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The Russian war against Ukraine has not only escalated into the most extensive use of cyber operations in the history of state conflicts but has also propelled cybersecurity and geopolitical tensions to the forefront of global concern. With the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report 2024 ranking cyber insecurity as the fourth most severe short-term global risk, and cybersecurity being a top worry among CEOs as per PwC’s CEO Survey, the significance of this digital warfare extends far beyond the battlefield. This conflict has reshaped the cybersecurity landscape, compelling nations and businesses worldwide to reassess and fortify their cyber defense strategies in anticipation of an uncertain future. The blend of cyber warfare with traditional geopolitical conflicts presents a complex challenge, urging a continuity of cyber defense that blurs the lines between competition, crisis, and war in cyberspace. The Kyivstar Attack: A Stark Reminder The cyberattack on Kyivstar, Ukraine's largest mobile operator, in December 2023 was not just another statistic in the annals of cyber warfare but a stark revelation of the vulnerability of critical national infrastructure. Orchestrated by the Russian Sandworm group, this meticulously planned operation plunged 24.1 million subscribers into a communications blackout, effectively isolating a significant portion of the nation during a critical time of war. The aftermath of the attack was catastrophic, with services disrupted for over 58 hours, leading to a direct financial hit to Kyivstar of UAH 3.4 billion due to the cancellation of subscription fees. This incident underscores the multifaceted impact of such cyber operations, affecting not just the economic bottom line but also national security and civilian well-being. The attack's implications extended beyond immediate operational disruptions. It was a psychological maneuver designed to instill fear and uncertainty, impacting millions. The destruction was near-total, wiping out critical infrastructure, including thousands of virtual servers and PCs. The level of access gained by the attackers raised alarms over potential intelligence gathering, including the theft of personal information and the interception of communications. This incident serves as a grim reminder of the escalating cyber threat landscape and the need for robust cybersecurity measures. For Kyivstar and similar entities, the attack has necessitated a reevaluation of cybersecurity protocols and the adoption of more aggressive defense mechanisms to prevent future breaches. It highlights the essential need for continuous vigilance, advanced threat detection capabilities, and swift response strategies to mitigate the risks posed by state-sponsored cyberterrorism. Strengthening Cybersecurity Teams Amidst Rising Threats With cyber investments projected to reach $215 billion in 2024, the focus on securing our digital world has never been more acute. However, as threats proliferate, a critical challenge emerges: the widening talent gap in cybersecurity. The ISACA State of Cybersecurity report reveals that 71% of organizations have unfilled cybersecurity positions, underscoring the urgent need for skilled professionals to counter these evolving threats. The cybersecurity landscape is increasingly becoming a battlefield, with demand for expertise far outpacing supply. In 2023, we've witnessed a 13% surge in the global workforce gap, particularly in pivotal areas like cloud computing security, AI/ML security, and Zero Trust frameworks. Yet, the gap isn't just in technical skills; there's a pronounced need for professionals who excel in leadership, flexibility, and communication. From our vantage point, working closely with leading cybersecurity firms, it's clear that bridging this gap requires more than just competitive wages and training programs. It demands a holistic approach to fostering a culture of innovation and growth. For instance, one of our long-standing clients, a cybersecurity pioneer, has embarked on a mission to cultivate a workforce that is not only technically adept but also possesses strong soft skills. They've established a mentorship program that pairs seasoned professionals with emerging talent, focusing on the development of leadership and communicative excellence alongside technical proficiency. CEO Insights: Practical Strategies for Cyber Resilience In the face of today's heightened cyber risks, it's imperative for CEOs and boards to prioritize cybersecurity as a core component of their strategic agenda. Here are a few strategies that have proven effective for our clients, from SMEs to large enterprises: Allocate Adequate Budget: One of our clients, a fast-growing tech startup, allocated 15% of its annual budget to cybersecurity initiatives. This bold move supported their defensive measures and facilitated the development of a robust talent pipeline. Partner with Reliable Providers: Another multinational corporation's client enhanced its defense capabilities by forging a strategic partnership with a top-tier cybersecurity service provider. This collaboration has fortified their resilience against sophisticated cyber threats. Build Strong Teams: Recognizing the value of exceptional talent, we've helped several clients streamline their hiring processes to attract and retain the industry's best. This includes creating roles that appeal to the desire for career growth and learning opportunities. Educate Your Team: Acknowledging the human factor as a potential vulnerability, we've observed a trend among our clients toward implementing comprehensive cybersecurity awareness programs. These initiatives aim to foster a culture of vigilance and preparedness across all levels of the organization. Conduct Regular Assessments: Regular cybersecurity assessments and tabletop exercises have become a staple for our clients. These practices identify vulnerabilities and prepare teams for potential attacks, ensuring a swift and effective response. Conclusion As the geopolitical landscape continues to influence the cyber domain, the lessons learned from the ongoing conflict and its challenges are invaluable. The Kyivstar attack and the broader implications of the war on global cybersecurity underscore the need for a proactive, informed, and strategic approach to cyber defense. By adopting these practical strategies, CEOs can lead their organizations towards greater resilience, safeguarding their assets and contributing to a more secure digital future in these uncertain times.

Two Years On: How Ukraine's Cyber Warfront Is Redefining Global Cybersecurity Strategies

