Many years from now, we will remember this time in history as the moment we started using blockchain. It’s certainly a trend, but sometimes it may be hard to understand the full potential of this revolutionary technology. Luckily, in this episode of Before IT Happened we are joined by an expert, or should we say a black belt, to break down what this technology is all about. Medha Parlikar is the Co-founder and CTO of CasperLabs, the developer of a new open-source blockchain and smart contracting platform that is changing the way companies do business. On BIH, Medha opens up on how she got into computers, karate and leading development teams to build better solutions. Listen to this episode for more about the multiple uses and benefits of blockchain for the future!
Before any world-changing innovation, there was a moment, an event, a realization that sparked the idea before it happened. This is a podcast about that moment — about that idea. Before IT Happened takes you on a journey with the innovators who imagined — and are still imagining — our future. Join host Donna Loughlin as her guests tell their stories of how they brought their visions to life.
JUMP STRAIGHT INTO:
(03:00) - Medha’s background: The story of her earliest approach with computers - “I started writing code back then, working with my dad when he was building software applications to kind of accelerate the productivity of his business.”
(10:01) - A technology trailblazer: Becoming a computer engineer in the eighties - “I hadn't realized why I understood so much about computers. They were just very natural to me.”
(15:49) - Medha’s journey to getting a black belt at 41 - “It taught me how to be focused and grounded and to be in the present moment because if you're thinking about anything else when you're sparring somebody you're going to get sucker-punched.”
(21:06) - A trust protocol: The fundamentals of blockchain and cryptocurrency - “If that information also passes through a blockchain protocol, you can trust that that information has not been changed or mutated from the first time it's been published.”
(23:24) - What is CasperLabs and how did it start? - “CasperLabs builds products that we as a SAS or Web 2.0 engineers would actually use in a web-to-product, in a technology solution, in a company.”
(26:15) - Explaining how blockchain makes protocols and digital products more transparent - “Once it's been written to the blockchain, you can't change it. So you can't hide any disparaging results and all of that data can be made anonymously public to the consumers.”
(32:15) - Here to stay: Why companies should consider moving to blockchain soon - “I think we will see the emergence of an ecosystem of purpose-built blockchains that specialize in a specific type of service or problem that they're solving.”
(39:45) - Time for conclusions: What does it mean to be the CTO of CaserLabs? - “I feel like the culmination of all of my years of experience, both personal and professional, has really led me to this point.”
EPISODE RESOURCES:
Connect with Medha on Twitter and Linkedin
Learn more about the work CasperLabs is doing in blockchain
Learn more about how CasperLabs helped Metacask unlock a new digital marketplace
Read Bloomberg’s CasperLabs Partners with Fountainhead Technology Co. to Develop a Jade NFT Platform
Watch CryptoCoinShow’s Blockchain Interviews - Medha Parlikar CEO of CasperLabs
Watch: Medha Parlikar Speaks At The Blockchain And Decentralized Finance On AWS Virtual Roundtable
Read Investopedia’s Blockchain Explained
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Before IT Happened is produced by Donna Loughlin and StudioPod Media with additional editing and sound design by Nodalab. The Executive Producer is Katie Sunku Wood and all episodes are written by Jack Buehrer.
