jimbuchan.ca

Posts about the cloud / the next web and why every business should be in

[jimbuchan]

The Internet's Sleeping Giant Has Finally Awakened After 30 Years

The gatekeepers of the original internet, who architected the current generation of the web which millions of us access every day were indeed a visionary lot... and perhaps even a bit clairvoyant. They knew that in addition to pages which CAN and CANNOT be found (think '404' for non-accessible web-pages) the notion of payments would also be a logical denominator, and to which the number '402' was reserved for exactly this purpose. However, it has remained dormant as old-school ad-sponsored experiments and paywalls were never intended to run on this protocol, which was meant to be platform independent, fostering laser-fast payments. This week however, things changed at the snap of a finger, but before the term 'overnight revision' comes into play, the truth is this has been an undertaking that has taken years to get to this point, and just a few days ago, the Linux Foundation formally announced it via their x402 initiative. The basic premise is that with the grounding of AI Agents (or Agentic payments), this technology is now ripe for split-second automatic payments and micropayments... it just needed a name, and the release of the framework. As such, the Linux Foundation with the x402 protocol is today (not years from now) setting standards in the same way HTTPS became the standardized transport mechanism for secured, encrypted payments. Spam-Farm Out. Frictionless, Instant Settlement In Where the prior 30 years of the web did not have a suitable means of enabling smooth and frictionless payments, which was (i) based on traditional banking and (ii) consisted of a patchwork of tedious and slow independent options for processing payments, x402 answers this call by simply doing away with all of that prior malarkey. Now, the browser itself is the single, unified source which represents the missing piece... the 'Econmic' Layer. Think optional encryption and/or passwords in plain-sight from millions of sites before being standardized to HTTPS or Java applets and Flash Plugins before ushering in the WebRTC protocol. In short, while HTTPS does not represent the invention of encryption, it is, rather, the conduit for making encryption possible for everyone. Like these browser-based layers which we now take for granted, x402 is now leveling the playing field with regards to money, and the use-cases are many. As a simple example of the power of having such a protocol in your browser, imagine paying for a TV streaming service in which to watch only 1 or 2 shows, or a live sporting event like a hockey game, but which requires a full monthly subscription. No other options are available other than to pay full-freight, but all you wanted to consume were these choices, representing a drop in the bucket of all the content on the network you don't need, but are paying for nonetheless. Would it be a more convenient and cost-effective scenario to just pay for what you truly want, and eliminate what you don't? Consider this analogy based on some of the following practical applications of x402:

Consumer Applications: Let's say you wish to take a vacation to a new distination and wish to utilize AI to do this. Prior to x402, the AI Agent would need to contend with various credit card systems, in tandem with multiple authentication flows, subscriptions, billing apps, etc. The x402 protocol can simply find the best option and pay for it automatically without navigating through all of these gates.

Raw compute power: Your firm currently rents compute with a monthly account, allowing you to get the time you need in-the-moment. Currently this utilizes a subscription where you purchase credits and pay based on estimated usage with manual top-ups. By having the payments layer in Chrome, Firefox or Safari, the payment is issued automatically, focused specifically on the job you need performed.

Micropayments: A sticking point for many of us since the birth of the modern internet, being pigeon-holed into a one-sized-doesn't-fit-all option has remained the norm. The example we are all familiar with is the paywall, which can be downright inconvenient, and in some cases, embarassing. While we all understand the notion of trying to charge a premium for horse-and-buggy era physical content into the modern world, this causes added frustration for those of us who have been given a link to an interesting article from a colleague, only to find that 95% of the screen is cut-off after the first sentence unless you 'pay the ransom'. The better approach? Have this same business offer the option of paying a few cents for a single article, a search result, or a fraction of a cent per-paragraph. This benefits the publisher in 2 ways: Keep the subscription-option for those who use the majority of the content while providing other (and still lucrative) alternatives for per-use customers.

Strength in Numbers For an undertaking of this magnitude to have a shot of real success in the high-stakes world of enterprise-grade payments, a who's who of top-tier companies need to be actively involved. The premier-level partners of this initiative goes further with many of them being fierce competitors to one another, such as Visa and Mastercard, but yet join forces as members of the x204 alliance. This speaks volumes with their logo alone without saying a single word as it demonstrates the importance of linking arms for the overall common good, without a single entity eating all the pie. The early adopting premier x402 members include the following firms:

The challenge to which these founding members are planning for in the world of online payments is simple: reduce friction. In this age of agent-based payments, the need to move past archaic and time-consuming financial rails is more than past-due, it's a basic need that should be as fast and seamless as sending an email. As the single variable causing much of the friction in moving value online today is the flow itself, and not the payment, having enterprise-scale firms such as Amex, Google, Ripple and Amazon gives developers, business leaders and consumers the confidence in choosing to accept x402 as a new layer. With competing hyperscalers, payment monoliths and best-in-class blockchain and crypto firms representing decades of experience in solving a decades-old problem, all focusing on a common objective the barometer of success, like other internet protocols before it will be mass implementation. Next Stop. Adoption In order for any new protocol to be widely accepted, there must be an incentive offered that makes logical business sense, as well as ensuring there is a market to pay for it. By housing the payment infrastructure within the browser, the issue with adoption is not a technical undertaking, but rather the presence of a target market. This is where out-of-the-box-thinking businesses can get a leg-up by offering a solution which, like x402 itself, has been lying dormant... just begging for takers (and we're talking about customers here). Case in point, going back to the micropayments analogy illustrated above, as a consumer, have you ever visited a website (or perhaps a link sent from a friend) and while reading it, you could not get past the first sentence? You liked the copy and were interested in the content, but the archaic model stopped you in your tracks. The fact is that there are hundreds of thousands of others who have had this exact same experience, but were cut-short because the technology model disabled you from proceeding. Pondering on this example as a business, what does this experience represent? A lost opportunity that could have converted into a paying customer. Now, imagine if all of these 'would-a, could-a' patrons could be given a second chance, and an additional revenue stream for your enterprise by meeting them at their needs? You can't expect 100% of your audience to go down the same path, just as you wouldn't expect a patron of a grocery store to pay thousands of dollars to buy a unit of everything in store when all they needed was some milk and a box of cereal. Instead of holding on to the past by forcing everyone to adhere to a single model at the expense of your company's future customers, using the x402 method as intended, you now have the ability to:

Give a student access to a single article

Enable a qualified home-buyer to execute a title search. Instead of a monthly subscription which makes no sense, meet the client on their terms with a micropayment for the property record

Allow a developer or researcher to download a single dataset

Provide a per-image option to an artist needing on-demand access

Instead of using a traditional shipping API for a single quotation, allow the customer to pay a fraction for just what they need

Offer the customer who needs to verify an email address the option of getting what they need in-the-moment, instead of expecting them to shell-out for 1,000 credits

For the user who needs access to the podcast content on your site, allow a micropayment for the specific episode they clicked on

With these (and hundreds of other) options which represent real customer interactions, there is one commonality between them all. They are all paying customers representing revenue for your business, if you have the will to adopt it, or even take a radical approach by creating a net-new business model created from the ashes of today's limitations. Choose to ignore the new economy by remaining with the status-quo (or wait until the water is at a nice termperature) and the competition who enbrace the opportunity could in short order move into the pole position.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by Magnific / Milankov | Founding x402 premier members via Linux Foundation

[jimbuchan]

Your Token Is Either As Hearty As Thanksgiving Dinner Or As Filling As Cotton Candy

Years ago while perusing one of his gold records, Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys noticed something he had never before seen. While the LP had been on his wall for many years, it never occurred to him to analyze the record, for the obvious reason that he was one of the founding members who created Paul's Boutique and thus was intimately familiar with the content. However, upon inspecting it, he noticed that it had only 4 tracks on the disc instead of 8. As can be imagined, his curiosity was piqued, so he did the honorable thing of getting to the bottom of it by smashing the glass to produce the physical LP. Once out of the protected case, he put it on the turntable, and what did he hear? Piano versions of Barry Manilow, which is about as far out from the style of music produced by the Beastie Boys as you can get. There was no malice, no tort or 'ill communication' as a result of his revelation.. just bewilderment, and so he just filed it away as one of those strange occurrences, had a good laugh and moved on. It was later discovered that many gold (and platinum) records presented to artists were meant as commermorative objects only, with the actual vinyl sourced from surplus, test or in the case of the Beastie Boys, just plain unrelated music which was either spray-painted or metalized. Taking this into consideration, when you examine the contents of your crypto token, is it the Real McCoy, or is there much to be desired? A simple question to be sure, but it is not surprising to know that an overwhelming number of token holders don't know what they own, other than its name. There is no rational explanation for this, and the reasons are as numerous as fish in the sea, but for those who simply invested because of a name, or because it was recommended by an influencer without doing their own research, the circumstances of this will eventually come home to roost, and with only an incredibly small number of projects which hold real utility, the outcome for many will be heartbreak and self-pity. But it doesn't need to be so. Most Projects Are As Soft As A Lullaby In evaluating any cryptocurrency project, it should be given the same scrutiny as investing in any other asset, tangible or otherwise, so why is it that a large cache of time is spent before exchanging capital on the stock market, housing or even your next pair of shoes, but not digital assets? Is it because of the speculative nature? Could it be beacuse it's only less than 2 decades old? Perhaps, but like other avenues, in the end it's still your own money that's being invested, and like all investments is the goal of realizing a favorable return still not the objective? For those who are looking at crypto the same as other long-term pursuits, just know that not all tokens are created equal, and the overwhelming majority (99%) have little or no utility or use-cases, with many of them simply speculation or 'noise', worthy of a lottery ticket that has very high odds of losing everything you invested (large or small). Case in point, the total number of on-chain tokens that are available on major networks (memecoins included), are in the tens of millions (that's not a typo), so with high numbers like these, it behooves us to ensure we have made a wise decision based on facts. And the reason is simple... anyone with a basic understanding of blockchain can create a token (or multiples of tokens) and in the present state where clear regulation has not yet been passed to distinguish bad actors, it's no different than creating your own lottery ticket machine where anyone can participate. It is true that the crypto industry has matured much just in the last few years, but as anyone with an internet connection can invest without the traditional banking system in the middle, this opens the door to projects that are high on hype but low on value in solving real-world problems... which is where the value of blockchain lives.

