I saw this tweet from a conference/Twitter friend recently, and it got me thinking about "jobs" in general (Eryn is super cool, by the way. You should totally follow her and stuff).
It also reminded me of this CNBC article yesterday:
Nix the C-suite, soon blockchain will let armies of free agents run companies.
This may be one of the first mainstream articles I've seen discussing DACs/DAOs in a very positive light. It goes well with my recent decision to join the eosDAC launch team: A Big Step Towards Our Decentralized Future: I've Joined the eosDAC Launch Team!
The blockchain space has been so good to me (financially, relationally, professionally, spirtually, philosophically, and more). And yet, I've never had a blockchain "job."
Now, let me pause for a moment to recognize the elephant in the room.
priv·i·lege
noun
- a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people.
I get that I'm privileged. It wasn't always that way, and I know what it's like to go without, but I currently enjoy a very wonderful position in life. I built my own business for the last ten years, 6 of that working for myself with my business partner and team full-time which allowed me to explore interesting technologies like Bitcoin, which I've been tweeting about since 2013. Having that freedom, security, safety, and flexibility to spend time exploring crazy technologies like the blockchain ultimately allowed me to pay of my house and just this year I sold my business to my business partner to focus on this space full-time.
So what have I been doing the last 4 months?
That's what this post is about. I want to answer Eryn's tweet with something practical that makes sense for anyone exploring employment opportunities in this new world of tokenomics. I'm not sure of the best way to do that since this new model allows for individualized, distributed specialization. I guess I'll just start with myself as an example.
First off, I've been actively blogging here on Steemit. As you can see from my wallet, that has been very lucrative. Additionally, I've been a STEEM Witness which has also paid very well. Thankfully, I haven't had to spend these tokens to live on (yet).
For those not as familiar with cryptocurrency, you may be asking, "But is this real money?"
Yes, with a 24-hour volume above $50,000,000 it's very real and liquid enough to easily move in and out of.
Steemit is a lot more than just financial rewards to me, and I understand my experience here is not typical, but I also think it's not impossible for those like me who've been blogging for 14+ years, involved in technology, invested in bitcoin, etc... (For tips on success via Steemit, see SteemitIsToMe: Relationships, Reputation, and Rewards).
In addition to STEEM, I've also been learning quite a bit about BitShares and various trading strategies:
- My Altcoin Investments: A Steemit Story
- Playing in the Margins: bitUSD and BitShares on Open Ledger
- Reading the BitShares Whitepaper
- Questions from a BitShares Newbie
- A Simple Example of Shorting the U.S. Dollar With BitShares
- 9 Day bitUSD Loan Result: 19,821 BitShares and 199 ZAPPL for Free
- Are you Shorting Fiat Currency yet?
- I Got Margin Called on HERO Today. Things Don't Always Go Up.
- Do Cryptocurrency Speculators Fear Utility?
I've been learning about projects like SmartCash and running master nodes:
- My SmartCash Story
- I Bought Some More SmartCash
- I Finally Took the Loss
- SmartCash is Blowing Up! Social Capital and the Warm Feeling of Being Lucky!
- Teaching Cryptocurrency to the Next Generation: My Son Just Bought $8.33 More SmartCash
- SmartNodes Are Among Us and SmartCash Price Is Rising!
- Scripts for Managing Multiple SmartCash Smart Nodes on One Server
I've been an early super fan of EOS, following it since the ICO started last year:
- Say No to FOMO. EOS ICO: A Call to Rationality
- Could EOS Become the Most Widely Distributed ICO Ever?
- The Irrational Trader
- Why Am I Such a Fan of DPOS Blockchains Like STEEM and BitShares?
- How To Buy and Secure Your EOS
- So You Want to Learn About EOS...
And of course, my latest passion, eosDAC:
- A Big Step Towards Our Decentralized Future: I've Joined the eosDAC Launch Team!
- Reminder: the eosDAC Airdrop Happens on April 15th at 01:00 UTC!
- The eosDAC YouTube Channel Was Taken Down and We Need Your Help!
- The eosDAC Airdrop Day 2 is Underway!
