The Business Blockchain
I’ve been reading The Business Blockchain this weekend. It was written by AVC community member William Mougayar.
This book started out as a Kickstarter project which I blogged about at the time. If you backed that project you will get a copy of this book. If not, you might want to get a copy on Amazon.
I am not done with it yet, but the book makes a complex subject, blockchain technology, accessible for the non-technical. It also lays out some of the more obvious uses cases for the technology and explains how the blockchain technology market is evolving.
If you think you might want to start a business based on blockchain technology or if you think blockchain technology is going to reshape a market you are working in, or if you just want to understand this thing that your son or daughter is obsessed about, then this is a great book to read.
I am also quite proud that the conversations we have had on this blog on this topic over the past five years have shaped William’s work and certainly had something to do with his interest and his growing expertise and reputation in this area.
This blog community is a talented group and we have helped each other grow and develop. This book is just one of many examples of that.
Comments (Archived):
1/ Great work William. Fast turnaround.2/ Post not tagged ‘bitcoin’. Oversight? Not sure.3/ Why would creator of a trustless decentralised system based on cryptographic proof only verify his identity verbally to select media organisations – (HN comment)
Congratulations William. That’s quite an accomplishment.
Started reading it too. I personally find the writing style inviting. Too early into it to say much more otherwise. Kudos for writing so comprehensively in a relatively short time span. William, I hope you weren’t sitting at your computer 14 hours a day!
He still managed to beat me on the Swarm leaderboard — although I did get close a few times. 😉
Congrats William!
New forward by Craig Wright!!! Congrats, William and let’s hope it’s a best seller.
It is…already 🙂 Thanks.
Australian Entrepreneur Says He Created Bitcoinhttp://mobile.nytimes.com/2…
His claim was debunked within an hour.
I read that about that debunking. Doesn’t explain Gavin Andresen comments though. I don’t know enough about it to form an opinion on who is right and even know if what is being presented is a valid rebuttal. A quick check showed a bunch of people offering evidence to the contrary but there was no way to vet the evidence from a casual read by a non knowledgeable person. White men always think they are right 100% until they are proven wrong. A reddit page is not a court of law. Kudos to this guy for pulling off a great con if that is what he did and convincing or getting GA to vouch for him.What’s funny about all of this is how it seems to me that the “establishment of bitcoin” is kind of doing what the establishment often does to startups and their ideas. At least that is my quick take on what has happened.
wow- William is an execution machine. Shine, William, shine !!
Haha….Feb/March/early April were torture. thanks Ken.
Sweet! Now, let’s hope some enterprising people read it and develop something. William really wrote the book to try and fill his deal funnel! : )
Exactly true Jeff. The corporate market is responding well.(I have several quantity orders from banks, and large organizations)
I saw an article this weekend somewhere that showed high frequency traders are leaving HFT and are starting advertising arbitrage companies. Using HFT principles to “make markets” in ads. I am sure they are getting into blockchain too.
Go William!
Thanks Fred, and AVC community of course. My introduction to Bitcoin started right here, in 2012 I believe when you wrote the first post on it. ( there’s a book site too http://www.TheBusinessBlock… )And it’s fitting that I’m at the Consensus 2016 conference in New York where my book is launching tomorrow.
Well done amigo!
Congratulations… just purchased a copy on Amazon for my son (as well as backing you on KS)
thank you!
It’s been a pleasure to watch this brand develop in you.
Congratulations William, this is a great time to saber a bottle of Champagne. 🙂
Congrats, William. Hope you have a great Consensus 2016, wish I was there.This w/e was Mountainview Arts Festival and hiking Mount Tamalpais so haven’t read Business Blockchain, but on my read-list this week.I imagine the book felt like climbing a mountain and now you can enjoy the view!:*).
Great. Thank you.