Consider the background, partners, length of time in the market, leadership and of course the actual solution that the project is aiming to solve. Once you have this, continue to research more via discussion groups, online videos, social media... anything to give you the confidence you need to mark the green checkbox before parting with your money. In order words... give it the same diligence you would with any other purchase of any other size in value, and then... research some more so that in the end you're 'blown away' with the gravitas of the blockchain for what it is, not just based on the buzz or fanfare from others. Better To Be Boring Than Cute You likely have noticed the theme of this post, which boils down to "know what you hold". Taking hype, influence or popularity out of the equation, the final test of any worthwhile investment is to see clear evidence of adoption. This is the benchmark when evaluating a blockchain's true value, and while fuzzy animals and whimsical cartoons are nice, just be sure to look under the hood to confirm that the underlying core is not a 'host' such that you would find in Westworld. Others elements to look for in determining real vs. perceived value include:

Team behind the project

Partnerships (i.e. Real strategic alliances and joint ventures, not just simply a logo)

Development activity (i.e. Code commits or clear communication on upgrades well in advance of a production release)

Decentralized nature of the blockchain. This is an item which frequently is not analyzed, but should be, as it represents the cornerstone of your project's distribution model. If the majority of the validators of a network is within a single entity (or group) this should be a red flag as it means that special interests from a limited group can hold sway over decisions that may not fit with your thesis (or others). A Blockchain that has wide distribution with multiple independent participants equates to a proper decentralized model by ensuring that everyone has an equal vote.

Healthy liquidity with robust trading volume.

Transparency of the project's goals and performance. If your project is light in this area, evaluating risk is near impossible.

Regulatory compliance. If your project has not passed (or has clear evidence of meeting legal and regulated standards) the token could face securities-related examination. Also look at which countries the Blockchain operates in and if it holds licenses in these jurisdictions.

To be sure, there are other questions that can strengthen the business case for the project you are either invested in or evaluating, and while it takes time in which to conduct this research, it's not a large undertaking and is very doable. Once your inspection has been completed, the payoff will be in confidence (or perhaps a lack thereof, which is arguably more important when your own money is at stake), and guidance going forward based on sound knowledge resulting in a real, personal investment, and not one rooter in unverified claims. The crypto world in aggregate is by nature a speculative one, with thousands of opinions being pelted at us every second - all competing for your attention, and if you are among the minority who chooses to ignore the scuttlebutt and do your own research, your journey will be less elusive and more rewarding. It is, after all your money and you're either going to believe a 'trust me bro' assessment, or make your own decisions based on sound judgement.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image of Paul's Boutique by Capitol Records | Maxell "Blown Away" art by Lars Anderson and Steve Steigman

[jimbuchan]

17 Years to mine 95%. 114 Years to mine last 5%

The myth of inexhaustability is just as true today as it was 100 years ago, and while the examples are scant, the value of these use-cases for humanity is almost always realized at the eleventh hour. When the alarm clock finally rings at the point where exhaustion is nigh, the result is always the same... the value of the scarce asset is immediately recognized (or broadcasted) for what it truly is, causing a panic among the masses. A good example of this is the value (for and aft) of Helium, where for decades during the early years of natural gas harvesting, was seen as nothing more than a by-product. Then came the space race and modern semiconductor fabrication which required helium as an absolute necessity. Pondering of the prior years of wasted venting of this now important resource which took billions of years to form, Helium is now seen as a critical element in modern computing, none moreso than the quantum-era where liquid helium is the only fuel possible to cool the Qubits at a temperature colder than deep space. The upshot of it all is that Helium (particularly Helium-3) is a sought-after entity due to it's scarcity, not unlike low-background steel, or the Grand Banks cod supply, and when demand or necessity clashes with scarcity, value skyrockets. This is the basis behind Bitcoin, where similar lines of comparison is occurring real time, and with the overwhelming majority already mined, the remaining supply is expected to surge rapidly to catch up to demand. No One Is Paying Attention By 1992, the cod fish off the coast of Newfoundland was reduced to 99% of the original population. Steel that was produced prior to 1945 before the onset of the nuclear age, and now needed for sensors and deep space satellites, is extremely finite and, like Helium, which was once tossed aside as a pointless gas worthy of filling party balloons is now an expensive and protected commodity. For those who are heeding these lessons of the past, the same story is now playing out with Bitcoin (for many years seen as geek-currency) with the same scarcity and value that is now impossible to ignore based on the use-cases and forthcoming ascension into modern law. At time of this writing (May, 2026), there are 967k (less than 1 Million from the original 21 Million) Bitcoin left, which in the years to come will be the real story. For evidence of this, one need look no further than the mass accumulation that is happening in real-time (and not being discussed in mainstream circles) but is occurring nonetheless. This means that for those who have (a) dismissed cryptocurrency in the past or (b) continue to be afraid of this scarce asset by the campaign of 'fear' (promulgated by those who are at the same time buying at a ferocious pace) may be in for a rude awakening if the math plays out as expected.

This is the same playbook that is being used today similar to how others have played-out in the past, carefuilly planned and executed by major financiers who profess to look over there, but not at this 'scary' thing called Bitcoin. But for those in the tiny minority who are not phased by long periods of sideways or negative volume, and who bother to look into what is really going on with crypto (and there is not much to look into with more than enough evidence today) their patience could pay off in ways that will be explosive… which is why the opportunity exists right now. Ignore The Noise, Not The Fundamentals Consider the facts:

Is it scarce: Yes. In fact, it's the most scarcest asset on the planet by both market capitalization and sheer volume which again is now at less than 5% remaining. But unlike gold or diamonds which continue to be found and extracted, when Bitcoin is gone, it's gone.

Is it secure? For starters, the Bitcoin Blockchain holds massive computational power that rivals any secure network (including national defense and the banking system). Add to this its decentralized structure and open-source nature (which unlike hidden security protocols can be scrutinized by anyone) and the answer is as clear as day.

Is it portable? Want to move $100,000 in value from point 'A' (i.e. Toronto) to point 'B' (i.e. Nagasaki)? Boarding the plane on your international flight, if the value was in gold or dollar bills, would this be a straigh-forward affair? If the value is in BTC, all you need is a self-custody device, or a password to a secured custodian holding the funds.

Is it being adopted by global institutionis? Bank of America, University endowments (Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth), and entire countries have all adopted Crypto for many years, proof-positive that you can't go a day without hearing evidence of this in crypto and mainstream news outlets.

The other aspect of which digital assets play a pivotal role is the future of financial transactions via the processing of agentic (or AI) payments. While being utilized today in small (test) batches, it's impossible to ignore the economics based on sheer scale of this technology which will only continue to see exponential growth in the years to come. It has been extimated that in the next few years (by 2030) that as much as 10% of payments will be processed via crypto assets. If this turns out to be even 5%, this represents $1.8 Trillion in annual payment volume, of which a large amount could be processed using AI agents for raw speed alone. Considering where the future of value (payments or otherwise) is headed, it's clear that trying to run all of this on traditional rails, that are decades old and prone to failure, pale in comparison to what crypto not only can provide... but is providing right now. Like other technologies throughout history that have proven to be superior, only mass adoption and relaxing of faux regulation will move the digital asset class to an explosive scale that makes today's $2.25T total crypto market capitalization seem amateurish. Factoring in these points of presence, that remaining 5% of bitcoin with a value today at about US$65,000 screams 'fire sale' when one considers the severely limited supply. While Bitcoin has been around for over 17 years, the (vast) majority still only know it by name, but little else, which is why it continues to be elusive and misunderstood. By more of us realizing the transformational power and fixed supply of digital assets like Bitcoin, Chainlink and XRP the greater the adoption curve and thus the value, as like Trading Cards, Artwork and even Domain Names, the masses will realize the true value once it becomes mainstream at which point the phrase "I knew I should have invested in that" will be echoed at a deafening volume.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image of Pitfall! by Activision | "Don't Look" art by by Studio Toni Ross

[jimbuchan]

Putting The Quantum-Crypto Predicament In Perspective

While we all wait in anticipation for the 'onslaught' of the quantum revolution to cause panic and strife to the crypto space, a sense of pragmatism is not only in order, but essential. Taking a level-headed approach to this looming issue should be considered with a common-sense approach, not with phantom fears, and similar to the DYOR mantra when it comes to understanding digital assets, education on the issue is key. So, while we may gravitate to doomsday headlines on this topic, let consider a few rational points on the matter to put this subject in proper context. The Embryonic Stage To understand the quantum problem is to go back a few decades to the early 1990's when "modern" encryption methods could in theory be hacked. There was no proof of this of course, until around 1994 when Peter Shor produced a paper that could calculate mathematical equations exponentially faster than the standard computers at the time. While long before the advent of cryptocurrency or blockchain was on the scene, a cloud of uncertainty appeared in the 'matrix', but only known to a few who could be bothered to even care. Zing past a few years and this subject went from a nagging uncertainlty to DEFCON-4... not Level-1 readiness, but still a shock to the system. This is when encryption standards were being battle-tested, giving rise to the early authentication methods of Web1.0. Then in the late 1990s, with this as the backdrop, someone got the idea that 1 second into the dawn of the new decade, the stone-age would await us all, ushering in the fear of the Millennium or Y2K bug. This is not unlike a similar rallying cry that some are prophesizing to us about the quantum menace... only this time, the stakes are much higher with the consumer web now 30+ years in production. The Irrational Marketing Program What is different this time around in contrast to the Y2K situation is the number of influencers keen for a good story. Now, it is agreed that while there is no question that the possibility of damage with quantum is an order of magnitude larger than it was in 1999, the basic storyline is the same, which is that Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. But to some, that's lame, and gets in the way of painting a vivid picture of the damage which quantum will cause. An example of this is the perception that the blockchain, as a whole, will be simply moved to the trash bin in the cloud once released. The issue with that statement is that the blockchain itself cannot simply be erased as quantum infiltrations (real or AI) can decrypt value, not a platform (or ledger). In other words, is the bank robber looking for the value (money), or the building itself? Another classic yarn you may hear about is the notion that when quantum does arrive, your crypto will be instantly eradicated. The facts however tell a different story, and the fact is that quantum-powered systems will not scale immediately, but overtime, and when rolled-out, weaker encryption standards will be the immediate target long before Bitcoin's strong encryption is considered imminent. The Road To Enlightenment (or at least understanding) Looking at the prospect of damage from quantum computing is to simply level-set and apply the basics by understanding where the technology is going, and insert the relevant safeguargs in advance (like the Y2K preparations in the late '90s). As it applies to crypto, what we need to first understand is that Bitcoin is the most secure infrastructure in the world. Taking this simple fact as truth, if the purveyors of mass hysteria were on the right track, this would mean that all other systems that are less-secure (banks, health records, airline systems, military & defence, etc.) would be compromised immediately.

Has this happened? No... and the reason is as elementary as 1+1, which is that for many years engineers have been working on a solution to intercept the problem before it has a chance to cause widespread damage. Yes, there is a chance of a leakage occurring, but for those that know, they understand what is at stake, and have been working on this problem for years as the result of not doing anything could have catastrophic economic consequences. Let's also remember that the computer scientists working on this are early Bitcoin developers themselves and who also have the most at stake.

