~3 years ago I've published here my story of building failed crypto startup. I spent whole year on hardcore coding a crypto & token exchange, without any income and without any serious reason to succeed. Time passed and I'm doing a next project. Again. Similar to previous. Why? Let me share my motivations, goal and honest confession.
So my motivation building a new thing? Enjoy it. I will explain why and how. My article from 2020 ends with the details about my new project, which I actually started to build after trading platform startup failed. Because I'm professionally involved in blockchain and wanted to stay in it, I told to myself that the next thing I want to build will be about Bitcoin - because it was the most exciting thing for me from this whole "blockchain/crypto" space. So I started to build Bittery - better Bitcoin payments platform.
I build Bittery!
Bittery idea was to allow e-commerce + physical stores to integrate Bitcoin payments, especially Lightning Network (LN) payments. LN is like a second layer of Bitcoin, and it really allows for quick (seconds), cheap (like 0.01 cent) micro-transactions (like 1 cent) on Bitcoin. It's a complex, developing tech. Bittery was supposed to be such payments provider (SASS) for businesses. I learned on mistakes from previous project, so I really wanted to build this product in the way it won't have to obey or follow strict regulations (I mostly failed on previous project because of it).
Bittery landing page
I build my projects fast - I mean, I sacrifice typical enterprise software engineering principles and processes for a fast outcome. Is it good or bad? Well, for sure no-one would hear on tech interview, that I have a docker-compose setup, simple bash deployment scripts, actually zero unit test coverage and a lot of repetitions in code. I have an enterprise engineering background so I know how to make things properly, but it's just not needed or sometimes I'm just lazy and want to move forward. The goal in startup product or "indie project" is to build a thing fast, at least this is my opinion.
Bittery UI - users can crypto create payment widgets, even generate PDF invoices
So after half year of work I built Bittery. And it worked - so again, I built a product, wohooo! And guess what - again I didn't built any business! Why? I kind of overestimated the possibilities of the technology. My platform ended up as a "centralized" Lightning Network infrastructure provider for users, including hosting their wallets, what means -> controlling their funds. I didn't want it initially but unfortunately it is how LN works. Without talking with any lawyer (I even did it) I knew that it sux - I jump to regulatory box and this is not a "startup" I would handle "cheap" (at least initially), how I planned. Worth to mention also that this time I wanted to build a team, but it's really hard to find anyone be excited about Bitcoin. Even if Bitcoin has the biggest marketcap on the cryptocurrency market, it is a small tech space. LN is quite small, even now in 2023, comparing to other platforms (DEFI). People are excited and engaged with other things (Ethereum, L2, DEFI, NFTs, etc.) but not with Bitcoin payments.
And last thing, lol - why would anyone spend their Bitcoin? Yeah...
More details about Bittery are here.
What's next?
Have you ever failed a project? Or have you wasted time on something what didn't succeed? Probably you know this feeling of "no more sh*t like that". You are tired and say to yourself: never more. Technology starts to be awful. No more tech/startup podcasts, no more learning new UI library, no more socials, because you don't want to see successful happy faces. You play your guitar more, you watch Netflix more, you spend more time outside, maybe with friends and enjoy everything what is not related to tech. Maybe you work with tech, but if you do, it's only work, minimum engagement. Do you know that feeling? In most cases it appears when you resign with something you built and... passes after few months.
Stagnation
After Bittery I told to myself, that I want to learn more and don't try any idea until I'm not really sure it will work. I must admit that failing projects learns you to validate ideas quickly. Especially talking with tech friends having next cool idea - you can quickly position yourself in the place they are (without your failures) and based on it assess if the idea is worth engagement or not. In most cases it's not.
So I didn't build anything new for ~2 years. And it was fine. I worked as a blockchain architect, did some freelance, and joined new company to build blockchain competences. Learning caused good outcome. But I didn't build, my validation process was rejecting everything came to my mind.
And finally few months ago I started new thing. Again.
I'm addicted builder
Yeah, I think I'm addicted builder. I enjoy building new software very much. I prefer spending my evening on coding rather than anything else (in most cases). I had to realize that and act accordingly. And I believe it's very important. Why?
You can't do everything. Thinking about startup or business is never related to reality of running it. I don't know it from autopsy BUT come on - Internet is full of content related to that. If your project, product, startup would succeed - if you with to be a CEO, there is no more coding anymore. If you like it, ok - but well, I'm addicted builder, so?
I realized that I love building things and I don't want to leave the garage. This is why, the things I build must be quite specific, not in the sense popular startup products are. Blockchain gives opportunity to build such a products - there can be no formal barrier between user and a product, they just need to have a "wallet" and you just have to build a product. If it's specific enough, without aspirations to be next unicorn, you can never leave the garage, just build and expand it.
And we like build interesting things right? For most devs just a process of programming is interesting enough, that they can build anything. But when a project becomes business, then domain becomes important. Is it really interesting for you? Do you want to wake up every morning being a CEO of the next "online notes" SASS? It's ok if you want, but I don't. One confession to make is that I never ever wanted to do projects which domain is not interesting for me. And never did. And I don't want to change that.
So after this smart speech, let me introduce you...
Stateborn - minimum trust democracy
Isn't that a cool name? State Born. Product for states to born. I build a new DAO platform. What's that? It's one of the first blockchain use-case concepts: instead of companies as they exist now (formally registered in some countries) we use smart contracts entities governed by blockchain tokens. Users can vote, DAOs can own assets, etc. Very intriguing concept, at least for me.
stateborn.org is quite unique, because it is build based on some experimental approach: it's off-chain DAO with on-chain (blockchain) non-permissioned DAO treasury which should be governed by off-chain voting. It might sound complex but believe me, it's challenging domain. If you are interested in more details, read about it here: stateborn protocol.
What is my purpose with stateborn? I don't necessarily build a startup now. I mean if it will succeed in that "startup" sense, I would love it, but it's not my intention. My mind is now clear, because I just build. There is no pricing, because it's free! It's open source (first time ever). I just build and explore the ideas I'm passionate. I have a cool ideas to share, definitely! And.. I probably gonna even have a partner soon!
What can you learn?
Come on, I won't give any lessons. I just wanted to show you, that I build with a clear mind. I learn new things, I experiment with things which I would not if I would have a typical "startup" oriented mindset, because I don't have any business model for what I'm building. It became my hobby, passion rather than a struggle. I had to admit some things to myself, resign with some sick ambitious, but I feel healthy now. I mean - I'm still addicted, yes - but I consider it as a healthy thing at the moment. Will it stay like that? I don't know - lol, I even hope not, because I have a big plans for stateborn!
I gonna document stateborn on my Twitter. Exciting topic. Just started. Join me with that journey and see where it goes! Follow me on Twitter!
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