I could go on and on about other projects I've talked about like AcademyToken and RavenCoin along with others that totally failed (* cough * CryptoHunt * cough *). I put these lists together not expecting anyone to read through them all, but because it's helpful to me as a reference when need to find what I've already written on a topic. :)
In short, I've been doing a lot of things! I've been busy every day working to add value which includes doing interviews with people like Wade Peterson, Terry Brock, David Pakman, encryptdcouple, Kenny Palurintano, Ashe Oro, Kirill Kich, and maybe more I'm not remembering at the moment. I've done some consulting and advising as well. I've written code to create reports like Exchange Transfer Report and the The Witness Voting Engagement Report.
My point here is to show how I've taken my specific skills (blogging, communicating, programming, trading and economics, etc) and leveraged them to add value in the cryptocurrency/blockchain space for which I've been richly rewarded.
How Can You Get Involved?
I really do think anyone can do a unique version of this. This is just my personal, privileged example of doing what I do. You can take what you do also and connect with over over 1,591 cryptocurrency projects listed on Coin Market Cap to find something that not only excites and fulfills you, but is richly rewarding as well!
Sometimes it's as simple as taking what you're passionate about and finding a blockchain company working in that space. If they are a legitimate project with a real team, it's possible they already have real money to pay you to be awesome. Some of these projects have millions of dollars in token value and are scrambling to hire people in all areas from programming, to marketing, to evangelism... anything a "normal" company needs, they need also.
The best way to get started, in my opinion, is to do some research! Join their Slack, Telegram, and/or Discord channels and get to know the team. Start blogging about what you're learning as you learn it. People love to see others get excited about their projects and will often share your blogs or vlogs with their entire community. As you continue to add value, you may find them offering you tokens as a thank you or something more structured like a full-time position. Ideally, you can stay flexible and look for things like worker proposals where you can get paid directly from the blockchain for a project you create or a project someone else is looking to get done.
I'll give some examples:
- Go through the BitShares forums looking for worker proposals.
- Check out the open Smart Cash proposals or create your own.
- Find a Dash budget proposal you want to help with or again, create your own. Ben Swan getting funded by Dash is a great example.
- You can also open a really wide net and check bitcointalk.org or Reddit. There's even a Jobs4Crypto subreddit.
Ultimately, I think your best bet is to do some research on the various cryptocurrency projects in the space. Start with stuff like this 100 cryptocurrencies described in four words or less article. Branch out from there to the other 1,400+. Find something you're absolutely passionate about and then connect with their team to add value. Not in a "Hey, can I get a job?" way. That's just annoying. Instead, start finding needs and filling them. Become a valuable member of the community. Add so much value that they want to pay you to keep doing what you're doing.
That's where the magic happens. Doing what you love and would do for free anyway while also getting paid in tokens that are going up in value exponentially (granted, they are a bit volatile which is where things like bitUSD come in handy).
I think the future will be a version of gift economy, collaborative commons, and tokenomics all rolled together. I've been saying since 2013 how disruptive bitcoin technologies are. People are starting to listen.
The first step is to understand what cryptocurrencies and blockchains are. I'm trying to help with that with some free videos I put together at understandingblockchainfreedom.com. It's also important, IMO, to understand some economics and the very nature of financial value itself.
Yes, it's a bit overwhelming. Yes, it takes a lot of effort. Yes, teaching experience is hard. It's also really, really worth it. The value of the freedom to wake up every day and work on whatever I want to is beyond words. The peace of mind knowing my family is financially taken care of because of these magic internet tokens created out of nothing is amazing. :)
As I talked about recently, exponential change is coming, and I want to help as many people like Eryn as I can get in front of the change and benefit from it.
I hope this helps you think differently about the opportunities available to you. Anyone with a computer, an internet connection, and some time can contribute. If we're successful in decentralizing and distributing opportunities, anyone can find their own privileged niche as well. We all have a role to play.
What's yours?
And most of that volume is concentrated on only 3 exchanges: Bittrex, Binance and Upbit. Just 3 exchanges!!!
No Coinbase yet, no Bithumb, etc...
Not to mention the fact that Steemit is a microbe compared to the major video and social media sites in terms of daily active users.
