Author: tylerkaczynski

Any fashion fan has a raft of designers they follow and watch out for. Whether for news on the latest season’s designs, collaborations or latest celebrity followers, there’s always something new happening in the world of fashion. But here are some lesser known facts that you may not have known about until now.

1. Armani and Bomber Jackets

Bomber jackets are fashion staples for many people, with a timeless style that people go back to whatever the era or generation. These types of jackets originate from the military, worn by pilots from the early 1900s. They were designed especially to keep pilots warm in typically cold and draughty cockpits. The design was also quite fitted and sat just above the waist, taking into account the limited space in cockpits, and the need to be able to move unencumbered by too much fabric.

While bomber jackets have been around for a while, it is believed to be Georgio Armani who created the first high fashion line of bomber jackets. This happened in the 1970s, when Armani’s bomber jackets were characterized by high-end leather and a suave fitted finish.

2. Versace, Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo Together

Once of the most iconic luxury fashion companies in the world, Versace is a brand known for the many celebrities it has helped dress. In the celebrity world, the brand has enjoyed a number of notable moments, such as the black dress worn by Elizabeth Hurley in 1994. In 2000 too, Jennifer Lopez wore a green Versace dress that went on to be voted the fifth most iconic dress of all time.

The brand certainly has a long and illustrious history, but many people might wonder what Versace has in common with Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo. The answer is that in 2019, Versace joined forces with these two brands as Capri Holdings Limited, a global luxury fashion group.

3. Dolce & Gabbana’s Beginnings on a Budget

The Italian fashion house currently worth around 1.3 billion Euros didn’t always have an easy ride. In 1986, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana launched their first collection at Milan Fashion Week. The collection was called ‘Geometrissimo’, but Dolce & Gabbana didn’t actually have the money to hire models, or any accessories to go with the show. They ended up asking their friends to model the clothes, and these models also provided some of their own personal accessories to go with the attire. Even the stage curtain was a bed sheet that Domenico Dolce brought from home!

The less than ideal circumstances of this event didn’t do the pair any harm. To the contrary, the duo went on to launch their first self-produced collection, which was called ‘Real Women’. Part of the reasoning behind the name was the fact that local women participated as models in the show. It turns out that Dolce & Gabbana were truly ahead of their time in their thinking, as more than 30 years later, the ideal of ‘real women’ as fashion models is very much the trend.

4. Professional Cycling or Paul Smith

The globally renowned UK fashion designer Paul Smith was originally intending to be a professional cyclist. He left school at the age of 15, getting a job in a clothing factory to earn money while practicing his cycling the rest of the time. However, Smith got into a major cycling accident at the age of 17 that was followed by a six month stay in hospital. During his recuperation, he found inspiration in clothing and fashion, and subsequently went on to find a job with an esteemed Savile Row Tailor in London.

Paul Smith’s brand is now a global success story. His fashion is sold in 70 countries, he is a named Royal Designer for Industry, and he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1994. He was also knighted in the year 2000, making him Sir Paul Smith.

5. Horses and Hermès

While the internationally recognized fashion brand Hermès has been thriving for years, not many people know about the company’s beginnings. Hermès in the early 1800s actually had nothing to do with fashion, and instead made harnesses, bridles and saddles for horse carriages. In the early 1900s, Hermès made a leather golf jacket, marking its first foray into the fashion world. The fashion brand had another exclusive accolade at the same time, as Hermès was granted exclusive use of the zipper for clothing and leather goods, thus becoming the first company to introduce the zipper to France.

By the 1920s, Hermès had added various clothing lines and a range of accessories to its brand, and later a range of handbags. In 1935, Hermès launched its ‘sac à dépêches’, which was later renamed the ‘Kelly bag’ after Grace Kelly famously had one. Nowadays, Hermès is the 7th largest fashion company in the world.

Keeping a business website in peak condition is something that is far easier said than done. Here’s the technology and processes you need in place to ensure website maintenance is taken care of once and for all.

Website maintenance is something that often falls through the cracks in terms of job descriptions. Website managers have multiple priorities to juggle, which often span from marketing to managing external agencies. IT professionals have numerous elements of a company’s technical suite to take care of, from networked systems to maintaining software. It’s often when an issue arises on a website that a company realizes that better care needs to directed towards the day-to-day maintenance of a website.

When you get into the nuts and bolts of website maintenance, it can seem like an extensive and laborious process. There is everything from security certificates to online shop processes to keep on top of, plus a variety of other website building blocks in between. Bugs, poor loading times and broken links can appear without any notice. So what is the most efficient way of managing the website maintenance process so that businesses can carry on without interruption?

