?embedable=true Silver Lining Matt Levine wrote a crypto piece. It’s 40,000 words. It might have saved the crypto market (BTC rose after his post). banger https://twitter.com/tier10k/status/1584957004896178177?s=61&t=lbxBBR4S8fiFyaA71o7_Pg?embedable=true My favorite sentence: "If the world is increasingly software and advertising and online social networking and, good Lord, the metaverse, then the crypto financial system doesn’t have to build all the way back down to the real world to be valuable. The world can come to crypto." For the world to come to crypto, we to focus on building great products. When your product is primarily driven by speculative incentives baked into token rewards and ponzinomics designs, users won’t stay. Ironically, even DeFi products whose main source of attraction is yield are currently facing competition from US T-Bill yield. Bottomline: crypto need to focus more on building great products. Until next time, Marco M. If you enjoy this piece, please consider subscribing below to get it in your inbox early! https://pensivepragmatism.substack.com/?embedable=true Also published . here

Binance Wants to Win the Stablecoin Race. Here's Why

The Genetic Effects of Radiation by Isaac Asimov is part of HackerNoon’s Book Blog Post Series. The Table of Links for this book can be found here . Dose and Consequence - Conclusion Conclusion It is unrealistic to suppose that all sources of man-made radiation should be abolished. The good they do now, the greater good they will do in the future, cannot be abandoned. It is, however, reasonable to expect that the present Nuclear Test Ban Treaty will continue and that nations, such as France and China, which have nuclear capabilities but are not signatories of the Treaty will eventually sign. It is also reasonable to expect that X ray diagnosis and therapy will be carried on with the greatest circumspection, and that the use of radiation in industry and research will be carried on with great care and with the use of ample shielding. A film badge (left) and a personal radiation monitor (right) record the amount of radiation absorbed by the wearer. These safety devices, worn by persons working in radiation environments, are designed to keep a constant check on each individual’s absorbed dose and to prevent overexposure. As long as man-made radiation exists, there will be some absorption of it by human beings. The advantages of its use in our modern society are such that we must be prepared to pay some price. This is not a matter of callousness. We have come to depend a great deal for comfort and even for extended life, upon the achievements of our technology, and any serious crippling of that technology will cost us lives. An attempt must be made to balance the values of radiation against its dangers; we must balance lives against lives. This involves hard judgments. Those working under conditions of greatest radiation risk—in atomic research, in industrial plants using isotopes, and so on—can be allowed to set relatively high limits for total radiation dosages and dose rates that they may absorb (with time) with reasonable safety, but such rates will never do for the population generally. A relative few can voluntarily endure risks, both somatic and genetic, that we cannot sanely expect of mankind as a whole. [9] From fruit fly experiments it would seem that a total exposure of 30 to 100 rads of radiation will double the spontaneous mutation rate. So much radiation and such a doubling of the rate would be considered intolerable for humanity. Some geneticists have recommended that the average total exposure of human beings in the first 30 years of life be set at 10 rads. Note that this figure is set as a maximum. Every reasonable method, it is expected, will be used to allow mankind to fall as far short of this figure as possible. Note also that the 10-rad figure is an average maximum. The exposure of some individuals to a greater total dose would be viewed as tolerable for society if it were balanced by the exposure of other individuals to a lesser total dose. A total exposure of 10 rads might increase the overall mutation rate, it is roughly estimated, by 10%. This is serious enough, but is bearable if we can convince ourselves that the alternative of abandoning radiation technology altogether will cause still greater suffering. A 10% increase in mutation rate, whatever it might mean in personal suffering and public expense, is not likely to threaten the human race with extinction, or even with serious degeneration. The human race as a whole may be thought of as somewhat analogous to a population of dividing cells in a growing tissue. Those affected by genetic damage drop out and the slack is taken up by those not affected. If the number of those affected is increased, there would come a crucial point, or threshold, where the slack could no longer be taken up. The genetic load might increase to the point where the species as a whole would degenerate and fade toward extinction—a sort of “racial radiation sickness”. We are not near this threshold now, however, and can, therefore, as a species, absorb a moderate increase in mutation rate without danger of extinction. On the other hand, it is not correct to argue, as some do, that an increase in mutation rate might be actually beneficial. The argument runs that a higher mutation rate might broaden the gene pool and make it more flexible, thus speeding up the course of evolution and hastening the advent of “supermen”—brainier, stronger, healthier than we ourselves are. The truth seems to be that the gene pool, as it exists now, supplies us with all the variability we need for the effective working of the evolutionary mechanism. That mechanism is functioning with such efficiency that broadening the gene pool cannot very well add to it, and if the hope of increased evolutionary efficiency were the only reason to tolerate man-made radiation, it would be insufficient. The situation is rather analogous to that of a man who owns a good house that is heavily mortgaged. If he were offered a second house with a similar mortgage, he would have to refuse. To be sure, he would have twice the number of houses, but he would not need a second house since he has all the comfort he can reasonably use in his first house—and he would not be able to afford a second mortgage. What humanity must do, if additional radiation damage is absolutely necessary, is to take on as little of that added damage as possible, and not pretend that any direct benefits will be involved. Any pretense of that sort may well lure us into assuming still greater damage—damage we may not be able to afford under any circumstances and for any reason. Actually, as the situation appears right now, it is not likely that the use of radiation in modern medicine, research, and industry will overstep the maximum bounds set by scientists who have weighed the problem carefully. Only nuclear warfare is likely to do so, and apparently those governments with large capacities in this direction are thoroughly aware of the danger and (so far, at least) have guided their foreign policies accordingly. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. ). THE GENETIC EFFECTS OF RADIATION This book is part of the public domain. Asimov, Isaac. (October 13, 2017 . Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved June 2022, from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/55738/55738-h/55738-h.htm#c20 This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