There's a lot of opportunity for this blockchain of opportunity. :)
Being an employee is an old-fashioned source of income and you're like a prisoner of the four corner of your office or where ever your workplace be. The best choice is being self-employed doing some business of your own or the latest one, being a crypto trader or being a steemian that keeps steeming :)
I am definitely no programmer, but my transition to the token economy is now taking hold. Especially with exchange rates turning more favorable to Steem and SBD. I have been on Steemit for just under four months and it has been an amazing journey so far.
I do have the advantage of being located in Peru where my Steem will go much further that say New York, London or Beijing. Having this advantage allows me to dedicate more time to Steemit and it is starting to bare fruit. The next hurdle is the conversion options to local currency to use to purchase say: food, pay rent and bills etc.
I see steemit become multifaceted in terms of its offerings. I think that will be dependent of the particular community within the blockchain. I see so many opportunities on here. Not only that, include all the tech or apps created on top of Steem... wow!
Steem is planting trees, I would have never thought it feasible, but I was very quickly proven wrong. But that is the beauty of this new tech and space, it is all to be discovered yet. That for me is very exciting and I intend to use it to benefit others as much as possible.
You're doing a fantastic job so far, and it's fun to watch. :)
I hope more local currency conversion options open up for you. Hopefully you can start building a community of people there who understand the value of STEEM and start wanting to purchase some themselves and use it for their own local economy.
The new face of "work" is certainly an interesting idea to speculate on. With blockchain technology and the increasingly automated nature of "traditional" work, it wouldn't surprise me if we move towards a system of "microrewards," not unlike Steemit.
Except-- you give a piece of useful advice somewhere, you get a reward. You provide a snippet of code of an app-- you get a reward. You offer a suggestion to help someone's permaculture project-- you get a reward. You don't really have "a job," you just do a bunch of things. You don't have an an "employer;" you work for LOTS of people, or for "the world."
I started speculating on this some 20 years ago-- my wife and I dubbed it "patchwork economics." You don't do any one thing that earn you "a living;" you do lots of things that add up to a living.
It's starting to look a lot less speculative than it did, even 20 years ago.
Interesting read!
Wow, I love that idea. Rewarded for providing value, not having an identity wrapped up in a "job."
Exactly! And it develops the idea that we all have more "value" than just "being a doctor" and "being a developer" and so on.
(Sorry, it was late last night when I wrote this comment, and my brain was a bit fuzzy, and I didn't fully flesh it out...)
In some sense, it's the ultimate incarnation of "Anarcho-Capitalism" (I don't really like that term, though... but it'll suffice), married to a sort of functional collectivism in which we're all accountable for ourselves, but we're also intricately accountable for everyone.
"Companies" may continue to exist, but they will have no — or very few — "employees;" the employees may just be a small group of founders/admins who oversee a network of "contributors." In a way, we may see a great increase in quality and efficiency because every organization now can bid out every task to a talent pool that — in essence — is the entire world. Each one of us becomes both a "provider" and a "consumer."
And now we have blockchain technology and things like "smart contracts" to to actually run such an economy in the logistics/functional sense. Previously the idea has always been somewhat rejected because people say "That sounds very utopian and cool and all, but it would be a logistical IMPOSSIBILITY."
Maybe not anymore.
Of course, there's always the Human Factor to consider... you and I might welcome and embrace the freedom, independence and accountability... but a lot of people might not. SO the next challenge becomes how to find pathways through which the "undermotivated" can still be fairly compensated contributors.
Blockchain could truly give us free market and merit-based employment. No more corruption!
That sounds like a great plan to me!
I have been thinking along the same lines recently. I have begun learning programming to have this kind of flexibility. Unfortunately it is a slow road for me. At least I am beginning somewhere by participating in Steem (which is nice for some extra spending money). Just need those extra skills to really have job freedom.
Thanks for sharing.
Good luck! Steem is a great place to start. They released some tutorials recently also! Check it out: https://steemit.com/steem/@steemitblog/dev-portal-update-2-ruby-javascript-appbase-api-calls-testnet-documentation
I think "real work" is good. I might even do some of it. lol
I'm all about real work! I just don't think it will look like it has before.
