Conor Chepenik

Get to know Conor Chepenik

What are you looking for in your next role?

An environment to help me learn. There are so many incredible technologies out there and not enough time in one lifetime to learn them all. I'm eager to work in a place where I can both make a difference, but also learn every day on the job with peers who build me up and mentor me to become a better web developer. I'm very excited about all the advances in A.I, public-private key protocols, and financial products being built on open, decentralized, permissionless networks. I want to work for a company that is equally as passionate about the future of technology as I am.

Why did you decide to change career and/or educational paths? What was your prior path and how did you end up down that road initially?

I initially started my career in tech sales, where I spent two and a half years learning a lot and stepping out of my comfort zone through cold calling. While I enjoyed my experience in sales, I became increasingly interested in the technology I was selling and its impact on the world. I believe that technology is what allows humanity to thrive and live in the incredible world we live in today. For example, I find it mind-blowing that I can transact with anyone in the world who has an internet connection, a mobile phone, and a bitcoin wallet. It's also amazing to see how technology has enabled us to stay connected with loved ones across the globe, such as my 3-month-old child being able to FaceTime with her great grandparents 24/7/365. Explaining these technological advancements to someone from 100 years ago would have sounded like magic. As I pondered on this realization, I became increasingly excited about the future of technology and wanted to be closer to the system. After the birth of my first child I knew if I did not take a chance I would end up in sales for the rest of my career. I felt I could make a much bigger impact on the world creating incredible software rather than selling it. Thus, I made the switch to pursue a career in web development. I am very excited to see what the future holds and how technology will continue to transform our world.

Where have you been involved in the tech community (events attended, volunteer activities, etc.)?

I have been attending Boston BitDevs and other Boston based Bitcoin meetups for around a year now. My obsession with Bitcoin stems from my belief that it is the key to human flourishing in an increasingly digital world. The decentralized nature of Bitcoin provides greater transparency and security in financial transactions. To promote its adoption and use, I built the website for MassAdoption, a local meetup in the greater Boston area for both technical and non-technical Bitcoin enthusiasts. Attending these meetups is one of my favorite social activities and I've made many peers through these events.

What has been the most fulfilling aspect of your journey towards becoming a web developer? What's been your biggest challenge and how have you overcome it?

In my journey towards becoming a web developer, the most fulfilling aspect has been the realization of the incredible work and dedication required to build even a single page of a web application. From TCP/IP to HTTPS and all the other protocols that make the modern web possible, I have come to appreciate the countless developers who have paved the way for me to use JavaScript and other tools to create beautiful and functional web applications. Despite my initial preference for working independently, the biggest technical challenge I faced was learning to rely on my teammates to build complex applications. However, I soon realized the power of collaboration, and pair programming has become one of the most rewarding experiences of developing software. By combining our skills and ideas, we have overcome obstacles and built applications that are greater than the sum of their parts. I am eager to continue on this journey, learn from others, and contribute to more open source projects that make the world of web development more accessible to people all around the world.

If you had an unlimited budget and resources, what would you build?

With unlimited resources and budget, my focus would be on developing a platform that challenges the current paradigm of smart servers and dumb clients. By leveraging public-private key pairs and protocols like Nostr, we could create a decentralized and democratic approach to communication and data storage, allowing users full control over their data. This would promote a more secure, private, and decentralized internet. The Lightning Network and Nostr protocol would also facilitate advancements in micro-transactions and larger marketplaces, empowering individuals and allowing the network effects to flow towards users who provide value on these protocols. This would make platforms like Amazon obsolete in many ways, as the accrued value they previously took as a cut would now flow directly to the end consumer. This shift in revenue would give users more power and control over their data, leading to a more democratized internet and a fairer distribution of wealth. By encrypting all data with a private key and eliminating the need for usernames and passwords, we can revolutionize the way people interact with technology and regain control of our personal data. This would create a safer, more private, and decentralized internet that is more aligned with the needs of its users.