The Genetic Effects of Radiation - Conclusion

Back in 2020, there was a roaring rise of email as the preferred method of communication worldwide. The pandemic switched logistics to the digital arena, and although things are returning to normal, email’s practicality has stuck with many companies. That’s why it makes sense for the cybersecurity industry to focus its efforts on making email communications more secure. DMARC has become the perfect way to authenticate email domains, but this protocol doesn’t work without a DKIM signature. If you don’t know about the benefits of DKIM or how it works, you can learn more on EasyDMARC’s blog. Once you know how DKIM records work, you’ll want to learn how to create a DKIM signature and add a DKIM signature to an email domain. In this article, we explain what exactly a DKIM signature is and how it works for your business. What is a DKIM Signature? So, what is a DKIM signature? The name is short for “DomainKeys Identified Email.” Simply put, DKIM is a digital signature added to all email messages sent from your domain that verify you as a sender. DKIM doesn’t work as the typical signature you see at the bottom of all messages in your inbox. It’s not a visual trait in most messages. DKIM works as a set of characters hidden in the source code of your messages. Only email service providers can read this line of code. DKIM signatures are always placed in the header of all emails. This header contains the values that allow receiver servers to validate your email messages. The servers run a check by looking at the sender’s public DKIM key published on their DNS to verify the encrypted signature. DKIM signatures are complex. They require proper coding syntax and a list of tag values indicating the actions servers must take—depending on the results of the verification process. This is how an actual DKIM signature should look once it’s included in your DNS: DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=easydmarc.com; s=google; h=from: content-transfer-encoding: subject: message-id📅to:mime-version; bh= 1py3bPKPbePCmMziH13AZqw0Fa +/ wnOTcnp6P-ZLMW2SwMpgo=; b= 1yc9n5JU-7bTkT9FxgIYFJutPbxbyfsBXlbD4wJ-Mdt8/15vjYvI2-IlCipp_FFTkyd3s_yA4jX65vRSsaE2hBhTw okQIHsBTfmTFEEo01BtmUZpR5M4Mtz5Q8LE97YRDE /nI1hoPWbzDaL9qh Why Do You Need a DKIM Signature? DKIM signatures prevent the work of criminals who want to spoof your domain and send fraudulent messages on your behalf. As these bad actors impersonate your brand via email, they can affect your business operations and disrupt everything from your revenue streams to your communications. Once you learn how to generate a DKIM signature, your domain will already be safer. You also need DKIM signatures to update the SMTP standard most service providers use to send your messages. SMTP makes communications easier but never verifies the sender before delivering messages. DKIM, as an authentication protocol, has improved email communication with data directly placed in all email headers. This data is matched with records published in the DNS of the senders to keep malicious actors at bay. The data included in DKIM signatures are always encrypted. This helps receiving servers detect any forgeries. DKIM is the brainchild of two distinct security protocols designed by Yahoo! and Cisco. The former created DomainKeys, while the latter made a system named Identified Internet Mail. The companies combined both programs to bring DKIM to life back in 2004. Today, DKIM is the leading verification method used by companies like Google, Apple, and Microsoft. That said, the DKIM protocol on its own isn’t enough to secure your domain as it doesn’t prevent spoofing of the visible “header from” of an email. Fortunately, DMARC solves this issue by combining both SPF and DKIM standards to truly authenticate emails. How Does a DKIM Signature Work? DKIM signature lets you associate your business domain with your email messages. To do this, you must add a DKIM Record to Your DNS. This TXT record tells receiving servers to match any emails sent from your domain using a public key. The second key is private, and it’s the one encrypted in all headers on your messages. DKIM signatures include data to let mail transfer agents know where