In this post, we introduce Jazmin, leading our technical communications efforts. She’s been involved in the Minima community since 2020 and joined the team full-time in October 2021. So if you ever asked a question on our telegram channel or Discord, you’ve most likely encountered her.
What are you responsible for at Minima?
Jazmin: “As the technical communications manager, I am responsible for keeping the community engaged and informed about what’s going on. I’m also helping developers with internal testing, whether bugs or just general feedback. I also share community feedback with the devs and create documents and videos to help educate people on Minima and what we’re trying to achieve in an understandable way for anyone.“
Which parts do you enjoy most?
Jazmin: “I mostly enjoy interacting with the community because the energy is great. I also enjoy the community calls; seeing people’s ideas on what can be built on Minima is fantastic.
And then seeing Minima itself and all the improvements over time, seeing apps take shape is great to be part of.”
How would you describe Minima with just three words, and why?
Jazmin: “Small, inclusive, and powerful.
Small, because it’s small enough to fit on a mobile phone. Inclusive because anybody can use Minima. And powerful because no one else has tried to do what Minima is doing, and if we succeed, it will be extremely powerful.”
You have been part of the Minima Community for over a year. How did you first hear about Minima, and what drew you in?
Jazmin: “I was part of an investment group, and Hugo and Paddy pitched to us. And it sounded like something completely new that hadn’t been tried before. So I was interested in joining the community and really enjoyed engaging with the team on Discord. Eventually, I started with bug testing the app, and then they asked me if I wanted to join as a full-time employee.
That was really exciting, and at first, it felt like a bit of a crazy thing, taking a leap of faith, but I’m the end, I’m very glad that I accepted.”
Would you say that the Minima community differs from others you’ve been part of?
Jazmin: “The difference with Minima is that everyone in the community is participating by running their own full node. So everyone helps construct the Minima blockchain together, and there is no other project that can say the same.”
What did you do before joining Minima?
Jazmin: “I was a consultant for Oracle’s Financial Planning Software. The software company Oracle, not a crypto oracle. Sometimes people get confused about that. So I have some previous experience with software development and technical training. Now, I’m very happy with the move I’ve made and feel lucky to be working on what I’m passionate about.“
Do you have any advice for those looking to get involved in the blockchain industry/ or advice you’d have given your younger self?
Jazmin: “I think it’s important to know that you don’t need to be a coder to get a job in crypto. The best way to learn is through hands-on experience. Don’t put too much money in, just what you’re willing to lose.
The best way to 100x your gains is by investing in yourself, learning new skills, learning to code, or something you’re interested in that overlaps with crypto.
Get involved in communities that you have something in common with. Maybe give some of your time for free. If you have something valuable, you’ll be noticed.
It often comes down to luck, but you can make your own luck: put yourself in lucky situations by attending events, talking to people, staying curious, and learning.”
Working in technical comms, you often have to explain complex technical aspects in layman’s terms. How do you go about that?
Jazmin: “I always like to think about how I would explain it to my parents. They are interested but not technical. So I think about them when explaining things.
Then I also consider that everyone has different learning styles, so it’s essential to provide a range of materials from blogs, videos, live streams, etc.
And then, the best way for someone new to learn is through hands-on experience. So when someone wants to learn something, I’ll walk them through how to do it themselves rather than do it for them.”
Are you keeping crypto around and actively using DeFi protocols?
Jazmin: “Ironically, less since I am working in crypto. I do keep an eye on the general development of the space. I noticed that the word ‘decentralized’ gets thrown around a lot, with many projects claiming to be it, when they have a small group of entities, sometimes just one that can take down the network.
I also think that we still have a long way to go before mass adoption. Things need to become easier for an average user to get involved — like my Mum and Dad. So being able to run a full node by downloading an app is the way forward.
Having said that, I am encouraged by all the innovation in the space and the dedication to creating a more equitable system. There are many inspiring people out there trying to build amazing applications.”
If you could build anything on Minima, what would it be?
Jazmin: “I think it would have to be a decentralized identity and voting system. I think it’s crazy that voting is still done on paper. Blockchain has the potential to give the world an immutable, tamper-proof voting system, which would address a huge source of controversy and corruption in the world today.”
Which publications/ content creators do you follow to stay up-to-date with the state of the market?
Jazmin: “I read everything our Social Media Manager writes on our blog since she seems on top of the latest developments.
I enjoy listening to the Bankless guys who put out a lot of great content. I also watched Ivan on Tech’s Good Morning Crypto religiously until he stopped it.
For more of a macro viewpoint, I follow people like Plan B, Lyn Alden, Eric Voorhees, and Vitalik.
When it comes to technical, educational content, Andreas Antonopolous is great, and the Finematics channel on Youtube uses animations to explain complex topics visually.
Then there is REKT which keeps you up to date with the latest rug pulls and scams, which is sad yet entertaining and teaches you what not to do.
Lastly, I am part of a few female-focused groups that often share interesting insights. “
Any favorite quotes or thoughts — can also include podcasts episodes, blog posts, etc.?
Jazmin: “I touched on it earlier, but the best investment you can make is in yourself. Spending money on courses and resources to learn new skills is worth it.
I also really liked the Crypto Renaissance episode by Bankless, which puts where we are in a historic context, taking a birds-eye view on where we are in the grand scheme of things.
And then a general life quote I like is
“You are the author of your life.”
It might sound a bit cringy, but it serves as a great reminder that life is finite and therefore we should fill it with as many fulfilling events as possible.”
Which emoji, gif, sticker do you use most frequently?
Jazmin: “Probably a simple smile emoji 😃_. Just because so much messaging now happens through text channels, you lose a lot of subtleties of human face-to-face interaction. A simple smile can go a long way. “_
To keep up with Jazmin, you can follow her on Twitter. She’s also at time guest in AMAs, so watch out for any announcements.