Automated Testing

By far one of the best time-savers in the website maintenance world is to incorporate automated website testing into your business practice. Website testing is all about testing every bit of functionality on a website. In many companies, hundreds of hours are lost to extensive website testing processes that have a lot of manual elements. Website testing is most valuable in transaction-based website sections, because if a form breaks or someone cannot complete a purchase on a website, it can have hugely detrimental impacts on a business.

There are solutions such as the testRigor test automation tool where it is possible to have website testing almost constantly running in the background. With tools such as this, there is no website downtime, issues are flagged in a timely way, and employees can avoid spending more time than necessary on inefficient testing processes.

Check Your Content

Many websites have pages or whole sections of content that are embarrassingly outdated. The reason is that most businesses do not have the capacity for one person to be responsible for every single page of content on a website. However, a website is a shop window to the world, and a reflection of your brand to each and every person who visits. Website content must be a priority within the website maintenance process.

Often, a workable solution is found not in tasking one individual to take responsibility for an entire website, but for subject experts across an organization to share the load. It makes sense for individuals who know about a part of the business to take responsibility for keeping specific web pages up-to-date. Not only does this work from a business efficiency perspective, it also gives colleagues across an organization a vested interest in the website. This helps to make it a better website overall.

Review Hosting Services

If your website has problems with going down sometimes, chances are you need to review your hosting solution. Problems with hosts and downtime add extra but unnecessary tasks to a website maintenance schedule. Look into the reasons for any previous website downtime and interrogate the security of your host. Also work on solid back-up plans. Many robust businesses have a number of back-up servers, so as long as you backup your website frequently, you can switch to another version of your live website even if one server has problems. If you have a secure and reliable hosting solution, this will save you an abundance of time in the long run.

Check Accessibility

One element of website maintenance that many businesses forget is accessibility. If a website is working ok for a small group of individuals who manage and maintain it, the temptation is to think that it is working ok for everyone. In fact, ensuring a website is accessible for people with different accessibility needs is not only important, it is the law. And even if your website conformed to accessibility criteria when you most recently revamped or relaunched it, the rules may well have moved on since then.

Looking at the latest accessibility guidelines and using website checkers to see if your website conforms to them is something you should most definitely make time for. Make sure you look at federal laws and international bodies, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, published by the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. The information published by international bodies such as this help you create a better website for disabled people and for people accessing your website on different devices. Not only do you want to adhere to the laws, most businesses like to think of themselves as being inclusive for everyone. It is fundamental to ensure this is the case by regularly checking your website accessibility performance.

We talk a lot about innovation in this publication. Today, we’re going to explore how patents apply to tech, and how it might be a good idea to secure a patent to protect your innovations, if you’re starting a startup or tech business, even if you’re still completing your undergraduate degree.

Innovation always starts with an idea. You may have noticed a problem that can’t be solved with current technology and you want to find a way to fix it. Your original idea is first refined and researched, before ultimately, you are able to develop a new product or service. That process, from idea to invention can take years, which makes it important to protect your intellectual property and prevent others from taking advantage of your hard work during the development of your business. A patent gives you the sole right to produce, sell or export your invention, for a limited time, and stops competitors from copying your new ideas. Patent protections are essential to making the most of your invention, however, can they also hinder innovation?

Patents have been used to protect the intellectual property rights of inventors for hundreds of years. The US Congress granted its first patent in 1790 for a unique method of producing potash. To receive a patent, technical information about the invention must be disclosed in a patent application, which is also made available to the public. If approved, the patent holder will have exclusive commercial rights to their invention for up to 20 years. Patented inventions must be new and involve some ingenuity or inventive skill, but they do not need to be complex or a major breakthrough. Even simple or small improvements can be patented as long as they still offer significant advantages over the existing technology.

Critics of the patent system argue that it hinders innovation because a patent holder can have rights over a broad subject matter. Most technologies are developed by multiple inventors over many years. They could be working independently from one another, while simultaneously contributing to the same idea. Inventors who successfully assemble the many pieces of a technology puzzle into a finished product must consult with a patent attorney to learn whether their invention is covered by one or more patents owned by others. For example, early inventors could have patented a small part of a new technology yet their protection will cover the entire thing.

If you want to use the technology described in a patent, then the patented technology can be licensed, usually for a fee. Alternatively, inventors can also choose to redesign their technology to steer clear of existing patents. However, these steps can be costly and time-consuming, which means it is no longer economically viable to continue with the new technology. Failure to secure license for the relevant patents creates a risk of litigation from the patent holder, which could also force the new technology out of the marketplace. A prime example of this is the “smartphone patent war” which took almost a decade to resolve. Smartphone technology can encompass hundreds of patents, including many that are not granted until long after the new product is launched.