: Nataraj recently came under the radar of the HackerNoon editorial team for a very interesting concept: the constant need to experiment with AI. Impressed by his decision to play around with AI for 100 days, the HackerNoon editorial team decided to showcase his work. Over the next few months, Nataraj will be sharing his insights on what he’s learned by pushing the boundaries of what AI and do. Be on the lookout for his posts and learn a bit more about the man behind the series, below. Editor’s Note can cannot So let’s start! Tell us a bit about yourself. For example, name, profession, and personal interests. My full name is Nataraj Sindam. I am currently a Product Manager at Microsoft Azure. I believe humans are not built to do just one thing, specialization is for ants not humans. Humans can excel in more than one thing. So outside of my day job I host a podcast about startups and investing called Startup Project. I am also an investor in 20+ companies across the world and currently a venture partner at $10M SaaS Fund called Incisive.vc where I help invest in pre-seed stage SaaS companies. Interesting! What was your latest Hackernoon Top story about? I have decided to focus on learning and writing about AI in 2024. As part of this I started 100 Days of AI as a forcing function. So for 100 days each day I am spending 1-2 hrs a day on learning AI. And as I learn about AI I am documenting my experiments, ideas, thoughts & future predictions for AI in the form of blog posts here on my website and on Hackernoon. My most recent post was about how to create "Chat with You Data” applications using Langchain, Chroma DB & Open AI’s Gpt-4. Its one of the most popular use case of AI which every individual and organization is looking to use at scale. The post also introduces basic concepts that are the cutting edge of these applications like retrieval, data spitting, vector databases, embedding and more. Do you usually write on similar topics? If not, what do you usually write about? I usually write about technology businesses but not about my own experiments that involve writing code. I write a bi-weekly newsletter called , which is meant for people working in tech and want to know the second order reasons, behind the scene strategies & future predictions related to the technology business. As some one who works at a big technology company while at the same time interacting with startups and reviewing 1000+ pitch decks a year I try to bring a unique vantage point of view in my newsletter and opinions that are not usually discussed elsewhere. The idea is that the reader should get ideas & thoughts that provoke them to think differently and are not found elsewhere. In a world where information is ubiquitous having an informed unique point of view is an edge and my goal is to provide that edge to my readers. Above Average Great! What is your usual writing routine like (if you have one?) My process of writing can be described as everywhere & all the time. I maintain google docs that are focused on writing new things. I obsessively take note of the smallest idea from a topic to an experiment to a funny sentence that I should use. For my weekly post I pick the latest three ideas that I find my self most attracted towards or opinionated about. Once I come up with basic draft, I follow some basic editing tips I have accumulated over time. 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? I am an idea person, when it comes to writing. I generate ideas for articles everyday. The most challenging part about writing is not finding enough time to bring those ideas together into an article form. Time is the scare part of my writing journey. Wow, that’s admirable. Now, something more casual: What is your guilty pleasure of choice? I watch a lot of content. As I grew up in India and am fluent in three languages (English, Hindi & Telugu) and follow movies in 2 other languages (Tamil & Malayalam). I have plenty of context across diverse geographies that I watch. This means my music diet is also pretty diverse. Do you have a non-tech-related hobby? If yes, what is it? Last couple of years I have been going to CrossFit, I am still a beginner but that’s my non-tech related hobby these days. What can the Hacker Noon community expect to read from you next? I will be writing about AI & the business of technology. I will be talking about the strategies behind the move tech companies are making with my newsletter and bring some of those ideas in the form of individual posts to Hackernoon. Apart from that, the current focus is to complete the journey that I stared with 100 Days of AI in 2024. So expect a lot more interested ideas, experiments, predictions & simple products using AI from me on Hackernoon. Above Average What’s your opinion on HackerNoon as a platform for writers? HackerNoon as a community is a writer friendly platform, I have been interacting with the team on & off since the past 4 years and have always had positive experiences. They have created a unique corner on the internet which allowed technologists channel their creativity. There is no other platform that I have see that enable this. Thanks for taking time to join our “ ” series. It was a pleasure. Do you have any closing words? Meet the writer Keep up all the great work you are doing with HackerNoon. If your audience is interested in following my work as part of 100 Days of AI, please follow me on , or . Twitter LinkedIn bookmark this page

Meet the Writer: HackerNoon Contributor Nataraj Sindam on Experimenting With AI 

Hi, all! Here is my weekly email discussing mental models, performance, business, and entrepreneurship. If you love this content (please share it), but also… Check out my , connect with me on / , and read my Podcast YouTube Twitter daily newsletter. What’s in today’s newsletter? We now enjoy the most health, freedom, and opportunities in human history - standing on the shoulders of inventors and pioneers who sacrificed to expand potential. But too many people waste this unprecedented access to tools for fulfillment by chasing distraction and pleasure while avoiding reality and responsibility. It's ironic how much progress surrounds us externally, yet how stagnant most individuals are in taking the initiative to actually seize it. Entitlement has bred widespread complacency. We must shake off victim mindsets full of excuses. Progress depends on personal accountability. Inheriting progress means accepting responsibility to compound it. Seize the generosity of past generations as fuel for your own creation. Transform excuses into action. Lift all rising tides through your differentiated efforts right now. The heaviest weight is unfulfilled potential despite an unprecedented opportunity explosion. Fortify resolve beyond comfortable circumstances handed to you. Don't take generational privilege for granted - use it as a foundation for your own progress. “We are living at the peak of human civilization.” I know that sounds hyperbolic. But consider this objectively. You stand now at the highest vantage point in the history of mankind when it comes to opportunity, technology, wisdom, and quality of life. In 75 years, we went from prop planes to commercial space flight. From news communicated by post to video calls on handheld devices transmitted by satellites in space. You can access virtually all cumulative knowledge known to humans in seconds from something in your pocket. Translate between languages instantly via AI. Map travel to remote villages Google hasn’t even photographed yet. But here’s the shocking part most haven’t realized... Despite all this exponential progress around us, most individuals fail to hold themselves to the standards such advancements make possible when it comes to actualizing our potential. We life spanned through a renaissance period that unlocked orders of magnitude more opportunity, tools, and information to enhance performance, well-being, and success... Yet, most trade this inheritance for distraction and limitation. Why Do We Squander Our Potential Despite Having Every Advantage? Make no mistake, you stand at the mountaintop when it comes to opportunity. But most come nowhere near achieving what is newly possible in their lifetime when it comes to fulfillment, human performance, and leaving a legacy. There is an alarming chasm between the acceleration of external potential... And lack of internal initiation to seize it. We’re living through discoveries and technological leaps our ancestors couldn’t even conceptualize. Yet, most use these for distraction and entertainment versus deliberate enhancement. For example, learning mastery was always a privilege of the well-connected or exceptionally motivated self-starter. To be a for most pursuits required intense commitment bordering on obsession. “student of the game” Now, you can access Ivy League-level curriculum from home on nutrition, fitness, finances, starting a business, languages, and more for free or extremely affordable. Yet, how many leverage this privileged panopticon of education handed to them? The mere abundance of opportunity actually has the inverse effect. It creates anxiety. The paradox of choice kicks in. They feel overwhelmed by open doors and unsure which path aligns with innate talents or burns with authentic passion and zeal. We know exponentially more about performance, psychology, wellbeing, and success than prior generations too. But we rarely apply this diligently to transcend the excuses that are holding us back. The pioneer heart still lies dormant within despite overwhelmingly favorable conditions for bold new frontiers. The perfect analogy: you’re standing in a forest, amongst massive Redwoods. You can’t help but be memorized by their grandeur, but you can’t bring yourself to plant a seed yourself. So Why This Tragic Gap Between Peak Potential and Performance? In one word? Entitlement. Entitlement manifests when we inherit reward without risk. Have privileges dropped in our lap without paying dues. Act entitled to outcomes without earned merit. The hallmark of entitled mindsets is desiring results now without requisite work beforehand. A gross sense of entitlement stems from the unusual situation we find ourselves in... We’re thrust into an environment drastically different than what our recent ancestors faced. Like time travelers, we skipped hundreds of incremental steps. We opened our eyes to a life wildly transformed by technology and innovation created before we were even born. Handed gadgets, tools, and abundances like magic. Yet, without direct experience progressively earned through each rung ourselves from the bottom up. We didn’t slowly acclimate across generations to appreciate or have a reference for how good we have it. We just stepped into this future now and accepted it as normal. Numbing ourselves to the heights we stand atop. When you don’t earn through your own blood, sweat, and tears — forced to find opportunity where little exists — you don’t fully respect the competitive advantage and possibilities at your fingertips today. Like trust fund kids aimlessly drifting through privilege not grounded by reality. Without scarcity as a sharp contrast, we lose sight of how overwhelmingly abundant life is now for those taking initiative. We gaze into the infinite realm of potential yet focus only on what remains out of reach still versus claiming all within grasp already. Innovation Alone Doesn’t Elevate Individually Make no mistake, access alone means little without action. Books on the shelf don’t transform until read and applied diligently. Courses mean nothing if never finished. Accountability partners lose their leverage when you stop showing up. As Morpheus reminded... “There is a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path.” Don’t pat yourself on the back simply for discovering life-changing wisdom not utilized. It remains inert potential energy at best. Only through courageous initiation do we embody new standards what expanded possibility now allows for. Step fully through the doorway from old limitations into frontiers before off-limits. Otherwise, we cash our inheritance early for distraction instead of investing and compounding gains. We celebrate progress but don’t individually push progress. Squandering our unprecedented opportunity ultimately just increases disempowerment and entitlement. Until we regress despite external progress lifting most boats. As Viktor Frankl said... “Ultimately man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather realize it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.” The path is paved, and tools are available to actualize your best life. But it demands responsibility. Owning our personal progression versus making excuses. Amor Fati — loving your fate — regardless of where you start. Seizing opportunity despite disadvantage. Forging your capability despite circumstance. Excuses or Action. Constraint or Creation. You choose daily. Mindset Determines Outcomes Over Environment Here’s an uncomfortable truth most deny... Your external conditions don’t determine outcomes nearly as much as initiative, mindset, psychology, and choices. Environment influences but doesn’t override individual responsibility. Regardless of noise that’s not within control, own what is, with extreme prejudice. This is called displacement theory — where we overfactor context and underappreciate personal accountability. Consider two examples that illustrate the immense leverage of mindset over environment: Immigrants frequently outperform their native peers in academics, income, and home ownership. Despite less access to resources, networks, or cultural familiarity when they start over, many immigrants radically thrive through bottom-up hustle. Conversely, lottery winners ending up worse financially years later is a documented phenomenon. Through entitlement without maturity, they squander windfalls despite luck removing obstacles for them. Or another example... Children of wealthy parents earning trust funds underperform self-made peers substantially, despite infinite safety nets allowing risk and failure. They substitute privilege for individual will and work ethic. Yet, those climbing from nothing showcase immense ambition regardless of environmental factors trying to limit belief in potential outcomes. The Championship Mindset In An Era Of Participation Awards Maybe these realities make you uncomfortable. Good. They are. We want to believe factors out of our control determine destinies. It absolves responsibility to take inventory of decisions and habits within influence that drive outcomes. Blaming society, injustice, or circumstance is easier than reflecting on the dicey notion “If I transformed my psychology and made better choices, I could radically change my results.” But let’s pause here. The goal isn’t condemnation over what have been done or guilt for past approaches. “should” The purpose is illumination, so we pivot forward empowered by truth. Awareness spurs change, not judgment. Transform excuses into energy toward your next phase of actualized potential. Forge opportunity by expanding the possibility of what you believe can be done despite constraints trying to convince you otherwise. Musashi called this having a “championship mindset.” Winners in any domain — sports, art, business, spirituality, relationships — build identity narratives that cut through obstacles in their heads first before ever seeing them manifest physically. Mental fortitude precedes external manifestation. Jelly insides show up as weak results regardless of your potential. Champions hold an almost delusional-level conviction in what they can accomplish if they strategically apply themselves over enough time. They embody the identity of excellence, domination, and impact so completely that it etches their physiology. Confidence is their baseline, not an aspirational boost needing external validation. This unstoppable mindset fuels consistent action towards audacious goals despite hurdles or timelines seeming unreasonable to rest. Great ones know external wins start within long before visible to the outside world. Cultivating sheer efficacy and willpower to turn dreams into plans and then plans into progress. They hold themselves to higher standards constantly. Making incremental improvement daily until the plateau of potential reached elevates baseline. Knowing marginal gains compound over time. This mentality separates those who squander natural talents that the rest wish they had...from those with championship vision who maximize every drop of human potential possessed. Who will you become? Identity drives reality. Claim Your Modern Birthright Manifesting potential starts by taking complete ownership of precious opportunity within your grasp right now. Birthright means an inheritance you’re entitled to by birth. Financial security, status, and assets family members pass down. I challenge you to view the situation you were born into more expansively. Your ancestor just two generations ago likely: Performed backbreaking labor from sunrise to sundown Had health issues we resolve easily today Had way less economic opportunity without global mobility and the internet Access to maybe a few books their whole life in rural areas Die by 60 years old from now preventable causes Just since 1990... Automation replaced 50% of tedious and dangerous jobs Healthcare innovation increased life expectancy over a decade The Internet created millions of economic opportunities Education went from privilege of few to accessible for all Extreme global poverty dropped by 50% The point is you won the cosmic lottery simply by being born in this time and place in history. So before complaining about limitations, perhaps compassionately reflect on how much circumstance-defying potential surrounds you here and now... Then courageously claim it. Sacrifice excuses for initiative. Accept abundance over entitlement. Double down on excellence and accountability. Living through these rare times is a modern birthright. But Destiny's true inheritance must be claimed with both hands despite endless distractions tempting complacency. Compounding This Windfall Part of maturity means realizing you don’t deserve anything simply because you exist. Universal energy rewards those taking responsibility. Actualizing your full potential involves stewarding ALL inheritances — money, knowledge, tools, relationships, inspiration — handed down to responsibly create MORE value as you climb the hierarchy of goals. Think back to stories like the Jesus told. A master going on a journey entrusts servants with bags of gold. In return, two invested and compounded the money. But one simply preserved the original inheritance, digging a hole to hide it without attempting to increase it. “Parable of the Talents” The message is clear: To those faithfully stewarding opportunity: “Well done! You have been trustworthy with small things, I will now give you much more.” But to the servant burying their potential: “You wicked and lazy servant! Take the gold from him and give it to the man enterprising increase.” So think back… Who worked diligently starting with little versus who squandered opportunity? Who multiplied gains versus who generated entitlement? Who owned the identity of excellence versus excuses? Compare where you started to possibilities before you now thanks to external progress. Have you compounded personal capability at an equal rate? Or stagnated in complacent entitlement enjoyed as a birthright? Awaken The Modern Pioneer Spirit Beyond holding yourself to higher standards, adopt the heart and spirit of past pioneers who settled frontiers. The pioneer journeys not for glory itself but so their grandchildren may have opportunities they never dreamed of. Sacrifice in the short term to build foundations for the betterment of future generations. Plant trees under whose shade you may never sit. But know they allow the fruits of your labor to be enjoyed for decades beyond your short, fleeting lifespan. This pioneer spirit is precisely what built the privileged conditions we enjoy but take for granted today. We forget the backs broken with labor and risk so we could have comfort and safety to unlock our creativity. Standing on the shoulders of giants, how will we lift the next wave still higher? The Modern Pioneer Rises What frontiers — physical, spiritual, scientific, personal — will you charge courageously into despite unknowns and fears holding most peers paralyzed? How can we hold ourselves to elevated expectations equal to the abundant privileges we inherited? Where can you multiply opportunity before passing the baton to youth who will one day stand exactly where you stand now? Progress depends on pioneers scraping trails where none exist yet. To blaze so others may follow. To settle where most only daydream of. To actualize imaginary places into inhabitable spaces. You now have guides, tools, and abundance allowing manifestation beyond the wildest dreams of ancestors just decades ago. Much gifted to start farther than they ever imagined. But the modern pioneer can’t rest on generational privilege alone. They must charge forward to meet the future. Create so their young may build upon foundations in place. Ignite sparks today so flames illuminate unforeseen horizons tomorrow. The Bravest Act of Our Times Perhaps this whole discussion seems irrelevant. But I assure you, truly embracing even a fraction of the exponential change swirling around us requires courage and foresight seen only at pivotal transitions in human history. Our complacency and distraction are simply conditioned comfort against risking the unknown frontier. Preference for slow deaths of boredom and limitation over daring greatly into undiscovered possibility. But you can’t selectively inherit the privilege of progress without also accepting responsibility to steward this momentum. Enjoying luxury without risking further elevation is not honorable. Progress depends on pioneers in every generation putting their shoulders to the wheel. To push exponential technology, innovation, and thought even higher. Standing on shoulders while lifting still taller. The bravest act in our times is acknowledging frankly the heights we now stand atop... legacy capital accumulated... gifts and knowledge solemnly passed down to us. Then courageously planting flags further. For not even the sky need be the limit anymore. The Summit Still Beckons Perhaps this brings more questions than concrete steps. It would make sense to feel overwhelmed realizing the progress civilization has made. Opportunities now exist beyond anything known for thousands of generations before. You may also feel anxious realizing you haven’t taken full advantage of what currently surrounds you. Instead, you’ve taken for granted the progress and inventions created by past generations who made this moment possible. That’s completely understandable. The first step is to gain perspective - to accurately see where we are thanks to those who came before us. Consider feeling grateful for the progress made by ancestors you now benefit from. Appreciation carries no judgment, only responsibility. We honor past generations by continuing the march of progress. Their innovations enable us; now, we must execute ourselves and pave the way for those to come. If you enjoyed this article, I’d love to hear from you. Email me at scott@scottdclary.com or at me and I’ll do my best to get back to everyone! tweet , @ScottDClary Also published here