to look for the public key. When you send an email, the DKIM signature uses the private key to contact the receiving mail server. This server verifies it against the public key contained in the public record published in your DNS. The message goes straight to the receiver’s inbox if the public and private keys correspond. The message is discarded or sent to the spam folder if the DKIM signature and public key don’t match. Remember that DKIM is not an email filter but a system that efficiently helps email systems apply their filtering configurations. A stream of messages failing DKIM authentication leads to negative deliverability. Big companies create DKIM records and implement DMARC to avoid scams. Online payment services and banking platforms are big adopters of this technology: They also remind their users to avoid emails asking for personal data. How to Read a DKIM Header? When you for your email headers, it should include a series of tags with values indicating information about a sender. As for the content of each tag, here’s a quick list of the values and the meaning of each one: create a DKIM record b= works as the digital signature for email content, valid for the header and body of the message. bh= body hash d= signing domain s= selector v= version of DKIM being used a= signing algorithm c= canonicalization algorithm for header and body of the message q= default query method l= length of the section of the message that has been signed t= timestamp of the signature x= expiration time h= list of signed header fields (needs to be repeated for fields used multiple times) Out of these tags, b, bh, d, s, v, and a are mandatory in all . You’ll get an error message if you miss any of these tags. All remaining tags are optional. Based on this listing, let’s take a look at the previous example we offered and see what each section means: DKIM signatures DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=easydmarc.com; s=google; h=from: content-transfer-encoding: subject: message-id📅to:mime-version; bh= 1py3bPKPbePCmMziH13AZqw0Fa +/ wnOTcnp6P-ZLMW2SwMpgo=; b= 1yc9n5JU-7bTkT9FxgIYFJutPbxbyfsBXlbD4wJ-Mdt8/15vjYvI2-IlCipp_FFTkyd3s_yA4jX65vRSsaE2hBhTw okQIHsBTfmTFEEo01BtmUZpR5M4Mtz5Q8LE97YRDE /nI1hoPWbzDaL9qh For this particular DKIM signature, you can see the following: The digital signature here is kQIHsBTfmTFEEo01BtmUZpR5M4Mtz5Q8LE97YRDE /nI1hoPWbzDaL9qh” and it should match with the sender’s domain “1yc9n5JU-7bTkT9FxgIYFJutPbxbyfsBXlbD4wJ-Mdt8/15vjYvI2-IlCipp_FFTkyd3s_yA4jX65vRSsaE2hBhTw o The body hash is listed as ” “1py3bPKPbePCmMziH13AZqw0Fa +/ wnOTcnp6P-ZLMW2SwMpgo=; The signing domain is “easydmarc.com” The selector is “google.” The version of DKIM being used is “v1.” The signing algorithm is “rsa-sha256.” The policy for the header and body has been configured as meaning the messages are likely to go directly to the sender’s inbox. “relaxed/relaxed,” All the basics are covered in this example. You’ll notice there’s no default query method, no timestamp signature, no expiration time, and no list of signed header fields. How to Check a DKIM Signature and Verify It? If you don’t know how to check the DKIM signature, there are many tools online, but the safest bet is to work with EasyDMARC. Many email service providers offer their own DKIM signatures for your DNS. You may not know whether you have one. To remedy any doubts, you can perform a DKIM signature check our DKIM lookup tool. If you don’t have a DKIM signature, you can use our to get one. DKIM generator Final Thoughts To build your brand, you must implement email authentication protocols. Adding a DKIM signature to your domain is a necessity. You become a trusted sender with this verification method paired with SPF, and of course, DMARC implementation. Your clients and partners know you’re the one sending messages from your domain. Once you learn how to create DKIM signatures, you can improve the deliverability rates of your email campaigns. EasyDMARC can help you become a trusted sender. We offer a vast catalog of tools and solutions to implement SPF, DKIM, and DMARC policies, including DKIM lookup and generator tools. Get started right now and improve your domain’s reputation today.

What is a DKIM Signature?