Major mobile device manufacturers, including Apple, Google and Samsung, have contested dozens of lawsuits over smartphone patents. Patents can be a way to opportunistically hinder competitors (in this case) in the lucrative smartphone market. In fact, the amount that Apple and Google have spent on patents exceeds the amount spent on research and development of new products. Apple and Samsung have had a long-running patent dispute over claims that the slide-to-unlock feature on a phone was Apple’s invention. Apple convinced the courts to patent their version of this feature, despite evidence that inventors before Apple had already accomplished key steps to implement this feature. The two companies went back and forth for seven years before Samsung agreed to pay license fees to Apple to settle the case.

Innovation is crucial to the continuing success of any organization. It means coming up with new ways to do things which leads to more effective products and ideas. Patents help protect those ideas and allow the inventors to profit from their hard work. Without the patent system, there would not be the same motivation to spend time and resources on innovation. However, patents for minor improvements may also prevent others from building on the technology which in turn holds back the process of innovation. The patent system needs to ensure that the rights of inventors to protect their ideas isn’t at the expense of technological advancement.

Standardised tests. We've all fretted about them at some time or another, whether it be as young tots nervous about our parents' reaction to a sub-par report card, or as undergraduate hopefuls awaiting the results of their university entrance exam.

For many of us, testing (whether it be preparing for the test, taking the test, or nervously awaiting the final results of the test) is an uncertain, nerve-wracking event that is nonetheless accepted as necessary and inevitable in our skills-based world. After all, how else would the testers know exactly how much one has learned up to this point? How else would one know their own strengths and weaknesses? By what other method would the school system, college, or company know whether the testee is of good enough proficiency to pass the course, acquire certification, or be accepted into a certain role?

However, did you know that this norm was not always the norm throughout history? That there are many detractors now and then who criticise the very idea that we need standardised testing at all (or at least as often as we do now)?

Setting the Terms Straight

But before we delve into the arguments about it, let us first define what exactly we mean when we say "standardised tests". Standardised tests are a form of test in which the same test is given to all takers, in the same manner, with the same limits, and with the final results being graded in the same way. A standardised test can be a written test, oral test, or a practical demonstration of skills (for example, a test to obtain a driver's licence). Whatever the format, the most important aspect is the standardisation, which ensures that those who pass meet a certain minimum standard.

Case #1: It Encourages Tedium Over Genuine Interest

So what problems might people find with this system? Well, one frequently trotted out argument is that doing well at a standardised test has almost nothing to do with actual knowledge and skill in the subject. Instead, teachers fall into the habit of what is called "Teaching to the Test", which involves teaching how to best get the top grade rather than teaching to ensure a holistic understanding of the subject matter. This involves the teacher focusing unhealthily on rote drills and memorisation, rather than trying to ignite genuine interest in the subject from their students. This is a very valid point, and teaching in this manner does drain enthusiasm for the subject matter from both student and teacher.

However, counter-critics contend that it is only below-average teachers who engage in it, and teachers who are competent can both instil a well-rounded understanding of a subject, as well as prepare students to take a test in that same subject. Thus, "Teaching to the Test" is not an inevitable outcome. Plus, studies have shown that students that are taught using rote methods actually perform more poorly in real standardised tests. If such a factoid were more widely known, it's likely that rote learning would decrease, as such methods would be shown to be ineffective at its sole goal (to make students pass tests).

Case #2: It Can Intensify the Plight of the Disadvantaged

Another argument is that students from disadvantaged communities (e.g. lower-income families, marginalised ethic and religious groups) are also inherently disadvantaged in a standardised test environment because the test does not take place in a vacuum. The success of a student in a standardised test isn't determined just by how much a student listens to lessons, but also whether their home lives are conducive to studying, how supportive their parents and wider community is to academic learning, the availability of resources such as libraries and the internet, the presence of physical and mental disabilities, and well as stress, nutrition and well-restedness. All of these factors vary wildly between student to student, with better results coming from students from higher-income and less marginalised homes due to influence of these factors alone.

However, such an argument assumes that schools are rigid institutions that do not give allowances for less-abled students, and that there are no efforts to even the playing field by teachers, educational institutions, and the government alike. For example, many schools and private institutions offer scholarships and financial aid schemes, aimed at alleviating the structural disadvantages of circumstances such as coming from a lower-income family. Likewise, while the dictionary definition of a standardised test is that the test is administered in exactly the same way for each testee, in practice many schools give students with physical or mental impairments (e.g. injured hands, dyslexia) extra time to complete their tests, thus offsetting the extra time they need to write out their answers or comprehend the questions.

