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Get your act together. Seriously, it's embarrassing.

Chaos Reigns

I’ve seen so many goddamn business leaders employ such bad digital practice in their activities it is absolutely enraging. Saving everything locally. Bad file naming conventions. Refusal to automate. Willful ignorance of new technologies. Etc. And its really starting to show, in Japan, of course, which is a country that through massive PR spends managed to convince everyone that it’s a technological paradise when in fact it’s a luddite’s wet dream, but also across the rest of the modern world.

This stifles progress, business, culture… you name it, the inability of your average person to critically engage with new technologies prevents the developments so often as to be nauseatingly promised by corporate and government talking heads, and it cannot last.

I, for one, champion alternative mindsets that facilitate the actualization of the egalitarian societies we’re all enamored of but conspicuously kept from, partially due to our collective inability to interact with the digital world around us.

Let’s explore this further.

One of the most fundamental issues in this digital divide is the separation of the tech-savvy and the not-so-tech-savvy. We live in an era on the cusp of a renaissance, but the changes necessary for this flipping of the switch are nowhere near being universally accessible. At a high level, let's consider blockchain technologies, for instance. They promise (and let’s be clear - a promise is not a guarantee) a new way of handling transactions and data, a decentralized, secure system that could fundamentally alter the way we do business and interact online. But how many people have the means to truly grasp the implications or even the basics of blockchain technologies?

Take MetaMask as an example, a free, open-source interface for managing identities on different Ethereum blockchains. This tool allows users to explore Web3 properties such as Mirror or OpenSea, but it's still seen as a niche or geeky tool, with little penetration in the mainstream despite its enormous potential for revolutionizing online interactions.

Similarly, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is having a transformative impact on a multitude of industries, from healthcare to entertainment, education to customer service. Chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT are revolutionizing customer service, providing personalized learning experiences, and even assisting with therapy sessions. Yet, a significant percentage of people are either unaware of such technologies or are too intimidated to try them out, and those who are savvy are generally either simply not educating others or are without the means to do so despite their desire to contribute.

But let's not stop here. It's not just about the bleeding-edge tech. Simple tools and features that have been around for a while are still underutilized. For instance, did you know that you can enable the grid on your smartphone's camera to improve your photo composition? This simple trick helps users align their shots according to the Rule of Thirds, and dramatically improves the quality of their photos, almost automatically. But how many people are aware of this or use it? Answer: not many. Trust me, I’ve been showing people this trick for years.

Similarly, services like Unsplash, which offers high-quality, royalty-free images, are often overlooked. I can’t count the number of presentations, websites, or promotional materials that I’ve been shown which are, bluntly, pathetic. And that’s a problem, because if you bring me something that I have an immediately negative reaction to, I am going to walk away from whatever it is you’re proposing very quickly. The images available on Unsplash or even Wikipedia Commons greatly enhance whatever it is they’re applied to, yet many people still resort to lackluster stock photos or even copyright infringement. Have some fucking respect for yourself.

Speaking of websites, with tools like Webflow, creating professional websites is a no-brainer. Webflow is quite impressive with its intuitive, visual interface, which allows you to relatively easily design and launch a responsive website without needing to know a single line of code. For more simple efforts but nevertheless still attractive and optimized, usually on the e-commerce side of things, Squarespace is very good. For more technical customization, there’s Wordpress. Despite these options and tiers of technicality, how many small business owners are still stuck with outdated websites because they think they need to hire a professional web developer to make any changes? Even more flabbergasting is the continued existence of hand-coded websites for non-technical SMEs, but no amount of diatribe will sufficiently convey my disgust with this, so I’ll leave it there.

And for bloggers and content creators, platforms like Substack or Ghost have done a decent job of democratizing content distribution and monetization. These platforms allow writers to send digital newsletters directly to their subscribers and earn money from subscriptions. But so many bloggers are still struggling to monetize their content or reach their audience effectively, in part due to hosting their blog on a shitty website.

The problem is not a lack of tools or technologies but rather a lack of awareness and understanding. Fear of the unknown and resistance to change are significant and real barriers to technology adoption, and this has a negative affect on the trajectory of our collaborative future-history. Thus, as leaders and educators, we need to play a significant role in breaking down these barriers by viscerally integrating with the narratives at play surrounding these technological developments. We need to simplify the complex, demystify the unknown, and encourage experimentation and learning. If we just say, “eh, let them figure it out,” as we have been, we’re gonna seal our fate as sub-par.

That being said, I think it’s also very important to acknowledge that not everyone will be on the same page when it comes to technology adoption. This should be pretty obvious given the situation that we’re currently in, but it bears mentioning outright. Fundamental changes to established norms reliably contain segments of the population that struggle to embrace new technologies or digital tools. Age, lack of interest, fear, or even a strong preference for traditional methods can cause some individuals to be resistant to change. And that's okay. We have no choice but to recognize individual modes of organization because they exist in each of our realities whether we like it or not, and to ignore them is to ignore the human ecosystem’s grand calculus. At the same time, we must also understand that technology is a tool, not a mandate. Everyone moves at their own pace, and some people are more comfortable sticking with what they know.

However, we should not let this deter our efforts to promote and facilitate the widespread adoption of technology. On the contrary, it should motivate us to seek out those who are open to embracing technology and provide them with the resources and support they need.

Identifying potential early adopters within an organization or a community is a powerful strategy to drive technology adoption. The basic argument is that of low-hanging fruit - spend time getting easy wins, and worry about the laggards later. These easy wins, either organizations or individuals, are often characterized by their curiosity, adaptability, and willingness to experiment, and are key players in the technology adoption process.

But their own adoption isn’t as important as their ability to communicate the benefits through action. They can serve as role models, showcasing the benefits and potential of new tools and technologies in their social circles. They can provide valuable feedback, helping to identify bugs, suggest improvements, and test usability amongst their business associates. Most importantly, they can act as champions of technology, encouraging and inspiring others to overcome their apprehensions and start exploring the digital world through their own public activities.

Therefore, a crucial part of our mission should be to seek out these potential tech ambassadors, investing - financially or otherwise - in their training and development, and empowering them to lead the way towards a more technologically literate society.

Let's remember, it's not about forcing technology on those unwilling to adapt, but rather fostering an environment where those willing to embrace new tools and techniques can thrive. In doing so, we can drive a cultural shift that will ultimately lead to wider technology adoption and the realization of the many benefits that come with it.

In the digital age, adaptability is the key to survival and growth. I seek to empower anyone I can with the knowledge and skills they need to harness the power of technology, whether it's the latest AI tool or a simple camera feature on their smartphone.

Am I an immense success? Hell no, but its far better than sticking my head in the sand. If you’re head’s already sunk, then you’re probably not reading this. If it’s above ground, though, you ought to ask yourself, what am I doing?

Newsworthy

A Day Late, An ETH Short

Crypto is a weird fucking world. Mostly obtuse. Often duplicitous. Frequently unscrupulous. Just look at the rollercoaster ride of last year with Luna, Celsius, FTX, etc. This year’s a bit slower due to that and, presumably, the SEC cracking down on regulations at the moment, so we’re in what’s usually referred to as Crypto Winter, but even in Crypto Spring when everything is blooming in its most resplendent if not confusing glory, the entire ecosystem is fraught with maybe not danger but at the very least misdirection, intentional or not.

So this write up by an associated is a decent glimpse into what’s going on… about 2 months ago at ETH Tokyo, anyway.

Blood Rite XVI

I’ve been managing shows across Japan for 10 years now, and while I’ve worked with countless amazing curators, organizers, promoters, bands, venues, and more, and would do it again in a heartbeat… it’s still my own flagship event series, the Blood Rite, that I am most excited by.

We’ve done it 16 times now, and each one gets better. This time, we’ve got Evil headlining, which is something of a full-circle development considering that I booked their 2nd show ever at the 2nd Blood Rite ever - hosted at the now-defunct Urga in Shinjuku - when they were but 19 years old. Today, they’re on Nuclear War Now Records, have completed European tours, and open domestically for some of the most legendary artists in the global extreme metal scene. How about that?

Oh, and we are collaborating with Yggdrasil brewery to make a Blood Rite IPA with an ABV of 6.66% which will be available at the show.

Giddyup, Pardner

Indeed, we've reached that familiar juncture known as the paywall. Above, I've shared some intriguing updates about myself, open for all curious eyes to peruse. What lies below, though, are the insights and observations that influence my actions — my unique trade secrets, if you will.

Does this pique your interest, but you're not yet signed up? Perfect! Here's your golden opportunity to remedy that!