We're Living in the Greatest Time in History (Yet Most Squander It)

আমরা ইতিহাসের সর্বশ্রেষ্ঠ সময়ে বাস করছি (তবুও এটি সবচেয়ে বেশি নষ্ট করে)

Wir leben in der großartigsten Zeit der Geschichte (und doch verschwenden die meisten sie)

Estamos viviendo el mejor momento de la historia (aunque la mayoría lo desperdicia)

Nous vivons la plus grande époque de l’histoire (et pourtant, la plupart la gaspillent)

हम इतिहास के सबसे महानतम समय में रह रहे हैं (फिर भी सबसे अधिक इसे बर्बाद कर रहे हैं)

私たちは歴史上最も素晴らしい時代に生きています（しかし、最も多くの人がそれを浪費しています）

우리는 역사상 가장 위대한 시대에 살고 있습니다(그러나 대부분은 그것을 낭비하고 있습니다)

Estamos vivendo o melhor momento da história (ainda que a maioria o desperdice)

Мы живем в величайшее время в истории (однако большинство его растрачивают)

Tarihin En Harika Zamanını Yaşıyoruz (Fakat Çoğu Kişi Bunu İsraf Ediyor)

Chúng ta đang sống trong thời đại vĩ đại nhất trong lịch sử (Tuy nhiên, hầu hết đều lãng phí nó)

我们生活在历史上最伟大的时代（但也是最浪费的时代）

I recently spoke with Sajjad Rehman, the VP of Revenue at . Sajjad has many years of experience building teams and businesses in Fintech, SoC, B2B SaaS, Gaming, Live Streaming, and now Web3. In our conversation, we discussed Web3’s security challenges, bridging the demand-supply gap for security expertise, and his advice for others building in the space right now. Immunefi Web3 Hello, Sajjad. Thanks for making the time to have this conversation. To start, can you please tell us a bit about yourself? Sure, of course. Thanks for having me. Can’t wait to dive deep into Web3 security, Immunefi, and more. I’m Sajjad Rehman, a design engineer turned venture builder and GTM leader. That’s how I like to see myself after 15+ years of building and managing 50+ teams across multiple industries, functions, and continents. I got an MS degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA in Finance from the University of Cambridge. But to be honest, most of what I’ve learned came from working with industry leaders like Amazon, Twitch, Jagex, Unstoppable Domains, and now Immunefi. Joining Immunefi came at the back of some deep personal transformations, though, about which I’ve written on social media. It not only made me a better leader, but also increased my ability to contribute in the way of making Web3—the world’s digital future—more resilient and secure. So, yeah—that’s me. Given your work to make Web3 more secure for projects and end-users, can you shed some light on the current state of the industry? Web3 has a major security challenge to overcome. Let’s face it upfront so we can make choices to solve the issue. There’s no point in sugarcoating this fact. has been lost to 292+ , scams, and frauds in 2023 so far. More than $22.1 million of this amount was in October alone. The figures for September and July are even higher, crossing $340 million and $320 million, respectively. Over $1.4 billion Web3 hacks In October, specifically, 73.7% of the attacks were hacks, while 26.3% were frauds. And almost 100% of these attacks targeted DeFi protocols. Looking into these nuances is very important. They help us see the areas that need focus from a security perspective. It’s the best way for the industry to carve its way forward, as we are already witnessing with the increasing number of projects launching bug bounties and engaging whitehats on Immunefi. Overall, I’d say the focus is steadily shifting towards baking in security from the get-go, unlike the trends we saw during the last DeFi Summer. We’re becoming more sensible, as you’d expect from any industry that’s moving from hype obsession to maturity. Things are great overall, and I’m very bullish. . Now, coming to Immunefi, please tell us about the key problems you’re solving and how. I’d also love to hear about your latest innovation, Vaults Immunefi is positioned as a leading bug bounty platform. From that vantage point, the biggest problem we solve is that of persistent security through a project's lifecycle. That’s fairly obvious. But in my view, what is more important to note is how we approach this mammoth task. On the one hand, you have Web3 projects facing a limbo when it comes to finding security researchers who are in the know of the industry’s trends and also have a vast skill set. The challenge here is that most white hat hackers have a legacy mindset and aren’t 100% efficient in discovering Web3-native threats that are becoming increasingly complex by the day. On the other hand, there are highly skilled Web3-native security researchers who, before Immunefi, didn’t have a dedicated platform to discover projects that would properly value and reward their efforts. They also faced various issues with payment disbursal and reliability, besides the lack of incentives to hunt on emerging projects. So, in all, you can say we’re solving a classic demand-supply matching problem for the Web3 security landscape. And in doing so, we’ve built to improve our value proposition 10/20/30x. It’s basically a smart contract wallet that projects can use to pay security researchers directly without doing it manually for each report or payout. Vaults Vaults will unlock a cutting-edge Proof-of-Funds mechanism, making bug bounties on Immunefi faster, more transparent, and hassle-free. Last but not least, we solve for building white hat communities around new projects. When new projects launch with nuanced tech, they won’t have eyes on code at the outset. This is not an easy problem to solve. It involves not just creating the right incentives but disseminating education the right way to build an informed white hat community around a project’s code that protects it. The launch of our bounty-boosting product is the first step of many in that direction. How can someone check out Vaults if they want to? Also, given your focus on the sales and revenue side of things, how do you see the ecosystem panning out now that we are hopefully recovering from a year-long winter? Setting up your Vault is super easy. Any Ethereum-based project can do it in under 10 minutes. They can simply head over to our and get started. The best part: it’s totally free. sign-up page Okay, now for the revenues, I think the good times are coming back. They never really left, actually. The solid projects, with strong foundations and clear goals, continued to receive support from investors of all kinds, retail and institutional. Of course, there wasn’t all the pomp and show about it, as you’d expect in a bear market. With BTC breaching the $34K mark, the buzz of a bull market is returning. It’s a good sign, overall, since more money will start flowing into the industry and help projects scale their efforts. But to consider things with more nuance, one must realize that the industry has been recovering steadily since the past quarter or so, with the number of daily Unique Active Wallets (dUAWs) in Q3 2023. reaching 2.2 million Moreover, though it’s counterintuitive, a rise in the number of hacks or fraud attempts is actually a sign of a better revenue influx. One mustn’t undermine our adversaries, especially when it comes to seeking out opportunities to make profits. It’s an uncomfortable but necessary truth. So, from now on, if you see a rise in malicious activities in any industry, understand that more money is flowing into that space, which the attackers are chasing. Of course, you’ll do whatever it takes to win the race, which is why platforms like Immunefi and a prolific, driven community of security researchers exist. Before we conclude this discussion, what’s your best advice for projects and teams building in the Web3 space right now? I’d say two things. One, focus on building a strong foundation: robust security, genuine utility, rich UX, etc. These are the aspects that’ll ultimately float your boat, no matter if the markets are up or down. Your customers or community will choose you to get their problems solved. Disappoint them, and they’re gone forever. But even if your token’s price stays low for a few quarters, it can go right back up again. Two, be ready to play the long-term game. It’s not about surfing the short waves alone, even if you make tons of money in the process, especially if your goal is to build a future-proof business capable of making ripples and becoming a pioneer. Web3 is an emerging industry that needs leaders who set examples and build standards. Not inheritors of legacy wealth or influence but real, driven, action-oriented entities. Make sure you fit the bill if you want a chance to succeed and dominate your industry five to ten years down the line. And if you don’t, someone else will—it’s about time.