Congrats William. I will read the book shortly but I bet it to be awesome
Congrats William ! Although I have been a skeptic of Bitcoin on this forum, I will certainly get it and read.Correction. Because I have been a skeptic, I will read it :-)…
Congrats! Just downloaded the ebook version over the weekend while awaiting the print edition. I told a potential client (blockchain startup) that while your book won’t make me an expert, in a week I will be more knowledgeable than the vast majority of people out there. :)And I guess that if I couldn’t get ahead of you on the Swarm leaderboard while you were busy writing, I don’t stand a chance now!
Ha, thanks Donna.
Congrats on the book! Surely a big achievement to keep all thoughts, opinions and predictions clear in the mind on this topic, will bookmark for reading.
The book looks nice! And Wiley! Nice! Congrats to William.I am also quite proud that … have shaped William’s work … growing expertise and reputation … grow and developBut, but, but, Fred, are you changing horses in mid-stream here? Going all soft between the ears?Why do I ask? Fred, without something like Harry Potter and movie rights, there’s no money in writing books! Same for peer-reviewed journal articles except no chance of a movie!Now, William, “the next level”, the business idea, remembering that “ideas are easy, plentiful, and worthless”! And then the software — “We don’t fund writing software”! Then the traction — “Execution is difficult, rare, and everything”! Then you will be a candidate to “take it to the next level”! Then BoD of equity investors can fire you before your stock is vested!Do much more such, and you should have a shot at as a prof on a B-school finance faculty.
Ha. Thanks. The book is already getting requested by universities.
Congratulations, William! Great job tackling such a daunting subject. Thanks for clearing this up and motivating us to learn more.
Thanks Mac.
Well done William on the book and Fred and co on the support. Am 25% in and enjoying it. Great call going Kickstarter as well.
Nice. don’t forget a quick Amazon review 🙂 thanks.
now if only Craig Wright had written the foreward this book would now be flying off the shelves.nice work William. congratulations.
Congratulations – just ordered via Amazon. Having watched Mrs. Dr. Jules write a book last year, I am amazed that anyone gets this done. When it comes time to write my biography, I will hire an excellent ghostwriter, with a strong background in fiction.
WOW, proud of AVC Community! Fred, Why don’t AVC conference? I feel, off-line meetup would make community more valuable and beneficial. If you do, I would love to be volunteer.
we did one, on the 10th anniversary of my first blog post. that was in 2013. so maybe the next one will be in 2023.
.The natives are restless.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
That event was a lot of fun, brought together some great folks, and included GothamGal’s crowd too.Definitely should not wait another 10 years!!
Rock on William! Yay AVC!Eventually I will need to read this because I am still clueless on it, but I know where to start!
Example yesterday in Fast Company : Blockchain. Microgrids. http://goo.gl/7SCylK
William Mougayar:great work.How does this effect the blockchain?Satoshi Nakamoto revealed?http://reut.rs/1NhqZTK
It is a speculative story. Not sure it affects much really.Satoshi made his/her mark via his technical ingenuity, not via PR stunts.If it was him/her, I would expect some technical entry, like committing some code or something like that.
William Mougayar:That is what so puzzling. After all these years why would there be a need to seek something he/she has avoided? Publicity. The media with the scoop mentality will publish anything. And why in the world would any authorities anywhere in the world need to raid a non criminal offense that hasn’t be even created. Until someone attempts to sell, avoid paying taxes, capital gains, etc.
I don’t think you can reject something someone did just because it’s contrary to how they behaved before. Not only does people’s behavior change over time (and for various reasons) but there are plenty of examples of people who act 100% out of context to what you think makes total sense given who they are and what they do. (Bill Clinton and/or Denis Hastert as two examples).
LE:immoral extremes but extremes nevertheless.
William Mougayar:We will not take up more of your valuable and limited time with this topic.But can you briefly explain what this statement means. ______After Andresen publicly accepted that Craig Steven Wright was Satoshi, his commit bit (access to push to the Bitcoin Core Github repository) was revoked.