Conclusion

Despite all this, we should still listen to criticism about the current system, as that is one of the quickest ways to see the system from another perspective, and realise where we might be going wrong and unnecessarily making things harder for students. For example, we should have tests that actually reward true understanding of the subject, and not just rote memorisation (e.g. phrase questions in novel ways, and tell students to explain in their own words). Similarly, we should aim for our education systems to equalise student opportunity for learning as much as possible, both outside and within the confines of the test (e.g. do not word questions in such a way that it requires a specific cultural context to understand, unless learning that context is the point of the test, etc.).

In the end, the standardised test is a tool, and so it can be tremendously effective. However, one can only maximise its effectiveness when used with clear knowledge of its limitations and all the ways it can go wrong.

As we head towards the end of the year, bitcoin is in the news again and investors are looking for bitcoin price prediction advice—but it isn't always this way. What tends to happen with bitcoin is that there are months or years in which it moves along in the background, before the price soars, it's all over the news, and retail investors are left wondering why they weren't buying up relatively cheap bitcoin a year earlier.

Looking at bitcoin's price movements, it could seem like a risky investment, but at the same time, gains have been huge and if you're looking for decent returns (and the returns on bitcoin have been, historically, way better than just decent), then you need to be looking at assets and industries with a lot of movement. And if there's one thing not lacking in the world of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, it's movement.

You may be wondering, then, what's the best way to take advantage of bitcoin's volatility, and how can we predict the spikes and the crashes?

Technical Analysis

The first thing you might want to do is brush up on your Technical Analysis skills. Technical Analysis is a time-honored trading discipline, first introduced at the end of the 19th century, and used in the analysis of stocks, futures, commodities, currencies, and really any kind of asset class that is tradeable on markets.

It takes all the detailed information and trends around trading activity, and from past data attempts to make future predictions. Technical Analysis can appear complex and mathematical, with a wide range of analytical tools to be mastered, but the core principles and most commonly used devices can be actually be picked up relatively easily.

Bitcoin can make dramatic swings on short time scales, so if you're looking to profit from these fluctuations, then Technical Analysis will help you make a bitcoin price prediction on hourly and daily scales.

Fear and Greed Index

The Fear and Greed Index measures just those things: fear and greed, and gives a score indicating whether market sentiment is, well, fearful or greedy. This will not help much on an hourly or daily timescale, as Technical Analysis can, but if you're zooming out to a weekly or monthly scale, then it becomes a useful indicator of where trends are heading.

In a way, it sounds too simple, but essentially, this is how markets—and especially crypto markets—often operate, with the latest bitcoin price prediction relating directly to crowd psychology. Fundamentally, when the market is deeply fearful, then you buy, and when there is exuberant greed and a sense of euphoria, then you sell. Another way of putting this is that you make the contrarian trade, doing the opposite of what the crowd is clamoring for. Or, even more simply: buy the red and sell the green.

It's worth noting that using the Fear and Greed Index works best when it's at its extremes: the highest levels of fear and greed are strong indicators, but when it's ranging in the middle it won't tell you much.

Halvings and Cycles

Bitcoin goes through a process called halving, which occurs roughly every four years. This relates to block rewards and mining, but you don't need to go into the technicalities if you don't want. The key point, as a trader looking for a reliable bitcoin price prediction, is that there appears to be a very clear price cycle related to these halvings.

Pull up historical price charts with the halvings marked, and you'll see that a four year pattern repeats, and you can make predictions accordingly. However, a caveat to this is that bitcoin only came into existence in 2009, so there simply haven't been enough halvings to know whether or not this pattern of repetition will always continue.

Overlay with Gold

As indicated in the previous point, you can overlay the four year halving cycles and get a good idea of where bitcoin will be heading if the pattern holds. However, another interesting historical repetition appears as though it might be unfolding. Take a chart of the price of gold in the 1970s, and overlay it with a chart of bitcoin's price since its launch and over the past decade, and you'll see a remarkable similarity, which can be projected forward.

This repetition makes sense if you are of the view that bitcoin is becoming a store of value and could, as an asset class, become a digital equivalent to gold.

Dollar Cost Average and Hold

Finally, you might want to zoom out to the furthest macro level, and take a look at the trend over the whole of the last decade. At this scale, things look very different, as bitcoin trends consistently and relentlessly upwards.

If you believe that bitcoin is here to stay, and that we're transitioning into a more digital future in which blockchain technology and decentralized finance play key roles, then dollar cost averaging is your best bet. This method means buying a set amount of bitcoin at regular intervals, regardless of market conditions, and holding it for the long term. You can, of course, invest more or less at certain times if conditions are extreme, but on the whole you stick to the plan.

This way, the ups and downs will offset one another and you'll ride out the turbulence. Then, you can return to your investment in five or ten years and see how your longer-term bitcoin price prediction is playing out.