Very inspirational! Thanks for sharing this.
I have placed several online Advertisement willing to take people to the airport in exchange for crypto currency. Still haven’t had anyone take me up on this offer. I still get plenty of cash offers though.
Yeah, it's still very, very early in the cryptocurrency world for every-day people to start asking to pay (and be paid) in cryptocurrency. We'll get there eventually though.
@lukestokes I just read an old post by @jerrybanfield about witness in which you gave several long comments and as I already follow you decided to come here to ask some questions. There was a mention of upvotes - My questions:
Thanks for you time in advance.
Hello.
Thanks Luke
@lukestokes I am really always shocked when I find people in the information technology field especially developers who have no interest or clue of the blockchain and the many opportunities it gives them to extend their creativity.
I say this as a Certified Software Tester for over 15 years who has tried to share this with previous team mates from various development teams.
Yeah, non-thinking types are not my favorite to work with either. :)
That's the most simplified answer to such a rhetorical question sir.
Truth is, the way to go is to delve into the crypto space and know things for yourself.
I also would commend (and must say as well that I'm inspired) the magnitude of success you've built in this space within just a short period. Proof positive that the volatility of the crypto space has in it the potential to turn commons to millionaires.
The possibilities are just endless.
Thanks a million sir @lukestokes for these insights. Of a truth "Getting a job" is already outdated.
Regards,
@marpemusic
Thank you. I've been here for almost two years, so in the cryptocurrency world, that's a really long time. :)
Your post was pretty cool, your post was logic, sir
J.ust
O.ver
B.roke
S.uck
I.snt
S.ane
A.nd
W.hy
A.gree
(to)
S.lavery,
T.ruth
E.volves
https://steemit.com/life/@overcome/motivational-j-o-b-s-i-s-a-w-a-s-t-e-truth
Please comment, follow, upvote. Thank you! I will do likewise!
I completely agree with this post I make in 1 day as freelance marketer what I would have made for a whole month of full time work as an employee. #entrepreneurship
If any one is looking to make residual income from 5 cryptocurencies read my blog > https://satoshipapi.io/f/untitled-post
Im also selling the website > https://satoshicash.io/free-bitcoin
great decision
Thanks for this, a great resource on what our input to this ecosystem can be
100% truth @lukestoke
If 5% out of the whole time people spent in hunting for jobs can be used in getting down to blockchain, things gonna get rossy.
EOS is really mooning presently and even Steem and SBD
Blockchain is really the solution to unemployment
Yes, you were 100% correct about EOS! I clearly remember your recommendation. It has doubled since then. Isn’t it amazing? When it comes to job, wouldn’t it be huge if your work and I mean fysical work, gets rewarded by an upvote? It wouldn’t cost the client a dime, only his upvote. Of course, his upvote worth would have to be considered before starting the job. At the end the client gives you as much of an upvote based on quality of the job you did for him. Making client happy would have perhaps given you a 100% upvote.
We may start to see things like this in the future. I blogged about STEEM powering a UBI almost two years ago.
Great and inspiring post! I think also applies for those looking for a change in career or looking into starting a financially beneficial side project. I have been sucked into the rabbit hole and am enjoying learning something new at this stage of my life. The opportunities seem enormous although I admit sometimes it is tough going through all the noise like pumps and dumps, scams, and FUD.
Great! writeup, Thanks for sharing ways to get involved, I really want to learn and be influential to others as well.
I went all in crypto around the first week of December. A lot of people who went in at that time are showing loss. I don't know how - I mean even at the lowest point in last few months I have been sitting on 1.5X gains. I am not even counting the day trading pocket change that I make for my food.
..............yeah I agree. Getting a job is not only outdated but it can actually stunt your growth as a professional and I also think that unless you strike out on your own with a startup - chances of realizing your full potential would be close to zero.
I am not trying to give advise here, just sharing my experience. After I graduated, I started my own small business. It is till date the best professional decision I made.
Trust in yourself ..................Cheers people!
great post,,,
Excellent as always and with vision! Thanks you..
Upvoted and resteemed! Super!
Reading this post, I believe that you are working on something big, so that you can give back to the world as a gratitude of what you have received from the crypto world.
