DT Note: We are pleased to have regular contributor and key crypto commentator, Steven Miller, with us to provide his take on our 21 Questions!
Ok Steven, let's get things started!
decentralize.today (DT): How, why and when did you get into cryptoassets?
Steven Miller (SM): I founded CryptoJungle shortly after the ICO boom kicked off in 2018. It is a mechanism to discipline myself to understand the cryptoasset investments I'm making by formalizing and then publishing my investment theses on them.
DT: What were you doing professionally before crypto?
SM: I worked as a Consultant helping asset owners deconstruct the risk/return profile of their portfolios.
DT: How would you describe your current work to a 5-year-old kid?
SM: I'm a treasure hunter searching for magic internet money in the depths of a deep, dark forest.
DT: What was your first-ever job (even as a kid)?
SM: Caddy, schlepping around golf bags in a swamp for country club members in the summer.
DT: What’s the best life and work advice you’ve ever been given?
SM: Optimize for interesting. Think this came from Naval Ravikant. Especially relevant given the bloodbath in crypto markets right now. In my experience, the most interesting projects of the last two cycles since I've been involved emerged during the downturns.
DT: Who is your biggest inspiration when it comes to work/business?
SM: Not directly relevant professionally. I think Venkatesh Rao at RibbonFarm has carved out what appears to be a unique and fulfilling career according to his own metrics of success I admire.
DT: What trends do you think we should all be aware of and watching today?
SM:
- Inflation
- In Crypto, if BTC hits $14,000 and ETH hits $1,000 I'll be buying with two fists.
DT: What has been your favourite cell phone to date?
SM: My first smart phone was an HTC Thunderbolt and it holds a special place in my heart to this day.
DT: How important was school/college to, and for, you?
SM: I wouldn't have gotten the job I got out of college without it. I majored in finance and I would say the cost/benefit ratio of a finance degree when I got it still favored getting one instead of going without. Versus the trade-offs now given the exploding costs and variety of alternatives as opposed to when I went.
DT: What new habit, hobby or skill did you acquire during lockdown?
SM: Athletic Trainer, with sports shut down by US I had to attempt to keep my children in shape using a ladder in my backyard.
DT: What are your ‘must-dos’ for online security and privacy?
SM:
- Use 12 letter passwords with a mix of letters, numbers, symbols
- Use a different password for every site
- Use a paid VPN. Don't skimp out and go free
- Browse with Firefox or Brave
- Use 2FA whenever it's available
DT: Which coins will survive and thrive, and why?
SM:
- I feel confident Bitcoin and Ethereum are here to stay.
- I do not have the same level of confidence for any other projects. The most interesting one to me personally right now is Tezos. For a non-ETH whale-like myself it offers an opportunity to get involved with NFTs on a scale that's not possible on Ethereum.
DT: What app do you wish someone would invent?
SM: Payment app you enter all your credit cards into that uses the optimal one to maximize rewards for the type of purchase you are making.
I have a bunch of credit cards and a bunch of rewards. I can never keep track of what the best card is to use when buying stuff. I need an app I can enter my cards into that will select the best option to pay with to optimize my rewards when buying gas, groceries, meals, etc...
DT: If time travel were available (because we all know it’s possible) to which event in history would you most like to go back and observe?
SM: Signing of the declaration of independence.
DT: What would be your dream project if money was no object?
SM: Build a skyscraper
DT: Any particular thinker, writer, commentator, or leader you really admire, dead or alive?
SM: Peter Thiel sent me down the rabbit hole of Rene Girard's work on mimesis lately. Luke Burgis does a nice job of making Girard's work accessible in his book/blog.
DT: Sport, books, movies, music, family, friends...what’s your preference? What do you do for fun?
SM: Movies with family. My son wants to watch a different baseball movie each night this summer although he does not have buy-in from me on this yet.
DT: What grinds your gears or are your pet peeves? What do you really dislike?
SM: Parents who take kids' sports too seriously.
DT: What would be the one thing you would say to your 18-year-old self, if you had the chance?
SM: Become a mortgage broker until 2007
DT: Is there any question that you wished you had been asked by decentralize.today?
SM: What are you reading? My answer? Disunited Nations by Peter Zeihan
DT: Finally, what's next for you and CryptoJungle?
SM: I'm working on a book to help people get started investing in cryptoassets with the very creative title '101 Things You Need to Know to Get Started Investing in Cryptoassets'
About our respondent:
Describing his professional mission as "Helping investors hack through the weeds to find the crypto gems at http://cryptojungle.io. Insights on surviving and thriving in a volatile world" here is how you can get in touch...
Steven L. Miller, CFA, Founder, Crypto Jungle
E: steve@cryptojungle.io
T: 412-979-1952
C: Twitter | LinkedIn
Thanks, Steven, for taking the time to answer our questions, some great insights in there and a few laughs! DT
Any thoughts on future candidates for 21 Questions with decentralize.today? Let us know on hello@decentralize.today