Bitcoin is a highly volatile digital asset, and if you follow its price closely you'll grow used to dramatic swings. This makes it appear risky, but also provides the opportunity to profit. And you could argue that if you take a long-term view, then it's not so risky at all.

In fact, quite the opposite: zoom out, and the macro perspective shows an asset that has since its inception moved consistently upwards. That's why a lot of bitcoin buyers choose to just accumulate and hold, knowing that when all bitcoins are mined, there will be no more than 21 million in existence, that number having been set since launch.

This leads to other questions, though. Currently, bitcoin is still being mined into existence, but how exactly does that process take place and, in the end, what will happen when all 21 million bitcoins are mined and in circulation?

How is Bitcoin Mined?

When people talk about mining bitcoin, what they're talking about is miners using computer equipment to solve complex mathematical equations. These equations allow transactions to be processed on the bitcoin blockchain, and whichever mining rig (meaning the miner's computer set up) wins the race to solve the equation receives block rewards for their efforts.

These block rewards provide a powerful incentive to the miners, by releasing new bitcoin which the miner takes possession of as payment for their work. In this way, transactions are verified, the network operates securely, and new coins are created.

Regular Halving

The block rewards go through a process known as halving, which takes places every 210,000 blocks, equating to about four years. As the name suggests, the size of the block reward halves each time this happens, and has gone from an initial size of 50 bitcoin in 2009, to, at the last halving in May 2020, 6.25 bitcoin per block. There are now more than 18.7 million bitcoin in existence, but the total supply is not projected to have been fully mined until the year 2140.

Different Rewards

One effect of the halving process is that it will become less profitable to mine bitcoin if miners are relying only on block rewards as an incentive. What this might mean in practice is that miners will eventually come to take their profit not primarily from block rewards, but from transaction fees.

However, there are a couple of caveats to this. The first is that how much of an incentive block rewards continue to be depends on how much the cost of bitcoin continues to increase. If rewards halve, but the value of bitcoin makes significant gains, then the reduced block size is offset, at least partly, by the increased value of a bitcoin.

The second consideration is that when talking of transaction fees, we have to be aware that it can't be known how many transactions are going to be taking place in the future. A lot of transactions equals plenty of accompanying transaction fees to be claimed, but if there are few transactions, then there's less incentive to mine. When projecting forwards then, we have to consider what exactly we expect bitcoin to become.

Medium of Exchange or Store of Value?

Fast forward to 2140, when all bitcoin should be mined. What will we be using bitcoin for, if it's more than just a historical curiosity? If you believe that bitcoin is here to stay, then there are two clear possibilities: the first is that it becomes an actual currency, in use widely as a medium of exchange.

Bitcoin maximalists (the truest of true believers) speak of something called hyperbitcoinization, an ultimate endgame in which bitcoin takes over as a global currency, central banks are no longer needed, and all goods and services are priced in bitcoin.

The second possibility is that bitcoin becomes not a means of transacting but a store of value, similar to gold. This is easier to imagine, and there are those who say it's already functioning in such a manner, despite its volatility. Maximalists, though, would point out that bitcoin's pseudonymous creator (or creators), Satoshi Nakamoto, intended it to be used as money, and that one country—El Salvador—has already authorized it as legal tender.

Institutional Adoption

When looking at bitcoin's price volatility, we should take into consideration the future impact of institutional investment. It may seem unlikely that an asset that has ups and downs as stomach-churning as bitcoin's could ever be a widely used store of value, let alone a viable everyday currency, but large amounts of investment from big institutions will have a stabilizing effect on the price.

Bitcoin is such a nascent technology, with so much space to expand and change, that it's impossible to predict where it will be in five or ten years from now, let alone the end of the century or the year 2140. What looks likely, though, is that as ever more coins are mined and mainstream acceptance increases, it will become more stable and easier to utilize.

You've got your big idea and it's moving forward. You're researched and prepared, and ready for take off. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, while it's incredibly important to stay positive and focused, we must also be realistic, and the fact is, in the world of startups an awful lot of things could go wrong. That's the bad news. But the extremely good news is that by knowing exactly what could go wrong, you can make every effort to ensure that those things don't actually happen.

In fact, whatever problem you might encounter, you can be sure that someone, somewhere, has had similar issues with their new business. From startups in Boston, to sole traders in Bangkok, you'll find the same stories. And that's a good thing, because it means that instead of learning from your mistakes, you can learn from other people's mistakes.

Here are some things to avoid, when launching a new business.

Not Testing or Adapting

If you're offering a service, then you can create a simple, lightweight version first, and have people try it out. If you're making a physical product, you need to be distributing prototype versions. Keep in mind MVP: Minimum Viable Product. But consider that this concept can also be applied to services. What is the minimum viable version of the thing you're offering, that you can get out there and have people using?

