Good (or Bad) Habits

There are a few books I highly recommend to those who wants to build a great product and a great self. They are “Hooked”, “The Power of Habit”, “Actionable Gamification” and the latest one – “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones”.

As you can see all 4 books are about how to establish and change habits – habits for your customers to use your product(s) more or habits for yourself to become more healthy, mindful, and productive.

In the book “Atomic Habits”, four “laws” are introduced – Make it Obvious, Make it Attractive, Make it Easy and Make it Satisfying. In addition, dozens of tips and tricks to help anyone to make something good to become habits. For me, I particularly like the “Habit Stacking” trick and now I manage to do 15 minutes meditation every morning because of employing this technique.

Highly recommended (if you have the need to establish or change a habit in the new year).

One Book at a Time – 2019

It’s not easy to squeeze quality time nowadays to finish a book, when we have so many good blog posts, online articles, and research reports available around the Internet. However, to become a better professional and a leader, we all need to invest time to improve ourselves and one of the best ways is still reading – one book at a time, with Kindle (the 10th generation, Paperwhite and Oasis).

Here is a list of my top 10+1 books of year 2019. 

  1. Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries – The author is indeed a gifted storyteller and he explains the idea of how to nurture innovation by way of three rules, with great details and stories. (https://amzn.to/2PNVEvW)
  2. Trillion Dollar Coach – It’s really a good read and I learned a lot about how Bill Campbell coached so many great Silicon Valley companies in the past few decades. (https://amzn.to/36G1mH8)
  3. 13 – 67 – The best detective story by a Hong Kong talented author. Period. (https://www.books.com.tw/products/0010637918)
  4. The Blockchain and the New Architecture of Trust – Even if you are not interested in Blockchain, read the chapter 1 : A Revolution in Nine Pages. https://amzn.to/2LUWLZm 
  5. Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence – Warning … just the tale in the prelude is already very frightening (well, at least to me). (https://amzn.to/2SlnaDM)
  6. The Heart to Start: Stop Procrastinating & Start Creating – Section 3 of the book “Winning by Beginning” is really a gem – all tips and tricks about start your own projects – The Fortress Fallacy, Inflating the Investment, The Linear Work Distortion, Permission to Suck, Motivational Judo, Crack the Whip. (https://amzn.to/2LXNfF1)
  7. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – It’s a good book and here is my reading guide – read Chapter 1 to 3 slowly (the meat of the book) … and then pick one of the Chapter 4 to 7 that suits you most – Sports, Business, Relationships and Parents. Lastly, skim through Chapter 8. (https://amzn.to/35kns1o)
  8. Wise Guy: Lessons from a Life – It’s like a reunion, a good chat with an old friend. (https://amzn.to/2YPsrEQ)
  9. The Startup Way: How Modern Companies Use Entrepreneurial Management to Transform Culture and Drive Long-Term Growth – So, you’re no longer a Lean Startup, what’s next to do for your bigger company ? (https://amzn.to/38Ag18t)
  10. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead – Be vulnerable. (https://amzn.to/2PnecnB)
  11. Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know – Gladwell introduces three traps that we all need to be aware of – Default to Truth, Transparency, and Coupling. Certainly useful nowadays when we need to talk to strangers all the time. (https://amzn.to/2tmErSL)

In 2020, I will shift the focus of reading … more on Artificial Intelligence and Decentralised Identifier. Stay tuned.

Blockchain Resources

You can tell the Blockchain space is maturing, when you find that there are so many research papers, books, reports, and slide decks published by big consultancy companies, financial institutes, research firms and of course, geeks.

Here is a list of the resources that I think you may find useful.

History, Whitepapers and videos

  1. Blockchain Glossary (Cognizium)
  2. Blockchain Resources (Cognizum)
  3. Brief History of Bitcoin
  4. Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System (Satoshi Nakamoto)
  5. Ethereum: A Next-Generation Smart Contract and Decentralized Application Platform (Vitalik Buterin)
  6. Libra: White Paper
  7. 33 Cryptocurrencies described in four words or less
  8. Smart Contracts (Visual Capitalist)
  9. Banking on Bitcoin (Youtube video)
  10. The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (Youtube video)
  11. Trust Machine : The Story of Blockchain (Vimeo video)
  12. Decentralized Society: Finding Web3’s Soul (E. Glen Weyl, Puja Ohlhaver, Vitalik Buterin)

Books and Miscellaneous Resources (via Kindle)

  1. Blockchain: Down The Rabbit Hole: (Discover The Power Of The Blockchain)
  2. Mastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain
  3. Blockchain: Transforming Your Business and Our World
  4. Blockchain for Dummies (IBM Limited Edition)
  5. Blockchain and the New Architecture of Trust
  6. Blockchain Resources (The Blockchain Knowledge Test)
  7. Block Kong: 21 Entrepreneurs and Financiers Leading Blockchain in Hong Kong
  8. The Blockchain Innovator’s Handbook

Research Reports

  1. Capturing the Value of Blockchain (BCG)
  2. Blockchain and the General Data Protection Regulation (European Parliamentary Research Service)
  3. Inclusive Deployment of Blockchain for Supply Chains: Part 3 – Public or Private Blockchains (World Economic Forum)
  4. Building Value with Blockchain Technology: How to Evaluate Blockchain’s Benefits (World Economic Forum)
  5. Building Block(chain)s for a Better Planet (World Economic Forum)
  6. Central Bank Digital Currency Policy Maker Toolkit (World Economic Forum)
  7. Realizing Blockchain’s Potential (KPMG)
  8. Business Blockchains (Deloitte)
  9. 2019 Global Blockchain Survey (Deloitte)
  10. Blockchain, a catalyst for new approaches in insurance – Part 1 (PwC)
  11. Blockchain, a catalyst for new approaches in insurance – Part 2 (PwC)
  12. Security Token Offering : What, where and how (PwC)
  13. Establishing Blockchain Policy (PwC)
  14. Guidance on Cryptoassets (FCA)
  15. What’s next in Blockchain 2019 (CBInsight)
  16. Where’s Blockchain headed next (CBInsight)
  17. Blockchain Technology Overview (NIST)
  18. Blockchain – Opportunities for Private Enterprises in Emerging Markets (IFC)
  19. Can JPM Coin Disrupt the Existing Stablecoin Market? (Binance)
  20. China Central Bank Digital Currency (Binance)
  21. Accessing Blockchain’s Business Value (Accenture)
  22. Blockchain in Action (EY)
  23. Life of a Coin (EY)
  24. Rise of Digital Money (IMF)
  25. Comparative analysis of the regulation of crypto-assets within EU and EEA countries (Blockchain Advisory)
  26. Bitcoin 2019 Investor Study (Grayscale and Q8 Research)
  27. Blockchain Now and Tomorrow (European Commission)
  28. Blockchain for Digital Government (European Commission)
  29. Libra : Understanding Facebook’s CryptoCurrency (Consensys)
  30. Global Enterprise Blockchain Benchmarking Study (University of Cambridge)
  31. Blockchain Innovation Landscape Brief (IRENA)
  32. Legal context and implications for financial crime, money laundering and tax evasion (European Parliament)
  33. Blockchain Potentials and Limitations for Selected Climate Policy Instruments
  34. Crypto-Assets and Blockchain Technology (FireEye, Circle)
  35. China Blockchain Report (Forkast Insight)
  36. What Are Stablecoins (CBInsight)
  37. How Blockchain Could Disrupt Banking (CBInsight)
  38. Build Back Better: Digital Updates for Today’s Challenges (GBBC Annual Report)
  39. Blockchain : The India Strategy (NITI Aayog)
  40. 2021 State of U.S. Crypto Report (Gemini)
  41. Digital Asset Revolution (Blockchain Research Institute)
  42. 2022 Digital Asset Outlook (The Block Research)
  43. Blockchain – Legal & Regulatory Guidance (The Law Society, UK)
  44. State of Blockchain 2021 (CB Insights)
  45. The 2022 Crypto Crime Report (Chainalysis)
  46. Blockchain Security – A Framework for Trust and Adoption (Dutch Blockchain Coalition)
  47. Blockchain Framework and Guidance (ISACA)
  48. Cryptos on the Rise 2022 (Thomson Reuters)
  49. GameFi: Can blockchain based gaming redefine the industry? (Cointelegraph Research)
  50. Decentralised Finance (DeFi) (EUBlockchain)
  51. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations: Beyond the Hype (World Economic Forum)
  52. Ethereum Business Readiness Report 2022 (Enterprise Ethereum Alliance)
  53. Bitcoin : Beyond the base layer (The Block)
  54. An Introduction to Smart Contracts and Their Potential and Inherent Limitations (Harvard Law School)
  55. Stablecoins : Coinbase Whitepaper (Coinbase Institute)
  56. State of Blockchain Q2 2022 (CB Insights)
  57. 2022 Year Review and 2023 Year Ahead (Crypto.com)

