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HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today! Tell us about yourself! I’m a Senior Product Designer at PolyAI, focusing on building a conversational AI platform to help callers solve their issues without wasting time waiting for an available agent. Within the last nine years, I made a transition from Graphic design to UI/UX design at a design agency and then to Product design and had the pleasure of working with various great tech-led companies such as SberTech, Gett, and SpatialChat. Before the design field, I studied accounting and developed a passion for data and analytics that help me work closer with a business right now. Why did you choose this field in the first place? I had quite a rough and eventful path with the wrong career decision before I entered this field. At the time, when I should’ve selected the course at the university, I didn’t think that I could select something else apart from accounting because it was pretty straightforward, and I gave up on following my dream to become a designer. A few years later, when I wrote my work for a master’s degree and had a few years of working experience as an accountant, I understood that I didn’t love what I was doing and the only thing I loved to do was design that I learned as a hobby. It took half a year to get my first job as a Graphic designer, and then I dived into UI/UX design out of curiosity. During my first few years as a UI/UX designer at an agency, I was extremely interested in helping businesses reach their goals via interfaces but working in an agency as an outsource designer didn’t allow me to dive into business problems that deep. I made one more tiny transition from UI/UX design into Product design that enabled my full potential. I always had a passion for the design field, and by being a Product designer, I’m not just a person who designs interfaces but also helps users with their needs and assists a business in reaching goals with any technical constraints. For the last six years of work as a Product designer, I’m still extremely excited about my work and love this rapidly evolving field. What tech are you most excited/passionate about right now and why? I'm totally excited about AI and machine learning. The way these technologies are transforming everyday life and bringing simpler and smarter solutions to companies is fascinating. As a part of the AI startup, I witnessed how this technology saves companies money and helps callers faster than a human. Also, I use a lot of AI tools that already improved my working process and helped me to save time for more crucial parts of my work. This is an exciting time to live in, and I can’t wait to see what else this field can bring us in the future. What tech are you most worried about right now and why? The same as excitement, I’m most worried about AI and the ethical implications, as well as potential fraud via this powerful technology. This technology is very advanced and accessible without severe legal restrictions and regulations right now. There have already been a few cases of fraud that involved AI technology. Since there aren't many tools that can detect and prevent that kind of misuse of AI, this field could bring risks to individual privacy and data security. What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? I’m an absolute video game fan. I love how video games create the ambiance via sounds, stories, visuals, and actions. Besides exploring new worlds, checking my reflexes, and just having fun, I use this activity as a source of inspiration for my work on interfaces. I’m in love with this field and have the same passion as I am with product design. I even tried CG art, so I have massive respect and admiration for everyone involved in game development. Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? The biggest challenges I've faced as a woman in tech are fighting my impostor syndrome and biases, which led me to a lower salary rate, lack of confidence, and stagnation in my career growth. All of that caused situations where I've often found myself silent or ignored by colleagues when other people confidently shared potentially risky ideas. Regarding the impostor syndrome, it pushed me to spend many hours learning the design basis, psychology, and everything else that is directly connected to my work to prove that I’m not an impostor and have enough knowledge. It boosted my career and confidence a lot when other designers started asking for advice, a few lessons, or mentorship.All this hard work and recognition from other designers made me confident, so I started taking the initiative in conversations, pitching my ideas, and exceeding expectations when someone underestimated my skills for certain reasons. Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? Unfortunately, I faced many stories worth sharing, but I’ll skip the most common ones when the ideas I pitched were ignored, and when a male colleague shared the same idea a few moments later, it was a “breakthrough idea.” One situation happened in one of the latest companies I worked for; a Product manager I worked with constantly allowed abusive and respectless comments about the work of female colleagues with attempts to cut off reasonable ideas. As you can guess, the dialogues with male colleagues were full of respect and trust in their professionalism without any doubts in pitched ideas. The climax of this situation for me was when this Product manager, in a very rude form with an accent in my gender, declined my design solution without any arguments on a group call. After that call, I initiated a dialog with this product manager where I questioned the situation, and the only answer I received was a joking response that I had misunderstood. Unfortunately, the actions I made didn't help the situation, nor did chats with my direct lead and HR department. This situation taught me to stop silently ignoring such respectless behavior and ask a person a reason for that behavior or elaborate on the decision even when they commented on someone else. Eventually, it helped, and other colleagues started noticing the change, but it took a few months. This story is not an attempt to show the negatives but to highlight the way out of it. What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? My biggest setback was spending years studying accounting and even getting a master’s degree. This decision delayed my career and made me work twice as hard to become a designer. Also, this episode of my life shows me what I’m really capable of and that I definitely should pursue my passion. What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? My biggest achievement is the skills I've developed during this fight with my impostor syndrome and pivot in my career. All the doubts in myself I had in the past transformed into solid knowledge and experience that I’m more than happy to share with other designers or people who would like to change their careers. As a result of all this, I have received recognition and respect from other designers I was lucky to work with, and I was given the opportunity to guide my design vision in multiple projects. In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? In my opinion, the gender gap in the tech industry is the consequence of many stereotypes and expectations regarding social roles for women that were set a long time ago. All these stereotypes and expectations follow women in every sphere, especially at work in the tech industry.Unfortunately, I witnessed situations when highly intelligent women with an interest in tech gave up or didn’t try to enter the industry just because they couldn’t find enough support but heard a lot of stereotypes that tech is not for women. It is especially frustrating when there are not that many women who share their stories to inspire others. To reduce this gender gap, we should continue fighting the stereotypes and misogyny and encourage women to pursue their interests in the tech industry. Also, I strongly believe that having various communities such as “Women in Tech” that provide support, share success stories, and show role models in these fields is extremely important at any stage of a career. Apart from these steps, there must be work done in the educational field to encourage young girls to explore other options because there is still a perception that technology, programming, engineering, and physics are for men. Who is your tech idol? Why? I couldn’t say that I have an idol in the tech industry, but I have a person who has inspired me a lot on my career path. I’m talking about amazingly intelligent and skilled Sasha Ermolenko, who is currently the Director of the Product Design Department at VK, which is one the biggest social networks in Russia. Each time, she offers unique insights about the design sphere, shares her strong leadership skills and expresses her thoughts about the gender gap in the design sphere. Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field?