So what are the threats that are real and not perceived? Well, in plain terms is all comes down to math, where the better math wins. Case in point, the standard which keeps Bitcoin secure is the private key, of which the public key is derived. Crypto tokens such as BTC and ETH use this type of security, such that when a new address is created, both a private key and a public key are presented to the recipient, and where the private key is ket secret, while the public key is used for verification. It's important to note that your public key (which is used when sending value) is not the same as your address (which can be used on any blockchain 'explorer' to see your token balance). Think of the private key as the lock to your email account, where the public key is the mailbox (i.e. [email protected]). Anyone can send mail to your mailbox, but only you have the combination / password (private key) to open it. With Bitcoin for example which uses ECC (or 'Elliptic Curve Cryptograhy'), it is theoretically possible to reverse-engineer a public key to get the private key, but as the process is incredibly complex, it would be the equivalent of un-pickling a pickle... or reversing the process of a pickle back to it's clean Kirby-cucumber state. Even Hercules would balk as such a challenge. With the onset of quantum technology, the 'im' in impossible starts to fade, but as it is theoretically possible, one method which antagonists are considering is the process of HNDL (a play on 'HODL' but reversed) where the pepetrators Harvest Now and Decrypt Later by storing your public key in a database in an attempt to glean your private key and then siphon the contents when the technology is available. The thinking on this is "If I get a number of Private Keys in my database, I'll wait 5 or more years in which to cash in". These and other options are specifically the types of threats that white-hat engineers have been working on in an efort to 'cut 'em off at the pass', and having been at it for many years, the chances are good that elevated levels of security are not only being worked-on, but actively tested. So like many other digital threats that have come before (from strong passwords to 2FA), this is just another gate that is being worked on for the security of not only crypto, but other applications which have just as much (or more) to lose if quantum is used in nefarious ways. Quantum by itself is a neutral entity, as it's the intent behind it that can be used for good or evil, and while we may not be able to convince those in the minority who are spreading the bogeyman-like chatter for headlines, the truth is that the future of quantum computing has many positive attributes such as optimizing logistical issues, revolutionizing illnesses or discovering better sources of energy. For now, if you hold cryptocurrency and are (rightfully) concerned about the quantum problem, the issue is actively being vetted with a myriad of solutions... such as a change in the key-type to make legacy keys robust, as well as the off-line cold-storage devices to be quantum-ready. Our job is to simply keep our eye on the ball by doing our research and heeding the call when the updates are in production.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by Michael Ancher | Shor's Algorithm by Peter Shor | Bitcoin White Paper by Satoshi Nakamoto

[jimbuchan]

The Impulse Control Test

If you are new to the crypto space, and believe it's a haven for quick gains, you are in for a rude awakening. While there may be posts or videos proclaiming 'how' you can become a gazillionaire in no time, the fact is that it takes time, study and a whole lot of patience. Ask anyone who has been in the crypto market for any respectable length of time and they will tell you (and anyone else willing to listen) that patience is the #1 reason that separates the ones who succeed from those who fall by the wayside (and there are many). As such, being on the right side of crypto does not happen by fancy 'gimmicks' such as trying to constantly time the market or bail out from one coin to chase the next 'trend', as this play will be called on account of TFL, (or Tackle-for-Loss in football terms). No different than any investment, be it equities, bonds or collectible cards, one need only become a student of a project that is gaining traction and continuing to not lose sight of it, and then be willing to hold for the long haul until it bears fruit. It's a call that is not often heeded, and goes against the grain of what many content creators are professing, but it works so long as the fundamentals of the project are strong. Master This And You Master The Game Many decades ago, an interesting experiment was conducted at Stanford University's nursery school with the participants being the kids themselves. The test was conducted by Walter Mischel with the goal of measuring the level of temptation within a specified period of time. This was done by having a child sit in a room with a marshmallow (or some other treat) and provide them with 2 decision paths. option #1: They could eat the marshmallow right away, and instantly enjoy the prize. Or, choose option#2, and be rewarded with a double-helping, and thereby 2x their investment. In order to achieve this, all they would need to do is essentially 'do nothing' for 15 minutes and if they didn't succumb to eating the marshmallow, the would get a second one once the 15 minutes was up. At the end of the experiment, some ate the 'principal' investment right away, while a few others doubled their earnings, and the logic behind the ones who achieved a 2x return was incredibly simple. They just let time work on their behalf. For those who could not resist the delicious treat, and gave up either right away, or just before success would have been theirs, there was a commonality among these participants. They were so laser-targeted on the treat, filtering out everything else in the room, that the marshmallow was their only thought, and thus all they could do was dwell on the marshmallow. As for the ones who were able to double their bounty, they did a simple thing… they focused on something else, or just plain forgot about the treat. in other words… they moved on and let timing do the heavy lifting for them, which in essense is the equivalent of doing nothing. As a result they were rewarded handsomly. Set Your Emotions To "Boring" With the numerous investment tactics and strategies thrown on us by many an influencer, oftentimes all we need to do is just give it time and let the market do its thing. Taking a page from the graduating class of 'Marshmallow University', if we are to just hold our emotions and not get distracted, this gives us the best chance for gains. In doing so, however, you will be tested, (or perhaps tormented is a better term) in the crypto space, as the swings are violent and can last for many long months or years with short periods of upside, which is why so many opt to just pull the ripcord and bail out.

It's not rocket appliances, but it does test the investor with self-restraint as no one likes waiting long periods of time for a 2, 3 or 5x on their investment. The other issue that can cause folks to throw in the towel is taking the advice of those trying to flush us out of the market with nonsense or fear (or both). To illustrate a real-world example of this, one need look no further than what Jefferson 'Soapy' Smith did back in the Klondike gold rush days where he swindled many would-be profiteers out of their claims by buying the local news media and spreading fear and doubt over the 'end' of the gold rush. The result… many (and by many we're talking over 90%) of Skagway Alaska's stampeders sold their claims to Smith. Was there any more or less gold in the ground because of what Soapy proclaimed? The advent of propoganda has no effect on investments (be it gold or crypto), unless your emotioins play into fear which is why it is so critical to do your own research and keep abreast of the facts. Otherwise, if you have no wisdom to go with your 'education', you will be tossed to-and-fro and believe what the masses are telling you, especially when the source is from those who are in positions of authority. Being a long-term investor is not easy or fun, and commands us all to do more than just following the crowd. That being said, while it is not easy, it's simple, which means anyone can do it, and so long as you remain interested in your project and regularly keep abreast of the latest news instead of passively observing prices and charts, you will be well ahead of the masses who hope for a great outcome, but don't back it up with action. And the action required, like the winners of the marshmallow test, does not command that much… other than a desire to wait for the harvest to bear fruit, and knowing what you hold, not guessing from one day to the next.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ The Marshmallow Test, Stanford University | Jefferson 'Soapy' Smith, Skagway, AK, 1898 via US Library of Congress

[jimbuchan]

Accumulate Degrees Or Build Real Assets

This ain't your granddad's economy, and for those who continue to cling to the old ways of earning income may be in for a shock based on where the world is heading. It used to be the norm, many years ago, where you could simply invest your time for years at an institution and be gobbled up by any number of willing employers. This was how life was before the advent of the information age, but since then, this romanticized way of life has deteriorated in favor of modern recruiting efforts and automation. Subsequently, finding new means of employment has run the gamut with just a fraction of new hires being absorbed in a world where the modern enterprise is hungry for more output and higher profits. The Sheep Don't Know Where They're Going You may have heard your grandparents talk of a day when they had a single occupation which paid for everything... 2 cars, a 4 bedroom home and multiple kids with regular vacations and so on... Even back then this would have been the exception, but not outside the realm of possibility, but today... fuggetaboutit. The reality is that even a top-tier position acquired, post-graduation, will provide just about enough to pay the bills, and the savings that could be squirreled away on top of that are meager at best... proof positive of the growing trend of side-hustles that even high-earners have taken on, resulting in elevated levels of stress. There are many attestations to this... a weaker dollar, high inflation, change of vocational styles and others too numerous to mention, but yet the dream of home ownership and a high standard of living continues to beckon us all. One thing that cannot be ignored, specially since the onset of AI is the implosion of traditional occupations which are now being served by machines that provide a near-zero error rate, can work weekends and command no attributes that used to be common with a 'job' such as benefits and paid vacation. Like it or hate it, one can have the greatest amount of education, degrees and IQ, but trying to compete with a machine that possesses none of these traits will still look second-rate compared to purpose-specific automation. While it would be a nice aspiration for this to just be a phenomenon, this is not the state of affairs today and simply ignoring it will not make it go away. As such, while there may be a specific skill-set you possess that automation has not yet fully embraced, you can be certain it will only be a matter of time until it becomes reality. Software developers, accountants, lawyers, real estate professionals and yes... even physicians and surgeons are all prime for streamlined processing via mechanization, computerization or robotics of which many are currently in the process of being 'phased-in'. So taking this into account, what is the real value of a traditional education when the hiring teams of the largest corporations are already aware of what the promise of automation provides? Put another way, if a business is evaluating all of your pedigrees, honor rolls and credentials in comparison to a robot which has zero academic qualifications, but has the attractive quality of a fraction of the cost, you already know who is going to win out as whoever (or whatever) can do it the fastest and least expensive will be chosen. Period. Traditional Education Can Earn You A Living. Self Education Can Make You A Fortune With today's scenario stated clearly, on the positive side, the good news is that there are options open to us to get ahead of the automation trend, and get on the right side of history by taking advantage of opportunities that are the opposite of the old-world 'wealth-killers'. The first step is to simply take stock of the changes that are occurring and not be ignorant of it. Doing so will open up the floodgates of possibilities that are available now, for anyone to take advantage of if we are simply bold enough to consider the options and become involved in an assignment, task or role that machines are not designed-for and then become fluent in this area of expertise.

For instance, while we can imagine a machine performing a factory-style manual job, a 3D printer building a home, or a computer facilitating a real-estate transaction with a smart contract, replicating the human experience is a bit more far-fetched. Some examples of this are Restauranteurs, Plumbers (and other in-demand Skilled Trades), Novelists, Artists, Travel Guides, Wedding & Event Planners and Actors. These are but a few, but within each of these areas lies thousands of occupations that, while technically possible for a machine to take-on, would not have the same level of value that you and I would pay for, and of which only an expert could command. There are more to be sure, but when pondering the possibilities, consider that many of these future-proof areas of expertise do not necessarily require a degree or doctorate in order to become an authority figure.