Holidays are the special time when you give gifts to your loved ones. Nowadays people prefer to give gifts that make their life easier and more enjoyable. We all have people who love technology so isn’t it a good idea to get them something unique that will substantially improve their lives? With unique, thoughtful, practical, & AI-based gifts tech lovers will surely be impressed and use them for years. We can see that the ThingsFromMars offer amazing, and unique gifts which you can get for your friends, and family members. With the help of the creative team, we’ve collected a list of the best gifts for the tech-obsessed. Here take a look at some creative gift items that will stand out as distinctive this season. Home Security Device Are you looking for something to monitor? Don’t worry, home security devices fulfill your needs. This device is helpful for home safety and detects the motion and notifies you directly to your phone. You can keep it in the office, bedroom, dorms, or anywhere in the house. When you go outside the home you don’t want to leave your home at risk so that’s why this home security device is an amazing option to leave your space at low risk. On the other hand, you have the option to get this monitor free for your home. With this device, you can send unlimited user invitations and also notification alerts. Solar Laptop Charger If your close one is conscious about their work then this solar charger is a useful gift especially when it comes to motivating them to work outside. This charger is a type of portable solar generator. This works the same as a that converts sunlight into electricity. This charger will help you when you’re out of the city or you have to constantly work on the laptop. PV system Smart Bulb Now you don’t need to get out of bed and switch the lights. To control your lights is now in your hands. You can set this bulb easily. This will be connected with wifi and smart bulbs. Use this smart bulb to clean your home because the light this releases has a high-energy voltage light to destroy germs and bacteria. This is also used to set the schedules through scenes. Rylo The Rylo camera is used to capture 360-degree video with cropping in a traditional style. Two features, breakthrough stabilization & horizon leveling are already built-in in this camera. The result of Rylo looks professional. Rylo instantly creates a fluently smooth video that connects each of your points. So, what do you think? Isn’t a good gift, this will be useful when you go for a picnic, on holiday, or attend a family event. Nest Thermostat So, here’s another amazing AI-based gift: Nest Thermostat. With this, you can monitor the cooling & heating system. This is used to make sure that everything is running OK. When you leave home it automatically helps to adjust the temperature. The nest app is used to control your thermostat from anywhere. You can save more by checking out the energy you used. Time Tracking Device As people live so busy with their schedules they don’t know where the time goes. Relax, time-tracking devices solve this problem.  Now you must be thinking about why this is useful. Tracking your time working is important. You should know which things you spend more or less time on. This time tracking gets accessible, complete, and useful and this will also be an eyecatcher on your desk. Baby Monitor will be happy to get this gift. If an item covers your baby’s face, this smart monitor will immediately alert you. This will give you peace of mind and you know instantly when your baby needs you. This detects the baby's cry, danger zone, and sleep health. You have an option to connect multiple cameras to one account and share access with a maximum of 7 people. New parents Digital Playstation Console Watch Aside from the dull and old-fashioned watch when the digital console watch is available. You don't have to ask others for the time again & again. Now track your time with this smartwatch. For people who love the classic game, the console is a perfect gift for them. A lot of other technology items are available that will help you to spend your life tension free. Smart Toothbrush gives you a smart option for hygiene. Smart toothbrushes are battery-powered brushes that give vibrations moments to remove the badge. It has a different color lighting and each light on the brush performs different functions like brushing hard, light, or keeping you protected from germs. Take advantage of technology and work smartly in today’s time. AI Brain Sensing Headband As , here is a new version of meditation class that is not related to apps. A brain-sensing headband that will help you as a personal meditation assistant. It is used to measure your mind whether it is relaxed or active and translate signals into suggesting sounds. This uses biofeedback to help you stay focused during the day and recover overnight. technology is growing so fast AI Home Gym If you don’t have time to go to the gym. With this AI home gym, you can stay in shape. You will enjoy doing exercise in front of the smart gym. With this, you can personally do weight training and feel secure through custom workout plans. Get the benefit of an AI-powered home gym. It will give you the perfect form of workout. Brainiac Central Car Computer If you are a tech enthusiast and you want to make your vehicle more high-tech then consider the Brainiac central car. There is a built-in sensor added to this car computer. Now turn your simple car into a smarter one with this new technology. Brainiac will help you to track your car metrics, like its performance & fuel efficiency, for your knowledge. Smart AI Chessboard People like to get fun items as a gift. This AI chessboard piece moves independently because of the robotics sensor. You can challenge opponents from all over the world. Your close ones feel so happy when you give them this as a holiday gift. This is such an enjoyable game and a good thing for time passing on holidays. Wrap Up Hopefully, you loved these extraordinary gift ideas because you had not considered before for sure. Your close ones will be amazed to receive this. Now don’t get confused about what to buy for the tech lover. These uncommon AI gifts will not only save time but also make their life more enjoyable, and easy. So, don’t think too much, just go and buy the gifts which you like the most. Happy Holiday!

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