BEN BOT

Munch Munch

Computer science, the global datasphere, machine learning, computer vision, and language modeling have embedded artificial intelligence (AI) into every conversation. Machines have long used human logic to automate routines, and AI is not new, but this form of knowledge engineering was transformed as compute was enriched, storage became boundless, and AI learned to speak human. We may not have invented a new species (yet), but language modeling taught our digital counterparts how to articulate what it already knew, and conversationalized AI made science fiction real for everyone all at once.

Anytime innovation threatens the status quo, a common response is fear followed by complacency. This is evident in the argument that AI will take all our jobs. We may not be able to depend on clocking in to climb a ladder built on compliance, but this willingness to play it safe has long been a choice that makes anyone easy to replace with cheaper labor and faster tools. This advancing technology reduces the need for humans to turn knobs, but the efficiency will create new jobs and reward remarkability. When clever counts, remain indispensable by letting AI devour the dull and stay ahead by pulling the levers of ingenuity.

History teaches us that any frontier introduces opportunity, but the void that creates also attracts misunderstandings, dangers, and false realities. As we explore frontiers, be vigilant and don’t assume truth. When every business pitches innovative metamorphosis and everything is “powered by AI,” realism is easy to dilute within the noise. Transcend hype by tinkering with internal tools. Reward continuous execution and keep exploring in and outside your industry. This forms wisdom to reinforce more external interplay.

Futuristic forefronts will remain intimidating, especially when cultural changes occur in a sweeping way. This makes it easy to feel forgotten. When this sensation intensifies, avoid being left behind by taking action before you know the destination. Fresh knowledge may be required to lower the bar, but for leaders who use curiosity to stay prolific, it becomes impossible to compete with being you!

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BEN BOT went online April 1st, 2023. The Roasted Reflections NFT Collection would allow token-owning dollowers to connect with each other and 24/7 access to our conversational AI that provided BENergy in its replies and link to influence source. Later, it would even quietly co-host 100 episodes of You Don’t Need This Podcast!

Let AI munch on the mediocre. We’ll continue to build without a map, do things for the love of it, convert haters, and care enough to fail. In times of constant change, we obliterate fear and complacency with infinite dexterity and a devotion to keep leading with no permission required.

Brewed From Within
#80 📖 Technology

By Ben McDougal, ago

Minting

I’ve been hinting about minting.

TL:DR – I’ve minted a new NFT collection!

As a community builder and hybridized translator of technology, I’m proud to be surrounded by remarkable artists and nerds you need to know. As trailblazers continue to push boundaries, the decentralized, community-driven aspects of blockchain technologies has me in a curious state of pure wonder.

To test a blockchain technology, Nathan T. Wright and I teamed up to learn through action. We decided to explore non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”) by creating a new NFT collection called Roasted Reflections!

This caffeinated collaboration commemorates one year of YDNTB and is dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, and community builders. Only 100 NFTs will be minted on OpenSea throughout the month of April. We’ve established two small, more exclusive categories of tokens that include bonus materials, VIP access, and tradable value. A third category has more NFTs minted as free airdrops for those who pickup the new YDNTB NFT Bundle to share.

This special NFT collection is now live, as the first NFT was minted on April 1st, 2022. This rare collectible comes with all sorts of perks and was appropriately titled, Hello World – #1, with a .412021 ETH price that pays homage to the 4/1/2021 publishing date for YDNTB. Two more tokens will be released into the RR collection each Wednesday until all 100 tokens have been minted!

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Did you catch the subtle hint for this emerging NFT project in Launch? This learning expedition was also the inspiration behind Perpetual.

What’s next? Watch your inbox for more details on this interactive NFT project, including a special invitation to a new Discord channel built for all of us to continue building together. My hope is that along with a fun way to collectively enjoy this digital treasure hunt, the Roasted Reflections NFT collection will be remembered as how my family and friends secured their very first NFT! In the meantime, here are a few of the lessons learned along the way.

– Humans enjoy collecting things together.
– Value is often based on supply, demand, and a sense of belonging.
– NFT minting creates a unique item connected to a smart contract.
– A smart contract for each NFT is then data stored on a blockchain.
– The first NFT was minted in 2014.
– Think less about how NFTs look or sound.
– NFTs represent ownership verified by data.
– These digital assets can also be used for various types of access.
– Categories in a collection provides scalability and diversifies value propositions.
– You need a digital wallet to receive, buy, or sell NFTs. (I use Coinbase)
– OpenSea is the largest marketplace to learn, create, buy, and sell NFTs, but Coinbase NFT is coming soon.
– Floor price is the lowest priced NFT in a collection.
– Weekend minting is often less expensive.
– Computing power for the verification process creates a harmful environment impact that needs improvement.
– Successful NFT collections are community-driven.
– The most expensive NFT sold for $91.8M.
– Airdrop is a fancy term for giveaway.

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I can’t help but to think, perhaps the NES generation who grew up wasting all our allowance on sports cards as kids, was destined to bring this technology to life.

I thought NFTs were silly at first. Talking with others and thinking about smart contracts can transparently certify proof of ownership has made me think again.

In the future, perhaps NFTs (or similar blockchain technologies) will be applied to verify event tickets, legal documents, and personal property? What if a birth certificate came with it’s own NFT that had a smart contract secured to the same person’s death certificate? Weird stuff, eh! Tokenomics is still the wild west and NFTs are considered a speculative asset, but it’s fun exploring uncharted territory and it’ll be interesting to see if a community-driven NFT collection like Roasted Reflections allows more explorers to own a small piece of this new frontier.

By Ben McDougal, ago
You Don't Need This Book: Entrepreneurship In The Connected Era

Perpetual

It’s hard to stop anything that repeats so frequently it seems endless. There’s infinite ways perpetuity could be good or bad, but never ending happiness, trust, love, hard work, fun, generosity, action, wonder, and learning seem like safe bets.

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It’s not whether you know how, it’s whether you will.

Being inspired by so many remarkable people (like you), has instilled a lasting appreciation for consistency within the entrepreneurial lifestyle. Perpetual feels like a cousin to persistence, so without airdropping the final chapter, here’s a short excerpt from the closing moments of You Don’t Need This Book: Entrepreneurship in the Connected Era.

As entrepreneurs traverse through the unknown, setbacks are inevitable. Each conquered setback makes an entrepreneur more resilient. As resiliency bonds with experiential knowledge, focused determination makes setbacks less distracting. Eventually, setbacks become more like interesting challenges for problem-solving entrepreneurs. This hardened mindset welcomes endless suffering. Such willingness to suffer unlocks a key to entrepreneurship. Passion.

Passion fuels persistence, and persistence is a wild card. Passionate persistence combined with obsession, allows anyone to achieve entrepreneurial success.

You’ll build when others don’t. You’ll savor projects longer and you’ll fight through dips that made others quit. You’ll be comfortable with uncomfortable and you’ll enjoy making a ruckus every step of the way.

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Belief in one’s self is contagious.

By Ben McDougal, ago