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The rise of cryptocurrency has had a major impact on the global financial system, sparking discussions about regulation across different governments. While some countries recognize its potential and have introduced supportive laws, others have imposed strict regulations—or even outright bans. These different approaches end up balancing security risks, and protecting investors from financial crimes, while still encouraging innovation. As a result, access to digital currency is regulated differently across regions for both individuals and businesses. Countries that Advocate For Crypto Use Many countries have embraced cryptocurrencies, each tailoring its approach to fit its unique economic landscape. Let’s analyze how Switzerland and El Salvador have adopted policies supporting cryptocurrency using examples of these two nations. The bold decision made in September of 2021 by El Salvador captured global headlines. The country became the first to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender alongside the US dollar. The government had the vision of improving economic growth and financial inclusion. bold decision made in September of 2021 by El Salvador captured global headlines To encourage adoption, the government introduced the “Chivo Wallet,” a digital platform for Bitcoin transactions, even offering a $30 incentive. While early numbers looked promising, it was surprising to find that only 20% of restaurants and supermarkets accept Bitcoin. 20% 20% Switzerland has earned its reputation as a "crypto-friendly" nation thanks to its clear regulations and banking policies. The country's financial regulator, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), has established comprehensive guidelines for cryptocurrency businesses, covering key areas like anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) policies. Moreover, PostFinance is not the only Swiss bank venturing into cryptocurrency; other major institutions also accept crypto for storage and trading purposes. These developments, coupled with Switzerland's political environment, have contributed to the rising number of blockchain technology companies helping to develop crypto networks for investments. Regions Where Crypto Use is Heavily Regulated Countries with strict cryptocurrency regulations include the United States, Japan, and those within the European Union. Each has its own set of policies, but the U.S. stands out as the most complex. With multiple governing bodies overseeing crypto regulations, there’s often a grey area around which authority is responsible for what. cryptocurrency regulations The SEC, for example, governs all cryptocurrency transactions that are classed as securities, stating a need for registration and full disclosure of details associated with the currency. However, other governing bodies like CFTC consider Bitcoin and Ether as crypto commodities and govern the trading market for cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin Ether This overlap in control is tough for investors and companies alike. On the other hand, new movements suggest a shift towards unfettered regulations after the SEC agreed to public conversations revolving around crypto assets on March 21. The EU’s preemptive approach concerning the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation seeks to unify cryptocurrency regulations within the region. It provides a single licensing and supervision framework for crypto-asset issuers and service providers monitoring multiple tokens like Bitcoin and stablecoins. MiCA MiCA gives focus to non-crypto-related issues like transparency, protection of consumers, and integrity of children’s markets. The imposing date of the regulation was December 30, 2024, the date when steps towards achieving common crypto regulation in Europe were initiated. The uniqueness of Japan’s cryptocurrency policies is that they came into effect much earlier and were implemented more thoroughly. FSA imposes strict AML and KYC regulations on cryptocurrency exchanges, which forces them to register with the Agency. From a different angle, Japan's approach appears to be an attempt to eliminate risks to consumers and promote prudent financial practices. Japan’s model is credited with providing effective regulation that balances innovation in the crypto sphere with preserving and protecting the interests of investors. Countries that have imposed complete bans on crypto-assets Exploring different approaches to cryptocurrency regulation helps us better understand how to navigate the crypto world. Let’s take a closer look at the perspectives from India and China. China: Total Prohibition of Cryptocurrency Activity In 2021, China enacted a comprehensive prohibition on all cryptocurrency activities, including trading and mining. This effectively rendered any crypto business illegal in the country, precipitating a steep decline in the country’s Bitcoin hash rate and the subsequent movement of crypto exchanges out of China. 2021 2021 India: Half-Baked Policy with Obnoxious Taxation In this sense, India has a less friendly policy stance. Their position is that while it is not completely banned, its usage is greatly curtailed. It is true that in 2022 the government imposed a 30% income tax on the profits accruing from the disposal of crypto assets. In addition to this, there is also a 1% TDS levied on payments that exceed ₹50,000. Such policies are likely to shrink the pool of active retail investors while increasing administrative burden. 30% 30% 1% 1% ₹50,000 ₹50,000 Despite these problems, India has positioned itself as the most prominent adopter of cryptocurrency in the world. In 2024, India topped the list in the Global Crypto Adoption Index, indicating a surge in cryptocurrency usage, especially in smaller towns where citizens are looking for other investment options amid economic volatility. topped the list topped the list Developing Regulatory Movements While looking into the new developments in finance, it is crucial to pay attention to the updating regulations concerning the digital currency world. 1. The Emergence of Stablecoins and CBDCs Digital markets have witnessed an increase in Stablecoins; these are digital currencies tied to fiat currencies. Also, global transactions with stablecoins are projected to increase by 70% somewhere in 2025 which would push the market cap of stablecoins to somewhere above $400 billion. 70% 70% $400 billion $400 billion In response, central banks around the world are working on having their own digital currency. At least 134 countries (98% of the whole economy) are looking at the options of having a CBDC by the September 2024 mark. Moreover, China has done ample pilot work, its digital Yuan transactions are sprinting to 1 trillion dollars. 2. Increasing KYC & AML Requirements In striving to mitigate illegitimate financial activities, one is scrutinizing the KYC and AML procedures. Financial institutions are expected to bulk their bust AML budgets in 2025 showing the continuous growth of focus on strong authentication and transaction scrutiny. in 2025 in 2025 3. Systematic Regulation Initiative World nations are working on aligning the laws associated with cryptocurrency to make it easier for its taxation across borders. This is done through the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, which intends to foster synergy in the crypto industry by creating better compliance strategies to improve transparency and security in the industry. Conclusion Various parts of the world are handling crypto regulations in different manners. Some areas have developed strategies for the integration of digital assets into the economy, while others impose harsh rules or even bans. There seems to be a broad focus on the enhancement of security, the protection of consumers, and the fight against money laundering. Meanwhile, the discussion regarding the proposals for a universal set of governing laws is picking up momentum. As these changes unfold, staying attentive will be important in order to take advantage of opportunities and avoid the risks that exist with cryptocurrency.