Okay man, thank you for that huge post. Atm, i'm doing some bounties for projects in the crypto world (like smart contaierns) i really believe in. I believe, that every one with enough effort can get his slice of the cake, when he or she just get into to right niche.
"Start blogging about what you're learning as you learn it. People love to see others get excited about their projects and will often share your blogs or vlogs with their entire community".
I love the lines above and will start doing so. Thanks for the tips!!!
Just be sure to add real value! If you're just blogging to get noticed or get attention or if you have expectations which don't match up with the value provided, that's when things get weird. Good luck!
Very impressive what you've achieved over the last few years. Keep going!
I have a day job. I'm currently earning more on steemit in a week what I earn at at my day job in 2 weeks.
This blockchain thing is really something else. It's a kind of money magic -- but this time for US, the little people! It's GREAT!!
:D
More in STEEM that two weeks at your day job? Wow. That's amazing.
Just remember, at one point STEEM was worth less than a quarter.
Indeed. Would've been a fantastic time to get in. 🤗
I still confuse about the bitshare I mean I have it but just don't really know what it is... was it a trading platform or just an exchange and I'm excited to know more about it.
It's a decentralized exchange. Think of it as an exchange with a built-in wallet where you control the private keys. Let me know what you think after reading through the stuff I linked to.
Tell that to my father.
While there is lots of amazing opportunities in the blockchain/crypto world... even without "getting a job" is so far outdated. Used to be for some security, but I can't say I have ever really felt that a job was secure. Becomes all about profits for other people... not you.
As always enjoy your read and also for introducing me to voluntaryism (way way back a year ago or more, just been absent from Steemit awhile)
Thanks for saying hello. :)
If you're working for the profits of others and not your own profit, that it may not be a good deal.
You are an entrepreneur, classic jobs will never die out, but with all the opportunities here to come hard times will come for companies which are not innovative at making attractive offers. God I love the competition coming from disruptive technologies, even after years not beimg active I know I can always go back to my job as a sysadmin due to lack of skilled personnel, in the future even more than today :)
Heh, yeah. There will always be demand for those who have the skills, experience, and diligence to provide value.
Most important being diligence, it is no coincidence that some people succeed no matter which domain they choose.
Love this post. You are privileged because you're leading the way to something new that is working. Hopefully we'll all assume the same privileges you have now, as we come to adopt the technology you are helping to create.
You've inspired me to learn more and look for opportunities to jump in. I don't have same traits/skills as you, so I've got to figure where I can just copy your success and where I need to just start doing something and figure out my own. I still feel much more comfortable coming into work and knowing exactly the goal and tools. While the learning curve in the DAO community is a huge and I'm unsure where to start – these seem like great jumping points. Thanks
Thanks James. I think a lot of incredible value comes when individuals all work to figure it out. That's what creates experts. It's a unique process each individual ads their own experience to. Having a set structure with known tools and goals is certainly not alien to this world either, it's just for more dynamic and fluid. What I love about this approach is the most important thing in the moment is what can be focused on in that moment. The trick is ensuring we have enough perspective know what is and isn't important. When we rely on others (like a "boss") to make those decisions for us, it's a lot easier because then we just focus on tactical and not strategy. The really successful and productive people I see and easily flow between both.
excellent. You have my support I hope to have your support
My volbac
I work at Mcdolands and it's sooo much fun :)
Great post @lukestokes !
I totally agree with you that the world is changing, and everything is changing with it. This new economy created by the blockchain technology is shifting the way people work and live, and indeed with blockchains like Steem, Bitshares and EOS, people are being empowered and they are regaining the freedom in which they were born to have.
Thanks for sharing all this information, I am currently checking some of the Bitshares posts you made.
By the way, I wanted to let you know I just posted a big shout for @ned @andrarchy and @steemit inc about the @steem-ambassador guild and the #promo-steem project.
It would be great to get your feedback when you get the chance!
Big Shout to @ned @andrarchy and @steemit Inc - The @Steem-Ambassador Guild and #Promo-Steem Project - SP Delegations Needed to Reward the Hundreds Voluntarysts Promoting Steem and Steemit
Regards, @gold84
Keep up the great work.