Setting Standards in Web3 Security: A Discussion with Immunefi’s VP of Revenue, Sajjad Rehman

By its very nature, crypto attracts all walks of life. Participation in the digital economy , and enjoys representation . This makes sense when considering the motivations that lead people to take their value outside of traditional markets. The ongoing uncertainty and lack of accountability for TradFi’s bad actors continue to be sources of anxiety for retail customers. Bitcoin’s genesis block explicit mention of the failures that transpired following the 2008 global financial crisis. From its onset, this skepticism and hope for a system that puts people ahead of privileged insiders was baked into crypto’s source code. registers across age demographics throughout the political spectrum best captures this mood through However, the response from early enthusiasts within the crypto space set a tone that eschewed most aspects of traditional finance, including the scant protections that existed. Unfortunately, such “ ” thinking continues to draw negative attention from regulators while re-establishing an individualist pecking order that remains an albatross for traditional finance. While Satoshi Yakamoto’s preaches “trustless” transactions on a peer-to-peer network, it does not suggest participants should silo themselves in opposition to the broader community (see the BTC genesis block). Rather, allowing a mindset predicated on self-interest to take root risks polluting the inherent potential of crypto’s innovative technology. Like many instances in the real world, emphasis on the individual frequently holds back progress on a systemic level, even in instances where those same individuals stand to gain. A great example, at least in the United States, is education. Wild West white paper In many U.S. communities, within its zone. Along with funding for libraries and parks, these amenities aim to serve everyone and function as pillars of connection within a community. Too often, residents without children (and run-of-the-mill curmudgeons) will raise the argument that, since they experience no direct benefit from these tax-funded institutions, they shouldn’t have to contribute. It’s a somewhat sound argument if you squint because who needs the fire department when your house isn’t actively burning, right? What this umbrage fails to consider is how these investments are injected into the community through a variety of means. a portion of property taxes are allocated to schools back Obstinance to this process from well-off homeowners is inherently a net drain on the surrounding area despite its obvious benefits. Not only are homes situated closer to schools , but desirable (read: well-funded) districts that gallop prices well above market rates. And this is all before addressing the societal benefits that are created, which can have lasting effects on a macro level. typically valued higher can incite bidding wars From a shrewd (read: economic) perspective, schools are job creators and serve as integral nodes that support a community’s potential to deploy a workforce across any number of industries. When properly resourced, schools reciprocate that value by , and prepares subsequent generations for adult life. If your blood pressure is rising, pause and think of a teacher who helped you become the person you are today. Ask yourself: aren’t children more likely to succeed when they’re well-educated supported? , offering a variety of programming that alleviates working parents promotes social engagement for elderly citizens and Now imagine a society where cantankerous taxpayers get their way and retain their wealth without these contributions to the public good. Like us all, they eventually grow old. Nestled in their high-value homes after decades of denying resources to the surrounding blocks, they start to feel the walls closing in. Sure, they’re comfortable. But have trickled up, making it difficult to find local home care that meets their unique needs. This is compounded by a rising lack of agency. At first, just driving at night is tricky. declining graduation rates But soon, the car is safest in park. Homebound, they start to look around their neighborhood for outlets. Available resources that were viewed as plentiful, back when contributing to their longevity felt superfluous, have dried up. And where it was once unconscionable why anyone would go see a high school matinee of , such a social experience suddenly feels like a luxury. Bye Bye Birdie From this commonly accessible vantage point, a two-pronged approach to reorienting the crypto ecosystem emerges: nurture a true sense of community and find points of commonality that rally solidarity among participants. Like the school example above, such a holistic approach could reimagine how networks interact and benefit in the digital economy by abandoning untoward self-interest. If business-as-usual ideology results in regular and in traditional finance (and, let’s be honest, ), why replicate such norms? Why build an analogous system to the one whose colossal failure sparked Satoshi’s monumental breakthrough? calamities fraud crypto too Rather than waiting until the house is on fire or we’re stuck longing for amateur theater, leaders need to think proactively about building solutions that account for crypto’s ultimate dream. Despite effective altruism proving itself to be little more than robber baron alimony for the digital age, . Carnegie at least left libraries behind From equitably sharing the spoils to ceasing black hat trading techniques to rooting out opportunists who see the world as a mark, a new vision must rise from its ashes. This is both a big tent technological vision and a new covenant of values. To find firm global footing, crypto must retreat from gluttonous visions of wealth-at-all-costs if it hopes to survive . compounding regulatory and consumer culls To achieve global adoption, crypto companies need to start conceiving of the ecosystem as a single organism whose success requires collaborative effort and investment. Whether this demands the development of new or better networks, true progress must be measured by our collective will to achieve financial freedom. No longer a zero-sum game, this is an opportunity for the best and brightest to determine which stars are within reach. After watching how the class of Web 2.0 matured and the world they left behind, it's clear that what comes next must truly aim to shift the cultural paradigm.

