Onwards - December 2022
2022 was a blast! I had the opportunity to work on some really cool projects, build deeper relationships with my friends and family, and obtain so many new experiences.
Welcome back! December (and November) were crazy busy months. From diving deep into Zero-Knowledge Proof technology to consulting for one of Canada’s biggest banks, the holiday season brought many challenges and learning experiences I will never forget. Let’s get right into it!
But first, check out my October recap — even more exciting stuff in there.
Consulting for one of Canada’s largest banks
A 16-year old kid solving problems for CIBC? Yup, that is what made November so exciting. It was November 19th when my team of five innovators and I embarked on this journey. We started with a problem statement and got to work.
“How can CIBC re-imagine what the future of banking looks like by 2030 to attract and retain GenZ customers?”
As GenZ customers ourselves, the key to success for this challenge was understanding our demographic. Looking back on the challenge, there is a strong correlation between how well teams understood the target market, and how strong their solutions were.
You can check out our final product here:
Here are my takeaways from this challenge:
Play to your strengths
Understand upfront who is good at what and assign roles accordingly. Specialization is key to success in such a unique project as this was.
Challenge starts on day one
We ended our challenge at 4:59 on Friday (deck was due at 5) because we didn’t use our first week effectively.
For next time, the first week should finish with an executive summary and a detailed plan for the implementation and outcome of the recommendations. The second would should be getting the slides to a finished level, and the entire last week should be feedback and refinement.
Communicate!
Keeping the team up to date on everything can ensure you are always getting feedback on your portion and that there are no duplicates/missed information.
Thank you so much TKS and CIBC for the opportunity to work on such an important, real-world problem!
And thank you for the personal tour of one of the biggest offices in Toronto!!
Zero-knowledge proofs
Ever heard of ‘em?
Well if you have been keeping up with my newsletters then you have.
Recently, I’ve been really interested in the technology and its implications in Blockchain verification. Check out this introductory article I wrote explaining the technology.
2022 Recap
Living in Tanzania
This summer, I lived in Moshi, Tanzania for a month where I worked with a local NGO as a teacher
Check this article I wrote out to learn about my experience
Joining The Knowledge Society
Life-changing. I’ve never been surrounded by such a motivated, supportive community of people trying to be their best selves and change the world
What’s been in my ears this month
What a guy. Hearing Chris Sacca’s unconventional path to Silicon Valley inspires me to go off the “beaten track.” He is a prime example that there are a hundred ways to get where you want to go, you just have to pick the one that best suits you. The ETL podcast with Chris Sacca is a must listen for anyone interested in startups and VC.
What’s in store for next month?
Creating zero-knowledge proofs with Circom
I have spent the last few months learning the logic behind these proofs. Now its time to build. Using Circom and a package called SnarkJS, I will be able to create these proofs. Tune in next month to catch some of these projects.
Another Hackathon
If you saw my October newsletter, you will have remembered the hackathon I participated in. I am super excited that I get to participate in another one later this month. I had some great takeaways from the last one and am ready to implement them for this next one.
That wraps up 2022! I am so excited for what 2023 will have in store. Subscribe to get next month’s edition.