** Yes, your career path could be tough for you in this field, but don’t give up and be afraid to follow your dreams. All your current skills, unique perspectives, interests, and strengths are already your greatest assets in this dynamic industry.Text me if you need support! HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today ! this interview series with women in tech Share your story today Tell us about yourself! I’m a Senior Product Designer at PolyAI, focusing on building a conversational AI platform to help callers solve their issues without wasting time waiting for an available agent. Within the last nine years, I made a transition from Graphic design to UI/UX design at a design agency and then to Product design and had the pleasure of working with various great tech-led companies such as SberTech, Gett, and SpatialChat. Before the design field, I studied accounting and developed a passion for data and analytics that help me work closer with a business right now. Why did you choose this field in the first place? Why did you choose this field in the first place? I had quite a rough and eventful path with the wrong career decision before I entered this field. At the time, when I should’ve selected the course at the university, I didn’t think that I could select something else apart from accounting because it was pretty straightforward, and I gave up on following my dream to become a designer. A few years later, when I wrote my work for a master’s degree and had a few years of working experience as an accountant, I understood that I didn’t love what I was doing and the only thing I loved to do was design that I learned as a hobby. It took half a year to get my first job as a Graphic designer, and then I dived into UI/UX design out of curiosity. During my first few years as a UI/UX designer at an agency, I was extremely interested in helping businesses reach their goals via interfaces but working in an agency as an outsource designer didn’t allow me to dive into business problems that deep. I made one more tiny transition from UI/UX design into Product design that enabled my full potential. I always had a passion for the design field, and by being a Product designer, I’m not just a person who designs interfaces but also helps users with their needs and assists a business in reaching goals with any technical constraints. For the last six years of work as a Product designer, I’m still extremely excited about my work and love this rapidly evolving field. What tech are you most excited/passionate about right now and why? I'm totally excited about AI and machine learning. The way these technologies are transforming everyday life and bringing simpler and smarter solutions to companies is fascinating. As a part of the AI startup, I witnessed how this technology saves companies money and helps callers faster than a human. Also, I use a lot of AI tools that already improved my working process and helped me to save time for more crucial parts of my work. This is an exciting time to live in, and I can’t wait to see what else this field can bring us in the future. What tech are you most worried about right now and why? What tech are you most worried about right now and why? The same as excitement, I’m most worried about AI and the ethical implications, as well as potential fraud via this powerful technology. This technology is very advanced and accessible without severe legal restrictions and regulations right now. There have already been a few cases of fraud that involved AI technology. Since there aren't many tools that can detect and prevent that kind of misuse of AI, this field could bring risks to individual privacy and data security. What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? I’m an absolute video game fan. I love how video games create the ambiance via sounds, stories, visuals, and actions. Besides exploring new worlds, checking my reflexes, and just having fun, I use this activity as a source of inspiration for my work on interfaces. I’m in love with this field and have the same passion as I am with product design. I even tried CG art, so I have massive respect and admiration for everyone involved in game development. Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? The biggest challenges I've faced as a woman in tech are fighting my impostor syndrome and biases, which led me to a lower salary rate, lack of confidence, and stagnation in my career growth. All of that caused situations where I've often found myself silent or ignored by colleagues when other people confidently shared potentially risky ideas. Regarding the impostor syndrome, it pushed me to spend many hours learning the design basis, psychology, and everything else that is directly connected to my work to prove that I’m not an impostor and have enough knowledge. It boosted my career and confidence a lot when other designers started asking for advice, a few lessons, or mentorship. All this hard work and recognition from other designers made me confident, so I started taking the initiative in conversations, pitching my ideas, and exceeding expectations when someone underestimated my skills for certain reasons. Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? Unfortunately, I faced many stories worth sharing, but I’ll skip the most common ones when the ideas I pitched were ignored, and when a male colleague shared the same idea a few moments later, it was a “breakthrough idea.” One situation happened in one of the latest companies I worked for; a Product manager I worked with constantly allowed abusive and respectless comments about the work of female colleagues with attempts to cut off reasonable ideas. As you can guess, the dialogues with male colleagues were full of respect and trust in their professionalism without any doubts in pitched ideas. The climax of this situation for me was when this Product manager, in a very rude form with an accent in my gender, declined my design solution without any arguments on a group call. After that call, I initiated a dialog with this product manager where I questioned the situation, and the only answer I received was a joking response that I had misunderstood. Unfortunately, the actions I made didn't help the situation, nor did chats with my direct lead and HR department. This situation taught me to stop silently ignoring such respectless behavior and ask a person a reason for that behavior or elaborate on the decision even when they commented on someone else. Eventually, it helped, and other colleagues started noticing the change, but it took a few months. This story is not an attempt to show the negatives but to highlight the way out of it. What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? My biggest setback was spending years studying accounting and even getting a master’s degree. This decision delayed my career and made me work twice as hard to become a designer. Also, this episode of my life shows me what I’m really capable of and that I definitely should pursue my passion. What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? My biggest achievement is the skills I've developed during this fight with my impostor syndrome and pivot in my career. All the doubts in myself I had in the past transformed into solid knowledge and experience that I’m more than happy to share with other designers or people who would like to change their careers. As a result of all this, I have received recognition and respect from other designers I was lucky to work with, and I was given the opportunity to guide my design vision in multiple projects. In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? In my opinion, the gender gap in the tech industry is the consequence of many stereotypes and expectations regarding social roles for women that were set a long time ago. All these stereotypes and expectations follow women in every sphere, especially at work in the tech industry. Unfortunately, I witnessed situations when highly intelligent women with an interest in tech gave up or didn’t try to enter the industry just because they couldn’t find enough support but heard a lot of stereotypes that tech is not for women. It is especially frustrating when there are not that many women who share their stories to inspire others. To reduce this gender gap, we should continue fighting the stereotypes and misogyny and encourage women to pursue their interests in the tech industry. Also, I strongly believe that having various communities such as “Women in Tech” that provide support, share success stories, and show role models in these fields is extremely important at any stage of a career. Apart from these steps, there must be work done in the educational field to encourage young girls to explore other options because there is still a perception that technology, programming, engineering, and physics are for men. Who is your tech idol? Why? I couldn’t say that I have an idol in the tech industry, but I have a person who has inspired me a lot on my career path. I’m talking about amazingly intelligent and skilled Sasha Ermolenko, who is currently the Director of the Product Design Department at VK, which is one the biggest social networks in Russia. Each time, she offers unique insights about the design sphere, shares her strong leadership skills and expresses her thoughts about the gender gap in the design sphere. Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field?** Yes, your career path could be tough for you in this field, but don’t give up and be afraid to follow your dreams. All your current skills, unique perspectives, interests, and strengths are already your greatest assets in this dynamic industry. Text me if you need support!