Better yet, because of the proliferation of AI, these types of positions are only going to become more valuable in the future, and so dedicating a portion of your time to these sort of professions can put you well ahead of the game. Do you need to cut ties to your existing position to take part in the new economy? Not at all, as even a small portion of time can make all the difference as you are conditioning yourself to be open to alternatives instead of being aloof to what could be bedlam in the coming years by taking no action. And, if you decide that a change to another alternative is more in the cards, then so be it, but at least you are gaining knowledge and building skills... heck, you may even discover that it could not only replace your regular income, but provide more enjoyment and a better quality of life.

The other option is to invest in the technologies that are building our modern world... AI, Robotics, Clean Energy and Blockchain & Crypto, all of which should be visualized within the lens of a long-term perspective. One of the most compelling investment vehicles is the crypto space, as it represents a new asset class, and has tremendous upside potential due to the myriad of problems that cryptocurrency solves such as Logistics & Supply Chain, Cross-Border Asset Transfers and the tokenization of real-world valuables such as Art and Real Estate. To the seasoned investor, the thing that makes cryptocurrency so valuable in perpetuity to other equities is the limited supply, which continues to diminish in rapid speed (case in point, Bitcoin, of which the supply is now less than 5%). By investing in hard assets such as cryptocurrency, you are on the front lines of the new economy while setting yourself up for gains that can be multiplied many times over the years, which far outweighs a profession that pays you only what the job is worth. Consider this - if you had 2 degrees, which cost an average of $100,000 per degree, the total investment is $200,000 + 4 years of time in which to achieve it (assuming you get a passing grade), with no guarantee of having a position after the 4 years is complete.

In contrast, if you invested $200,000 in crypto, based on the history of the asset class, your odds of achieving a return of at least what you put into it would be greater than the total value spent from achieving the degree, as the capital to achieve the piece of paper had already been spent. Taking the maturing of the crypto investment 4 years from now, the decreasing supply and the ETF inflows, the odds are greater in seeing a return of 100% or more, and while past history is not a guarantee of future growth, base estimates for a conservative return based on today's metrics could realize a $400,000 valuation on the conservative side, with $1M on the bullish side. If these numbers are correct, and we take the middle average between these 2 numbers ($700,000), this would mean a $500,000 profit over a 4 year period based on this speculation.

Looking at the 2 options, the determining factor of paramount importance will equate to a number of criteria, denominated in what holds the most value. If your dream is to become a doctor, then any gains you achieve in crypto will never be enough to satisfy your goal, as in order to practice medicine, you must have the higher education credentials in which to reach your destination. For those who are motivated in other areas, be it in experiental value propositions which AI cannot replicate, or investing in the future of where the modern world is headed, the opportunities will be greater based on the percentage of needs that can be filled as opposed to the lower-number of occupations available that will continue to be absorbed by AI and automation. While pondering on which path to pursue, what is almost certain is that inflation will continue to increase, which means the cost of living will persevere in the years to come, proof positive that the $7 hamburger you had last weekend used to be $4 just a few short years ago. If you choose to embrace the new world rather than fight (or ignore) it, you have the best chance to thrive in the years to come be being an early adopter... or, remain in the fantasy that everything is OK with the status-quo, and hope that AI will not replace you sooner than later.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Crazytown cartoon by Harvey Films, written by Izzy Klein, directed by Izzy Sparber

[jimbuchan]

You're Standing In Front Of A Burning House And I'm Offering Fire Insurance

For anyone who has followed fiat currency and crypto, you are very aware of the difference between an asset with a limited supply and one that can be printed to infinity. Regardless the motive or spin, race, color or creed, the more paper money that gets printed, the higher the devaluation and whether it be professed as good or bad, inflation doesn't care... it keeps growing. One does not need to be an accredited economist to see that eventually the party will be over and those who end up hoarding cash will be the ones holding the bag. For anyone who may doubt this, one need only look at how devaluation of currency due to continual printing of dollars has eroded your purchasing power. Consider these examples (U.S. based):

The average cost of an apartment in 2005 was $759, whereas today the same apartment goes for $1750 - a difference of 117% (and that may or may not include maintenance or upkeep)

A pound of bread in 2005 was $1.05 compared to $1.85, representing a 76% rise

If you purchased a well-made winter coat in 2005, the average cost would have set you back about $100. For the exact same coat today, you would pay approximately $180... an 80% increase.

Pondering on these illustrations, consider what would be the result if instead of spending your money on any of these items, you saved it, like the world tells us to do. Taking the smallest example above (76% incrase in inflation) if you made the decision to save $10,000 in 2005, this would give you a return of $2400 in comparable purchasing power today. Congratulations. That's simply the way of the werewolf pack, and you can doubt it as much as you want, but it's reality. Think of it this way... if you bought a flip-phone in 2005 (i.e. Nokia or Motorola) you would expect to pay about $200. How much is that same phone worth today? That's basically the problem with fiat money which can be created out of thin air, and while the term 'Cash is King' may be true in-the-moment, over time it ages like bread - tasty today, but penicillin-laden tomorrow. So how can we expect to get out of this debt fuelled hamster wheel that we have been taught to embrace? There is only one answer... hard assets that appreciate in value and grow over time as opposed to inflationary dollars that only collect dust. So what are the assets that are worthy of your consideration? For starters, not all investments are equal, as each have their own characteristics, yield and applications - each which must be considered based on your risk tolerance. Precious Metals such as gold has been known for centuries as a safe, long term investment which if we look over the past 10 years, has increased in value 71%... more than holding its value, but not enough to really make a dent in anything. Stocks can produce higher levels of returns, but hold more risk than gold, but, like dollars, the supply can be controlled as stocks can split an unlimited number of times as there is no legal limit to how many times a company can divide the shares. Regardless of the investment vehicle you choose, anything that at least holds its value is head-and-shoulders above a government's printed money. With the inevitable and insidious rise of inflation being a major contributor to the cost of living, we need a mechanism to ward off the flames of debt, and cryptocurrency is quickly becoming the preferred solution. So why crypto in comparison to other assets such as the ones mentioned above? First on the list is the increasingly limited supply or scarcity of the asset... a topic that while seldom mentioned in mainstream circles, is the most desirable facet as it goes hand-in-hand with the supply and demand thesis. As the number of coins diminish from exchanges (or mined) and go into self or institutional custody, the value over time will increase and when there comes a point in time when the supply is exhausted (or gone altogether), the ones holding the asset will be the victors. Don't believe it? It's still true.

Taking Bitcoin for example, 95% of the total supply that can ever be created has already beren mined, yet there is still an ample supply of gold and diamonds. The major financiers and governments understand this and are hedging their bets accordingly as they know that the end-game is not just about accumulation of these rare coins, but also the passive income that can be derived from holding the assets, which brings up the second point: Staking. Through this strategy, by simply parking a portion (or all if you are so inclined) of your crypto in a particular location, you can 'stake' your assets and realize a return, passively. For example, Cardano and Ether net an APY of 3-5%, while tokens such as Algorand can provide 7%. Even stablecoins such as USDC and USDT can offer between 2-8% APY by just holidng them... an order of magnitude compared to the 0.1% offered by major US banks. This in essence gives you a 'double-whammy' as not only does the physical asset provide massive upside potential due to it's scarcity, but your APY earnings place it in a completely different class than what any paper currency can yield. So why is everyone not into crypto then if the stakes are this large? Well, this depends of course on who you ask. If you consult with someone who has no knowledge of the space (outside of hearing the word 'Bitcoin') then the answer will usually have negative connotations such as an illegal or mysterious form of money. But, ask someone who has been in the crypto market for awhile and has seen the gains for themselves and more to the point... understands how Cryptocurrency and Blockchain are solving some of the largest problems and you'll get a different perspective based on common sense and facts. True, the market overall is still about 17 years old, but therein lies the opportunity before the masses realize what is taking place. Is there manipulation due to laws that are yet-to-be-written? Indeed, but all things being equal, this is no different than all other assets including precious metals, stocks, derivatives and even real estate. The difference with crypto is that the supply cannot be increased, regardless of what authority figure told you to believe because the truth is that while 'whales' (i.e. an entity or group that holds more than 1000 BTC) can manipulate the price, there is no way they can create more because it's written in the code and cannot be changed. For proof of this, unlike banks or public companies, the Bitcoin ledger is available for all to see. In adding up the pros and cons of all assets in comparison to cryptocurrency, the biggest outlier may not be in the facts, but rather in the perception. However, dig into the truth for yourself by doing your own research and asking others who have been in the space for over 1 year and you'll realize which investment is the fastest in the race. Stocks have decent returns and some also include dividends but crypto plays the ace card with high returns and passive staking. Compared to real estate which does appreciate over time, the rate of return is inflationary in contrast to crypto's defflationary aspect... plus (a big plus) is there is no maintenance. And gold... well, the numbers speak for themselves. If you invested $100 10 years ago, gold would have provided a profit of $362. The same amount invested in Bitcoin 10 years ago would give you $29,250. Choose wisely, and let the facts speak for themselves, not the talking heads trying to talk you out of it through fear and misinformation as the real insurance policy to fending off inflation could be staring you in the face, but only if you are eager enough to investigate it for yourself.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image of Gangs of New York by Touchstone Pictures via Shot.Cafe | Quote by Charles Ellis The Big Short by Michael Lewis via Paramount Pictures

[jimbuchan]

Type Your Project Into Existence

As an admin or developer, you are no stranger to the standard method of creating applications, from ideation to prototyping to testing and deployment. Whether you're developing enterprise solutions on Oracle, Microsoft or Salesforce, the overall software development lifecycle is similar, albeit with different nuances based on the platform. Regardless the stack, the common denominator is the processing time with each development milestone including various stages of debugging, modifications, debug again and multiple rounds of testing. The core of every software development project starts with the integrated development environment (IDE) itself, and if the workspace can offer a smarter means of getting to the finish line faster, the ROI can be calculated in terms of time saved resulting in a faster MVP. This is the thought pattern behind Agentforce Vibes, a new IDE that leverages the power of AI and built for developers of enterprise-grade applications. It gets its namesake from the bleeding-edge vibe-coding process, which uses instructions from natural language inputs to produce production-ready code. Where Agentforce Vibes differs is that it is built on the Salesforce ecosystem taking existing object/field structure and metadata to produce applications rapidly, and because it's standardized on Salesforce, security and compliance are baked-in via the Salesforce Trust Layer. Built from the ground-up, Agentforce Vibes leverages the Salesforce DX MCP (Model Context Protocol) Server allowing for Aura, LWC and mobile support. If You Can Type You Can Build Like other AI platforms, you create a sentence (or prompt) in which to achieve your desired results. With engines such as ChatGPT or Grok, your goal is to produce a logical (and interpretive) answer to your query. With vibe coding, the method is the same, but instead of a textual answer, the outcome is a process (flow), trigger, class or fully-automated application incorporating many metadata components. Consider the speed of execution of a project that includes Objects, Fields, Automation and a Dashboard, written in plain language compared to developing each component individually. Because the solution in native to Salesforce, governance and bias controls are also scrutinized within the environment to mitigate partiality and optimize regulatory compliance. In addition, because the application is auto-generated, code quality is improved versus manual programming due to the machine-based instructions generating the output. The difference would be akin to manually deliberating on a mathematical problem compared to inputting the problem into a calculator. Not only will the answer be faster, but less prone to error.