Right. Vitalik also questioned his authenticity.
I might be wrong. Gavin Andresen believes it is him. But he’s being debated.http://gavinandresen.ninja/…
William Mougayar:It really doesn’t matter. Even if Dr. Wright had an opinion the direction he thought bitcoin should go those on the opposite view will still oppose it. As human beings do.
Congrats
Thanks Howard.
Book looks awesome, definitely getting it. One thought on FinTech, not specifically Blockchain – I was watching the Big Short and having worked with most large sell side firms, I am touched by how truly damaging the financial industry is today.But I am comforted by the thought that the end of Wall St will not come from regulation, but rather from disruption from tech startups. With this thought in mind, what does the AVC community think will be startups disrupting the complex world of financial derivatives trading and sales? Thing crowdsourced open, blockchain based derivatives markets.
Congrats William
.Congratulations, Wm.Well played.I will want to buy an autographed copy. How?Bitcoin is dead? Long live the blockchain?JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
In line for an autographed copy, awaiting instructions.
.I will buy you one when Wm tells us how.This will be a bribe and I am trying to influence your vote in a future election.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Hmm, for a vote I want also the top of a bottle sabered by William, cork with the glass ring. 🙂
.Slightly overplaying your hand, mate.I have a saber (Confederate cavalry saber, but you knew that, right?) and I will stick you with it as part of the deal. It is really more of a slasher.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
I am very aware of your arsenal JLM and I have very developed survival instincts and run fast.
.”You have nothing to fear from me, my friend,” said the spider to the fly.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Nice negotiating ploy but kind of a bit unfair for you to put that condition on purchase, eh?I say William makes the autographed copies only available for someone who buys 5 or 10 copies, not one. (Negotiating on Williams behalf here..)
can we unionize to get signed copies?
.Why don’t we buy the entire first printing, corner the market, and mark them up and dribble them into the market at $100/each.Ooops, I can’t do that today. I’ve got to run an errand.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
You are the coach right? I guess I have some errands too.
haha…do it.
.Let me help you with that negotiation, friend.Butt the fuck out.You are engaging in tortious interference with my friend, Wm.Fair? You want fair?Visit Dallas in September and go to the Texas State Fair cause that’s the only place where “fair” matters in the Lone Star.JLMwww.themusingsofthebigredca…
Hah! Tortious Interference is one of those law school legal concepts that illustrates why it’s bad to have a lawyer do negotiating or be involved in making business decisions. (And of course you know this).For those who don’t know the concept:http://www.rotlaw.com/legal…
How?…why…with bitcoin of course. 🙂
Congrats William. Looking forward to reading your book soon.
@wmoug:disqus sounds like I need to get a copy of this for my folks, so that they have a 3rd party explanation of what their son is building – because every time I start explaining it, my father’s 75yr old head literally explodes and he starts rambling about how Sanders isn’t going to win the Dem nomination. “No central bank?!? What kind of commie bull is that?” Then I have to hose him down with platitudes of how Alexander Hamilton’s intended legacy is actually on Broadway, and how his support of my project might get him tickets one day… that at least get’s my mother’s support for ending the conversation.
For a bit more irony or head-exploding shenanigans, maybe point out that communism-in-practice has historically involved (and been hamstrung by) an excess of central planning. So in a sense, you’re de-communizing banking.
Fred:are you waiting to make a formal blog announcement?Google, Facebook, Uber, and others join new NYC tech industry lobbying grouphttp://flip.it/MYUgJ
Followed the link… you should add a spoiler alert ;)Cool. This is evidence that Fred was not on vacation at the west coast.
Congrats, @wmoug:disqus !I feel so privileged to have watched from the sidelines as you transitioned into your new ‘brand.’ You’re an amazing role model for many things (like mentorship), not the least of which is reinvention!
Isn’t it so cool?
Tempted. I have a friend who I know will love itCongrats 🙂
True! thanks Willy.