Elena Shabanova, Senior Product Designer at PolyAI: Women in Tech Interview

The HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. ! women in tech Share your story today Tell us about yourself! Hi. I'm Ellen Cibula; my career has taken a non-linear path to where I am today. I started as a chemical analyst at a laboratory for a chemical demilitarization site (Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Demilitarization System (JACADS)). JACADS was on a remote island in the central Pacific. I was in charge of maintaining all of the non-agent air monitoring equipment at the plant and around the island. I stayed on this tiny island for 13 years, leaving only when the project was completed and I was laid off. After a few years back at my new home stateside, I decided I needed to start a new chapter. I have always been interested in computers and programming, so I got a job as a computer programmer, with little experience. I quickly worked my way up, from beginner coder to senior software engineer, lead software engineer, and solutions architect. I enjoyed programming - who wouldn't want to solve puzzles all day and get paid for it? But I detested the non-effective meetings, constantly changing requirements, and long hours. I had planned to quit my job but was laid off just a few days before I could take that action for myself. After a few years of recovering from burnout, I decided to take matters into my own hands and start my own business. I am now a full-time blogger writing about , payments, and security, but who knows what the future will hold - by running my own business, I am free to pivot to wherever I need to. FinTech Why did you choose this field in the first place? My parents both worked in science fields, my father worked at (and retired from) NASA and my mother was a nurse, and education was very important to them both. My father would take us to his laboratories at both work and the university where he taught classes, and I remember helping set up his equipment and assisting with the experiments. He would help me with my science projects, helping me grow my interest in science from an early age. My mother started college while I was in elementary school, and I used to spend my spare time perusing her nursing textbooks. Many of these were probably not appropriate for my age, but I was intrigued all the same. I would also spend time with her at the hospital after she became a nurse, talking with the other employees. Although I enjoyed all areas of the hospital, the laboratory was one of my favorite areas. There was no doubt in my mind I was going to college and would study science. I started in Chemistry, mostly because my parents knew one of the professors and he became my advisor, but I wasn't really into Chemistry (the irony is not lost on me that my first job was in a chemical laboratory). I switched my major to Biology, dreaming of becoming a marine biologist. I also took various math classes along the way, just because I enjoyed them. So I ended up with a B.S. degree in Biology and Math, with a minor in Chemistry. While I was on the island, I was able to complete my M.S. degree in Computer Systems Management, which was a mesh between Computer Science and Management. What tech are you most excited/passionate about right now and why? I am excited about electric vehicles - I like the impact that these can have on the environment. But I also like the technical aspect of having a quiet car that does not use gasoline. I also am excited about smart homes and home automation. I guess I'm lazy and it just thrills me to tell the AI assistant to turn on or off the lights (or whatever), without having to get up to turn on the light switch. I also am intrigued by the DeFi trend - anytime there is an opportunity to shake up a core industry, I think it tends to move society forward. It is too easy for society to become entrenched in how things have always been; change is hard, but it is the only constant in our lives. What tech are you most worried about right now and why? My biggest concerns revolve around cybersecurity and privacy. As a former developer in the financial sector, I know how critical it is to build security in systems from the beginning; it is extremely difficult to enhance security after the fact. I also know that some developers are not as well versed in security best practices as they should be (as evidenced by SQL injection still in the top 3 of the OWASP Top 10 web application security risks. Still. Easy to mitigate, but it is still there. At least it dropped from #1 to #3. Sigh.). This worries me because so much of our personal and financial information is out there, and if the developers of the systems that contain our data don't understand security, then all of that information is at risk. What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? I love swimming; I try to swim two miles, three days a week. I also enjoy camping (well, glamping, in an RV with power and water), hiking, and anything that gets me away from the computer and into the outdoors. I also love to read, mostly sci-fi and fantasy, but occasionally a random math or science book. My wife and I have 2 rescue pets - a yellow lab/border collie mix (Sprocket) and a newly-rescued former tom cat (Gryffin) who is figuring out his place in the family and learning to live his best life. They keep us entertained. Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? For most of my career, I was always in the minority; on Johnston Island, the ratio of men to women was about 10:1 when I got there, and about 4:1 when I left. The ratio of women in the laboratory was higher, but the plant was very similar to a construction site, with the same cat calls and innuendo whenever a woman would walk through the plant. When I became a programmer, the ratio of men to women was even higher; I was often the only woman on the team, especially when I went to meetings with C-level executives. Also, as a lesbian in the tech world, again, I was usually the only member representing in the IT department; at one job, there was one gay guy in product who was out - and he was the only other one I knew about. Maybe there were more in the closet as much as I was, but I wasn't aware of them. I was not out during my programming career. I live in a religious, conservative state and I was worried that I would lose my job. Sometimes conversations with others became torture, trying to talk about my wife without using pronouns; it was "my spouse this" or a generic "they". I think only two coworkers clued in with my weird phrasing, but they could have cared less when I came out to them privately. It was difficult because I never did anything with others outside of work. After all, it would have been hard to have a personal relationship with someone without informing them of my personal life. I dealt with these challenges by working harder than almost anyone else in the department. I was usually the first to arrive at the office and the last to leave. There was nothing more frustrating than working on a critical, time-sensitive project, and turn around to ask a coworker a question, and realizing I was the only one who was still at the office. Fortunately, I worked for managers that appreciated my work ethic and regularly promoted me. Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled, and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? There were several instances of misogyny and sexual harassment when I was on the island. One, in particular, stands out; I was calibrating some equipment that was located in an isolated corner in the plant; there was a group of men relaxing in an adjacent area; they were telling sex stories, complete with explicit braggadocio about their encounters. I was able to hear all of it, but they did not realize I was there (even though I had to walk through them to get to my work area). Eventually, they realized I was there and changed their conversation. Before I left, I talked to their supervisor (who was with them) and explained that I did not appreciate having to hear that while I was working. He expressed remorse and said it wouldn't happen again. Again, I had to walk through them to leave, which was a whole new level of awkwardness. Later that day, I relayed the event to a friend, who insisted I tell my manager. I did not want to, because the island population was very small and I didn't want everyone to think I was a "tattle tale". Against my better judgment, I told my manager, insisting that he not do anything about it unless it happened again. Well, he went to the lab manager, who went to the plant manager, and by the end of the day, everyone at the plant knew I "tattled." I now had a reputation as someone not to be trusted if I overheard something. For a while, it was very uncomfortable working there. I ended up wearing earplugs whenever I walked around the plant, just so I didn't have to hear the cat calls, wolf whistles, and other inane comments as I did my job. Another incident occurred when I was working as a developer. I remember when I started a new job, one of my new male colleagues, also a new hire, kept telling me stories about another woman programmer that he worked with - she couldn't do her job, she would just put her head on the desk and sleep, she never finished her assignments - and he hoped I wouldn't be like her. He and I butted heads most of our time there together; he was condescending to me, insinuating that there was no way I could be a good programmer because I was a woman. He never said that out loud, but that was the undercurrent based on his comments to me and other coworkers. It didn't help when I was promoted over him. The sad part was that we shared some of the same interests and could have interesting conversations. He just didn't seem to be comfortable that I was doing the same job he was, but I was doing it better. What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? I would say my biggest failure was not being able to be my true self at work; being closeted was difficult, to say the least. I was often promoted, but only in tech roles, never as a manager. Was it because I could never make personal connections with others at work? I don't know. What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? Professionally, my biggest achievement was to help rid the world of chemical weapons. Working at JACADS was one of the best things that could have happened to me because among other reasons, I met my wife there. I am also really proud that during my software career, I was promoted quickly and above others who had been developers for years. I credit that to my ability to learn quickly and apply what I learned to the project at hand. I've always said I was able to see the big picture while being detail-oriented. I also was able to understand the business requirements behind the project and steer the project toward those requirements. Many of my coworkers were wowed by the latest development paradigm and neglected to achieve the project goals. Personally, my biggest achievement was that my wife and I were able to both retire early. Much of that was because we spent so many years on an island where everything was provided for us (food, housing, activities) and we had nowhere to spend our money. We are both naturally frugal, though, and when we came back stateside, we were able to live well within our salaries; we also hired some top-notch financial planners that have helped us realize our dreams of retiring. Being retired has opened many doors for us, from starting our own business to having the time to pursue whatever activities we want. And I finally have the time to see what exciting things I can do with that Raspberry Pi that is sitting behind my monitors. In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? Everything starts with education, but our education system (in the US) is flawed; it is funded based on property taxes, but poorer areas have fewer property taxes, therefore, less funding. This limits the opportunities of the children in these schools, and because ~50% are girls, these girls are limited even more. We also have a cultural problem where girls are not steered into STEM/STEAM classes. I include the "arts" in STEAM, because, as a lover of all things math, I understand the importance of music in developing math skills. Sadly, many girls are not even exposed to STEM/STEAM topics. I get frustrated that we are still selling "girl" toys (dolls, makeup, purses) and "boy" toys (robots, RC cars/trucks, rockets). We should be selling just . I make a conscious effort to buy educational (but fun) genderless toys for the children in my extended family. toys However, there are also problems once women get into the workforce: lack of comprehensive health care, no cohesive national maternity leave policy, inflexible work hours, and misogynistic attitudes that women can't be as good as, or successful as, men in leadership roles. Many women I know have had to quit their jobs or reduce their work hours while they raise their children. This puts them behind in their careers when they return to full work after their children are older. Without having the ability to work flexible hours or hybrid work (remote + office), they have few options. During the pandemic, many worked remotely from home, but now many organizations are pulling workers back into the office, not even allowing a hybrid work environment. This will again, put many women in a position where they have to choose between a career and their family. We (as a people) can and should do better in finding ways to provide work environments that work for all who wish to pursue careers. Who is your tech idol? Why? I have always admired Sally Ride, the first American woman in space and the first LGBTQ+ NASA astronaut. Even with her success in the Space Shuttle program, she felt she needed to hide a part of who she was. I can relate. I am also grateful for Reshma Saujani, founder and former CEO of Girls Who Code. Providing opportunities to girls to learn how to code is so critical in breaking the gender gap in technology. Every business sector is powered by applications, and those applications need software developers. Why not fill those positions with women who code? and changing the image of what a computer programmer looks like Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field? Just go for it. There will be pushback but do it anyhow. Read everything you can get your hand on (even if it is a college nursing book and you are only in 5th grade). Be curious. Try something new. You will fail, and it's okay. Every time you fail you have an opportunity to learn something. Don't listen to those making fun of you because you want to be a programmer, scientist, mathematician, whatever. Just do it (apologies to Nike).