Screenshot of Salesforce Agentforce Vibes development environment

So what are some of the elements that Agentforce Vibes is cut out for? Some of the use-cases include:

Development of Proof-of-concepts such as rapid Object creation or visuals.

Creation of Apex code, or modification of existing classes

Automations such as Flows or automated alerts where multiple components need to be created

Debugging existing applications such as triggers or Lightning Web Components

Agentforce Vibes in Action Taking a look under the hood, let's say you wanted to create a custom object in Salesforce for tracking requests from your service engineers while at customer sites. Within the object, you also want email alerts to be sent to the recipient based on changes to the 'Availability' field and create a Dashboard of the current requests. Here's how this can be done using the Vibes IDE:

Create a Custom Object called "Service Requests" (ServiceRequest__c) with the fields "Service Type" (ServiceType__c) containing the following Picklist values: "Mechanical, Manufacturing, Assembly, Powertrain", "Service Status" (ServiceStatus__c) containing the following Picklist values: "Future, Requested, Approved, Not Approved, Cancelled" and a Project Notes field (ProjectNotes__c) as a TextArea(5000) field. Also include a triggered email alert to the Owner of the Service Request record when the Status is changed to either 'Approved' or 'Not Approved' with a Dashboard to show all of the Service Requests with 2 filters that display records based on "Service Type" AND "Service Status".

Once entered into the engine, it takes only minutes for the solution to be completed, and ready for testing in your Salesforce Sandbox environment. While there will be additional modifications required (such as the text within the email alert), the productivity can be increased to a factor of 2-3x development time as compared to constructing the same tool(s) in the standard format. If also adding Apex, code coverage will also be accounted for with a minimum of 85% saving additional debugging time. With only weeks in release, or GA (generally available), there are still many revisions and options to be added as both Agentforce and AI evolve. The requirements for getting started with Agentforce Vibes is via a Visual Studio Code extension (a component of the SFDC Extension Pack) integrating with tools like Salesforce DX, Sandboxes, Code Analyzer, and DevOps Center or as an all-encompassing web-based IDE. While still a tip-of-the-spear framework, the early indications of Salesforce's Vibe Coding environment shows promise, not only in terms of rapid deployment, simplicity, speed, but also improved quality of code, security and scalability.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by Teraganix | Agentforce Vibes by Salesforce.com

[jimbuchan]

The Crypto Regulatory Climate Has Inverted To Common Sense

During the innovative and fast-changing days of the industrial revolution, many technological breakthroughs were fabricated… some mere concepts, and others inventions that would go on to be produced in mass quantities for the betterment of society. The mass production of time however, was still a problem to be solved for the staff who operated in the factories in and around Great Britain. Because alarm clocks were neither abundant, nor dependable (much less affordable), the workers employed the services of the 'Knocker-Upper'… a profession that ensured that the workers woke-up early and were able to get to the factory on time. While there were thousands of workers in various factories at the time, being employed in a factory enabled many to provide a decent living wage, to which if anyone arrived late a few times, they would either be reprimanded (usually without pay) or simply let go. The Knocker-Upper used a large stick (or a long pea-shooter) to tap the windows of the sleepy folks, ensuring they had ample time to wake up and get to work. A lucrative position indeed, and although the proprietors of this niche business had to wake up extra-early in which to earn their keep, they were also rewarded by taking the rest of the day off to either do what they pleased (or also join the others at the factory if they so desired). A whimsical and perhaps romantic notion today, but back then it was serious business. Today, if we wanted to, we could acquire an alarm clock at the local thrift store for a buck or two, with the added convenience of a snooze button to add to the utility, but even this is old-fashioned as it comes free-on-board as a default-app with any smart-phone. The obvious point is this… technological breakthroughs put an end to the position of the Knocker-Upper, and many other professions in the decades since for the benefit of mankind. Some ideas for progress are obvious such as the proliferation of the alarm clock, but others did not come without a price. Hoist By One's Own Petard As time moves along through the decades and centuries, there are moments when a shift in the way we progress as humans change things forever. It could be a savings in time, or change in the economy, but regardless the medium, you can be absolutely certain there will be someone with a bee in their bonnet that will stop at nothing to spoil the progression of the idea for the rest of us. The automobile had their fair share of horse-and-buggy enthusiasts who tried to kill the innovation, further stalled by the regulators of the day that had a man stand in front of the car with a red flag, walking very slowly for "safety" reasons. Old-thinking luddites were wary of the telephone because they were fully convinced it would put operas out of business due to the fear of microphones broadcasting the event. Laughable by today's standards, but as much as things change, they stay the same with this sort of malarkey playing out in the crypto market.

But… like the Car and the phone, crypto could not (and will not) be killed off by a few special interests… and they certainly gave it their all. It's a game as old as time itself where powerful lobbies proclaim to look here, and not there while at the same time spreading fear, but as the asset class has matured from the early days of regulatory capture and intentional FUD by the media, Cryptocurrency is moving ahead and regulations are being relaxed. Banks, governments and even traditional investors who were once wary of Bitcoin are now singing a different tune, and it's being reflected in both the decreasing supply as well as the price. But perhaps a bigger catalyst is the adoption rate and promise of what the blockchain was meant for in the first place… speed of execution over mainframe-like performance and low-cost transation processing where projects such as ChainLink are playing a role in the movement of goods and services or the near real-time settlement of value from Ripple Labs. Silence From The Lamb For those who are familiar with the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, you'll recall the scene where Indiana Jones is paired against the big swordsman, with the humorous ending. That scene in the movie almost never happened, as the original screenplay was written to have Jones and the swordsman have a long fight with Jones' whip. However, due to montezuma's revenge, a shorter (and many of us will likely agree… better) outcome prevailed. The night before this scene was to be filmed, Harrison Ford thought he would try the local fare in Tunisia by indulging in some street food which contained a variety of ingredients including mutton. While the meal was likely an appetizing dish, the next day, his stomach was telling him otherwise, and as you can imagine, his energy level suffered because of it, which is visible in the movie where you could see his lack of enthusiasm just before 'meeting' his rival. Indeed, he was in no mood to film a long, drawn out battle scene, and finally he just said to Speilberg… "Can't I just shoot the guy"? and the rest is history. Ford basically took a bad situation and used ingenuity to his advantage to the delight of the movie-goers who, without knowing the history of this scene, had a good laugh. This is basically what is playing out now in the cypto space with clever, modern solutions being battle-tested and ready for prime-time for the benefit of everyone, and the best part is… they don't even know that behind the scenes, it's cryptocurrency that is facilitating the transaction. With the G.E.N.I.U.S. Act now passed, and the Clarity Bill soon to be voted on, things that seemed almost impossible just a year ago are being deployed. Where before the sentiment was "Bblockchain not Crypto" this has been replaced with a new flury of digital entrepreneurs providing cutting-edge services, not just in the transferrance of money, but in healthcare, construction and a multitide of other areas. Keep Abread Of The Facts Perhaps you are still on the sidelines of whether or not to consider Cryptocurrency as an investment because of what you were told years ago. Who knows, you may have even heard the 'Blockchain not Bitcoin' phrase (which was a cute statement put out by the same sort of folks who tried to stop the phone and car). But in letting the facts speak for a second, the trepidation could have been well-founded when the total Crypto Market Capitalization was about 1 Billion but now that we have north of a 4 Trillion dollar market, the facts are no longer in dispute.

Like Blockbuster, this statement has aged link a fine milk

If one but simply did their own research they would find that crypto is being used to solve real problems today, and yes… much of them are on a small-scale due to past reulations (even prototypes) in comparison to where this is going in the years to come, but with a favorable regulatory climate, and much-needed clarity coming to the asset class, the charlatains and fraudsters are being cornered while the true developers and innovators with their many blockchain-based use-cases are about to go mainstream. For those who have been in the space for awhile, the future could not be more obvious, as in tackling modern problems such as moving money as fast as an email simply cannot be done with old tech. It's basically like trying to find the bug(s) in a large equation thtough a search engine, compared to knowing the answer in seconds via AI. When mass adoption comes, the crowd will flock in extremely fast succession to crypto and proclaim 'we needed this all along' but there are only a small fraction of us that realize this today, while the opportunity is still available. The SEC, FCA, CFTC, DOJ and others are relaxing their stringest laws which for so many years have halted the means of production, but they all know what's at stake in being left behind, and, like the internet in 1996-2000 when laws were relaxed to let the market thrive, the result will mean gains for everyone. Gains in the economy, in jobs and in novel ideas that can only come from crypto and for those who are unaware… you cannot have blockchain without crypto. Ignorance of this fact, and holding on to a romantic idea such as paper currency or slow tech will seal the fate of those same people, who will, by choice, end up on the negative side of the future.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by Eirini Lachana | Raiders of the Lost Ark by Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas Great Exhibition, 1851 by George Cruikshank | Blockchain not Bitcoin / Blockbuster art by phneep

[jimbuchan]

However Beautiful The Strategy, You Should Occasionally Look At The Results

If your organization is in the sales hunting business (which is basically all enterprises), does your team follow a regimented process for how new prospects are handled? If you are using Salesforce as your CRM, the default strategy usually involves surveying your Lead Records (list or report) and making calculated determinations on what the next step in the process is. These steps can involve multiple avenues of follow-up, but mainly are boiled-down to emails, SMS messages or good ‘ol-fashioned phone calls. Processing your unqualified prospects in this manner is a tried-and-true method, to which further automation may be included, but can you be certain all of your team members are following this same protocol. If you are considering a mechanism to have not only your leads, but also your team-members follow the same intonation (or 'cadence'), Salesforce offers a boutique license-type that automates your prospect-lifecycle, giving your team back the biggest advantage of all. Time. Speed Sales Engagement (formerly High Velocity Sales) gives you an edge over the standard, manual means of business development. Generation of new business is complex enough, and any advantage you can provide your team can shorten the sales cycle and provide a larger funnel. With Sales Engagement, instead of an unorganized means of working with leads, your team instead follows a unified process (known as a cadence) so that each pursuit is handled in the same way, with calls, emails or SMS messaging being triggered at just the right time. It starts by customizing the steps that each new lead follows as determined by your team, and it goes beyond just words on a page. Documenting these steps is one thing, but in so doing, the plan will have varying degrees of progress as text-based instructions can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. The Cadence Steps in Sales Engagement automates these defined steps in a ‘to-do list’ of items, without any guesswork involved. You may already have a proven way of how leads should be prepared and refined, and if so, you’re already well ahead of the game. If not, this is a perfect time to galvanize your lead process lifecycle so it can be entered into your cadence. Take for example the following:

Step 1: Send an automated email

Step 2: Determine the follow-up time prior to next actions (i.e. wait 2 days)

Step 3: Set ‘Positive’ actions (i.e. Make a Call / Send manual email)

Step 4: Set ‘Negative’ actions (i.e. Automated email)

With the Sales Engagement Cadence Steps defined, you can programmatically identify each of these (including others) into your model ensuring that all of your leads follow the same steps… no guesswork. With the Cadence built, the last action needed is to simply add your leads to your cadence which triggers the automation / steps of the process to be initiated. Clarity With your steps identified and tested, you can add all of your leads to this cadence allowing each of your prospects to follow the same set of steps. So, unlike a more time-intensive assessment of leads in a particular area, records can be segmented by Emails Sent, Emails Opened, Calls Made and total records which have resulted in a Positive or Negative track.

