It can be difficult to learn about bitcoin. Many great teachers can help make Bitcoin accessible to everyone.
This opinion editorial is by Peter Conley, Vercel's product advocate.
How can someone learn about Bitcoin? This is the 21 million-coin question. It can be confusing to learn about Bitcoin. There is somuch information out there. This includes books, online courses and podcasts. Medium articles are also available.
The most daunting part of starting a business is just getting started. Before I started down the Bitcoin rabbit hole, the term "marketcap" was a vague concept. The Federal Reserve wasn't even a thing. And, I had no idea about the history of gold. The State University of New York gave me a degree in Business Administration, but that was all I knew about finance. Even though I can't tell the difference between a full and mining node, I have been working in the tech industry since 2014.
Where do I begin? Was it possible to buy "The Bitcoin Standard" immediately? Did I fall into the rabbit hole of Michael Saylor’s interviews? Was I able to pretend to understand Nick Szabo's podcast interview?
I chose to learn about Bitcoin through a more personal approach. I focused my attention on Bitcoin educators who were familiar to me. I would listen to their interviews until I understood their basic mental models.
I would take any tunnel that would allow my to go just a little further down the rabbit hole. If I felt that I couldn't go any deeper, I would look for another teacher to guide me.
To be able to absorb the teachings of a specific educator and their analogies, I would listen to up to 60 podcasts at a time. This allowed me to build a "trunk" of knowledge and then expand my understanding to include sub-domains and other subjects.
Anthony Pompliano was initially able to hook me. He's able, in my opinion, to communicate with non-technical people and explain the basics of Bitcoin. His podcast interview with Akaash and Andrew Schulz is one of my favorites.
I would listen to Michael Saylor if I could find a foothold in the history of technology, such as the printing press or steel or weapons.
After fifty or so Michael Saylor interviews I finally read "The Bitcoin Standard", by Dr. Saifedean Ammous. His book helped me understand the problem that Bitcoin was trying solve. Once I understood the magnitude of fiat money's problem, I was able to explore why Bitcoin is the best option.
When I first started working in web development, Andreas Antonopoulos's work, particularly "The Internet Of Money", impressed me.
This approach was chosen because people learn best by analogy. A web developer who is trying to learn neuroscience will benefit from having a teacher that uses computer science references. Your teacher will quickly absorb the information if he or she continues to make comparisons between computers and the human brain. This is true for Bitcoin and all other subjects.
There is no one way to learn Bitcoin. There is no one "best" Bitcoin book. There is no best Bitcoin podcast. There are a few pieces of content that you can use to help you get more familiar with Bitcoin.
There isn't one Bitcoin teacher or domain. You don't have to know everything about philosophy or understand 70% of Robert Breedlove's words. You don't have to be able to code. Instead, look for an educator who can help you get started.
Below is a list of my favorite Bitcoin teachers and the domains that they teach. If you are struggling to understand Bitcoin, I recommend starting with a domain that you are familiar with and then building your knowledge from there. What could be worse?
Bitcoin Educators
Andreas Antonopoulos is the author of "The Internet Of Money" as well as one of the OG Bitcoin educators. He teaches using the lens of computer science, history, and internet technology (IT).
Michael Saylor, whose public firm, MicroStrategy has billions of dollars of bitcoin on its balance sheets, teaches through the lense of technology history, energy, investing early domain names and public markets, as well as being a (recently ex-) CEO of public companies.
Dr. Saifedean Ammous is the famed author and creator of "The Bitcoin Standard." He teaches Austrian economics.
Robert Breedlove is a successful venture capitalist who teaches primarily through the lense of philosophy and "freedom maximalism."
Natalie Brunell is a well-known journalist in Bitcoin. She teaches journalism and the American dream.
Anthony Pompliano is a venture capitalist, entrepreneur, and media mogul who teaches using the lens of technology companies and financial markets.
Jason Lowery is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate who teaches using the lens of national defense, physics, warfare, and history.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez was named one of the best mayors in the nation. He teaches using the lens of governance as well as local politics.
This is by no means an exhaustive list. Here's a longer list of Bitcoin educators. You can add another educator to the list by contacting me via Twitter.
This guest post is by Peter Conley. These opinions are not necessarily those of BTC Inc. and Bitcoin Magazine.
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By: Peter Conley
Title: Where Do You Go To Start Learning About Bitcoin?
Sourced From: bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/where-do-you-go-to-start-learning-about-bitcoin
Published Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2022 03:00:00 GMT