From a Tropical Island to FinTech: Interview with Ellen Cibula

2021 will be forever remembered as the year of NFTs, when this particular sector of the crypto industry exploded, bringing millions of buyers, sellers, collectors, artists, celebrities, and even companies to start working with NFTs. with some of them, so I see that the hype is real. I’m working But, even though it seems like everyone is playing the NFT game these days, that is not entirely the case, and we were interested in seeing which are the biggest names and brands that have actually already jumped on the NFT bandwagon in the year when it exploded. 1. eBay eBay has a massive presence in online shopping, and so its decision to embrace the NFT sector was a major move earlier this year. The company said back in May that it will allow NFT sales on its platform, allowing users to buy and sell digital collectibles at any time. The move came after a few extremely successful months that the NFT sector saw, with billions of dollars in NFT purchases in the first half of 2021 alone. eBay has already invested heavily in infrastructure for physical collectibles, such as trading cards, sneakers, watches, and more, and this has gone a long way in terms of buyer verification. However, buying digital collectibles is not user-friendly, and so eBay entered the sector knowing that it will have to work on adapting the infrastructure. 2. NBA Another major example came when the National Basketball League, also known as NBA, entered the NFT movement. The League invested heavily in digital-first outreach programs throughout European markets, which led to a global campaign featuring sports stars from all over the world. The NBA also teamed up with a number of well-known individuals, including rapper Quavo. Meanwhile, the League’s VP and head of fan engagement and DTC for the NBA, Europe, and the Middle East, George Aivazoglou, said that the decision to go NFT helped the League accelerate some aspects of the overall fan experience, and pivot to a digital-first, direct-to-consumer approach. And don’t forget about the project, built on the FLOW blockchain. It already has NBA TopShot hundreds of thousands of fans. 3. Nike Nike needs no introduction, as the athletic apparel and footwear giant is known throughout the world for its products. Now, however, it is also known for dabbling with non-fungible tokens, although it is not using them for digital art, but rather as a patent for its footwear. The company’s initiative is called Cryptokick, and it is an NFT series that removes barriers between digital and physical worlds. Basically, as soon as the physical shoe and its NFT counterpart are linked, and the user purchases a physical shoe, its digital version will become available in their ‘virtual locker.’ That way, if the user ever sells the physical shoe, they will also be selling the digital one. Meanwhile, the virtual shoe can change characteristics, crossbreed, and more. 4. Ellen DeGeneres Ellen DeGeneres has been encountering cryptocurrencies on her show ever since Ashton Kutcher’s donation to her charity all those years ago, and when the NFTs went big, the popular comedian and talk show host did not waste any time in dipping her toes into the newly emerged crypto sector. DeGeneres used the NFT market to sell a picture of a cat, which actually did extremely well. The picture was sold for $33,495, and Ellen donated it to the World Central Kitchen, showing that NFTs can be used for charitable purposes, as well. 5. Mark Cuban NFTs have also caught the eye of billionaires, such as Mark Cuban, who sold his company in 1999 to Yahoo! For $5.7 billion of Yahoo stock. Now, he is getting very much into the NFT market, selling NFTs of his tweets for around $1,000 per piece. Cuban also said directly that if he were starting a business today, he would build it on blockchain technology and the NFT sector, which is a major endorsement coming from such a successful entrepreneur and businessman. Given his NFT tweet sales, Cuban seems to not only believe in his own advice, but he actually follows it, which is proof enough that his statement was not just empty words. If you want the latest updates and research about crypto, GameFi, and the NFT industry and to participate in different crypto contests and activities - Follow me on Twitter. In the meantime, if you have any questions about crypto or you are a Crypto / GameFi / NFT project and want to know more about , you can always contact me via how to promote your project Telegram (@baloyan) P.S. Check out my previous articles at HackerNoon: What is an IGO (Initial Game Offering)? Play 2 Earn: A New Trend on the Crypto Market The Ultimate Guide to NFT Marketing and Promotion The Ultimate Checklist For Marketing DeFi Projects How To Stake ETH 2.0 Without Running a Node and 32 ETH

The NFT Bandwagon Now Includes eBay, NBA, Nike, The Ellen DeGeneres and Mark Cuban