Blockchain Use Cases

  1. Blockchain Building Blocks: Creating a world of opportunity for insurance from an evolving area of technology (The Institutes – Risk and Insurance Knowledge Group)
  2. Making Blockchain Real – LVMH and the future of authentic luxury (Certilogo)
  3. Blockchain meets Energy (FSR Energy)
  4. Real World Applications of Blockchain Technology (Zage)
  5. Blockchain for Development (GSMA)
  6. Blockchain Revolution in Education and Lifelong Learning (Blockchain Research Institute)
  7. Tokenized Securities & Commercial Real Estate (MIT Digital Currency Initiative)
  8. Industry Report : Blockchain in Real Estate (Fibree)
  9. Blockchain for Agriculture (FAO)
  10. Blockchain and Digital Identity (EU Blockchain)
  11. Blockchain in Travel (Amadeus)
  12. DLT in the Supply Chain (UCL CBT)
  13. Blockchain for Good (Accenture)
  14. Opportunities for Blockchain in Loyalty (Collinson)
  15. Decentralized Identity (Microsoft)
  16. Gateway for Sustainability Linked Bonds (HSBC)
  17. Tokenization of Accounts Receivable on Blockchain
  18. Blockchain in Commercial Real Estate (Deloitte)
  19. Blockchain for Social Impact (Stanford Business)
  20. Digital Voting using Blockchain (Tokend)
  21. Blockchain Explained (Blockchain Australia)
  22. Blockchain meets the Stock Market (EDC)
  23. Blockchain Solutions in Pandemics (BRI)
  24. Blockchain and Cyber Security (EU Blockchain)
  25. Blockchain for Wine Industry
  26. Blockchain In Logistics (DHL Trend Research)
  27. Real Estate STO Whitepaper (Deloitte)
  28. The Blockchain Ethical Design Framework (beeckcenter)
  29. Central Bank Digital Currency : An Innovation In Payments (R3)
  30. Blockchain Applications in the Healthcare Sector (EUBlockchain)
  31. Regulating Crypto (S&P Global)
  32. Blockchain @ Media (Deloitte)