 How Different Countries Are Embracing—or Rejecting—Cryptocurrency

HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today! Tell us about yourself! Hi! I'm Lutsia, and I work in HR in IT. I've been doing this for over 12 years now, and I've worked with some amazing companies like gamedev, dating, music-tech, and social. Now, I'm the HR director of an international company that's doing well developing cool mobile apps for social media. My job is all about making sure the company has a great HR strategy, taking care of all the employees, and helping the business grow by developing its people. My company's products are doing well (currently, only Tinder has more installs than us) and we're seeing over 6 million installs every month. I am an active mentor in various communities such as Women in Tech, Miranna.io, ADP.list, I have done more than 100 consultations and helped more than 100 people to achieve their goals in IT. Why did you choose this field in the first place? I've always loved studying people and watching talent grow, so it's a perfect fit for me. In HR, it's all about communication, and in the tech industry, it's a bit of a challenge because there are so many introverts who need individual attention. I've got a Master's in Human Resources Management, and I absolutely love what I do. What tech are you most worried about right now and why? I'm really interested in technologies that can predict how long employees will stay with a company (like prediction models for employee tenure) and assessing soft skills. Human psychology is such a complex system, isn't it? I find the standard approaches don't always work, which makes it a constant challenge in the world of people management to assess team effectiveness. What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? When I'm not doing that, I love nothing more than spending time with my family and friends, or enjoying a good book. I'm a music lover – playing the keyboard and singing are two of my favourite pastimes. I'm also a keen outdoorsy person, and I love nothing more than a good hike! A couple of years ago, I discovered the wonderful world of mentoring, which is a really cool side activity that energises me by interacting with talented people and being useful. Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? I started my career in the tech industry, in startups and scale-ups, so I had direct contact with founders and was lucky to avoid unpleasant situations with the glass ceiling. But I would like to see more girls among CEOs and founders of companies. I plan to launch my own project one day. Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled, and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? When I was just starting out in my career, over 12 years ago now, I was working in talent acquisition. I remember how hiring managers would sometimes reject female candidates for developer positions just because they were girls, or because they thought programming was just not a job for women. I remember my first driving instructor always telling me that driving was not for women, but I don't encounter this now. As a HR leader, I try to nip such stories in the bud. What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? My biggest failure was my personal and professional burnout in 2019. I was deeply immersed in the topic and clearly knew the markers of this condition, but unfortunately, I was not able to prevent it in time. However, I learnt my lesson, and I am now much more attentive to my energy levels and have improved my delegating skills even more! What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? I have reached a high position just in 7 years - HR director in a fast-growing global technology company, every day I do what I love and develop not only the team, overseeing the unlocking of immense human potential, but also being involved in creating products that make a difference in this world and make life better for millions of people. I have extensive mentoring experience and have helped hundreds of people find their successful path to self-realisation in the industry. I am surrounded by amazingly smart and caring people who create beautiful things. In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? The tech industry is still pretty new, so I think there are some historical and cultural things going on that are holding it back. But I do see a lot of tech companies trying to make things better, which is great. They're putting in place these DEI policies, which is really important. I'm part of a group that supports women in IT, and I think it's a vital mission. I would love to see more support, grants, quotas and investments for start-ups created by women.It would be great to change the media narrative and promote the idea that technology is a universal field where gender doesn't matter. We should be creating content that's focused on engaging women and breaking stereotypes. From a company perspective and as a C-Level, it's important to implement training to overcome unconscious bias. Who is your tech idol? Why? I really look up to Sheryl Sandberg, ex-COO of Meta and author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. She started the global Lean In movement, which connects women through professional networks, support circles, and educational programs. This movement helps women in IT find like-minded people, develop skills and build careers. I really admire how she's so open about the personal struggles she's had, including the loss of her husband. It's so inspiring to see how she's managed to be so successful and still remain human and vulnerable. Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field? My advice for girls starting out in HR Tech is to be tenacious in achieving results, and you'll be glad to hear that there are so many opportunities for training and projects now, including through tech communities where you can find first projects and get hands-on experience.It's also great to find a mentor who has already travelled this path and will help you overcome any obstacles and move faster in your professional development. Be open, ask for advice and share your experiences – you'll be amazed at the opportunities out there! HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today! HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today! HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today! HackerNoon editorial team has launched this interview series with women in tech to celebrate their achievements and share their struggles. We need more women in technology, and by sharing stories, we can encourage many girls to follow their dreams. Share your story today ! this interview series with women in tech Share your story today Tell us about yourself! Tell us about yourself! Hi! I'm Lutsia, and I work in HR in IT. I've been doing this for over 12 years now, and I've worked with some amazing companies like gamedev, dating, music-tech, and social. Now, I'm the HR director of an international company that's doing well developing cool mobile apps for social media. My job is all about making sure the company has a great HR strategy, taking care of all the employees, and helping the business grow by developing its people. My company's products are doing well (currently, only Tinder has more installs than us) and we're seeing over 6 million installs every month. I am an active mentor in various communities such as Women in Tech, Miranna.io, ADP.list, I have done more than 100 consultations and helped more than 100 people to achieve their goals in IT. Why did you choose this field in the first place? Why did you choose this field in the first place? I've always loved studying people and watching talent grow, so it's a perfect fit for me. In HR, it's all about communication, and in the tech industry, it's a bit of a challenge because there are so many introverts who need individual attention. I've got a Master's in Human Resources Management, and I absolutely love what I do. What tech are you most worried about right now and why? What tech are you most worried about right now and why? I'm really interested in technologies that can predict how long employees will stay with a company (like prediction models for employee tenure) and assessing soft skills. Human psychology is such a complex system, isn't it? I find the standard approaches don't always work, which makes it a constant challenge in the world of people management to assess team effectiveness. What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? What are your hobbies and interests outside of tech? When I'm not doing that, I love nothing more than spending time with my family and friends, or enjoying a good book. I'm a music lover – playing the keyboard and singing are two of my favourite pastimes. I'm also a keen outdoorsy person, and I love nothing more than a good hike! A couple of years ago, I discovered the wonderful world of mentoring, which is a really cool side activity that energises me by interacting with talented people and being useful. Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? Let's talk about breaking the glass ceiling. What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman in tech, and how did you deal with them? I started my career in the tech industry, in startups and scale-ups, so I had direct contact with founders and was lucky to avoid unpleasant situations with the glass ceiling. But I would like to see more girls among CEOs and founders of companies. I plan to launch my own project one day. Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled, and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? Any questionable misogynistic story/situation you faced/handled, and you want to share with the HackerNoon Fam? When I was just starting out in my career, over 12 years ago now, I was working in talent acquisition. I remember how hiring managers would sometimes reject female candidates for developer positions just because they were girls, or because they thought programming was just not a job for women. I remember my first driving instructor always telling me that driving was not for women, but I don't encounter this now. As a HR leader, I try to nip such stories in the bud. What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? What was the biggest setback/failure that you faced, and how did you manage it? My biggest failure was my personal and professional burnout in 2019. I was deeply immersed in the topic and clearly knew the markers of this condition, but unfortunately, I was not able to prevent it in time. However, I learnt my lesson, and I am now much more attentive to my energy levels and have improved my delegating skills even more! What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? What's your biggest achievement that you're really proud of? I have reached a high position just in 7 years - HR director in a fast-growing global technology company, every day I do what I love and develop not only the team, overseeing the unlocking of immense human potential, but also being involved in creating products that make a difference in this world and make life better for millions of people. I have extensive mentoring experience and have helped hundreds of people find their successful path to self-realisation in the industry. I am surrounded by amazingly smart and caring people who create beautiful things. In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? In your opinion, why do we see this huge gender gap in the tech industry, and how can we reduce it? The tech industry is still pretty new, so I think there are some historical and cultural things going on that are holding it back. But I do see a lot of tech companies trying to make things better, which is great. They're putting in place these DEI policies, which is really important. I'm part of a group that supports women in IT, and I think it's a vital mission. I would love to see more support, grants, quotas and investments for start-ups created by women.It would be great to change the media narrative and promote the idea that technology is a universal field where gender doesn't matter. We should be creating content that's focused on engaging women and breaking stereotypes. From a company perspective and as a C-Level, it's important to implement training to overcome unconscious bias. Who is your tech idol? Why? Who is your tech idol? Why? I really look up to Sheryl Sandberg, ex-COO of Meta and author of Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. She started the global Lean In movement, which connects women through professional networks, support circles, and educational programs. This movement helps women in IT find like-minded people, develop skills and build careers. I really admire how she's so open about the personal struggles she's had, including the loss of her husband. It's so inspiring to see how she's managed to be so successful and still remain human and vulnerable. Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field? Do you have any advice for aspiring girls who want to join the field? My advice for girls starting out in HR Tech is to be tenacious in achieving results, and you'll be glad to hear that there are so many opportunities for training and projects now, including through tech communities where you can find first projects and get hands-on experience.It's also great to find a mentor who has already travelled this path and will help you overcome any obstacles and move faster in your professional development. Be open, ask for advice and share your experiences – you'll be amazed at the opportunities out there!

HR Director Lutsia Gorelova Reflects on What's Changed In IT Hiring Over The Past Few Decades

Expertise Delivered Backend, Data Science & QA Industry Insurance Our client, One of the biggest insurance brokers in the United States, has over 25 years of experience. They offer services at over 40+ locations that include auto, motorcycle, boat, life, health, pets, and other insurance services. As an insurance broker, our client also conducts underwriting services for numerous insurance providers across the US. Project Scope Insurers use underwriting to verify the authenticity of clients' insurance documents containing personal and financial information. This process is typically done manually but can be automated using AI-based technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, and cognitive computing. Learn how AI is transforming underwriting in the insurance industry. how AI is transforming underwriting in the insurance industry. With a high influx of customers, introducing automation to increase customer engagement and decrease manual workload has become paramount. Our client’s project scope revolved around automating the underwriting tasks. It includes verification of customer information offered during claims registration and digitizing the same. These documents included: Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) comprising the claimant's name, license number, date of birth, gender, policy number, and more.
Signature of the claimant (electronic or photographic).
Vehicle details: manufacturing year, make, model, and vehicle identification number (VIN).
Cross-verifying the bank credentials of a claimant. Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) comprising the claimant's name, license number, date of birth, gender, policy number, and more. Signature of the claimant (electronic or photographic). Vehicle details: manufacturing year, make, model, and vehicle identification number (VIN). Cross-verifying the bank credentials of a claimant. Challenge Underwriting can be a tedious process that traditionally involves manually verifying various documents and proofs. While assessing, an underwriter must be highly attentive as they primarily have to safeguard the company's risks. The manual verification process for such a lengthy sales cycle demands ample time, energy, and workforce and yet leaves room for error, resulting in the loss of customers. Our client’s prerequisite for underwriting was to meet this challenge with an Optical Character Recognition model that could quickly scan claimant’s documents.  They include first notice of loss documents, bank statements, credit scores, and other printed or handwritten claim-processing documents. The model would transcribe the same and render a digitized copy. Our client was looking to partner with an AI solutions partner with expertise and experience crafting tailored solutions for the insurance industry. AI solutions partner Their requirements included: Digitize documents such as FNOLs, bank statements, credit scores, etc.
Verify manual or printed documents, such as driver’s licenses, vehicle registration certificates, policy type and details, and more, by cross-referencing with the original customer documents without skipping any data.
Process multiple applications parallelly, 24 x 7, without any human intervention.
Store processed data systematically without duplication.
Share verification status with agents or customers in an estimated time frame. Digitize documents such as FNOLs, bank statements, credit scores, etc. Verify manual or printed documents, such as driver’s licenses, vehicle registration certificates, policy type and details, and more, by cross-referencing with the original customer documents without skipping any data. Process multiple applications parallelly, 24 x 7, without any human intervention. Store processed data systematically without duplication. Share verification status with agents or customers in an estimated time frame. Why Maruti Techlabs? Maruti Techlabs had previously worked on AI projects within the insurance industry and knew how AI impacts insurance. We connected with the client’s team to discuss our expertise in enhancing their underwriting processes. Our experts wanted to gain deeper insights into their underwriting and related operational processes that could be addressed using AI solutions. how AI impacts insurance After learning their challenges and assessing our capabilities, both parties agreed to proceed with a time-constrained Proof of Concept (PoC) as a trial run. Following a successful execution of the PoC, they proceeded with their automation venture. Subsequently, we learned the project's scope and developed a comprehensive timeline. Our approach to understanding their business goals, validating the proposed solution through a time-limited Proof of Concept, and recommendations from industry peers were crucial factors for our client's decision-making process. These factors gave our client the confidence to proceed with Maruti Techlabs. Solution We created a Python-based OCR model that would look for inconsistencies, missing information, or errors, and these applications would be flagged for manual review. The unflagged documents would be sent to the underwriters for processing. Our primary goal was to extract essential data from a handwritten or printed FNOL document and rectify it by cross-referencing it with the customer's registered credentials. One major challenge our development team faced was feeding quantitative and qualitative data into the model to train the same effectively. Here’s the step-wise process of implementing document processing using Optical Character Recognition: Preprocessing the input image: This is the foremost step that must be conducted for any task with an image recognition component. Here, we used Tesseract to simplify images, detect relevant edges, and interpret the outline of characters.


Detecting text: In this step, we marked a box around the characters on the image. The same was done using real-time object detection with YOLOv5.


Recognition of characters: The final step includes recognizing the characters boxed in the previous step. PyTorch was leveraged to implement the same. Preprocessing the input image: This is the foremost step that must be conducted for any task with an image recognition component. Here, we used Tesseract to simplify images, detect relevant edges, and interpret the outline of characters. Preprocessing the input image: This is the foremost step that must be conducted for any task with an image recognition component. Here, we used Tesseract to simplify images, detect relevant edges, and interpret the outline of characters. Preprocessing the input image: Detecting text: In this step, we marked a box around the characters on the image. The same was done using real-time object detection with YOLOv5. Detecting text: In this step, we marked a box around the characters on the image. The same was done using real-time object detection with YOLOv5. Detecting text: Recognition of characters: The final step includes recognizing the characters boxed in the previous step. PyTorch was leveraged to implement the same. Recognition of characters: The final step includes recognizing the characters boxed in the previous step. PyTorch was leveraged to implement the same. Recognition of characters: We tested our model using the test data provided by the client. Once the model was tried and tested with numerous use cases, it was deployed to their online platforms. Communication and Collaboration At Maruti Techlabs, we like to ensure transparency in communication while working on any project. We leveraged JIRA for sprint management, task creation, roadmap tracking, and backlog grooming for this project. Other than this, we scheduled weekly calls on Google Meet to share the development progress and specifics about the project. Both parties used Slack to carry out the day-to-day communication. We deployed the following team for the development phase of the project: Project Manager - planning the entire project’s timeline, delegating responsibilities to team members, and monitoring the timely delivery of project deliverables.
Technical Lead - leading the development team to achieve the decided deliverables. It involves supervising team members, delegating tasks, offering feedback, calculating risks, and settling conflicts.
Software Developers - writing code for the model while creating, maintaining, rectifying, and upgrading software for efficacy.
QA - ensuring software quality through meticulous testing, defect tracking, and risk mitigation. Project Manager - planning the entire project’s timeline, delegating responsibilities to team members, and monitoring the timely delivery of project deliverables. Project Manager - Technical Lead - leading the development team to achieve the decided deliverables. It involves supervising team members, delegating tasks, offering feedback, calculating risks, and settling conflicts. Technical Lead - Software Developers - writing code for the model while creating, maintaining, rectifying, and upgrading software for efficacy. Software Developers - QA - ensuring software quality through meticulous testing, defect tracking, and risk mitigation. QA - Technology Stack Results Our OCR model offered the following improvements in our client's underwriting process:


It increased data accuracy while reducing the risk of data duplication using document classification.


Automated underwriting tasks, reducing the time spent by 40% and allowing more time to focus on high-priority tasks.


Strengthened security using risk-scoring and fraud insights.


It enhanced the overall customer experience with a dedicated end-to-end process for claims processing. Our OCR model offered the following improvements in our client's underwriting process:


It increased data accuracy while reducing the risk of data duplication using document classification.


Automated underwriting tasks, reducing the time spent by 40% and allowing more time to focus on high-priority tasks.


Strengthened security using risk-scoring and fraud insights.


It enhanced the overall customer experience with a dedicated end-to-end process for claims processing. It increased data accuracy while reducing the risk of data duplication using document classification.


Automated underwriting tasks, reducing the time spent by 40% and allowing more time to focus on high-priority tasks.


Strengthened security using risk-scoring and fraud insights.


It enhanced the overall customer experience with a dedicated end-to-end process for claims processing. It increased data accuracy while reducing the risk of data duplication using document classification. It increased data accuracy while reducing the risk of data duplication using document classification. Automated underwriting tasks, reducing the time spent by 40% and allowing more time to focus on high-priority tasks. Automated underwriting tasks, reducing the time spent by 40% and allowing more time to focus on high-priority tasks. 40% Strengthened security using risk-scoring and fraud insights. Strengthened security using risk-scoring and fraud insights. It enhanced the overall customer experience with a dedicated end-to-end process for claims processing. It enhanced the overall customer experience with a dedicated end-to-end process for claims processing. Our client benefited from Maruti Techlabs' assistance in optimizing their underwriting process and creating customer value through AI-driven automation. Our Development Process We follow Agile, Lean, & DevOps best practices to create a superior prototype that brings your users’ ideas to fruition through collaboration & rapid execution. Our top priority is quick reaction time & accessibility. We really want to be your extended team, so apart from the regular meetings, you can be sure that each of our team members is one phone call, email, or message away.

Automating Underwriting in Insurance Using Python-Based Optical Character Recognition

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파이썬 기반 광학 문자 인식을 사용하여 보험 인수 자동화

Automatizando a subscrição em seguros usando reconhecimento óptico de caracteres baseado em Python

Автоматизация андеррайтинга в страховании с использованием оптического распознавания символов на основе Python

Python Tabanlı Optik Karakter Tanıma Kullanılarak Sigortacılıkta Taahhüt İşlemlerinin Otomatikleştirilmesi

Tự động hóa việc bảo hiểm bằng cách sử dụng nhận dạng ký tự quang học dựa trên Python

使用基于 Python 的光学字符识别实现保险承保自动化

Preface*: I spent 3 days with MBA students from 2 of the top 10 universities in the world. Our interactions were within a school environment and comprised of academic and social activities. This includes almost 8 hours of lecture time, 5 hours in parties, and multiple formal and informal interactions over 3 days. Below is a summary of what I uncovered.* “I have my suit packed” I texted my friend half joking, half serious. I was going to be spending the next 3 days with a friend at one of the top 10 universities in the world, and I was going to be participating in an MBA class. I was excited to see my friend, but I didn’t know what to expect from the MBA class and his colleagues. You see, my friend and I have always been different in our approach to career growth. Although we both understood the value of hard work, I relied a lot on my hard skills while his approach placed a great deal of emphasis on soft skills. I always supported his decision to pursue an MBA, but I never understood why he wanted to be a “suit”. To understand my thought process, you have to understand that I started my career initially as a freelance software engineer almost 13 years ago. You know, when tech was about being ‘hardcore.’ My first full-time job was at an organization that treated business team members & MBAs better than members of the tech team. It always felt like a situation of ‘us versus them.’ It was common for members of the tech team to do an online MBA and make the switch to the business team just for the chance at better pay & recognition. The movies and podcasts I consumed also backed this up. MBAs (typically called “suits”) were often portrayed as trust fund know-it-alls who were far removed from the realities of everyday people, didn’t understand how things worked, and somehow felt superior to others. I unconsciously carried this around with me. First Impression My first day was fairly quiet. I spent part of it walking around the campus and understanding where the key areas were. I had started meeting some people from the MBA program, and the first thing I noticed was how ethnically diverse they were. They were also quite friendly and happy to strike up a conversation with a stranger. I got some food, watched a movie, and had an early night in preparation for the class tomorrow. Observations in an Academic Setting The next day, I was sitting in a Negotiation class from 9 am to 4:45 pm. The class included a lecture, a case study based on a variation of real events, a debrief session, and a take-home assignment. People were assigned different roles in the case study. They were given clear but conflicting deliverables that they needed to get out of the negotiation in order for their character to be successful. I sat quietly in the corner, observing; not sure what to expect. The negotiations kicked off and it all felt so real! Everyone embodied their character and was determined to get what they wanted. There was also something different about it. This didn’t feel like a gathering of people who didn’t know how the real world worked. It felt like quite the opposite. I saw people use elite tactics including teamwork and betrayal to get what they wanted from the deal. After negotiating intensely for hours, the group I was part of finally came to a conclusion that was suitable for all parties. When the class was over, I had a chat with a few of the students to understand their motivation to get an MBA and how the journey had been so far. They candidly shared their motivations, which I have summarized in the end notes of this post. Observation in Socials I kicked off socials at a barbecue party with about 50 MBA students moving in and out. As I moved around and got introduced to various groups, our conversations ranged from who made the best soup to Man Utd’s performance this season. It was not what I expected. To be honest, the conversations were a lot more down-to-earth than conversations I’ve had at tech/start-up social events. Nobody was trying to portray themselves as a ‘genius’ or the person who is changing the world. Even though a lot of the people there had done great things before they joined the program. The next stop was a party at one of the popular spots on campus. I was attending with a smaller group as most people were tired from the barbecue or had work to do. We had pre-drinks in one of the dorms and headed out for the night. This time, I spent more time observing the group than actually participating. I could see clearly that they had started building strong friendships that would last a lifetime. Bonding over shared suffering, happiness, and shared destinations. Perhaps this is why it could sometimes seem to outsiders like there’s some sort of ‘clique’. They were spending all this time together and were starting to build friendships that they would gladly defend if necessary. Conclusion/End Notes I woke up on the final day tired but filled with a feeling that I couldn’t quite explain. That was when I noticed it for the first time in 3 days. It was a sticker on the only window in the dormitory that I was in. “Build something Massive.” was boldly written across it. It summarized my thoughts about the MBA program and the students I had met. The program was a chance for ambitious people to learn and to build their lives and careers into something massive, and most of them sacrificed a lot for this opportunity. Over 90% of them are immigrants.
A lot of them are on scholarships that they had to fight for, while some took loans to attend the program.
A lot of them are anxious and working hard to find internships/jobs months before they graduate because they feel the need to start providing value that can offset the cost of their program.
Some of them left their families and cushy jobs/businesses to move into student accommodation for this program. I believe that the summary of these factors is why some of them seem to have a chip on their shoulders when they graduate. They believe that they have sacrificed a lot and deserve to be where they are. If it was you, you may feel the same way too. It’s humbling for me to write this as it exposes my past ignorance. But it’s important to put this out because there are many people who may be even more ignorant. So what did I really uncover about these MBAs? I learned that They’re parents. They’re lovers. They’re dreamers. They reflect everything that’s great about the world and everything that is wrong about it too. (Just like the rest of us.) The world has promised them in this unwritten contract that if they do [x] (i.e., get a prestigious MBA), then doors will open for them. That their hard work and sacrifice would be rewarded. For a lot of them, the MBA is their path to a better life, recognition for their hard work, and a better future. During my time there, I felt very welcome in every circle, though I was meeting a lot of them for the first time. In fact, I may have annoyed some people anytime I was visibly shocked by something they did that went against the stereotype of an MBA. Would I get an MBA? I don’t know yet. But I have even more respect and appreciation for everyone who has gotten an MBA and everyone who plans to get one. You don’t know me, but I’m proud of you. I want to thank Professor Owen for letting me sit in on the class. I enjoyed your approach to teaching the subject, and I appreciate how attentive you were to everyone. I learned a lot about negotiating and about people. Preface *: I spent 3 days with MBA students from 2 of the top 10 universities in the world. Our interactions were within a school environment and comprised of academic and social activities. This includes almost 8 hours of lecture time, 5 hours in parties, and multiple formal and informal interactions over 3 days. Below is a summary of what I uncovered.* Preface Preface “I have my suit packed” I texted my friend half joking, half serious. I was going to be spending the next 3 days with a friend at one of the top 10 universities in the world, and I was going to be participating in an MBA class. I was excited to see my friend, but I didn’t know what to expect from the MBA class and his colleagues. You see, my friend and I have always been different in our approach to career growth. Although we both understood the value of hard work, I relied a lot on my hard skills while his approach placed a great deal of emphasis on soft skills. I always supported his decision to pursue an MBA, but I never understood why he wanted to be a “suit”. To understand my thought process, you have to understand that I started my career initially as a freelance software engineer almost 13 years ago. You know, when tech was about being ‘hardcore.’ My first full-time job was at an organization that treated business team members & MBAs better than members of the tech team. It always felt like a situation of ‘ us versus them. ’ us versus them. It was common for members of the tech team to do an online MBA and make the switch to the business team just for the chance at better pay & recognition. The movies and podcasts I consumed also backed this up. MBAs (typically called “suits”) were often portrayed as trust fund know-it-alls who were far removed from the realities of everyday people, didn’t understand how things worked, and somehow felt superior to others. I unconsciously carried this around with me. First Impression First Impression My first day was fairly quiet. I spent part of it walking around the campus and understanding where the key areas were. I had started meeting some people from the MBA program, and the first thing I noticed was how ethnically diverse they were. They were also quite friendly and happy to strike up a conversation with a stranger. I got some food, watched a movie, and had an early night in preparation for the class tomorrow. Observations in an Academic Setting Observations in an Academic Setting The next day, I was sitting in a Negotiation class from 9 am to 4:45 pm. The class included a lecture, a case study based on a variation of real events , a debrief session, and a take-home assignment. real events People were assigned different roles in the case study. They were given clear but conflicting deliverables that they needed to get out of the negotiation in order for their character to be successful. I sat quietly in the corner, observing; not sure what to expect. The negotiations kicked off and it all felt so real! Everyone embodied their character and was determined to get what they wanted. There was also something different about it. This didn’t feel like a gathering of people who didn’t know how the real world worked. It felt like quite the opposite. I saw people use elite tactics including teamwork and betrayal to get what they wanted from the deal. After negotiating intensely for hours, the group I was part of finally came to a conclusion that was suitable for all parties. When the class was over, I had a chat with a few of the students to understand their motivation to get an MBA and how the journey had been so far. They candidly shared their motivations, which I have summarized in the end notes of this post. Observation in Socials Observation in Socials I kicked off socials at a barbecue party with about 50 MBA students moving in and out. As I moved around and got introduced to various groups, our conversations ranged from who made the best soup to Man Utd’s performance this season. It was not what I expected. To be honest, the conversations were a lot more down-to-earth than conversations I’ve had at tech/start-up social events. Nobody was trying to portray themselves as a ‘genius’ or the person who is changing the world. Even though a lot of the people there had done great things before they joined the program. The next stop was a party at one of the popular spots on campus. I was attending with a smaller group as most people were tired from the barbecue or had work to do. We had pre-drinks in one of the dorms and headed out for the night. This time, I spent more time observing the group than actually participating. I could see clearly that they had started building strong friendships that would last a lifetime. Bonding over shared suffering, happiness, and shared destinations. Perhaps this is why it could sometimes seem to outsiders like there’s some sort of ‘clique’. They were spending all this time together and were starting to build friendships that they would gladly defend if necessary. Conclusion/End Notes Conclusion/End Notes I woke up on the final day tired but filled with a feeling that I couldn’t quite explain. That was when I noticed it for the first time in 3 days. It was a sticker on the only window in the dormitory that I was in. “ Build something Massive. ” was boldly written across it. Build something Massive. It summarized my thoughts about the MBA program and the students I had met. The program was a chance for ambitious people to learn and to build their lives and careers into something massive, and most of them sacrificed a lot for this opportunity. Over 90% of them are immigrants. A lot of them are on scholarships that they had to fight for, while some took loans to attend the program. A lot of them are anxious and working hard to find internships/jobs months before they graduate because they feel the need to start providing value that can offset the cost of their program. Some of them left their families and cushy jobs/businesses to move into student accommodation for this program. Over 90% of them are immigrants. A lot of them are on scholarships that they had to fight for, while some took loans to attend the program. A lot of them are anxious and working hard to find internships/jobs months before they graduate because they feel the need to start providing value that can offset the cost of their program. Some of them left their families and cushy jobs/businesses to move into student accommodation for this program. I believe that the summary of these factors is why some of them seem to have a chip on their shoulders when they graduate. They believe that they have sacrificed a lot and deserve to be where they are. If it was you, you may feel the same way too. It’s humbling for me to write this as it exposes my past ignorance. But it’s important to put this out because there are many people who may be even more ignorant. So what did I really uncover about these MBAs? I learned that They’re parents. They’re lovers. They’re dreamers. They reflect everything that’s great about the world and everything that is wrong about it too. (Just like the rest of us.) The world has promised them in this unwritten contract that if they do [x ] (i.e., get a prestigious MBA), then doors will open for them. That their hard work and sacrifice would be rewarded. [x For a lot of them, the MBA is their path to a better life, recognition for their hard work, and a better future. During my time there, I felt very welcome in every circle, though I was meeting a lot of them for the first time. In fact, I may have annoyed some people anytime I was visibly shocked by something they did that went against the stereotype of an MBA. Would I get an MBA? I don’t know yet. But I have even more respect and appreciation for everyone who has gotten an MBA and everyone who plans to get one. You don’t know me, but I’m proud of you . You don’t know me, but I’m proud of you I want to thank Professor Owen for letting me sit in on the class. I enjoyed your approach to teaching the subject, and I appreciate how attentive you were to everyone. I learned a lot about negotiating and about people.

The Uncovered Secret Lives of MBAs From a Tech Person's Perspective

The Algorithm for Inserting Sequences into Sequences

In the first part of the article, we discussed why reviewing is important, how to review your own and someone else’s creations, and how to make the reviewing practice work for you. In this part, we will take a look at how to review your or other colleagues’ work and how to use the results. How to Review the Document? There are two options: you are a reviewer, or you provide the document for review. If you provide a document for a review: ask the right person according to the existing process. Provide the reviewer with the following information: The deadline.
The document they need to check.
What should they pay more attention to?
Make sure that they do not review things out of their scope (software developers should not review text style), but be grateful if they did and double-checked the highlighted points. Wait for the results of the review. If you are the reviewer, there are two options: You review your document. The main problem in this case is that you get used to the document when writing it. Even if you are very attentive, you can miss an error. It is very easy to miss poorly formulated sentences, grammatical mistakes, or complicated phrases. I highly recommend switching your attention to another task or going for a short walk; let your brain switch to other things. This will refresh your attention to details. A gym session, a cup of tea, or a small talk could work as well. Record the results.


You review someone else’s document. In this case, understand the purpose of the document and read it, paying attention to details. You can read it several times, looking for different types of errors each time. Highlight the errors. Also, take note, of how easy it was to understand the document, for instructions – how easy it was to follow, were you able to achieve the result, did you have any questions, did you have any errors not described in the document. Does the text in general help to achieve the goal and how does it make it simpler and easier to read? Record the results. How to Use the Results You can use the results to improve the text, but in general, they are very beneficial for the technical writer: Technical review improves your understanding of the technology you work on. If you understand it well, you will make less mistakes in future tasks. Also, you will know what details you require to write a great document before starting to write.


You will know which tools may help to automate your work.


You will improve your mentoring skills (if you review another technical writer’s work) or your writing skills and attention to errors.