This Slogging thread by Ellen, Linh, David, Amy, Natasha, Daria and Zaeem Shoaib occurred in HackerNoon's official #general channel, and has been edited for readability. This 'thready' likely doesn't need much explanation, however, here's a brief  one: Ellen announced to all that she would be away for a couple of days and ended up 'working' anyway. Completely on her own accord. She decided to have some drinks and take selfies in the awesome hat she got for X-mas from the wonderful boss humans. The selfies were posted on FB. Linh was amused by what she saw on the 'face of books' and shared it with the class. Below is how marketing concepts are born (sometimes)!! Have a wonderful weekend y'all! Most importantly, the hat is awesome, get it and other HackerNoon merch here!! shop.hackernoon.com Ellen Jan 14, 2022, 2:12 AM will be away from Friday January 14, 2022 at 5AM EST until Tuesday January 18 at 10:30AM 2022 EST. So if you have something urgent to tell me, do it tonight or wait till next week. Thank you! ❤ Uz. If you have anything urgent during the above outlined period, you may also text me anytime. :) ellenBrain 👍 2 🙌 2 👍 3 💚 2 🙌 1 👍 1 Linh Jan 18, 2022, 3:36 PM Welcome back little star ⭐ :savage-joy: :savage-joy: 6 🌟 2 :hn: 2 💚 3 ❤ 2 :deployparrot: 1 Ellen Jan 18, 2022, 4:48 PM Thank you very much for the hat and the stickers!! I love both of them!!! Ellen Jan 18, 2022, 4:49 PM Am I allowed to consider myself a tech bro yet? I just want to be a tech bro. This hat is so stylin tho. It's like cool kid gear. :savage-joy: 1 Ellen Jan 18, 2022, 4:53 PM ^Things Ellen does on a Saturday night lol Linh Jan 18, 2022, 4:56 PM This hat is the dopest! everybody should have one! 💯 1 Ellen Jan 18, 2022, 4:57 PM All of the agree! Ellen Jan 18, 2022, 7:09 PM Here are some more Ellen+Bubbly+Wigs+Filter selfies of HN hats. Shameless self-indulgence. Hat/ 'toque' is awesome, big thank you! Bunny ears not included. 🙌 1 :party_parrot: 6 :savage-joy: 5 🙌 3 :hn: 3 🙌 1 David Jan 18, 2022, 9:12 PM Great shots! 🙏 1 😇 1 :party_parrot: 1 David Jan 18, 2022, 9:30 PM Some other links to groups of photos with HackerNoon schwag: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UISziHyDHY8 https://twitter.com/DavidSmooke/status/1165007703946612736 https://twitter.com/hackernoon/status/1408550976433360901 https://twitter.com/linhsmooke/status/1096452878649024512 https://twitter.com/sirchucha/status/1154440096747270149 https://twitter.com/agnelnieves/status/1151262731120590848 https://twitter.com/PamelaA_Tweets/status/1157366855583117312 https://twitter.com/yilmazaliyy/status/1156079232390455301 https://twitter.com/thatssosid/status/1171265867348246528 https://twitter.com/search?q=hackernoon%20stickers&src=typed_query&f=image https://twitter.com/DavidSmooke/status/1196849997892878336 https://unsplash.com/@hackernoon https://twitter.com/hackernoon/status/1188954827155542017 https://twitter.com/JeremyCMorgan/status/1213600664737071105 🔥 1 :nicolas-cage-party: 1 Amy Jan 19, 2022, 1:23 AM I have a T-shirt and some stickers so I will do a photoshoot when I get home also and we can use the pics for the store or whatever! 💚 3 🔥 1 Ellen Jan 19, 2022, 7:09 PM Yeah you will Amy! Looking forward to it! Ellen Jan 19, 2022, 7:10 PM So will there be a page for this or will we include the photos directly in the store catalog? Because this could be a funny marketing project. Linh Jan 19, 2022, 7:13 PM I think for quick access can just create a notion page just to organize everything in one place. But I like the idea of a marketing campaign Daria Natasha what do we think? :deployparrot: 3 Ellen Jan 19, 2022, 7:14 PM We could have so many lolz with it, Limarc can present as Verse CEO in HN gear. I can schedule it for a less busy time, but I was just curious since we have this collection of photos David posted. Wanted to clarify the use case. Natasha Jan 20, 2022, 9:45 AM Got started on the drive folder here: [Secret Link] Daria let's schedule like 1-2 posts / week using these photos for, like, 3 months? 😄 can get interns to help adding copy and CTA? Daria /Kien maybe your intern to make a video / reel out of all these? (One of those that's just a supercut of like, 50 photos with a banging soundtrack) Kien can you pretty please add ALL of these to unsplash? (or ask an intern to do it?) 🙂 Natasha Jan 20, 2022, 9:52 AM As for the process for briefing tasks like this to the marketing team, let's try a simple list in Notion? have created one here, with an example brief, feel free to edit! [Secret Link] Daria Jan 20, 2022, 11:10 AM I’m up for a campaign! Scheduling those beauties to be shared on socials for the next 3 months Daria Jan 20, 2022, 11:12 AM Also, an idea for next All-Hands for people to wear any HackerNoon merch they own to take a screenshot to be shared later on socials :hn: 💡 3 Ellen Jan 20, 2022, 8:54 PM Yeah something like this would be good, I think it would be cool to do a blog post as well, I will schedule it in sometime next month or something. It will give everyone a chance to do photoshoots. Plus the All Hands idea is brilliant but there should be a review process of the photo. Linh Jan 20, 2022, 8:57 PM lol if only the internet at large takes itself as seriously as ellen’d like =)) 😂 2 Zaeem Shoaib Jan 21, 2022, 2:16 AM I need that hat more than the others...you know...because... Join the Slogging revolution here. 💚 1 Here are some extra photos.. I don't know who else to show them to so y'all can see them. 💚 1

#ellenBrain Turns a Long Weekend Into: HackerNoon Swag Around the World 

A few days ago, I gave an interview to Chris Michael (Supermoon Camp), delving into the current situation in Russia and explaining how it can affect the world economy. Many brands have already left Russia and a lot of local talents are also on the run. Below is a full interview that covers everything that is happening behind “the iron curtain”. Chris: Elena, thank you for agreeing to do this interview during such a difficult time. Everyone is at a loss of words. You have a very impressive background with 8 years in the crypto space with numerous publications, keynote presentations, and recognition as one of the most powerful women in blockchain. We really wanted to hear your opinion on this situation and learn how it affects you as a Russian person. Chris: How long do you think this situation will last? It's a tough question. Let's look from a perspective of whether this war is going to escalate. Elena: At this moment other countries are hesitant to get directly involved as it will be a declaration of world war. However, many people worldwide (including Russian people) are trying to help Ukraine with military, fundraising, supplies, and other humanitarian help. The Russian government proclaimed that it's illegal to donate money to Ukraine and that it will be considered treason. However, it doesn't stop people in Russia from donating and going out to the streets to protest. The conflict between the Russian government and Ukraine had been going on for years. Russia had faced a large number of international sanctions that followed the Crimea annexation in 2014. This situation also led to a significant crash of the national currency that dropped more than twice. Russia was ranked as the 11th largest economy in the world according to Investopedia. Economic damage in Russia will affect everyone. Russia is one of the largest exporters of natural resources. Everyone has already noticed how gas prices skyrocketed within just a few days. Russia also plays a crucial role in the international trade and business ecosystem. My friend from Italy, for example, reached out to me saying that he was worried about the situation as his company’s exports are focused on Ukraine and Russia. Imagine how many people and businesses are directly or indirectly related to trades with Russia. Modern wars are not happening to expand the territories. Wars are happening because it's a good business.. We may be entering a crisis and a global recession. Modern wars are not happening to expand the territories. Wars are happening because it's a good business and there are always people who benefit from them. I'm sure there's more behind this war. Unfortunately, there are always people who will benefit from such horror and we’ve yet to see a bigger picture. Chris: What’s going on in Russia now? How does it affect people?** ** **Elena:**Imagine one day you wake up and all your world is falling apart, that’s how people feel now in Russia. Mastercard and Visa refused to work with Russian banks resulting in a historic bank run. Large brands like H&M, Ikea, Adidas, Exxon Mobil, Shell, Citigroup, the Big Four (KPMG, Deloitte, EY, PWC), McDonald’s, Starbucks, Netflix, and others have left Russia. Key talents are leaving too. 80% of people I know are now fleeing asking for job opportunities and relocation options. 80% of people I know are now fleeing asking for job opportunities and relocation options. Stock markets (including trading of US stocks) were closed for a few days, and currency exchange was also restricted. Now if you want to buy USD, EUR, or GBP you would need to pay a 12% commission on top. Ruble was trading at 120 to 1 USD compared to October’s 68 to 1 USD. Prices for goods and services have already doubled with some places facing shortages of goods. The Binance P2P market that was widely used by people to exchange fiat into crypto and vice versa was also affected. Just today (updated information) I saw a 35-45% markup to buy Bitcoin with USD and a 18% markup for USDT with only a few options available. Beginning yesterday, banks put limits on foreign currency withdrawals that are above $10,000. The remaining funds are being converted into rubles. The situation is changing daily and this limit can get stricter. Crypto exchanges and crypto gateways are now rejecting Russian cards and some are rejecting Russian people (e.g. Coinbase). Despite this, people are looking for any possible way to move into cryptocurrency as it’s the only available option now. Businesses switched into crypto payments as well. I’ve never gotten that amount of requests from people asking to help with crypto wallets. Chris: What about your career and how do you think it could affect other people? I have been building my career outside of Russia. I don't have any direct connection with the Russian market and I am not familiar with local business culture. My primary focus was always on the international scene and currently is on the US and European markets. Although I'm still a Russian passport holder and did face some issues with accounts. Elena: I know that people worldwide differentiate individuals and the government… I do hope my home country's actions would not have an impact neither on my business initiatives nor on other Russian people. Having said that, I know that people worldwide differentiate individuals and the government. Therefore, I do hope my home country's actions would not have an impact neither on my business initiatives nor on other Russian people. Chris: How do you see it affecting the financial system? **Elena:**As I mentioned earlier, we may be entering a world crisis. The pandemic already made its enormous contribution towards the beginning of the global recession. This war might knock us out of any attempts to recover and throw us in a deeper hole to pull ourselves out of. We’re on the brink of financial transformation… individuals can have more participation in global decision making as well as obtain financial freedom. Despite this, I see more opportunities for the new way to rebuild the economy with cryptocurrency markets playing a more important role. More people might realize how crucial their role is in the global economy and financial markets. I believe that we’re on the brink of financial transformation where individuals can have more participation in global decision-making as well as obtain financial freedom. Chris Michael is an entrepreneur and large crypto enthusiast who joined the field in 2010. He had built a career in the entertainment industry working with Live Nation and celebrities like The Eagles, Lady Gaga, Drake, Paul McCartney, Kanye West and more. Chris Michael co-founded the exclusive crypto community , a network of industry eclectics. He also owns a full-scale production company. Supermoon Camp Also Published Here

