In a recent appearance on the Living On Blockchain podcast (https://youtu.be/oR4yXMg7Prc), Dr. Kathryn Messegee, founder of Geode Blockchain, shared her journey into the world of blockchain and her vision for a decentralized internet. With a PhD in Math and a career in defense technology prototyping, Kathryn’s path to blockchain was unconventional, yet her passion for the technology is undeniable.
Kathryn was introduced to cryptocurrency in 2010, but it wasn’t until the emergence of smart contracts that she began actively participating in the space. Together with her husband and co-founder, they embarked on the challenging journey of learning programming from scratch to build Geode Blockchain. Geode is a layer one blockchain project with a lofty goal: to replace centralized giants like Amazon and social media platforms with smart contracts. Built by an all-volunteer community using Substrate, a blockchain development framework, Geode Blockchain has developed a suite of seven apps that offer decentralized alternatives to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, the patent office, the copyright office, and email/text messaging.
Building a community around a project is no small feat. Kathryn emphasizes the importance of having a cause that’s bigger than oneself to attract volunteers. The Geode community is a testament to this, with members contributing their diverse skills to the project. Kathryn personally assists anyone interested in learning how to code, set up a validator node, or stake as a nominator.
Like any ambitious project, Geo has faced its share of challenges. The steep learning curve at the beginning was a significant hurdle. Another challenge is getting the coin on exchanges, a goal Kathryn hopes to achieve in the next year or two. Looking to the future, Kathryn envisions making blockchain-based phones and affordable hardware. She believes that the future of the internet lies in decentralization and that projects like Geode are paving the way for this future.
For those aspiring to build in the Web 3.0 space, Kathryn has some advice. For technical individuals, she advises choosing one development kit to specialize in and getting involved in projects to gain hands-on experience. For non-technical individuals, she suggests getting involved in projects and contributing their skills. For polymaths, Kathryn encourages them to embrace their diverse interests and not hold back. She emphasizes the importance of self-perception and confidence in managing others’ perceptions.
In conclusion, Geo Web 3.0 is a promising project that aims to revolutionize the internet by replacing centralized giants with smart contracts. The journey of Kathryn and her team is a testament to the power of determination, learning, and community collaboration.