And once you've got people actually engaging with your product or service, you need observation and feedback. Gather as much data as you can, because you want to know everything that was right and wrong with the customer experience. The reason for that is so that you can adapt your offering. Is it possible that you get everything right, first time, with no tweaks required? Put it this way: it's not impossible.

But, essentially, you should be expecting to make changes according to the feedback you receive from your testing. Be thorough in the trial phase, don't be afraid to make bold alterations if necessary, but don't make changes just for the sake of doing something. That covered, you should be good to go at launch.

Don't Go It Alone

You might be an independent, self-reliant person. You might know about all aspects of running a business, and have mind-blowing levels of expertise and business savvy. But that's not the point. Just because you're proficient at everything, doesn't mean you have the endurance, or the hours in the day, to actually, physically do all those things. And besides which, it's a rare (perhaps non-existent) person, who has top-level capability in all aspects of founding and running a business.

So, as far as you can within your budget, take on help and build your team. Certainly, you can keep your group lightweight and minimal. In fact, that's a good way to start: streamlined and with nothing wasted, so that everyone knows their role and performs it efficiently.

And that leads to another important issue. When you're hiring, take the time to be extremely careful, and only recruit people you're feel certain are not only proficient, but are as driven and committed as you are, and who, crucially, you can get along well with on a daily basis. This last point is sometimes overlooked, because it's so subjective, but it can make all the difference.

Don't Forget the Power of Networks

If you already have strong business connections, then don't be afraid to pull in favors. And if you can leverage your connections to build further connections, then go ahead and do so.

In general, you need to be reaching out in good faith, and building partnerships and trust. So if you accept a favor, then always pay it back with interest. Essentially, though, networks empower all members, who can grow together and become greater than the sum of their parts. Business often revolves around competition, but it's not a zero-sum game. Figure out where working together is mutually beneficial, and which of your peers you share a similar mindset with. By building honest relationships within the startup community, opportunities will become increasingly apparent, and unexpected doors might open.

Don't Fear Setbacks

Is your venture going to succeed? The truth is, you don't yet know, and that's fine. In fact, that's what makes what you're doing worthwhile, and an exhilarating adventure. After all, if you knew with absolute certainty what was about to happen, would you even feel motivated to try?

The reality is that we endure setbacks because we have attempted something difficult and potentially rewarding. And the more audacious what you're attempting is, the more comfortable you must be with things not always going to plan. Anyone who starts their own business is taking a risk, but perhaps a greater risk would be in never trying at all. Because, ultimately, however your venture proceeds, you will be gaining invaluable lessons along the way.

It was a different story just a few years ago, but at this point, there are few people who haven’t at least heard of blockchain technology.

Which is not to say that many people are fully aware of what it actually is, or how it can be used. It’s a fair guess that a large number of people would associate it solely with bitcoin, or perhaps cryptocurrencies and the wider world of fintech.

But in the coming months and years, it will become increasingly clear that blockchain technology brings extensive possibilities, across a range of fields. It’s already causing a stir, and significant spending, in the art world, and it will bring about changes in both the healthcare and education industries.

What is blockchain?

In case you’re not sure, blockchain technology is a kind of ledger system. It’s decentralized, meaning all the data is distributed across multiple nodes. It’s immutable, meaning that data is locked in and permanent. And it’s trustless, meaning you’re not relying on anyone to verify your transactions, you can interact with others directly and securely.

Additionally, second generation blockchain technologies such as Ethereum brought in smart contracts. These are, basically, programs stored on the blockchain that execute when certain conditions are met, allowing for the automation of agreements, and creating a guarantee for all parties that outcomes will occur as agreed.

What, then, can all this do for education?

Record Keeping

The approach to education nowadays is not as it used to be. People may take all manner of courses, in various places, picking up multiple skills and qualifications.

It would make sense, in this case, to have all your educational data available whenever you need it, in your own personal record. You want to be able to get your hands on it at any time, without having to go round all the institutions you’ve ever interacted with. And of course, you want it to be secure and accurate.

Well, blockchain solves all of this.

Utilizing blockchain technology, a streamlined process can be created, in which all your information is under your control, external to educational facilities themselves, and can be accessed without needing to apply or pay for administrative assistance. And your records will all be trustworthy, verified, and permanent.

And it works for instructors, too. Whether you’re an online language tutor, or a music teacher, or a university professor, a record of your credentials can all be there, for you to access and utilize to your advantage.

Gamification

Blockchain is closely associated with tokenization, and tokens can be used as currencies and assets, and means of exchange and reward. What we might see this used for in education is to create some degree of gamification while studying.