Behind The Iron Curtain: Impact on Business & Finance. Interview with Elena Obukhova, Crypto Expert

What makes an NFT valuable? First of all, if we talk about the value of NFT's, I would approach it from 2 sides: financial and technological. NFTs can be financially valuable due to the rarity, authenticity, and origin of their underlying assets/products/contracts. For example, it can be digital art that was created by a famous artist, a soundtrack recorded by a celebrity, or it can be a piece of luxury real estate. There are multiple reasons why businesses and famous artists are choosing NFT technology including provenance, transparency, and liquidity. Digital art existed before NFTs. Music was recorded, royalties were done through "paper" agreements, and real estate was also sold without using blockchain technology. NFT technology isn't re-inventing these industries. It makes them efficient through better transactions, more transparency, and the prevention of counterfeiting. NFTs help to eliminate the middle man and make markets more accessible to people. Are NFTs the future of art and collectibles? They definitely are the present. I always like to look at NFTs from a wider angle. As mentioned in the previous question, NFTs are helping to solve multiple problems related to provenance, counterfeiting, transacting, and liquidity. I believe the market is still establishing. The majority of people did learn about NFTs through digital art and collectibles. However, we're starting to shift to the next stage where SMEs and large companies start exploring this technology for completely different use cases. As you know, I also started the NFT ticketing project Flashback.one not that long ago. We aim to change the ticketing industry by stopping fakes, allowing artists to earn royalties, and allowing their fans to collect memorable tickets the same way they used to do with paper tickets. Multiple projects are working on the provenance side, for example in the wine industry. Then we have applications in intellectual property, real estate, identity verification, and even medical records. I would say NFTs are the future standards for royalty agreements and certain contracts that will be widely used by businesses and individuals in ticketing, the entertainment industry, medicine, supply chain, education, and other industries. Can NFTs be used as an investment? When most people think of NFTs, they think about all the JPEGs and GIFs being sold for a fortune. However, as I already briefly mentioned NFT is a data unit that can have investment value based on the underlying asset (if it has one). At the same time, it might only have a technological value if we, for example, talk about using NFTs within the supply chain for traceability of certain goods or shipments. Now, if we talk about NFTs from the digital art side, I would just ask another question. Is traditional art an investment? Some people will say "yes", some people will say "no", and others will say "it depends". Investment in certain assets always has a subjective appraisal. People will be willing to pay millions of dollars for Van Gogh's artworks, but they wouldn't normally pay more than $500 to a street artist for an exquisite Van Gogh's replica. The digital art market is only establishing and experiencing massive speculations. Speculations are not considered investments even if we are talking about traditional markets. In general, I would say that yes, NFTs in certain cases can be used as an investment, not necessarily talking about digital art, it can be real estate, for example. The most important thing is to do your own research and always be aware of potential risks. How do you ensure that a physical asset and the associated NFT remain connected? That's a good one! In some cases, there's no actual way to establish a connection between a physical asset and an NFT. Let me give an example. Imagine you have a digital art NFT pegged to the hard asset that is currently placed in the vault. The reason for you to have an NFT is to increase the liquidity of the hard asset. A new owner wouldn’t need to collect it from the vault, deal with all the shipments and paperwork. They can simply resell it in a few days or even hours. Now, let's imagine this NFT was resold multiple times and changed several owners. This also means that the location of the physical asset was exposed to many people and can be stolen and replaced with a higher probability. Every time there's a purchase deal happening in the traditional art market, every piece is being carefully reassessed by professionals to prove its authenticity. So now, how can you get a certainty that there's an actual hard asset in the vault that is supposedly connected to your NFT, and how do you know if it's real? One of my friends, a photographer, asked an interesting question. He wanted to mint NFTs that are connected to his physical artworks and he didn't want a new owner to sell the physical works separately later. He was wondering if there's a way to stop it. Theoretically, you could add extra clauses to smart contracts to prevent such things from happening, but practically they can still go ahead and sell those artworks. It would be very hard to find out and prove it. I hope that gives an idea that a physical asset can be associated with an NFT, however not always be connected with it. Minting NFTs can be expensive, how can small digital artists make NFTs more of an option for themselves? There are multiple Blockchains. For example, such major chains as Polygon, Avalanche, and Algorand all have very low (close to 0) gas fees. I would recommend doing more research on the platform that fits their needs and supporting the blockchain that can make this process more accessible for them. Interviewed by Jack Morton, FAS | Fintech Advisory Services