To Achieve Global Adoption, Crypto Should Remember Its Roots

গ্লোবাল অ্যাডপশন অর্জন করতে, ক্রিপ্টোকে তার শিকড়গুলি মনে রাখা উচিত

Um eine weltweite Akzeptanz zu erreichen, sollte sich Krypto an seine Wurzeln erinnern

Para lograr una adopción global, las criptomonedas deben recordar sus raíces

Pour parvenir à une adoption mondiale, la crypto devrait se souvenir de ses racines

वैश्विक स्वीकृति प्राप्त करने के लिए, क्रिप्टो को अपनी जड़ें याद रखनी चाहिए

世界的な普及を達成するには、暗号通貨はそのルーツを思い出す必要があります

글로벌 채택을 달성하려면 암호화폐는 그 뿌리를 기억해야 합니다

Para alcançar a adoção global, a criptografia deve se lembrar de suas raízes

Чтобы добиться глобального принятия, криптовалюта должна помнить свои корни

Küresel Benimsenmeyi Sağlamak İçin Kripto, Köklerini Hatırlamalı

Để đạt được sự chấp nhận toàn cầu, tiền điện tử nên nhớ về nguồn gốc của nó

为了实现全球采用，加密货币应该记住它的根源

Over the course of a year, I embarked on a project, initially uncertain about its nature and significance. It began with an attempt to solve the Collatz "3x+1" conjecture, a mathematical game involving the transformation of numbers. If a number is odd, you multiply it by 3 and add 1; if even, you divide it by 2. For example, starting with 3: 3 = 3*3+1 = 10 = 5 = 16 = 8 = 4 = 2 = 1, and so on. This sequence forms a loop (4 = 2 = 1) that repeats indefinitely, and similar loops exist for numbers like 7, though my memory of this is somewhat uncertain. The central notion is that mathematics cannot definitively prove whether there exists a number x that perpetually grows towards infinity, given the intricacies of infinity and related concepts. The very idea of infinity can be fragmented into various categories, some tangible and others abstract. While my mathematical knowledge and ability to articulate it are limited, I dedicated most of my time to pondering the philosophical aspects of these problems. After nine months, I have arrived at a conclusion. The connection between my initial project and the thoughts I want to convey is somewhat intricate. In February, when I initiated this project, I was openly proclaiming my interest in psychology. Despite my lack of recent formal studies in psychology, my past knowledge was extensive, especially compared to those I conversed with. While the concepts I discussed were not novel, their historical depth and significance remained intact. With this background, let's delve into a seemingly simple yet deeply controversial notion: "The Earth is flat." On the surface, this idea may appear unsophisticated or even foolish, yet it has persisted through the years. How could such a concept exist in a world of science, mathematics, and quantum physics? The answer lies in philosophy. Our unique ability to create and explore the uncharted realms of imagination by blending bits of information from various sources, incorporating ideas from Euclidean geometry, spherical geometry, and hyperbolic geometry, allows us to engage in profound philosophical contemplation. We can explore new facets of our world by contemplating possibilities such as a reversed universe's geometry. What if we are not at the center of a sphere but positioned outside it, offering a primordial perspective that encompasses all? These musings open doors to understanding how a being could be so powerful in facing a sphere and simultaneously embodying the two opposing aspects. At this juncture, religion could interject, asserting that spheres cannot exist, thereby transforming our existence into something akin to Minecraft (though, of course, I jest). My fascination with these ideas led to numerous conversations with ChatGPT, delving deeply into philosophical discussions. One topic that emerged from these dialogues was the concept of primitive humans, beings capable of consciousness yet hindered by their lack of physical tools for exploration. How did they interpret the nature of reality? One example of such interpretation is the philosophical and esoteric tradition known as Hermeticism, which draws wisdom from ancient texts attributed to Hermes Trismegistus. Hermeticism encapsulates several core principles: Everything is fundamentally mental, suggesting that the mind is the primary source of reality. The Principle of Mentalism: As above, so below; as below, so above, implying a connection between the universe and individuals. The Principle of Correspondence: Everything is in constant motion, with varying vibration levels corresponding to different forms of energy and matter. The Principle of Vibration: Everything has its opposite, and these dualities create balance. The Principle of Polarity: Everything follows natural cycles, offering insights into harmony with the universe. The Principle of Rhythm: Known as the Law of Karma, this principle highlights personal responsibility for one's actions. The Principle of Cause and Effect: Recognizes gender at all creation levels, suggesting masculine and feminine energies contribute to the creative process. The Principle of Gender: Explores the presence of both masculine and feminine aspects within an individual's mind. The Principle of Mental Gender: These principles can be found in texts like the "Emerald Tablet," attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, and have influenced various esoteric and spiritual traditions, including alchemy, astrology, and the Western magical tradition. This interplay of ancient philosophical concepts and modern science is particularly engaging. Despite my limited scientific knowledge, I ponder ideas that bridge the gap between quantum and Newtonian physics. From a higher vantage point, we might interpret the probabilities and chaos within the subatomic realm. Imagine this chaos as akin to the interactions of cells (and our immune systems particularly), with some perishing while others engage in conflicts. This perspective posits that the universe could be teeming with viruses. Building upon an idea suggesting life on Earth originated from space. Each creature possesses a specific DNA length, with viruses potentially disrupting it to establish replication factories, spreading themselves further. While the existence of extraterrestrial viruses remains uncertain, this line of thought is nonetheless intriguing. The concept of DNA ladders traveling through space, carrying the knowledge of unconsciously combatting viruses, and ultimately regaining their previous level of consciousness to fully understand their bodies, presents a fascinating perspective that bridges the gap between evolutionism and creationism. It suggests a common origin for all Earthly creatures, featuring shared body parts like eyes, ears, and mouths. These may have derived from a central DNA structure that gradually evolved in complexity over time, eventually leading to the development of higher cognitive functions. Cognition, in this context, might be a product of complex interplays within the brain. Such complexity could be intricately tied to a specific DNA length and the information required to guide the body. In a scenario where a virus threatens the existence of intelligent beings on a planet, these beings may decide to replicate segments of their DNA using repetition as a space-saving mechanism. This would ensure the continued existence of their genetic code, even in the face of potential devastation. Through this replication process, they would preserve the repetitive instructions necessary to restore the original guiding principle that initiated their evolutionary journey. Frequently, following the same path results in collapse, emphasizing the importance of not adhering to this path unless one seeks failure. Now, to anchor to reality, repetition serves to maintain space and initiate the cycle of life's evolution and self-development. In this context, these beings are akin to gods, with the struggle between matter and antimatter now manifesting as a conflict between viruses and our internal systems, revealing their underlying similarities. In conclusion, my intention was to capture the attention of individuals interested in contributing to a better future. While the concepts and theories discussed are captivating, tangible progress necessitates a solid grounding in the real world. We must embark on the creation of revolutionary inventions to prepare for an array of potential scenarios, from nanobots capable of predicting diseases to small drones collecting excess sunlight to prevent overheating. The scope of work is vast, requiring collaborative efforts. While some might perceive these ideas as delusional, I'd rather dwell in a world colored by optimism than one marred by war, pain, and suffering. The cognitive revolution occurred approximately 70,000 years ago, marking the inception of ideological conflicts. The advent of agriculture 12,000 years ago led to further conflicts, often unintentional, which took a toll on our species. The scientific revolution, dating back 500 years, has provided us with powerful instruments, including destructive ones. Two hundred years ago, the Industrial Revolution made these tools readily accessible to all. I propose that we pause intermittently, looking beyond our immediate concerns to contemplate the broader picture. What might we discover when we shift our perspective? Will we encounter a reflection of ourselves, or will we encounter something entirely new? My hope is that the next revolution will prioritize the future's well-being.