Thanks @lukestokes ! I appreciate all your support and all the education you are giving to the community about Steem, Bitshares, EOS, eosDAC, DACs and crypto in General. I have been checking some of the posts were you placed bitshares as collateral to get bitUSD to buy more Bitshares. Very interesting instruments from Bitshares!
Something I see is great is about the 5% anual interest rate for holding bitUSD. That is great for the US for example were there are less than 1% of anual interest in banks.
For instance in Mexico, banks are now offering from 7 to 9 or even 10% anual interest rate.
Regards, @gold84
Where'd you see that interest rate? I think that was an old feature which is no longer available.
You mean the one of Bitshares? I saw it in the video series of Max. So there is no longer interest for holding bitUSD?
Regards, @gold84
Yes, no more interest. That was a very old video. SBD used to have interest also, but doesn't at the moment.
Thanks for the update!
Get in the fun way! Buy something: anything! Then get your butt on steem. This space moves so fast that if I'd stopped to learn before buying, I would never have bought in.
Learn, discuss, post, learn more! And earn while you learn. If you don't fall in love with steem, move somewhere that's better for you.
I think you're one of the best persons in n the community worth following. So im following you now. I hope to learn more about your success here!
Thank you for the encouragement. :)
You're welcome! Have a nice day!
I've been in a dilemma between taking up a regular job and Steeming full time ever since I finished graduating. Especially because sometime rewards are not guanteed or sometimes crypto market is bearish.
Things like friends quitting their regular jobs once they joined Steemit and posts like this really motivate and help me take one step further in my decision.
Thank you so much @lukestokes
El mundo de las criptomonedas es bastante complicado, pero sí se puede ingresar tomando los riesgos y las ventajas, que de hecho me parecen que son múltiples y muy buenas. Gracias amigos. Nos vemos en la cima
Witness vote earned...
I've been starting to read your work and some of your older posts. I appreciate your transparency, style, and knowledge.
You're always trying to be so helpful for other Luke bro. It's a real pleasure and privilege knowing you! Keep up the amazing work! Much Love
I like your approach on the whole thing because there are so many projects out there that have raised a lot of money like you said but ultimately you keep it real and don't become one of these shillers hyping some go nowhere ico.
I think one of the big things a lot of people have messed up on is not at least staying with it to some capacity and keep learning and keep trying to gain more coins. Like they don't look for the opportunities and they are tuning out completely.
I'm losing subs on my YouTube channel and a lot of other people who talk about crypto are losing them as well. People didn't get rich so they are checking out then they will be back when everything is going parabolic again instead of setting the groundwork and always trying to gain more crypto everyday.
WOW this was such a usefully post. It was full of precious informations. So excited bu the fact that tomorrow I will be attending my first Blockchain summit. ❤️ Steem(it) has so much potential, I am always promoting to my friends, hopefully they will join asap
Thanks for sharing @lukestokes
I think crypto is opening up the whole freelance field, it’s just that a lot of people don’t have any clue where to get started, m(like your Twitter convo). It can definitely be intimidating to start and the MSM constantly bombards the public with headlines reading, “bitcoin scam”, “ether wallet hacked”, etc to scare a lot of would be users away.
I think you do a good job highlighting where people can find work in the cryptosphere and the industry is only going to get bigger over time, the only other major concern I have is volatility. It is really hard to count on any crypto as a steady store of value right now, and unless you made enough to retire on during the last bull run it can be hard to ‘dive’ right in.
At the end of the day I would love to enventually quit my job and steem on all day, but the ups and downs of post values along with the rise and fall of steems price make it difficult to depend on. Once @steemitinc put more value in curation than that will definitely be an option as you get paid for your valuable curation efforts, but right now there is still a lot of work to do.
Sorry for the novel
I think there's a difference between just blogging and providing real value that people want to pay for. In many ways, investors prop up the price of STEEM because they believe in the future value of the technology. Us getting paid to blog is kind of just a way to demonstrate how it works.
The volatility is part of all cryptocurrencies right now, unless you look into pegged assets like bitUSD. Those are a bit more stable.
Please, don't do this. It looks like you're just spamming links and you will get flagged.