NFT, Metaverse and Web 3.0

  1. A-Zs of Non-Fungible Tokens (Breaker)
  2. NFTs In The Spotlight (EY)
  3. NFTs Redefining Digital Scarcity (Kraken Intelligence)
  4. NFTs Quarterly Report Q2 – 2021 (Nonfungible.com)
  5. NFT Market Safe Practices Guide (Nonfungible.com)
  6. NFT Engaging Today’s Fans in Crypto and Commerce (Visa)
  7. The Metaverse – Web 3.0 Virtual Cloud Economies (Grayscale)
  8. Demystified NFTs (EUBlockchain)
  9. State of the Open Metaverse 2021/22 (Outlier Ventures)
  10. Metaverse Canon – Reading Guide (Medium – Jon Radoff)
  11. Meet me in the Metaverse (Accenture)
  12. Opportunities in the Metaverse (JP Morgan)
  13. Framing the future of Web 3.0 (Goldman Sachs)
  14. State of the NFT Market (Forkast)
  15. Metaverse and Money (Citi)
  16. Fitness NFT, Metaverse (OliveX)
  17. Navigating the NFT Mania – An Introductory Guide (Soh Wan Wei)
  18. NFTs’ Path to Primetime (UTA)
  19. A Guide to the Transformative Power of Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality (VARJO)
  20. The Corporate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Metaverse (BCG)
  21. Chinaverse (Fabernovel)
  22. Owner Relationship Management Whitepaper (SAYL)
  23. The Metaverse Overview: Vision, Technology, and Tactics (Deloitte)
  24. Metaverse and Money (Citi)
  25. The Metaverse, Blockchain, Gaming, and NFTs : Navigating the Internet’s uncharted water (NewZoo)
  26. MetaFi : DeFi for the Metaverse (Outliers Ventures)
  27. State of Web3 Report (The Chainalysis)
  28. Blockchain for the Metaverse: A Review
  29. Value Creation in the Metaverse (Mckinsey)
  30. Exploring the Metaverse and what it could mean for you (Deloitte)
  31. Future of Extended Reality (KPMG)
  32. 2022 Resortverse Whitepaper (Ape Digital)
  33. The Metaverse, Blockchain Gaming, and NFTs 2022 (Newzoo)
  34. A Web 3.0 Guide For Brands (ANDREA LORINI)
  35. Web3.0 & Metaverse : A Playbook for Unlocking Opportunity in the Decentralised Economy (IET)
  36. WHAT TO WATCH IN WEB3 – 8 Trends for Enterprises in 2023 (VaynerX)

Youtube Channel

  1. 99Bitcoins – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQQ_fGcMDxlKre3SEqEWrLA
  2. Blockchain at Berkley – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5sgoRfoSp3jeX4DEqKLwKg
  3. Boxmining – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxODjeUwZHk3p-7TU-IsDOA
  4. Coin Bureau – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqK_GSMbpiV8spgD3ZGloSw
  5. Whiteboad Crypto – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsYYksPHiGqXHPoHI-fm5sg
  6. 財科暗戰 – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-tHPfxMbXkM099YxK8pjmw

From Notepad to Wix …

… and Blogger, Plog / Lifetype, PostNuke, DocuWiki, WordPress in between.

It’s been 24 years since I hosted my own website (you can find the history here), and one lesson I learnt is there are always better tools out there to develop your own website. Even though professionally I use other enterprise software to build websites and applications, I reckon you can always learn more by using other tools or platforms to build your own website.

While I use WordPress to build / host my personal website (yes, you’re reading this – michaelyung.com), I moved my photo website, 80days.com, from WordPress to Wix. I don’t exactly know why I made the move as WordPress served me pretty well to host my photos. However, the idea of trying something new pushed me to evaluate other options and eventually I settled with Wix.

The first thing I learnt from Wix was the tool is beautifully implemented, and the next was there were too many options, settings that it would take anyone a long time to complete a site. You will also need to understand a whole different set of vocabulary, before you know what you’re doing. You can control the locations of the elements on the page, pixel by pixel … and therefore you will likely spend many long hours to make your website looks perfect, pixel by pixel.

In summary, Wix is great for design focus websites, but shall you do it to move websites to the Wix ? Not likely, if the WordPress site is already serving you well.

Another Year, Another Book List …

It’s about time to have a wrap up of yet another slow-reading year. However, the Kindle Oasis is great !!

First, the top four that I really enjoyed a lot …

  1. Bad Blood
  2. The Code Book
  3. Measure What Matters
  4. The Three-Body Problem

Then a list of good read as well …

  1. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
  2. The Startup Way
  3. The Messy Middle
  4. Who Can You Trust
  5. Holacracy
  6. Capitalism without Capital
  7. When Coffee and Kale Compete
  8. Founder’s Pocket Guide
  9. Venture Deals
  10. Factfulness
  11. Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy
  12. Principles : Life and Work

And lastly, those just not my type …

  1. The Secret
  2. Art of the Initial Coin Offering
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