aaal,
Thank you for taking the time to look into my background, and wanting to make an informed decision.
I quit my defense job almost exactly one year ago without having another job lined up because very explicitly I no longer wanted to work for the US Military. I absolutely love radar systems because the physics is intricate, challenging and it feels like a little miracle that they work. That being said, I don’t agree with the current administration nor the way the US military is being used. I have seen many of my trans, women, and diverse friends be actively kicked out or pressed to quit, with friends still in the system reporting that the working conditions are actively getting worse. It was not an easy decision to leave a career for the unknown road ahead, with no income, but for me it was values driven.
They can not be reconciled, and as such I walked out.
I want to be part of a system that is actively working to build technology with a positive impact on the world. I honestly think zcash is a huge part of financial freedom and sovereignty. It is perhaps one of our last lines of defense against total surveillance and restrictions of freedoms. We have Signal for communications, TOR/NYM for exchange of ideas, and Zcash for financial transactions.
While working in defense, I saw quite a few projects where well-meaning scientists created technology to solve a problem they saw, but the boots on the ground left it in the mud. I saw multi-billion sensor systems never used, because the operators didn’t trust it. It had too many false alarms. In the thread of these failures, was the disconnect between the user/operator and the technologist. The user had a real need, tried to convey it but somehow it got mangled into a product that didn’t solve their problem. This is why, again and again, I will stress the importance of talking to real humans about their problems, and better yet seeing exactly their struggle by sitting next to them or walking in their shoes to find the pain points. Then to develop real solutions that are tailored and nuanced to the direct problem.
This is in reference to: Proposal for Marketing Efforts at Global Conferences
I believe no human can survive alone, we need community. Zcash is the same. To develop in isolation is to cut yourself off from the innovations and ideas of others. While this can happen online, it can more readily happen in person. But largely I think, bringing in new people requires human, face-to-face interaction. When we engage with people, and see their struggles we can better develop technologies to support them. When we collaborate with others, we can create better solutions than if we imagined them alone.
When in Prague for MoneroKon, there was a zcash dinner that happened with at least 3 members actively contributing to the codebase. At Boston Blockchain Week, I met with 3 other zcashers who are active in the community. In Buenos Aires, I made friends with the ZK AV Club, and met at least 4 others. In each interaction I learned more about the people and technology, the organizations and inner workings of the ZECHUB, ECC, Zcash Foundation community. These relationships will give me people to reach out to when I have nuanced technical questions. In a decentralized community, this is the way that we meet our co-workers, even if not actively working on the same projects.
To echo my former sentiments that are still true: One thing I’ve discovered for myself over the years, is that changing minds has to start with heart-to-heart moments where you take the time to listen and engage in meaningful conversations. It’s very hard to build trust and connection in 150 characters; you need deep heart-to-heart conversations to meet people where they are at. Then people will see how the solution you hold fits into their lives, and contributes value. Only then can we both see them as human, and develop technologies they truly need in their lives. I think Zashi is a wonderful example of technology that is tailored for the problem of secure peer-to-peer payments. Now we need to get it into the hands of the masses.
I deeply don’t want to build technology that is going to hurt people nor tech that is going to be uselessly left in the mud. That’s why I’m passionate about Zcash, it’s truly a unique technology that solves real problems for real people. It’s encrypted Venmo, it’s banking resources for the underrepresented, marginalized and often de-banked communities. It’s banking and financial access for all. As human needs change and evolve, so too I hope zcash grows and evolves. I’d like to help shape that future.
Even if I don’t get elected, I still plan to be around the community, because this is technology that is deeply essential to the continuation of financial and human freedom. If anything, watching my transgender active-duty friends get striped of rank, job, healthcare, childcare, and housing with a single pen stroke is even more motivation to ensure they don’t also get striped of bank accounts too.
Thanks for taking the time to considering me for the ZCG.