Throughout my life I have been fortunate to have many lightbulb moments.  They typically occur after doing my best to understand something intellectually but falling short of truly “getting it” in a way that others seem to. Other times the essence of the thing makes sense but without a personal experience of it I can’t, in good conscience, call myself a believer. Up until earlier this year Web3 fell into this latter category. Technologically speaking I kinda/sorta got that blockchain is a big deal and I could see the potential of DAOs.  I didn’t really see, however, where their potential lay to change society. Not, that is, until I met Wanda. 

Before I share about Wanda, however, I think it would be helpful to provide a couple of examples of what I mean by lightbulb moments, and how they often lead to meaningful changes in my life.

A Pickleball Light

For the last few years I have repeatedly heard about pickleball, of how much fun it is and that I would love it. Though a little intrigued I considered my racket-sports days long behind me and so never really considered playing. One day though, quite unexpectedly, my partner Jennifer said she wanted to give it a try so we did. Kinda cool, I thought after playing, but not something I expect to do with any regularity. 

Several weeks later we attended a local round robin where I played 5-6 games of doubles, getting matched with different people each game. I have never had a more enjoyable experience of playful competition with strangers. That day I saw the pickleball light….the light of my personal enjoyment of the game as well as its potential to make the world a better place. Jennifer and I now play twice a week and are making new friends with people we would never cross paths with otherwise. There are good reasons it is the fastest growing sport in America.

An e-Bike Epiphany

In 2016 I moved to a town in Colorado that takes great pride in being one of the healthiest towns in America. As seriously as residents take their physical health they are just as serious about their relationship with the environment. Per capita the town is at the top of the list for the most Tesla and Prius owners. Electric bikes (e-bikes), too, are everywhere, with many of their owners raving about them.  

E-bikes? Meh. As an active mountain biker I didn’t see the point of owning a bike with a motor on it. Not, that is, until I rode one for the first time a few months ago while visiting my son in California. 

“Wheeeeeeeee. Let’s goooo!!! This is awesome!!!”

I have seen the e-bike light. They are a ton of fun to ride, good for the environment, and will enable Jennifer and me to do life with one car. After much indecision over which one would satisfy my sweet spot for pragmatism and adventure, I ordered one two days ago that will soon serve as my primary means of transportation.

Freedom to Choose

So what’s all this got to do with Web3? And who is Wanda? Fair questions. 

Sometime last year I received an email from the not-for-profit organization Freedom to Choose. After taking a look around their website I felt inspired to make a donation. A message near the top of their homepage reads: 

“The Freedom to Choose Project (FTC) is all about redemption and the power of second chances. We assist men and women in stepping free of past identifications as “criminals” and re-identifying themselves as valuable members of our society.”

Several weeks after my making a donation I received an invitation to participate in a 2-hour zoom call that included FTC staff, board members, volunteers, and program alumni recently released from prison. The theme of the gathering was “Healing Separation” and was oriented toward community members’ sharing stories of overcoming various separations in their lives.

Nearly all of the participants’ shares were inspiring. The founders, a husband-and-wife team, were all heart and spoke with contagious enthusiasm for their mission. The staff and volunteers were united in sharing that as much of their time as they were giving to the inmates they received as much or more back in return. The community spirit and human connection embodied through the call was palpable. 

My Web3 Moment

Of all the people who spoke I was most impacted by “Wanda”. Wanda is a single mother who, during the call, twice needed to step away to tend to her young children. From all she shared it was clear Wanda had a tough upbringing before making mistakes that landed her in prison, where I believe she spent 10+ years. Wanda credited the FTC program with teaching her self-awareness, emotional intelligence and communication skills that have transformed the way she thinks about herself and relates with other people.

Then she talked about her work aspirations…..as a software developer. I didn’t see that coming. She spoke of the hundreds of hours of study she had put into learning various programming languages and the jobs she was exploring online. As Wanda continued talking about her work ambitions, and dreams for her children, I felt goosebumps. Then “something clicked” as my mind turned to an article I had read just a day or two earlier, “The Future of Work”, by David Hoffman.  “Oh my God”, I thought, “Wanda needs to read this article! This could be a total game changer for her.” 

As the zoom call continued and others shared their stories I began searching for the article. After a few minutes I found it and sent her a link via a zoom direct message with a note, “Hi Wanda. As you were sharing about the work you want to do this article was coming strongly to mind. I hope that it is helpful in some way.” Soon thereafter I received a message back, “Thank you so much. I will check it out as soon as I put my kids to bed”.

Second Chances Matter

Most likely I will never know if Wanda even read the article.  Of course I would love to believe that it opened a door to her and that she is on her way to utilizing her talents and being fairly compensated in a DAO.  The truth is, however, that irrespective of how Wanda responded to my share I saw something in that moment that impacted me. Or, better yet, I felt something. I felt something tug on my heart strings and open my eyes to the “new world” potential of the Web3 space. I saw a future in which Wanda, passionate about programming, could discover a path not gated by resumes and LinkedIn profiles. I saw the power of anonymity and permissionless playing fields to liberate human potential from past identification. I saw my Web3 light.