How Complex is Humanity? Short Answer: Very; Long Answer? Well..

By Aoibhinn Mc Bride Holding your hands up and taking accountability for a mistake is never easy. So, spare a thought for the who are now admitting that hastily issuing return to office (RTO) orders wasn’t their best decision. 80% of business leaders A found that most leaders made their decision around forcing staff back to the office by analyzing keycard monitoring data and by seeing how many times meeting spaces were utilized, rather than by speaking to employees and taking their thoughts around returning to the office five days per week into consideration. new report by Envoy Additional data compiled by Owl Labs for its found that 69% of employees believe companies are insisting on a return to office because of traditional work expectations rather than functional benefits. State of Hybrid Work 2023 report Using employee monitoring data to ensure their staff are coming into the office is nothing new—companies including and have been using employee badge swipes to monitor in-office attendance for over a year—but is counting swipes the best way to make decisions around workplace location? JPMorgan Chase Google While 94% of those who took part in the Owl Labs survey shared that they could be convinced to come back to the office, 56% said their level of work-related stress increased since last year, highlighting that being in the office full-time isn’t serving everyone. Moving Forward So what can you do if your employer is insisting you wave goodbye to your home office for good and return to the office permanently? For starters, if commuting to an office every day is going to leave you worse off financially, you could ask for a pay rise to cover the cost—29% of those Owl Labs spoke to expect a pay increase if forced back to the office. Or perhaps you can speak to your manager about revising its technology so that it facilitates remote work more effectively, meaning you can adopt a hybrid working model instead. Additionally, you could try and negotiate a four-day week where you consolidate your work into four days but your . productivity and output stay the same However, if your employer is refusing to meet you half or even part of the way, one solution is to find a new job in a company that facilitates remote work. If so, the is the perfect place to start your search. HackerNoon Job Board It features thousands of jobs in companies that are actively hiring remote workers, including the three below. Senior Sales Engineer, Coder, Remote Coder is on a mission to build enterprise software that makes software developers’ lives easier and keeps them in flow. We are looking for a who will work with enterprise account executives to qualify, progress, and close revenue opportunities with Fortune 500 customers for Coder’s self-hosted Development Environment Platform. Senior Sales Engineer In this role, you will be a stakeholder in the technical relationship with customers, demonstrate the Coder platform from both the end user (developer) and administrator points of view, and install the Coder platform on various cloud and on-premise Kubernetes and VM infrastructure. . Find out more information here Product Manager, Search Platform Integration, Virtuoso Ltd, Remote Virtuoso is the leading global travel agency network specializing in luxury and experiential travel. The will oversee the integration of the Algolia search platform and play a crucial role in enhancing the search capabilities of the platform, ensuring a seamless and intuitive search experience for travel products, travel advisors, network-specific content, and travel inspiration content for valued travelers. Product Manager, Search Platform Integration As such, you will work closely with technical teams to define data structures, indexing strategies, and search algorithms that optimize search results across various content types. . See the full job description here Salesforce Solutions Architect, Vantage Point Consulting, Remote As a , you will play an integral role in the high satisfaction of Vantage Point's clients through the design and development of scalable, high-quality Salesforce services and solutions. Salesforce Solutions Architect The Solution Architect is responsible for owning the overall design of the technical application and recommending best practice solutions based on client business needs. . View additional details here Find your next job in tech today via the HackerNoon Job Board

Does Your Boss Regret Asking You to Come Back to the Office?

আপনার বস কি আপনাকে অফিসে ফিরে আসতে বলার জন্য অনুতপ্ত?

Bereut Ihr Chef es, Sie gebeten zu haben, ins Büro zurückzukehren?

¿Se arrepiente su jefe de haberle pedido que volviera a la oficina?

Votre patron regrette-t-il de vous avoir demandé de revenir au bureau ?

क्या आपके बॉस को आपको कार्यालय वापस आने के लिए कहने पर पछतावा है?

あなたの上司はあなたにオフィスに戻ってくるよう頼んだことを後悔していますか?

당신의 상사가 당신에게 사무실로 돌아오라고 한 것을 후회합니까?

Seu chefe se arrepende de ter pedido para você voltar ao escritório?

Сожалеет ли ваш начальник, что попросил вас вернуться в офис?

Patronunuz Ofise Geri Dönmenizi İstediğinden Pişman mı Oldu?

Sếp của bạn có hối hận khi mời bạn quay lại văn phòng không?