This not only accelerates the movement of records through the stack, but provides a more accurate state of your leads, which for the management team, gives a realistic accounting via reports and dashboards. Unlike a list or tabular report, having visibility into each stage of the lead lifecycle can also be a great training tool as records in any area of the cadence can be pinpointed allowing managers to focus their efforts in any part of the Main, Positive or Negative track. While this example provides a prospecting path with Lead records, cadences can also be tailored to existing contacts already in the system, which expediates the process of events-scheduling. For instance, if your firm is hosting an internal company event or trade show, Sales Engagement can rapidly summarize the specifics of your existing records by adding a series of Contact records to your cadence in the same with as Leads. If your enterprise uses Campaigns, this can also be used within Sales Engagement via the Activity Tabs where Tasks and Events are stored. In this way, the referring record which stores these activities are available within the Campaign Members section as well as the Hierarchy as well as Engagement History component. Tying Campaigns into your Cadence also provides the ability to track the ROI of campaigns against your engagement activities so you can see in an instant what works and what doesn't. Further, if your organization utilizes Person Accounts these can also be added to your cadence in a similar way as Contacts along with the automation and reporting that comes with Sales Engagement. Other add-ons such as CTI integration, such as RingCentral or Amazon Connect, can also be used in the Call Sequence of your Cadence, which on average can save approximately 25% of call-time in comparison to manual voice calls. Based on the specifics of your organization (size of your outbound team / heavy use of Leads and/or Contacts), if you are looking to streamline your sales efforts, the Sales Engagement license could be just the solution as it is tailored specifically to give your reps a predictable routine in working with prospects and existing contacts alike.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by Alena Aenami | Quote by Winston Churchill | Sales Engagement by Salesforce

[jimbuchan]

Wait. Hold. Wait.

It's 2013, and through a friend telling you about Crypto, reading about it in an article or perhaps a banner ad (yes that's still a thing), you are intrigued about this new form of value, and give the matter some thought, but quickly dismiss it as 'geek currency' at a $21 valuation. A couple of months later you hear about it again, and by this time it's over $141, but you then get distracted by the fact that the garbage truck is coming in 10 minutes and need to urgently prepare for its arrival. The thought of Bitcoin, let alone being an investment vehicle is of some, but little interest, as 'life' keeps getting in the way. A few more months down the line, your friend sends you a message, reminding you of the power of this new entity, and the potential benefits that could be yours in the years to come.. even if you put in but a small amount that would not 'break the bank'. You ask him what the price is, which is now at $135, and recalling when it was below $50 you think to yourself "That's way too expensive... maybe I'll wait until it drops below $100". Two months later you get another email from your friend telling you it's below $70, but you swipe your phone in favor of the football game. After all... football is important, whereas crypto is fantasyland. And besides... if it dropped this low, you convince yourself that it will probably drop again (or go to zero), therefore giving you plenty of time to take this seriously in the years to come. But then something interesting happens. It's near the end of the same year and BTC is now valued at over $1100 and you realize that if you invested $500 when it was $70, this would have increased your investment to $7,857. It's painful, but nothing you can't get caught up on later when you 'get around to it'. Over the coming months your friend continues to send you adoption news, articles and YouTube clips about Blockchain and Crypto, but it continues to elude your attention, and so you instead ask how his summer is going as you would rather talk about something else. He then says that if he ever has any questions, to give him a holler but you just convince yourself to wait until it drops lower again and then give the matter some thought when it's 'convenient'.

Someday Never Comes Fast-forward a couple of years, and despite all of the emails you've read and articles you come across, you remain undecided, and while a distant thought in the back of your mind, you see a short clip which shows the price at $17,512. Realizing you had the opportunity to get in at a much earlier time at $21, you mutter to yourself that it's likely a bubble at it's current valuation, but yet deliberate on what it would be like if you invested that $500 when you first heard about it at $21, which would now equate to $416,952. The self-talk convinces you that it's just for 'risky' folks (if you can call $500 a risk), but the reality of the situation is that taking out the garbage and watching the football game costed you hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit... just for holding. Thinking back about this, you consider that it wouldn't have been that inconvenient to halt your busy life (and we're all busy people) for just a few minutes to apply your investment, and then resume your life, and as an investor, that's all you needed to do, and let time work in the background, but it just didn't materialize. At over $17k, the thought of putting $500 at this stage seems like a fools errand, and you therefore resign yourself to complacency and accept this as being one of those things that just passed you by. It is not an age, or experience or pedigree that would have made the difference, it's just plain conviction, and in this fictitious example, the individual was only a decision away to become a pioneer, but instead chose to remain a settler.

Acceptance Or Apprehension Like your country's monetary unit of account (i.e. paper money), crypto is based on a belief, and you either believe in it, or you do not. Indeed, the crypto asset class is unlike anything else that has ever come before it, and therein lies the opportunity. There has never been anything even close to the volatility over the years that the crypto space offers, which can cause some to relish the experience where for others is the deciding factor to not even give the industry a second glance... but as an investor this should be taken positively as holding for the long term increases your chance ot avoiding the gulleys by treating this as a marathon and not a dash.

Many times our character had the chance to step out in faith and make a small stake. At various times during the beginning of the story, the price went up, and then down and then up, etc. but yet the trigger was never pulled. More than once a 'second chance' was given, even falling below the amount where a buy could have taken place, but still this did not make it convincing to make the investment. It's not a price thing, it's a decision-making element, as you either have conviction or do not, and even if the price went to $10, this would not have made a difference because of 'excusitis'.

Adoption Doesn't Wait No amount of price fluctuation in this case would have made a difference to make a convincing catalyst in which to move this person to take action, but do you know who did care? Institutions, Family Offices, Tier-1 Banks and even Governments. They realize, as have others how the dots are being connected and how scarce this asset-class is when compared to anything else that has come before it. In short, adoption doesn't slow down, as if it did, why would BTC in just 15 years move from $1 to over $100,000? If more of us keep buying, the supply will continue to dwindle, which will have a direct correlation to the value, and when the levee breaks, the spoils will deservedly flow to those who could be bothered, not letting circumstance get the better of them. You don't have to be a rocket appliance technician to realize where this is all going, and despite what you may hear from others it's still early days in crypto. While dollars, stocks, and even gold continue to be 'created' by printing, splitting or mining, Bitcoin, XRP and other crypto tokens become increasingly rare due to its limited supply and deflationary nature, and as more of us realize this simple fact, the race to acquire these digital assets will continue to accelerate. Even today, this person still has the opportunity staring at him straight in the face where action can be taken, while prices are still low, so that when BTC is at $1M, there would be no gnashing of teeth and looking back, thinking 'I wish I would have invested when it was 1/10th the value'. So, take your time in deciding if this is right for you, but just know while you ponder the possibilities, hundreds of thousands of others are not waiting, and continue to accumulate, which further 'prices you out' of the market. Remember... this is a deflationary asset and thus 1 Bitcoin will always be worth 1 Bitcoin.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by Artist's Lane | Quote by John Fogerty / CCR | Sailboat image by Cristina Bernazzani via Saatchi Art

[jimbuchan]

Knowledge Speaks But Wisdom Listens

The ability to reason is tantamount to experience and insight in life, and also with Artificial Intelligence. Without it, perceived averages or calculated responses will be the result which may provide the best outcome some of the time, but not every time. This is the specific purpose of the Atlas Reasoning Engine (Atlas), which is at the heart of Salesforce's Agentforce platform, providing your enterprise with AI Agents that can handle a myriad of solutions for your customers. With Atlas, the retrieval of information is done dynamically and not programmatically, which was how AI 1.0 functioned before the onset of 'smart' AI. Using Reasoning and Acting (ReAct) over Chain-of-Thought (CoT), the client is presented with greater factual interpretations with more depth of understanding and clarity of answers, while reducing errors more common with a non-dynamic approach. As such, Atlas reasoning performs with 'human-like' responses by using a more cognitive approach in evaluating the input (question) before providing the resolution back to the consumer. Looking under the hood of the reasoning engine, where some AI applications use individual components, Atlas uses the latest in best-of-breed AI technology including Salesforce's own Hyperforce along with RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) and a cache of ever-evolving LLM's. Together, these systems give your enterprise a variety of time-saving tools… which can be used right out of the box with the only limitation being your team's commitment and imagination. Owls And Guard Dogs So what are some of the ways your business can utilize the benefits of AI in your Salesforce Org? While there are numerous examples of use cases where Atlas can play a pivotal role, some of the more common factors include areas such as combining disparate systems to achieve a rapid solution (i.e. Analytics), automation of monotonous tasks or streamlining your marketing efforts. Consider for example a situation where accuracy and precision is critical. With the goal of dividing the correct prediction by the # of total predictions, when factoring thousands or millions of data-points Atlas analyzes the information through multiple avenues before arriving at its destination (your result). During the reasoning process, if the engine makes a determination that a change needs to be made while in-process, the cycle will repeat until the final hypothesis has been rationalized. It does this by pondering, rather than calculating which in the field of medicine, supply chain or weights & measures can make a major difference, not only in the quality of the data, but also the speed. Like the wise old owl, Atlas gains its knowledge based on experience and foresight, acting as a custodian of your past experiences, which can serve your business at the most critical hour. The alternative would mean a manual approach of continually teaching AI models to solve problems based on what is 'currently' of importance. Where the owl excels at wisdom and 'mileage', the guard dog is the owl's partner on all matters of security, which must be on-board at all times… without exception. Indeed, while modern AI tools and search engines can provide answers in a non-private format based on public information, your company's private data is a completely different matter. Above the level of the quality of the information and speed, security is the most important role of any AI system as the technology is still evolving on a minute-by-minute basis and as such, a 'dogged' approach to privacy and stewardship of your data is paramount.

