I want to learn more — NFTs and the blockchain

I’ve been really interested about the world of NFTs (and by extension crypto and blockchains) the past few months. I know it’s not something that is directly related to my field of expertise and generally frowned upon as an investment vehicle by many given the volatility.

But I am passionate about learning more. 

I think it is only a matter of time before it becomes part of daily conversations given the many potential real world applications for the technology.

Today, it’s digital collectibles in the form of licensed sports highlights (like Dapper Labs NBA TopShot and their recently announced NFL partnership) and avatars used for personal profile pictures (like CryptoPunks or Bored Ape Yacht Club). Tomorrow? Who knows! That’s what makes it exciting! 

Hit me up if you want to chat more about this topic, I am eager to connect and grow my knowledge and expertise!

A WNBA TopShot "moment" I own that is minted on the Flow Blockchain

Book Reflection: The Third Wave by Steve Case

It's been a few years since this book by Steve Case was published but the book still holds a lot of value. I have to admit, I rarely thought about AOL as a successful company. Part of it was because I grew up in Asia and was far away from where AOL found lots of success as a pioneer in making it easier for everyone to connect to the internet.

The Third Wave by Steve Case

It's exactly because the internet was so young at the time that the success of AOL was less celebrated globally as some of the more recent tech companies.

As I read through the book, there were a few things that I found interesting which I share below.

Book Reflection: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

This book was published in 2011 but if the hold waiting list at the Toronto Public Library is any indication of a books popularity or interest level, then this book continues to have quite the following.

I finally got my hands on a copy after waiting a few weeks and I made sure to start reading it right away. I wasn’t disappointed at all.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

This book gives a fresh POV on our past -- both recent history and our evolutionary past.

Book Reflection: Frenemies by Ken Auletta

I finished reading this book more than a month back and what's the word kids now use? I am now WOKE.

All kidding aside, this is a must read book for anyone in the advertising industry!

Frenemies by Ken Auletta

Book Reflection: The Snowball by Alice Schroeder

This book was published a decade ago, in September 2008, and it took me a while to get to reading it. My good friend Johnson had been telling me about Warren Buffett for years but it wasn't until a few years ago that I really took the time to learn more about the man and his philosophy.

Better late than never right?

The Snowball by Alice Schroeder

There are a lot of lessons to learn from Warren Buffett and many books have been written about the man and his life.

I found this book really interesting because it was very comprehensive in writing about his early life and how he turned into the man now known as the Oracle of Omaha.

Book Reflection: The Upstarts by Brad Stone

Learning about the early days of Uber and Airbnb seems like a good follow up after reading about Amazon/Apple/Facebook/Google. "The Upstarts" is written by Brad Stone who also wrote "The Everything Store" - a book about Jeff Bezos and Amazon.

The book is very well researched and is written in a manner where it seems like you are reading a very long piece of investigative journalism - that is, it hooks you in and doesn't let you go until the end.

The Upstarts by Brad Stone

The author clearly had access to the founders and inner circles of both Uber and Airbnb. Not only that, he does a great job of getting the point of view of regulators and other relevant parties. He tries his best to approach the writing of the book with an open mind and tries to paint an unbiased picture of past events for readers.

Here are a few things I learned from the book.

Book Reflection: The Four by Scott Galloway

No introductions are needed for the four horsemen that take center stage in this book. As consumers, many of us consider the products and services that these four companies offer as integral in our daily lives. From using Google Maps to get to the nearest Wholefoods, to chatting with friends on WhatsApp using your iPhone.

The Four by Scott Galloway

Book Reflection: Originals by Adam Grant

I've been wanting to read this book for a while. I finally got around to reading it after I found a copy in the library.

Originals by Adam Grant

Some of the things that stood out to me include using the reverse elevator pitch to help you champion your own creative ideas, looking to hire people who will contribute to the culture instead of just someone who will fit the culture and how parents can help shape original thinking in their children.