30s Summary

The article emphasizes the importance of innovation and unique insight in the tech and crypto sector instead of simply following current trends. It highlights the danger of getting caught up in the latest fad on social media which often results in short-term gains but no substantial contribution. The article encourages rejecting trend-following and focusing on one’s vision, citing Bitcoin founder Satoshi Nakamoto, and Ethereum inventor Vitalik Buterin as examples. Finally, it advises tech professionals to trust their instincts, not letting social media distract them, and focusing on a product or service that meets a genuine need.

Full Article

We all tell stories to understand our lives better. Life’s confusing, and stories simplify things. This holds true even for the tech sector, especially when it comes to crypto. Innovations pop up and fade away, with new trends constantly taking over.

People naturally latch onto stories or trends, hoping to predict what’s coming next. The same goes for those folks starting out in the crypto space, who try to push their ideas in ways that’ll get people talking and maybe get them some funding.

This isn’t just a crypto thing, it happens all across tech. Remember when Facebook decided to rename itself as Meta in 2021? That’s a clear sign that everyone’s drawn to a catchy storyline.

However, those who really get it are the ones who don’t just follow where everyone else is going. It’s easy to say, but super tough to do. Peter Thiel, the PayPal guy, has spoken about how successful companies usually have a unique insight or “secret”, something they understand that others don’t. And then a guy called Keith Rabois came up with the term “narrative violation”, meaning going against the current trend and taking a chance on something different.

Basically, don’t just follow trends, make them. How? Don’t just try to guess what everyone’s gonna get excited about next. Instead, think up a remarkable idea that you truly believe in.

If you look back at the history of blockchain, loads of innovators did exactly this. First off, there’s Satoshi Nakamoto, who came up with Bitcoin. Then there’s Vitalik Buterin, who saw the need for smart contracts when creating Ethereum. More recently, different ideas have cropped up around boosting performance in blockchain, or changing the way data scales. All these innovators ignore the hype and go their own way.

Social media doesn’t help the “do something different” approach, because it encourages jumping on the latest trend. Crypto entrepreneurs spend a lot of time on social media and the more they get caught up in the latest fad, the less likely they are to consider the next big thing. This chase for short-term popularity can lead to a flood of projects that are all about making money quickly, rather than actually bringing something new and useful to the table.

But there’s hope! Anyone, whether they’re working solo or in a team, can reject this trend-following and focus on their own vision. This means sticking to your guns, even if what’s trending doesn’t exactly line up with your idea. With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, you might just find success and inspire a new trend.

Most of us, most of the time, aren’t really seeing the big picture. We just want immediate success and recognition. Sure, it’s easier to follow the leader. Being a copycat might work in some jobs, like law or medicine. But in tech, where it’s all about innovation, you need to be brave and trust your instincts.

Even if it seems like you’re swimming against the current, stick to what you’re good at, believe in your idea, and don’t let social media trends distract you. If your new product or service meets a genuine need, you’ve got as good a chance as any of making a success of it.

Source: Cointelegraph