24: Chris Cochran - Thriving as a Creator in the Web3 Era

Chris Cochran is co-founder and CEO of Hacker Valley Media, where he co-hosts several podcasts centered on technology and human performance. He drops by the studio to discuss what it means for a tech professional to flourish as a "creator" today. We introduce Web3, and how its features are enabling an exciting set of opportunities for individual professionals to enhance their career trajectory and overall life.    Create more career freedom: subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter. *** TAKEAWAYS A creator is anyone who can distill the ideas floating through their mind and package and deliver them to the world (mediums: sketches, words, multimedia, code, etc.).   You can separate your creative side from your corporate role...or marry the two. There are no hard rules. Do what gives you energy. Web3 is completely upending the "known" internet — changing economics, finance, business, and so much more. (Check out a short "Ethereum 101" podcast from Alex Lieberman.) ExIST: Explore, Immerse, Study, Translate (Transform) — a framework for pursuing excellence in the pursuit of human endeavors. Credentials have their value, but nothing beats experience. Experience doesn’t necessarily mean working in a professional job.  Be authentic (DON'T be "normal"). Actively break out of your small comfort zone. *** TIMESTAMPS [3:56] “Creator” defined [5:17] How “creating” changed Chris’s life [7:53] Balancing job & authentic self [10:52] Intro to Web3 [14:17] How to test Web3 (ExIST framework) [18:47] New mindset for education [24:33] Credentialize > credential-collecting [28:07] Why we’re still bad at cybersecurity [31:47] Best advice Chris received [34:15] The law we all need to follow [36:33] Closing message: find your tribe *** RESOURCES Connect w/ Chris on LinkedIn Hacker Valley site (including the Web3-focused show: Metaversable) Web3 primer video (8 minutes) Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter