When I first tried to learn something new in tech-machine learning, deep learning, smart contracts and, I was amazed; honestly a little daunted. The complexity felt overwhelming, almost like the subject was built to keep outsiders out.
But every time I’ve stepped into something new, I’ve learned a pattern: start as a beginner, follow the rules, experiment with imagination, and you can break through. My superpower comes from an unusual place — writing books.
I’m a bestselling Jamaican author of titles like Tall, Dark and Bad, The Bunna Man, and Fairy Tale Complex. As a writer, I’ve spent years building worlds with words, crafting systems of characters, conflicts, and possibilities. That same skill — to imagine, to structure, to empathize — has become the secret weapon I now bring to technology.
From Storytelling to Smart Contracts
When I learned about Web3 and blockchain, the idea of a smart contract was intimidating. But as a storyteller and entrepreneur, I began to see it differently.
A smart contract is just a narrative:
*Characters: wallets and users
*Plot: what triggers what
- Rules: how trust is encoded
Once I understood that, I started writing my own smart contracts, not as a coder hiding behind jargon, but as a creator building real-world stories with code.
Why My Background Gives Me an Edge
I’m not a Silicon Valley insider. I’m from the ghetto in Jamaica. I’ve lived among basic, everyday human beings with real, urgent problems. I’ve also been a business owner, and I know the frustrations of marketers, consultants, and digital product creators trying to sell and scale.
That gives me a two-fold advantage:
- I know what ordinary people actually need solved ; beyond buzzwords.
*I know what makes running and marketing a business hard.
So when I build AI tools or blockchain systems, I’m not just building for hype. I’m building for impact, for the small entrepreneur trying to sell, the marketer struggling to automate, the Caribbean business trying to go global.
Creativity Is a Tech Superpower
The tech world often talks about engineering as if it’s only math and syntax. But creativity and lived experience are engineering advantages too. I’m proof: a writer who turned storytelling skills into AI-powered business systems and Web3 solutions.
If you’re starting out in tech and feel like an outsider — maybe you’re a writer, artist, or entrepreneur — know this:
Your creativity and life experience are assets. They help you build better tools because you understand people.
I’m Crystal Evans — writer, author, Web3 enthusiast, AI builder, and founder of Fthen.com (a Smart Business Operating System helping Caribbean MSMEs digitize and scale). From writing books to writing smart contracts and training small AI models, I’m here to prove that code is just another language for storytelling.
💡 If this resonates with you, follow me here on Dev.to. Let’s build tech that matters, tech that solves problems for real people.
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