This is controlled through the Einstein Trust Layer, which is a part of Atlas, and whose job is to 'Serve & Protect' your org's AI data with features such Grounding (safe prompts) and Toxicity Detection and Mitigation. An important aspect as part of the Einstein Trust Layer is the supervision and ownership of your data, which is not 'productized' within Salesforce. This means that you are the sole custodian of your information, regardless of whether you use Salesforce's own models or external LLM's.

Real World Examples With Atlas and AgentForce, the sky is literally the limit on the number of permutataions you can derive for your business, not only for your internal customers, but for your external customers and prospects. Take for example the following options to ponder on:

Lead & Campaign Insights If you are looking for rapid insight into your existing Lead data, Atlas can surmise the information and provide rear-instant recommendations on the records which should be contacted first, as well as identification of those which present risks. For your Campaigns, Atlas can rate and rank past data for customer retention and provide suggestions on future pursuits focusing on the insights that matter most. Banking & Investment Services If your customer-base makes heavy use out of your online presence, Atlas' AI engine can strongly out-pace prior AI versions by an order of magniture. In the prior 'chat-bot' world, answers were a one-size-fits-all affair, but with Agentforce + Atlas, your customers get tailored answers based on your firm's own data based on the client's options and choices asked in their prompt. Investigations, Complaints and Case Resolution Where not to long ago it was a challenging (and time consuming) means of amalgamating internal Case and Email data to craft the right response, Atlas automates these actions by sifting through your customer's responses and providing your AI Agents the information needed to send back the right response... and with the proper tone. Multi-Action Task Handling Out of the box, Atlas has the intuitiveness to assign separate actions based on a single line of text from the customer. For instance, consider the following example: "I am looking to book tickets to the Boots and Hearts Festival in August. What is my best option for Flights and Car Rentals?". A lot to compantalize for a legacy bot, but Atlas renders the text, and can make individual action-items (Ticket, Hotel and Auto booking) for each of the requests being made while at the same time offering the client choices on criteria such as Timeline, Cost, Color, Type, etc.

With all of these advancements in AI, this is but a taste of what is currentlyly available, but many advancements in AgentForce / Atlas are still to come... and faster than you may think. Salesforce is already working on a next-generation testing suite to measure your prompt results tracking inputs, sentiment, and precision before going live, as well as use of voice-and-vision-powered support. With these and many other benefits, it's easy to see why any enterprise can take advantage of the rich feature-set provided by AgentForce, and the Atlas Reasoning Engine. Interested in learning more? Salesforce has an online guide-selector so you can see the benefits straight-away via the AgentForce ROI Calculator. If your business has not yet had the opportunity to check out the features of AI, you can create a Demo Org within Trailhead to see the results for yourself.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by William Holman Hunt | Quote by Jimi Hendrix | Albert Einstein via Wikipedia

[jimbuchan]

What The Eyes See And The Ears Hear The Mind Believes

Why in spite all the great news over the past year, Bitcoin is still not at 200,000 (at the very least)? In many other markets, even a slight possibility of good news would have the value rise, but yet with crypto, the trend moves sideways. For newcomers to the space this may seem odd, but for those who have been around for a while, it's nothing more than a calculated game of chess that for the students of the industry is all too obvious. What's different over the past 8-12 months in comparison to the last 16 years is the sheer volume of (constant) positivity - from building to adoption to the removal of regulatory hurdles… not to mention the elephant in the room - the rapid depletion of coins. Take Bitcoin for example which has had 94.5% of the issuance already mined - that's only 5% left that will take the next 115 years to be mined. Add to this the dizzying speed of coins being taken off exchanges to put in cold storage and it's a fable that's stranger than fiction... for those unaware. In any normal market, this should translate to a steady increase in value, right? So what's the deal? Not Your Grandad's Asset Class

There has never (that means not once) been anything like what is occurring in the cryptocurrency space, and most of this is down to those in the know (or simply paying attention) looking at the scarcity of these hard assets. Unlike other assets which can be printed or split many times, you can't copy-paste Bitcoin, and again, going back to the fact (not opinion) that almost 95% has already been mined in just 15 years, the smart money knows where all of this is going. If approximately 6 Million BTC has been lost due to incorrect passwords or neglect along with 1 Million supposedly belonging to the 'Satoshi' wallet which has not moved in 15 years, most would think there is plenty left to go around, but this is looking at the world through rose colored glasses. Just 2 companies alone are in the running to hit 1 Million BTC (each) just in the next 6-12 months, and with large instutitions, Tier-1 banks and countries horading Bitcoin, the environment for price stagnation cannot last forever… especially with every nation's fiat currency continuing to devalue. Legerdemain

In looking at these facts, you can be forgiven by thinking that this information is not real, or perhaps an elaborate story where only the well-off can participate (or understand as they would want you to believe), but the truth is that everyone can choose to play a part. After looking into what has occurred (especially just over the past few years) you may catch yourself saying things like "if it was really this important, I would know, because people would be talking about it", but therein lies the deception. Put yourself in the position of a major financial institution with razor-thin margins, and then being told that there is a new means of profiting that has returns that are off the hook due to insane scarcity. What would you do… tell everyone? Not on your life, which is why you are being deceived, and will continue to be fooled until you wake up one day and Bitcoin is worth millions (which is when they want you to buy). The next logical phrase is "If only I would have known this years ago… of course it was going to skyrocket". Any fool would go back in time… the reward is for those who have faith and who go through the painful growth periods, which is no different than other forms of value which were 'speculative' in the early years.

For those who can be bothered to just pay a smidgeon of attention and trust themselves more than the tricksters talking you out of a fortune, the game is simple. Buy and hold. But simple as that is, 99.9% can't be bothered because sports, gossip and high-priced lattes are exciting, but money is not. It's just not their thing, and they'll get around to it one day when it's convenient, not knowing that every second they remain idle, the opportunity is whizzing by them at light speed. You won't remember the latte you waited 10 minutes in line for a week from now, but you'll regret not taking action in the years to come. Houdini And Copperfield? Bush League

The levels of deception and illusion which are playing out in the crypto market border on sorcery more than magicianship. From "Rat Poison Squared" to "I'll fire anyone who buys Bitcoin", these statements have proven themselves out to be just smoke & mirrors. This is playing out by design because the tricksters know where this is all going, and they want it all for themselves, and though they continue to hoodwink us by playing on our fears by using scary words like 'volatile' in an attempt to play on our emotions, yet any wall street veteran will tell you that volatility is the financial holy grail. The upshot of it all is that the market is manipulated (no different from other markets such a as gold, stocks... even real estate.) The difference is that the others don't have what crypto offers, driven again mostly due to scarcity and the decentralized nature of the asset and while they can't control it, they instead control you by proclaiming everything wrong with crypto while buying with both hands at a furious pace. For those who really get it, their end-game is to wait until you are priced out of the market, and then let it sit there by earning passive income via staking (which yes... will eventually come to Bitcoin). When this happens, they will then say that the industry has 'matured', signaling the end of the opportunity (which is right now in front of us). So, while they play their games in professing how scary the crypto market asset is, take the high road instead and convert some of your leisure time by evaluating what they are doing, and ignore what they are saying. At the same time, avoid temporary distractions that are also part of the magician's playbook, and look instead into the new rails that are being built right under your nose. There may be some truth into the phrase 'no one is talking about this', but this doesn't have to be you if you choose to un-shackle yourself from the noise and see where the market is heading.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image of Houdini by Paramount Pictures, The Grim Game | The Conjurer by Bosch | Quote by Harry Houdini

[jimbuchan]

Hello, G'day or こんにちは

We have all witnessed the surge of automated online support engines over the past decade, which in a short period of time have progressed from a manual to an automated affair, always with the intended goal of increased convenience. Before the era of smart agents as we know it today, initially these engines started as semi-automated processes through 'bots', however, due to its repeditive nature and flowchart-like responses, the user-base started demanding smarter alternatives. Case in point, you may recall when automation first came on the scene it was in the form of friendly robot avatars which helped us do remedial tasks such as ordering pizza. The main benefit of these 1.0 versions of 'A.I.' was in the speed-of-delivery of the replies but this was based on determined responses which were programmed into the bot based on archived data from past customer requests rather than true Artificial Intelligence based on large language models (LLM's). From these early iterations of smart-bots came the obvious need for more granular (and human-like) responses as while bots were rapid in speed, the answers were limited based on company-curated data and not large swaths of public (and consumer) data which feed today's AI engines. The trade-off from programmatic-answers to factual and detailed responses ushered in the move to generative tools such as ChatGPT, Groq and the Salesforce AI engine AgentForce. Similar to how the latest AI systems provide fast and concise answers using LLM's, AgentForce provisions responses based on data that is both publicly available as well as data you feed it for custom, purpose-specific responses. For the developer or admin, AgentForce already provides Salesforce-specific queries on any SFDC subject matter such as Flows and debugging Apex, but going further for customer interactions, the proprietor can give their clients a tailored support experience. Supplementing the richness of your customized AI portal, AgentForce can also converse in a variety of languages such as French, German, Italian, Japanese and is soon expected to support over 40 languages. But the tool doesn't stop there… it also has the ability to converse in a specific flavor or dialect via the specified Language Locale (i.e. Australian, UK or US for English or Canadian or France en français).

Taking this further, the 'Tone' option gives your enterprise an added element of inflection by enabling your autonomous agent to communicate in a friendly (or casual) demeanor, or when a linguistically proper emphasis is required, the 'formal' option can be used. Does your business have a further need to refine the Locale and Tone with a made-to-order resonance? Bolt-on applications to Salesforce such as AirCall and JustCall gives further customization options for your voice (CTI) customers by introducing sentiment to your language such as sincerity, empathy or candidness. Where bots used to converse by rigid programmability, advancements in Natural Language processing gives your customer the option to communicate on their terms, and on their choice of platform, be it voice, chat or email. Taking this concept further, all of this valuable AI data can also be used in your everyday applications via the new AgentForce 2dx tool, where you can call an action within internal workflows, or enable a response from a complex orchestration or process within your other systems via API or Flow. In a short period of time, the automated service landscape has evolved to almost human-like standards, and while there are many advancements still to come (as it's only been 6 months since AgentForce was released for General Availability), investing your team's time to realize the potential for your enterprise can pay dividends if adopted properly. Should your firm have even one use-case that qualifies, taking advantage of this early can give you an edge over your competition (which if they are not currently in 'beta testing' mode, are most likely already using it).