What Makes an NFT Valuable? An Interview with Elena Obukhova

HackerNoon Prompt: So let’s start! First, tell us a bit about yourself. For example, name, profession, and personal interests. My name is Elena Obukhova, I’m a serial entrepreneur, mentor, keynote speaker and writer in Blockchain. I’m currently running FAS | Fintech Advisory Services, an international consulting ecosystem that focuses on Blockchain Startups and SMEs and FlashBack, an NFT ticketing platform that reshapes the industry making every ticket a digital art collectible and enables safe and efficient events. I’m keen on emerging technologies and currently deeply involved into NFT industry and metaverses. You can read more about me . [here] Please sum up what the metaverse is in 1 to two paragraphs. Metaverse is a virtual universe where everyone can interact and transact with each other and digital 3D objects. For instance, you can go to a virtual cafe and e-meet with your friends there or visit a virtual art gallery with a digital art exhibition. Are you currently, directly or indirectly, working on building a metaverse? I’m not involved in a building process, my goal is to bridge businesses and technologies and that’s what I’m doing with metaverses. In your opinion, is the metaverse inevitable, or is it just another passing trending tech topic that'll lose hype? Metaverses have been around for a while. Remember World of Warcraft? That’s also a metaverse with an established economy where characters can interact and transact with each other. Many items from the game have a real-world value and are sold for quite an impressive amount of money. The current metaverse boom is only confirming the demand and letting us walk into the future of virtual worlds. We already can see various digital galleries opening in and . Such big names as and also joined the space with their virtual concerts. Metaverse technology enables all fans to attend a concert of their favourite celebrity without a need to have a big pocket to afford flight tickets, accommodation, and the concert ticket. It helps celebrities to engage with their fans more frequently and even have a virtual fan meeting. Decentraland The Sandbox ABBA Ariana Grande Companies are opening their virtual offices, people are replicating the whole cities. For example, Miami can already be found on metaverse. Even though we’re living in a fast pace globalising society, it might be still time-consuming to fly to another place for an event or a meeting. The majority of such meetings can be done online at a virtual office, for example. Large companies tend to be more conservative when it comes to new technologies and hypes on the market. Therefore it’s also a good indicator when we see such tech giants as and actively working on metaverse projects. From my side, I am strongly determined we’re entering a new era of virtual worlds and there’s no way it can just pass. Facebook NVIDIA Why is the metaverse such a revolutionary concept? . It is also free from regulations and other rules that are being dictated at the physical world. This means all the creators have full freedom to create. Metaverse also isn’t subjected to the rules of physics that we have to follow in the real life Metaverses democratizing many industries and bringing fans and communities closer. We used to have text-oriented engagement, then voice-oriented engagement that shifted towards video content and video interactions. Now we’re exploring a new way to communicate through virtual 3D worlds that could enhance individual involvement within communities. Going back to the “freedom” part. Can you build a new skyscraper in the middle of NYC easily? Yes, if this city is in the metaverse. Have you seen architectural disasters that are spoiling some city’s landscape? There are quite a lot, to be honest. Metaverse allows people to build a project in the replicated virtual world that is an absolute 3D copy of the real city where you can decide and even let people vote on the new architectural projects. You can also build your dream home project in the metaverse to decide on its styles and design. What can people build in the metaverse that we can't build on the Internet, or in virtual reality today? What limitations of our current technology does the metaverse free us from? As mentioned already, metaverses free us from physics, rules and regulations, granting complete freedom to digital creators and enabling digital economies. We can’t just build a tower in the middle of Manhattan. However, we can do that in the metaverse. It can be a fun project of a digital creator or can be a serious project designed by an architect to evaluate whether it will fit in well in a real life. It can even be a competition to win a tender for building a tower in a certain place (e.g. Manhattan) where people can vote and decide on who is winning this tender. We also can’t host music festivals or concerts for number of people larger than a venue’s capacity. A venue in metaverse can always host more people than a real-life venue. One of my friends is founder of pop-up digital art gallery in New York City. He is looking to expand internationally, however, it’s quite challenging to understand what would be the best location to choose. He though of hosting these pop-up exhibitions in the metaverse if different countries he is trying to choose from. If a certain location will gather a big crowd, they can host an actual event there in the real life. Metaverse in this case is a cost-efficient way to test out the market for your “product” and that is extremely important for small businesses. How are the metaverse and blockchain related? Can we build a metaverse without blockchain technology? Metaverse is a virtual world, it can exist on Blockchain (Decentraland, The Sandbox) or can exist without it (World of Warcraft). Blockchain technology adds data protection, security, and transparency to metaverse empowering its economies and ensuring the system resilience. It always depends on the level of decentralization that certain blockchain has but generally speaking, this technology adds enormous value to metaverses. Answering the question, yes, you can build a metaverse without blockchain, but would you? How quickly do you think the metaverse will be developed? How much can we expect metaverse tech to grow in the next 5 to 10 years? Even though the metaverse concept has been around for a while, I would consider the actual establishment of the market right now. We can already expect metaverses to become quite a common thing in 5 years. When we’re talking about graphics, it’s harder for me to predict, as it’s also related to the hardware where I have quite a limited knowledge. However, looking at the modern games and how the graphics has changed from the moment I played last time is quite impressive. Mass adoption of metaverses will surely boost developments in the hardware section and we might also see more connectors between real-world and metaverses through AR technology. What is your hope for the metaverse? Do you have any worries or does the concept pose any threats? Being a tech person to my bones, I certainly hope (I would even say I’m sure) that metaverses will continue developing fast bridging new technologies and enabling more possibilities. I can only hope that everyone still remembers the real world, which is quite beautiful already without any technologies needed. Thanks for your time! Any final words? I definitely want to invite everyone to try out metaverses. This article is part of The hosted by HackerNoon in partnership with Gaming Metaverse Writing Contest . The Sandbox Submit your today for your chance to win up to $2000. #gaming-metaverse story

Metaverses Aren't Subjected to the Rules of Physics, says Elena Obukhova

This story is a part of Hacker Noon's . The series is intended for tech professionals contributing the most insightful Hacker Noon stories to share more about their writing habits, ideas, and professional background (and maybe a hobby or two). Meet the Writer series of interviews If you too would like to start contributing to Hacker Noon, . you can do so here So let’s start! Tell us a bit about yourself. For example, name, profession, and personal interests. My name is Elena Obukhova. I am a cryptocurrency enthusiast, entrepreneur, business strategist, and mentor. Having lived in 9 countries [China, South Korea, Thailand, Russia, France, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, and the USA] and visited 23, I gained diverse experience and knowledge in the fintech and crypto markets with an in-depth understanding of local consumer trends. In late 2018 I founded FAS | Fintech Advisory Services, a global consulting ecosystem that grows successful ventures in blockchain & fintech and currently is in 15 countries working with startups and SMEs. Being deeply involved in the tech space, I started exploring the NFT market and it led me to my other venture - FlashBack that I co-founded with Olga Filatova in May 2021. FlashBack.one allows buying and collecting art-like tickets as well as sharing this collection with your friends. Apart from my core activities, I also do mentorship sessions with startups founders, participating in conferences as a keynote speaker, and publishing my works on venture building. Interesting! What was your latest Hackernoon Top story about? My last article was covering Bitcoin and its first week as an official currency in El Salvador and an official foreign currency in the rest of the world. I was focusing on the key challenges that government is and will be facing after the law went into effect. Wanna read it? It’s El Salvador: A Week After Bitcoin Became an Official Currency Do you usually write on similar topics? If not, what do you usually write about? Lately, I had been covering this topic from different angles a few times. I also had some publications on the Argentinian market and cryptocurrency adoption that I wrote while living there. Apart from political content, I'm also fond of writing startup-related content that can help founders with their journey. Great! What is your usual writing routine like (if you have one?) It's quite spontaneous I would say. Some idea comes to my mind and then I'm in "no disturb" mode until the article is finished. Inspiration is very important to have great content. Being a writer in tech can be a challenge. It’s not often our main role, but an addition to another one. What is the biggest challenge you have when it comes to writing? As you said, tech writing isn't usually our main role and, thus, the main challenge is to actually have time to write. Being a startup founder and leading a consulting business at the same time combining with public activities and initiatives is already quite time-demanding. However, I always try to find some time to share industry insights and overviews whenever something interesting is happening. What is the next thing you hope to achieve in your career? My next career milestones would be leading FlashBack to a unicorn level and finishing my paper on the Decentralized Economy that I'm working on at the moment. Wow, that’s admirable. Now, something more casual: What is your guilty pleasure of choice? Apart from tech, I'm also very into fashion and can't help buying new shoes and clothes. It always turns me from a light-packed traveller into "what's the maximum weight they say I can fly with" kind of person. Do you have a non-tech-related hobby? If yes, what is it? I really like travelling and trying new things. I believe that's the way a person can broaden the mind and get new ideas and experiences. Another passion of mine is motocross, however, it has been quite challenging to combine it with my travelling lifestyle and I can only enjoy watching other people driving for the time being. What can the Hacker Noon community expect to read from you next? There will be more works on venture building for startups and practical tips on how to scale based on my experience. At the same time, I would like to continue sharing more insights on cryptocurrency adoption around the world. Thanks for taking time to join our “Meet the writer” series. It was a pleasure. Do you have any closing words? Kudos to the Hackernoon team for this edition and special thanks to everyone reading my articles and always happy to answer questions, feel free to reach out to me through LinkedIn.

Meet the Writer: Hacker Noon's Contributor Elena Obukhova, Entrepreneur, Mentor, & Crypto Enthusiast

The 0G Foundation announced Tuesday it will launch a public sale of nodes for its decentralized artificial intelligence network, beginning November 11. The initiative aims to establish a distributed network of nodes designed to monitor AI behavior and verify computational integrity in blockchain applications. The node sale will occur in two phases: a whitelist-only period starting November 11 at 12 PM UTC, followed by a public sale beginning November 13 at 12 PM UTC. Node prices will start at 0.05 ETH, with 32 different pricing tiers available. The foundation describes the nodes as "AI alignment nodes" that will monitor artificial intelligence operations within the network. These nodes are intended to detect deviations from established protocols and verify the behavior of data storage and model serving systems. Node operators will be eligible to receive token rewards, with the foundation allocating up to 15% of its total ecosystem token supply over a three-year period for node operation incentives. "Our goal is to empower a decentralized community," said Michael Heinrich, CEO of ZeroGravity Labs. "This node sale is a crucial step toward making that vision a reality." Industry Analysis The announcement comes at a critical juncture in the blockchain and AI sectors. Recent developments in artificial intelligence have raised concerns about verification and transparency, particularly in decentralized systems. According to data from DeFi Llama, AI-related blockchain protocols have seen a significant increase in total value locked (TVL) throughout 2024, rising from $1.2 billion in January to $4.8 billion in October. Dr. Sarah Chen, blockchain researcher at the Digital Assets Institute, notes the timing's significance: "The intersection of AI and blockchain requires robust verification mechanisms. Distributed node networks could provide a framework for maintaining AI system integrity, similar to how validator networks secure traditional blockchain networks." The approach of using distributed nodes for AI verification represents a new development in the ongoing effort to create trustworthy AI systems. Traditional AI models typically rely on centralized validation methods, while blockchain-based solutions aim to distribute this responsibility across multiple participants. "The challenge has always been balancing decentralization with computational efficiency," explains Marcus Rodriguez, senior analyst at Blockchain Intelligence Group. "Node networks that specifically focus on AI alignment could help bridge this gap, provided they can maintain performance at scale." The foundation's node sale structure, featuring 32 tiers, appears designed to encourage diverse participation. This model differs from traditional node operations that often require substantial capital investment, potentially limiting participation to larger institutional players. Market Impact and Technical Considerations The technical specifications indicate that node operators will need to meet minimum hardware requirements, including high-performance computing capabilities and reliable network connectivity. The foundation has published detailed documentation outlining these requirements on their website. Industry observers note that the success of such networks depends heavily on achieving sufficient decentralization. "The key metric will be the distribution of nodes across different operators and geographic regions," says Elena Petrova, director of research at Distributed Systems Institute. "A truly decentralized AI verification network needs broad participation to be effective." The 0G Foundation, based in the Cayman Islands, develops infrastructure for decentralized AI applications. The organization focuses on creating open-source tools for AI systems operating on blockchain networks. Technical specifications for node operation, complete pricing details, and participation requirements will be available on the project's website at node.0g.ai. The foundation indicated that participation in the node sale will be restricted by jurisdiction, with specific eligibility requirements detailed in the project's documentation. Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR The 0G Foundation announced Tuesday it will launch a public sale of nodes for its decentralized artificial intelligence network, beginning November 11. The initiative aims to establish a distributed network of nodes designed to monitor AI behavior and verify computational integrity in blockchain applications. The node sale will occur in two phases: a whitelist-only period starting November 11 at 12 PM UTC, followed by a public sale beginning November 13 at 12 PM UTC. Node prices will start at 0.05 ETH, with 32 different pricing tiers available. The foundation describes the nodes as "AI alignment nodes" that will monitor artificial intelligence operations within the network. These nodes are intended to detect deviations from established protocols and verify the behavior of data storage and model serving systems. Node operators will be eligible to receive token rewards, with the foundation allocating up to 15% of its total ecosystem token supply over a three-year period for node operation incentives. "Our goal is to empower a decentralized community," said Michael Heinrich, CEO of ZeroGravity Labs. "This node sale is a crucial step toward making that vision a reality." Industry Analysis The announcement comes at a critical juncture in the blockchain and AI sectors. Recent developments in artificial intelligence have raised concerns about verification and transparency, particularly in decentralized systems. According to data from DeFi Llama, AI-related blockchain protocols have seen a significant increase in total value locked (TVL) throughout 2024, rising from $1.2 billion in January to $4.8 billion in October. Dr. Sarah Chen, blockchain researcher at the Digital Assets Institute, notes the timing's significance: "The intersection of AI and blockchain requires robust verification mechanisms. Distributed node networks could provide a framework for maintaining AI system integrity, similar to how validator networks secure traditional blockchain networks." The approach of using distributed nodes for AI verification represents a new development in the ongoing effort to create trustworthy AI systems. Traditional AI models typically rely on centralized validation methods, while blockchain-based solutions aim to distribute this responsibility across multiple participants. "The challenge has always been balancing decentralization with computational efficiency," explains Marcus Rodriguez, senior analyst at Blockchain Intelligence Group. "Node networks that specifically focus on AI alignment could help bridge this gap, provided they can maintain performance at scale." The foundation's node sale structure, featuring 32 tiers, appears designed to encourage diverse participation. This model differs from traditional node operations that often require substantial capital investment, potentially limiting participation to larger institutional players. Market Impact and Technical Considerations The technical specifications indicate that node operators will need to meet minimum hardware requirements, including high-performance computing capabilities and reliable network connectivity. The foundation has published detailed documentation outlining these requirements on their website. Industry observers note that the success of such networks depends heavily on achieving sufficient decentralization. "The key metric will be the distribution of nodes across different operators and geographic regions," says Elena Petrova, director of research at Distributed Systems Institute. "A truly decentralized AI verification network needs broad participation to be effective." The 0G Foundation, based in the Cayman Islands, develops infrastructure for decentralized AI applications. The organization focuses on creating open-source tools for AI systems operating on blockchain networks. Technical specifications for node operation, complete pricing details, and participation requirements will be available on the project's website at node.0g.ai . The foundation indicated that participation in the node sale will be restricted by jurisdiction, with specific eligibility requirements detailed in the project's documentation. node.0g.ai Don’t forget to like and share the story! Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Vested Interest Disclosure: This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program . HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYOR Vested Interest Disclosure: business blogging program business blogging program

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