The soulful quest for contributing to Bitcoin and finding Breez.

I was contemplating how to publish this on my personal blog while making slight edits to my letter to Roy so that it reflects the same principles and sentiments I intended to convey. However, in the process, it seemed to lose its inherent value. I don’t want this to come across as hypothetical; I want it to remain true to its original essence. Therefore, I’d like to clarify that this was not meant to be a blog post but rather a letter to Roy Sheinfeld. As you read through the text, please keep that in mind.

With Roy’s approval and encouragement to make it a blog post, I am now sharing it with a broader audience than it was intended to when I wrote it.

As I read through the text, I’ve come to realize that there isn’t a single word to describe finding your soulmate company. How many of us struggle to articulate what we’re looking for in a company and a team? If we do not even have a definition for that pursuit or end goal how are you going to even start ? I can only say that when you finally find it you feel it deeply in your soul.

Follow the light and get out of the darkness.

And now, my letter to Roy Sheinfeld:

In the beginning, I thought that the ideal company for me was Strike. Looking back, I must say I’m quite happy they didn’t respond to my applications. For some inexplicable reason, my life brought me to Breez, and I found it to be the perfect company, especially when it comes to the team I’m working with. The company’s values align almost perfectly with my own, not just on the technical side, where I admittedly lack certain capabilities, but also on the human side — our shared mission to better humankind and leave the world a better place.

Whether it’s the genius strategies we employ to envision how the Lightning Network will transform Bitcoin into a medium of exchange or our unwavering commitment to surmounting the challenges and setting standards in the Lightning Network, including the concept of Lightning Service Providers, I now fully grasp the significance of what we’re doing. It’s exactly what’s needed for individuals to attain freedom. I can’t even begin to fathom the struggles, fears, and excitement the team has experienced over the past five years, but I can only express my admiration.

It’s undeniable that I lack programming and technical skills, but I’ve always known that joining this team would push me to grow stronger, faster, and more proficient. My passion and excitement far outweigh my technical shortcomings, and I embarked on this adventure with the enthusiasm of a child. Now, six months into this journey, I can confidently say that my passion has only intensified. The tasks ahead of me and the team inspire me, and I’m thrilled that striving for excellence is not just an expectation, but a core value. It’s a form of leadership that combines patience and guidance (or sometimes a lack thereof), all while maintaining an unwavering commitment to achieving outstanding results.

I’ve noticed progress in even the simplest things, like navigating GitHub to conduct proper QA tests at the right times and understanding the team’s discussions. I’ve also dived into completely new territory, such as programming in Python via ChatGPT to create programs for scraping transaction fees and dates from various nodes. One area I’m actively working on is paying meticulous attention to detail in written texts, as I’ve come to realize that even a single letter or number difference can lead to significant issues. I assume you’ve honed this skill over your decades-long programming career.

Reflecting on the webinar, I’m pleased with its success. It was just an idea when I first mentioned that we should make one, but seeing it applied and witnessing the collective learning process culminate in a beneficial outcome for the team and the company brings me great satisfaction. I believe there will be more ideas, processes, and activities where I can make increasingly impactful contributions to the team, and I’m just getting started. I’ve always known that my contributions to any team would be substantial, and I’ve never lacked confidence in myself. In these initial six months, I’ve recognized that what I have to bring to the team has to exceed my compensation. For the first time, I can honestly say that I wouldn’t want to leave this team for any other. Our shared human values resonate deeply with me, and I’ve only experienced a similar connection once before, when I met my soulmate, Rali. As I mentioned in one of our meetings, I fully understand the weight of my personal story and the responsibility we carry as a team and a company to impact the lives of others positively. As long as these values guide us, my loyalty lies with the team and its people, not just the brand. In the event that the company is ever sold to another entity, I doubt I would want to continue working there. Instead, I hope that, in a few decades, we can consider ourselves close friends and, as you mentioned during our time in Italy, attend each other’s personal celebrations.

Having said all this, I want you to know that if I ever fail to deliver sufficient value to the team and the company, I would understand if you had to part ways with me. While I would undoubtedly be disappointed in myself, I would understand. Even if we become friends, I’d prefer to be judged based on my work, not personal ties. If you believe my compensation outweighs my contributions, I’d be willing to reduce it to remain part of the team. I’m committed to increasing my value output and would request a raise once I’ve demonstrated that growth.

I can sense that the relationships I’m building in the PR, marketing, and social media space will yield even more benefits in the future. Setting up the first meetup in my country has made community growth increasingly manageable, and it has inspired another Bulgarian city to start hosting regular meetups. As of now, we’re aware of around 40 true Bitcoin enthusiasts in Bulgaria. While I can’t predict the future, the network effect continues to expand, and I believe our community will experience something significant. I just need to keep organising more meetings to attract more people.

Communication regarding QA tests is running smoothly now, and I feel confident in my abilities in this area. I appreciate that our social meetings benefit the team as a whole, and I’m excited to see more companies approaching us about the development kit. As a user, I would love the convenience of operating through a single non-custodial balance across all of them. The future looks bright, but it’s not guaranteed. I’m fully committed to doing everything in my power to contribute more and more, and I’m dedicated to continuous learning and self-improvement to better serve our mission.