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by GabiMedia via Deviant Art | JustCall by SaaS Labs | AgentForce 2dx by Salesforce AirCall by aircall.io | Max Headroom / Matt Frewer by ABC, via The Verge

[jimbuchan]

Just Like A Pot When The Whistle Blows... Anything Goes

The steam-powered revolution was the thrust that led to modern day transportation and the means of automated assembly as we know it today. This period, referred to as the (1st) Industrial Revolution saw the invention of the conversion of thermal energy to steam to power trains, ships and equipment in factories ushering in mass production. But like all new inventions, bugs still needed to be worked-out, and none moreso than the boilders that powered these engines. Case in point, in the mid twentieth century, a locomotive which used steam to power the boiler unit went terribly wrong when the engine throttled past the point of no return leading to a massive explosion causing incredible damage to the power plant and cooling pipes. Many have speulcated over the decades as to how this could have occurred, but one fact which remains indisputable which is the lack of control mechanisms, which at the time was controlled manually by the trains operators. Since that dreadful incicdent in 1948, many safeguards and regulations have been put into place to prevent such occurrrences repeating themselves by way of automated alerts and gauges allowing operators to focus on safety. This same method of modern automation is also utilized in non-transportation segments, including stock and crypto markets such as the 'stop-loss' indicator, allowing market participants to not experience a (financial) blowout. Shields Up For crypto traders, flying blind by not setting stop-loss positions can have similar effects as an unattended boiler and left unattended, your positions could be liquidated in a snap. Crypto, unlike the traditional stock market (or at least until stocks are tokenized) do not play by the same rules as they are open 24/7, and because 1/3 of your day is reserved for sleeping, which is when your account is most vulnerable... this is why the stop-loss is of major importance. As a trader, not having your high/low positions allocated ahead of time is like playing blind man's bluff in front of a fast-moving locomotive... sooner or later you're bound to get wrecked. Setting a price target forces you to be accountable while helping to avoid the pit-of-the-stomach feeling of being on the wrong end of a price correction. Price appreciations don't last forever and the same can be said for market downturns and experienced traders understand the importance of a balanced approach. Wait too long in the hopes for higher prices, and it could take you months (perhaps never) to recover. Use too much leverage to make a fast gain, and your entire position could be eliminated.

Pain and suffering can happen when the market goes up, down or sideways for long periods and while it's not trendy or exciting to make diversified calculations, this is how the seasoned traders play the market. In fact, many have done well by just doing the simple things over and over. Rapid Price Inclines Do Not Present Themselves At Your Convenience It's kind of like the formula for weight loss: eat less + move more. That's it. No one ever got to their desired goal by gimmicks, pills or fads, and it's the same with trading via (i) buying the dip and (ii) taking profits on the way up and then repeating the formula throughout the market cycles. However, many try to take the fast route by taking so-called short-cuts which almost always ends in disaster. For the long-term investor, you have no doubt had your fair share of torment, especially if you've been in the crypto space for a while. For those new to the space, one statement trumps all others with this asset-class, and that is that the market doesn't care about you. Some take this as an insult where others see it as simply par for the course and given time and space in the market, you will realize that checking your emotions at the door is the best way of remaining calm and safeguarding your sanity. Many factors can influence the market, which, like the boiler, can explode at any time and for those patient enough, with knowledge gained in the bear market are not lucky, but deserving of their just rewards.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image of Steam Locomotive Boiler Explosion at Chillicothe, Ohio, 1948 | Watt steam engine by James Watt Quote by KRS-One, Boogie Down Productions / Jack of Spades | Seesaw by Winslow Homer, Harper's Weekly, 1874

[jimbuchan]

Broadcasting Your Team's Pipeline

Regardless of whether your business provides products or services, finding a way to both evaluate and motivate your sales team can be challenging. Even those who have invested in modern CRM platforms such as Salesforce may still use legacy platforms and processes... by choice or without knowledge of a leading-edge solution which comes standard. If it's the latter, the good news is that making the change to an automated (and much more visually appealing) application is neither complex or time-consuming. In fact, it takes only the will to make the switch and after just days of migrating from classic-to-2.0 you may catch yourself saying 'how did we ever manage this the old way'. Taking Stock Be it a spreadsheet, cheat sheet or baking sheet, if you are consistent in your method when holding your recurring sales team sessions you're well ahead of the game as consistency is half the battle. Where the campaign is lost is in the vanishing hours of productivity during the preparation before your meetups or daily sprints in updating records or replacing last week's charts with the latest report. Though it may take effort in which to manually take stock and assemble your 'analytics', you've tackled the tough part. On the other hand, if your team sessions are in need of organization, initiating and agreeing on a process takes only a few steps and need only be tedious if you choose it to be. Salesforce, for example already has all of the tools you need by taking advantage of Custom Objects, Kanban and Agile/Scrum, allowing you to essentially run your meetings via the browser. Boring Repels Let's assume for the moment that your enterprise is using at least a basic process to run your sales targeting sessions. It might not be visually attractive, but it works. If you are presenting to your sales team audience the information within a tabular or spreadsheet-style, the message will be heard, but could be diluted within the numbers and letters. Worse still, if the source of the information presented in your spreadsheet is from an exported report from your CRM, you are creating more work with a mediocre experience.

So how do you get some rapid traction? Simple... use the data that you already have from your Opportunities IN Salesforce, not exported FROM Salesforce. You already know the power of reports and dashboards in your CRM... why not give 'em a prominent place at your next team's session? Productivity and Motivation Going further, some internal sales teams have used a 'display all' approach by using a sales Command Center dashboard and showcasing in on a monitor. This not only benefits the management, but also the individual sales hunters who may not always access their own performance metrics (which is as it should be as they are busy focusing on business). By broadcasting your team's goals and achievements, there is full transparency to how the group is performing, be it closed-won business or the month's pipeline. And it does't just need to include Sales, but also Service... basically any data element where you want to track performance, quotas / goals or segmentation of records is tailor-suited for this purpose. Should your team congregate in the same office, highlighting your dashboard on a monitor showcases the team's progress, and can also be a source of motivation. Utilizing this approach, you can also create contests, leaderboards and competitions tied to revenue goals which can be regularly updated on your large-screen monitor. When setting this up, be sure that your source account is always logged-in, which can be accomplished with a regular refresh cadence. This can be done by utilizing a browser extension such as Enhance Salesforce Dashboard which accomplishes this task, while auto-refreshing the dashboard ensuring that your data is regularly updated without the need to log back in each day (or hour). You have spent time and effort in educating your team on the use of Salesforce. Using this alternative in highlighting your analytics' live can give your team a sense of motivation and teamwork with less admin work.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by Newsweek | Analytics by BP Squadron

[jimbuchan]

The No-Maintenance Asset Class

As the newest Assert Class in the market, Cryptocurrency, birthed just 16 years ago, has proved to be a juggernaut in the marketplace, eclipsing all other markets that have come before it. For those in the space, you have seen first-hand the value of your tokens / coins increase in rapid succession due not only to the population realizing the supply-shock, but also the regulatory barriers which are finally being dismantled. While these known factors are part of the secret weapon of crypto, what is sometimes overlooked is the comparison of how the value of how crypto stacks-up against well-known assets we're familiar with. While there are physical moving targets associated with most traditional investments, digital assets such as XRP and Bitcoin have none. To illustrate, consider Real Estate vs. crypto. Once you have taken possession of a house, it immediately begins to degrade… not necessarily in ticket value, but rather in the 'hidden' costs that slowly eat away at your investment. As a homeowner, you need to constantly maintain the interior, while sustaining the exterior. Over time, the flooring will need to be fixed (or replaced), plumbing issues will most certainly occur at the most inconvenient of times and of course, the natural disintegrating conditions. Should a natural disaster occur, your costs could surge to unprecedented amounts, even if you do have insurance, and while such an occurrence was no fault of your own, you are still the one stuck with the bill. Then there are the monthly and annual costs such as property taxes, heat, hydro, insurance and other expenses that are as regular as the rising sun. True, real-estate is a good investment, but to pretend there are no maintenance costs that go with the territory is just plain ignorant. Consider this… when it comes to sell your house, guess what you can buy? One just like it. The house didn't become more valuable, it actually is less valuable because your 20-year-old estate does not hold the same purchasing power than a new one does. Building supplies, cost-per-square-footage and land continually go up, and when attracting new buyers, would they gravitate to one with new materials and new appliances, etc. or the one with slightly warped floors, cracking paint and electrical issues? Maintenance sucks, but it's a constant with buildings of all types - residential, commercial or industrial.

So what about crypto? Simply put, it has none of these issues. Cryptocurrency tokens are not physical entities, which means they are not prone to the same conditions. It makes no difference how much fire or hail occurs in any given day, it has no effect on a virtual asset, as dust doesn't settle on Bitcoin. For evidence of this, look at how much Bitcoin has gained in value over the last year, let alone the last 15 years. The only Kryptonite that could have an affect on crypto would be that of an electro-magnetic attack or a thrust in Quantum Computing, which some have made a big deal about. Let's put this in perspective. First, an electronic disturbance or loss of internet access would disrupt a lot more than crypto, with entire industries halting the means of production. World leaders are very aware of the consequences of this with the only gains being degrees of loss, with no winners. To quash the quantum-computing debate, cryptographers, quantum engineers and mathematicians realize what is at stake with crypto's multi-Trillion market, and are planning right now for such an eventuality. At it stands today, we are just learning to crawl with the promise of what quantum computing can provide and it will take many years until this technology begins to mature, and because the underlying foundation to crypto is simply a computer, it can, and will be upgraded no different than your operating system's threat-protection software. So, be it a house, a car or other physical entity which constantly needs maintenance, with crypto, you simply buy it, transfer it to your cold storage device, and over time, let the fixed-supply coin appreciate. Bitcoin, XRP, HBAR or your token of choice doesn't care about your emotions, the type of car you drive or how old/new your house is, which should come as comfort to you, the investor. While it's a sound economic posture to have a diverse collection of assets, be it housing, metals or derivatives, holding crypto adds a palliative element not possible with other investment strategies due to it's fixed-supply and hands-off approach. Like other investments, however, the 'maintenance' involved is to simply let time do the heavy lifting.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Title image by Stable Diffusion | Bitcoin 'Field of Dreams' by Shnick.com