Micro-rewards are simultaneously satisfying, motivational, and a good means of tracking one’s progress. As in games, where rewards are more often than not integral to the play structure, so it can be in academia.

Tokens can be distributed and earned, and incorporated into learning and progress dynamics in whatever creative ways course planners might come up with, adding incentives and a new angle to the learning experience.

Tokens could also be used as functioning currencies, and have real value of their own.

Gamification happens all the time in the ways we interact on social media, often without us really noticing, and the psychology of the process is, of course, not something that only came along with blockchain.

Play as a means of making progress has always existed in education, too, as any teacher who knows how to make lessons fun and rewarding can tell you.

And from such playfulness, can come meaningful, tangible achievements.

Positive disruption

Call it disruption, call it innovation or a shake up, call it whatever you prefer, the point is this: blockchain brings a new way of doing things.

What this results in, is difficult to predict, but that’s the point. When the future is opened up, and new technologies experimented with, we don’t yet know where they will lead. But if we remain open-minded, then the opportunities are there.

Blockchain is strongly associated with decentralization, personal autonomy, and seamlessness. A strong likelihood is that the changes to education brought about by blockchain will move in these directions.

Borderless universities, operating anywhere and everywhere? Sounds plausible.

Students able to mix-and-match courses, in order to tailor-make an education that fulfills their professional requirements? Also likely.

Educators and learners easily matching up directly? That’s the way things are already moving.

What blockchain will likely bring, is flexibility, and that’s precisely in line with our current social ethos.

Lower costs

One more thing, and it’s a simple but crucial one, is that blockchain can work to lower costs.

It minimizes the need for centralized authorities and administrators. The ledger is there, to be accessed independently. Smart contracts allow for increased automation.

Blockchain brings efficiency and elegance, and lightens the load. Adoption in education, as elsewhere, is set to enable considerable improvements to the industry.

Scandinavians are notoriously happy people. People from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland top the global World Happiness Report every single year. For those of us who live in ‘the greatest country in the world’, it can be difficult to comprehend why Americans fall behind our peers to come in at 14th place in terms of happiness. Even Austria, Australia, and Ireland are ahead of us. Considering that many of the Scandinavian countries spend almost half the year in the frigid cold and perpetual darkness, how could they possibly be so content?

Happiness is for Everybody

Sweden has one of the highest income tax rates in the world, with people paying approximately 52 percent tax on annual income over 537,200 SEK ($61,245). However, it is a tax that people seem more than willing to pay. Here is why. In 2019, Swedish public expenditure accounted for 49.3 percent of the country’s GDP. Included in this is 19 percent of the GDP, or 956.8 billion SEK ($109 billion), spent on social protection such as old-age pensions, family benefits, and unemployment support. Education accounted for 6.9 percent, covering everything from preschool to higher education.

Indeed, life in Sweden comes with a wide range of government benefits. First of all, education is free. From the age of six up to college and university, tuition is paid for by the government. From preschool to a master’s degree, the idea of racking up debilitating debt to learn something is practically unheard of. The law of Jante, or the Jantelagen mentality, is central to Scandinavian contentment. It encourages humbleness and emphasizes collective success over individual achievement, building a culture of equality and community on all levels of society.

Aside from ensuring that its citizens have access to the best possible education, the Swedish government also allows them to focus on family. A generous joint parental leave and allowance or föräldrapenning of 480 days is granted for each new child, providing a couple or a single parent with up to 80 percent of their income for most of the period. After that, child allowances, subsidized daycare, and free health and dental services for minors make it easier for parents to afford to raise children.

According to the OECD Better Life Index, only 1 percent of Swedish people work very long hours, compared to the 11 percent of Americans who do. In fact, many offices and businesses close before 5 p.m. to ensure that employees have ample time to spend with their families. On top of this, workers in Sweden receive a minimum of 25 days or five weeks of paid vacation leave annually. Hence, it is no surprise that Swedes boast less stress, improved mental wellbeing, healthier lifestyles, and more time to spend in the great outdoors.

Get Healthy Together

Speaking of the great outdoors, Swedes love the active lifestyle. With 173,860 square miles of country to enjoy between ten million people, there is plenty of nature for everyone. And their right to roam and camp in any part of the countryside is even protected by law. This obsession with fresh air is captured in friluftsliv, the Scandinavian philosophy of living in the open for the ultimate spiritual and physical wellbeing. Swedish cities are designed to facilitate healthy movement, allowing commuters to walk or ride their bicycles to work. Sweden is one of the countries with the highest bicycles per capita and, for those who do not bike, walking for half an hour or more to visit a friend is a perfectly acceptable pursuit.