你的老板后悔让你回到办公室吗？

A Conversation with Ilnar Shafigullin Today, we are privileged to converse with Ilnar Shafigullin, a notable methodology specialist with an expansive expertise in applied mathematics, data science, and AI/ML methodologies and solutions, particularly within the innovative sphere of EdTech platforms. Ilnar, with a substantial 12-year history in university teaching and a deep-seated passion for educational methodologies, has been an influential figure in the field. In recent years, he has been steering the methodological direction at Geekbrains, a preeminent entity in the realm of EdTech in CIS and a luminary in IT education, holding the #1 position in the CIS. With a staggering 70K+ students enrolled in programs spanning 1-3 years and a user base of over 6M+, Geekbrains stands as a monumental presence in the educational technology sector. As its Methodology Director, Ilnar has significantly impacted the educational narrative, notably through his pioneering "Developer" educational product. As we unravel the intricacies of modern educational trajectories, explore the prevailing challenges, and contemplate the anticipated future of learning, let’s embark on this explorative discourse. The past decade has witnessed education metamorphosing in unprecedented ways, transitioning online and further morphing with the advent of generative networks. How do you perceive the contemporary educational market? Could you shed light on the essence of education, its constituents, and its multifaceted forms? Alexander Volchek: To truly grasp the essence of education, we need to appreciate its multifaceted nature, influenced by a myriad of parameters. Education can manifest as online, offline, or a hybrid blend; it can be synchronous or asynchronous; orchestrated for individuals or groups, and so forth. The permutations are vast. For instance, traditional schooling predominantly hinges on offline, synchronous group sessions. Contrast this with online foreign language tutoring, which leans towards an individual, synchronous mode. And mind you, these are just the tip of the iceberg. The myriad combinations underscore the expansive canvas that is "education." Ilnar Shafigullin: It's also pivotal to understand that there isn't a one-size-fits-all formula. The choice of educational approach hinges heavily on the objectives in play, whether from the student's lens, the EdTech entity's perspective, or the educator's vantage point. Zooming into my most recent endeavors over the last few years, I've been deeply entrenched in large-scale, blended synchronous-asynchronous online education tailored for the IT realm. As it stands, programs that I've helmed have tens of thousands of students onboard, with durations spanning from 6 to a staggering 36 months. Let's delve deeper into the vast expanse of large-scale online education. Could you shed light on its intricacies and the prevailing trends in recent times? Alexander Volchek: The landscape is dotted with a myriad of entities, each charting their unique course. Yet, when we distill their essence from a business lens, the overarching ambition for EdTech ventures invariably circles back to maximizing profitability. Navigating this quest, several pivotal educational challenges emerge: Ilnar Shafigullin: Scalable Education: The imperative is not just to cater to the masses but to ensure scalability without diluting educational quality. Cost Efficiency: Every student's operational expenditure needs to be streamlined to the bare minimum. High Completion and Referral Rates: The gold standard is not just student retention but ensuring they realize their set educational aspirations. The ripple effect? A satisfied student body that becomes ambassadors of your product. The market's diverse players adopt varied strategies to tackle these challenges. A popular approach hinges on asynchronous, online, and solo learning paradigms. Here, the learning ecosystem orbits around students autonomously navigating pre-curated materials and undertaking assignments. These tasks either undergo automated assessments or are vetted by educators. Whether it's text-based content or video lectures, this model stands out in scalability and cost-effectiveness. However, this model grapples with the challenge of ensuring tangible educational outcomes. Given the absence of real-time interactions with educators or peers, the onus of success squarely rests on the student's shoulders. Their intrinsic motivation and tenacity become the linchpins of their educational journey. My professional odyssey resonated with an establishment that championed synchronous, online, group-centric learning. Here, each session transforms into a virtual conclave of students and a subject maestro, unraveling new topics and collaboratively tackling tasks. The allure of this model lies in its heightened student engagement, fostered by collective learning and immediate access to experts. But it's not without its challenges, especially when scaling becomes the ambition. For context, teaching a cohort of 50 students might necessitate one expert. But scaling this to 5,000 students implies rallying an army of 100 experts, each mirroring the same expertise level. The inevitable fallout? Skyrocketing operational costs. Fascinating insights. Confronted with such intricate challenges, how did you navigate this maze to ensure scalability without compromising quality? Interviewer: It's a multifaceted conundrum, no doubt. Our leadership was unequivocal in its vision: preserve the essence of synchronous education while championing scalability and fostering operational frugality. And as the numbers suggest, with over 30,000 students engaged with our product, we've indeed hit our stride. Ilnar Shafigullin: To unpack this, it's pivotal to demystify the learning process. What does it encapsulate? Fundamentally, it's about imparting a chunk of theoretical knowledge to students and subsequently ensuring they not only grasp it but can pragmatically apply it. If there's a disconnect, the onus is on us to bridge that gap. In an undiluted synchronous paradigm, both these facets resist effortless scalability. Especially the preliminary phase, the dissemination of theoretical knowledge, is a veritable minefield. Hypothetically, let's say our arsenal comprises 100 experts tasked with enlightening our students. The expectation is uniformity - each educator should exude consistent expertise, radiate enthusiasm, and be adept at student interactions. Each of these sessions carries a price tag, and an expert's caliber directly inflates the cost. Yet, stripped to its core, they're essentially echoing the same content. The logical pivot? Transitioning such sessions into the asynchronous realm. Imagine harnessing the prowess of a singular, top-tier expert, recording it in a state-of-the-art studio. Every student would then access this meticulously crafted lecture, potentially reaping more value than from a live session helmed by a mid-tier expert. The ensuing challenge, ensuring the assimilation and application of imparted knowledge, still merits synchronous engagement. But with a twist. We could curate a blueprint for these sessions, laden with well-defined tasks, probing questions, and a roadmap for student interactions. Supplement this with exhaustive solutions and preemptive answers, and even a novice instructor can steer the session to success. This recalibration not only mitigates our dependence on high-caliber experts but also catapults our product's scalability and, importantly, accentuates the educational experience. Still, this is but a glimpse into the myriad adjustments essential to uphold the sanctity of synchronous education. Indeed, the details you've shared are eye-opening. Can you shed light on any other intricacies associated with synchronous education? Interviewer: Certainly. When you cast your gaze upon the titans of the industry—entities that don't confine themselves to niche domains but endeavor to enlighten students across an expansive spectrum of disciplines—a glaring challenge presents itself: maintaining the gold standard of educational content and orchestrating the formation of cohorts. Given our commitment to synchronous learning, operational overheads associated with conducting classes are significant. Consequently, the initiation of any teaching cohort mandates a specific student count to ensure financial viability. Ilnar Shafigullin: Both these challenges find their solution in a radical reshaping of learning trajectories. I've pioneered a tree-structured learning framework within our entity. This strategy emphasizes front-loading the foundational components of the learning journey—those segments that demand infrequent updates. The more volatile, frequently updated segments are positioned towards the trajectory's culmination. This stratagem enabled us to unify certain segments of diverse learning pathways. All students embark on a unified journey for the initial two months. Subsequently, a career alignment phase bifurcates them into specialized paths, and another seven months down the line, they diverge based on their chosen tech stacks. This approach not only optimized our unit economics in an unprecedented manner but also guaranteed that our student cohorts reached a critical mass, facilitating bi-monthly commencement of courses. In essence, we've managed to retain the essence of synchronous learning, scale it to accommodate tens of thousands, and sculpt an unparalleled economic model for our segment. This has been vividly demonstrated through the Developer program, a project I've passionately been building for the past 2 years, where all these methodologies and principles have not only been implemented but have also proven their efficacy and impact in real-world educational contexts. That's truly commendable! Casting your gaze forward, how do you envision the trajectory of education and the EdTech landscape, especially with the dawn of transformative technologies like generative networks? Interviewer: Generative networks are potent catalysts poised to supercharge the educational realm. Traditional education invariably grapples with the constraints of human bandwidth— the responsiveness of an expert, the turnaround time for assignment evaluations, or elucidations of intricate lecture points. And let's not forget, experts come with a premium. Generative networks, in this context, can potentially revolutionize the triad of challenges I previously outlined: scalability, operational expenditure, and realizing educational outcomes. Ilnar Shafigullin: While integrating these nascent technologies does pose certain challenges, primarily due to their novelty and the limited fraternity with access to such tech, the trajectory is clear. Generative networks are poised to make their indelible mark on the educational tapestry. Virtually every facet of the learning ecosystem stands to gain from these networks, signaling an exhilarating future. A heartfelt thank you to Ilnar for sharing such a comprehensive and enlightening narrative about contemporary IT education. It's truly been an insightful journey into understanding the intricate, multifaceted nature of the educational process. If any of our readers are contemplating venturing into the education sector, it's crucial to recognize and appreciate its multifaceted nature. Ilnar has gracefully unfolded just a glimpse of a few parameters, illustrating an immensely varied approach towards learning and educational methodologies, and there is certainly a profound depth to explore further in this narrative. Moreover, the emphasis on integrating AI into educational practices is not to be dismissed as mere trend-following; it's a tangible leap towards the future. The imminent years are poised to witness transformative shifts in education, significantly shaped by the introduction and integration of generative networks. It's a field ripe for exploration, experimentation, and practical application of these networks. Thus, delve, explore, and experiment with generative networks as they undeniably play a pivotal role in scripting the future trajectory of education. Your journey into understanding and perhaps shaping the future of education starts with recognizing these emerging, transformative trends.

Navigating the Future of EdTech: Synchronous Learning and the Power of Generative Networks 

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