Exercise is so engrained in the Swedish lifestyle that almost every company has its own social sports clubs with lunchtime exercise activities. Some companies even have in-house saunas and healthy meal providers. Synonymous with socializing and friendship, exercise is a cherished group activity in Sweden. Unlike the aggressively competitive atmosphere that you might find in the US, gym communities in Sweden are friendly and supportive. So much so that many people undertake PT utbildning or personal trainer training in order to help others achieve better health and body goals.

Aside from fresh air and exercise, diet is another component that contributes to the rosy glow of the Swedes. Locally sourced seasonal produce make up a majority of their meals, which feature heavily in antioxidant-rich berries, superfood rapeseed oil, nutritious brassica vegetables, and quality protein. Bread is always a feature, but it is never the refined and sugar-laden versions that we see in America. Instead, they are usually made of dense and fibrous whole grains like rye. And, of course, we must not forget fika, the quintessential Swedish afternoon tea break where people get together for coffee, cake, and community bonding.

When we get caught up in our culture, it can be hard to think about how to do things differently. While we cannot immediately change structural things such as our tax allocations and the corporate work week, Americans can incorporate certain elements of the Scandinavian lifestyle in ours. We can eat cleaner, exercise together, and try to prioritize spending time with family. In time, hopefully we can become healthier and happier too!

Starting college is an exhilarating endeavor that can be confusing and stressful to navigate at times. Being thrust in an unfamiliar environment with strangers, and having to be independent and responsible for yourself may seem daunting. However, college is also a time for you to discover and develop yourself. Here are some tips to help you settle in and make the most out of your time at college:

Spruce Up Your Room

If you are able to, arrange for your family or professional dorm movers to help you move to your new college dorm, as trying to move in by yourself can be a stressful process. Having a new room and living amongst strangers (for now) is going to feel incredibly foreign, and feelings of homesickness may arise. Feeling homesick is a normal response to being separated from your friends and family back home. Most freshmen feel homesick one way or another, and it may take some time for it to ebb.

Decorating your room can help you adjust more to the new place. Embellish your room with items or mementos that you have brought from home, such as photographs of your family and friends. Being surrounded by familiar items will help you feel more comfortable and settled in your new room. If you realize that you are missing some items from home, small moves can be arranged to move the rest of your belongings to college.

Explore the City

The city in which your college is located will be your home for the next few years. Spend some time exploring what the city has to offer in terms of activities, food, and culture. You can sign up for an orientation tour that is usually organized by the college or gather a couple of people from your dorm to explore the city together. Make a list of things to do to help you familiarize yourself with what your city has to offer – which cafe serves the best coffee, where are some student-friendly locations with wifi and charging stations for you to get some work done, and which city park is the perfect place to read a book? Make your city feel like home!

Talk to People from Different Backgrounds

Many people move across states to go to the college of their dreams. College thus presents the perfect opportunity to meet people from all around the country. Most colleges also have at least a small fraction of international students. Speaking to people who come from different backgrounds will broaden your mind, and help make your college experience more fun and meaningful. It may take some time to warm up to new people, but you will make good friends who will become your support system as all of you enter a new stage of adulthood.

Join a College Club or Society

The college experience is not restricted to doing well academically. You are there to learn about yourself, push your boundaries, and develop your goals and strengths. Joining a college club or society offers you a chance to develop your interest and skills in something that you longed to try. It also helps you develop both personally and professionally as it offers opportunities to learn the values of teamwork, responsibility, and a sense of culture and community. You will also learn how to engage with diverse groups of people, and perhaps even develop your leadership skills. Participating in extracurricular activities have the added benefit of increased student engagement. Be it sports, music, academic or culture clubs, there is something for everyone to try.

Mind Your Health

College life can be overwhelming and difficult. Many college students reported feeling stressed and anxious, with 39% of students experiencing a significant mental health issue. It is important to pay attention and take care of your health when you are faced with challenges. Isolating yourself can worsen negative thoughts and feelings, so take some time everyday to speak to your family and friends. Doing so will also serve as a reminder that you have a support system that you can utilize when times get hard. If you notice that your mental health is affecting your daily responsibilities, you may wish to speak to your college counselor and advisors to potentially adjust your course schedule while you take some time off.

Taking care of your physical health is also important when you feel overwhelmed. Bring yourself on daily walks to get some fresh air, which will do you wonders. Try to develop a routine that comprises nutritious meals, some form of exercise, and sufficient sleep. Attending to your body’s physical needs will put you in a more positive headspace and help you feel better.

The college experience is both thrilling yet daunting, but you are bound to have fun as soon as the dust settles. There is much to explore so seize the opportunities that you have in front of you to make the most out of your time at college.