You will improve processes involved in developing documentation. In general, you will progress as a technical writer and help other people to improve their skills. Mistakes Pay attention to the following popular mistakes: You follow all commentaries. Don’t rely completely on other people’s opinions, unless they are professionals in this particular field. Sometimes, software developers tend to look for grammar mistakes instead of checking the technical accuracy. You don’t use the tools to help you with your tasks. Use modern tools to check the grammar, style, outlook, and so on, but don’t rely on them completely – AI tools can generate hallucinations. You proceed to review your own documents straight after writing them. This will blur your attention and you may miss the mistakes. You don’t ask for another opinion if you are confused. Involve more people if you don’t feel confident. You don’t examine highlighted problems. Sometimes the repetitive or typical problems may give a hint on what to improve. Remember, mistakes are the points of growth, you will get better and help others. Summary Reviewing is a very important step in a document’s lifecycle.
Reviewing makes your document a source of truth.
The technical review by a relevant professional is mandatory.
Reviewing documents improves the skills of the technical writers. In the first part of the article, we discussed why reviewing is important, how to review your own and someone else’s creations, and how to make the reviewing practice work for you. In this part, we will take a look at how to review your or other colleagues’ work and how to use the results. How to Review the Document? There are two options: you are a reviewer, or you provide the document for review. If you provide a document for a review: ask the right person according to the existing process. Provide the reviewer with the following information: provide The deadline. The document they need to check. What should they pay more attention to? Make sure that they do not review things out of their scope (software developers should not review text style), but be grateful if they did and double-checked the highlighted points. The deadline. The document they need to check. What should they pay more attention to? Make sure that they do not review things out of their scope (software developers should not review text style), but be grateful if they did and double-checked the highlighted points. Wait for the results of the review. If you are the reviewer , there are two options: reviewer You review your document. The main problem in this case is that you get used to the document when writing it. Even if you are very attentive, you can miss an error. It is very easy to miss poorly formulated sentences, grammatical mistakes, or complicated phrases. I highly recommend switching your attention to another task or going for a short walk; let your brain switch to other things. This will refresh your attention to details. A gym session, a cup of tea, or a small talk could work as well. Record the results. You review someone else’s document. In this case, understand the purpose of the document and read it, paying attention to details. You can read it several times, looking for different types of errors each time. Highlight the errors. Also, take note, of how easy it was to understand the document, for instructions – how easy it was to follow, were you able to achieve the result, did you have any questions, did you have any errors not described in the document. Does the text in general help to achieve the goal and how does it make it simpler and easier to read? Record the results. You review your document. The main problem in this case is that you get used to the document when writing it. Even if you are very attentive, you can miss an error. It is very easy to miss poorly formulated sentences, grammatical mistakes, or complicated phrases. I highly recommend switching your attention to another task or going for a short walk; let your brain switch to other things. This will refresh your attention to details. A gym session, a cup of tea, or a small talk could work as well. Record the results. You review your document. The main problem in this case is that you get used to the document when writing it. Even if you are very attentive, you can miss an error. It is very easy to miss poorly formulated sentences, grammatical mistakes, or complicated phrases. I highly recommend switching your attention to another task or going for a short walk; let your brain switch to other things. This will refresh your attention to details. A gym session, a cup of tea, or a small talk could work as well. Record the results. You review someone else’s document. In this case, understand the purpose of the document and read it, paying attention to details. You can read it several times, looking for different types of errors each time. Highlight the errors. Also, take note, of how easy it was to understand the document, for instructions – how easy it was to follow, were you able to achieve the result, did you have any questions, did you have any errors not described in the document. Does the text in general help to achieve the goal and how does it make it simpler and easier to read? Record the results. You review someone else’s document. In this case, understand the purpose of the document and read it, paying attention to details. You can read it several times, looking for different types of errors each time. Highlight the errors. Also, take note, of how easy it was to understand the document, for instructions – how easy it was to follow, were you able to achieve the result, did you have any questions, did you have any errors not described in the document. Does the text in general help to achieve the goal and how does it make it simpler and easier to read? Record the results. How to Use the Results You can use the results to improve the text, but in general, they are very beneficial for the technical writer: Technical review improves your understanding of the technology you work on. If you understand it well, you will make less mistakes in future tasks. Also, you will know what details you require to write a great document before starting to write. You will know which tools may help to automate your work. You will improve your mentoring skills (if you review another technical writer’s work) or your writing skills and attention to errors. You will improve processes involved in developing documentation. Technical review improves your understanding of the technology you work on. If you understand it well, you will make less mistakes in future tasks. Also, you will know what details you require to write a great document before starting to write. Technical review improves your understanding of the technology you work on. If you understand it well, you will make less mistakes in future tasks. Also, you will know what details you require to write a great document before starting to write. You will know which tools may help to automate your work. You will know which tools may help to automate your work. You will improve your mentoring skills (if you review another technical writer’s work) or your writing skills and attention to errors. You will improve your mentoring skills (if you review another technical writer’s work) or your writing skills and attention to errors. You will improve processes involved in developing documentation. You will improve processes involved in developing documentation. In general, you will progress as a technical writer and help other people to improve their skills. Mistakes Pay attention to the following popular mistakes: You follow all commentaries. Don’t rely completely on other people’s opinions, unless they are professionals in this particular field. Sometimes, software developers tend to look for grammar mistakes instead of checking the technical accuracy. You follow all commentaries. Don’t rely completely on other people’s opinions, unless they are professionals in this particular field. Sometimes, software developers tend to look for grammar mistakes instead of checking the technical accuracy. You don’t use the tools to help you with your tasks. Use modern tools to check the grammar, style, outlook, and so on, but don’t rely on them completely – AI tools can generate hallucinations. You don’t use the tools to help you with your tasks. Use modern tools to check the grammar, style, outlook, and so on, but don’t rely on them completely – AI tools can generate hallucinations. You proceed to review your own documents straight after writing them. This will blur your attention and you may miss the mistakes. You proceed to review your own documents straight after writing them. This will blur your attention and you may miss the mistakes. You don’t ask for another opinion if you are confused. Involve more people if you don’t feel confident. You don’t ask for another opinion if you are confused. Involve more people if you don’t feel confident. You don’t examine highlighted problems. Sometimes the repetitive or typical problems may give a hint on what to improve. You don’t examine highlighted problems. Sometimes the repetitive or typical problems may give a hint on what to improve. Remember, mistakes are the points of growth, you will get better and help others. Summary Reviewing is a very important step in a document’s lifecycle. Reviewing makes your document a source of truth. The technical review by a relevant professional is mandatory. Reviewing documents improves the skills of the technical writers. Reviewing is a very important step in a document’s lifecycle. Reviewing makes your document a source of truth. The technical review by a relevant professional is mandatory. Reviewing documents improves the skills of the technical writers.

Reviewing Documents Part 2: How to Review and What to Do With the Results

The Truth About Respect You don't want fame, you want respect. What you want isn't respect from others. It's self-respect. You crave respect from others because you don’t truly respect yourself. It’s hard to respect yourself when you know the truth about your actions—you know you’ve lied to yourself. You said you’d do things and didn’t. You promised yourself you’d get it done, but instead, you slept. You told yourself you'd change, but you didn’t. So, your own self doesn’t respect you for this. The Illusion of External Respect You don’t want respect from everyone. You want respect from the people you respect. Because if they respect you, it feels like proof that you can respect yourself. But it’s an illusion. You can only gain genuine confidence and respect by being consistent with yourself. No one else can give that to you. The Nature of Confidence Confidence doesn’t come from shouting affirmations at the mirror. If you were truly confident, you wouldn’t need to tell yourself—you’d have evidence of your confidence stacked up like trophies. You’re not confident because you don’t trust yourself. And you don’t trust yourself because you’re not consistent. Confidence is built on trust. The more certain you are that you’ll follow through, the more confidence you’ll have. Truth is something that, once you see it, you can’t unsee. Confidence is the amount of certainty you have that something won’t change—and that starts with your own behavior. The Power of Consistency Consistency is repeating a behavior frequently enough to create trust—first with yourself, and then with others. The more consistent you are, the more trustworthy you become, both in your eyes and in the eyes of others. Build enough undeniable proof that you follow through, and you’ll begin to trust yourself. Do what you say you’ll do. Don’t rely on external validation for your confidence and respect. The Role of Others Others can provide useful, unbiased feedback, but they can’t tell you the whole truth because they don’t know your internal state. External feedback is just a supplement to your internal knowledge. In the end, only you know whether you’ve truly done your best. Self-respect and confidence come from knowing you’ve done everything you could, not from what others think. The Paradox of Consistency You’re not consistent because you assume life is stable and unchanging. But in reality, the only thing that’s consistent is change. You procrastinate because you trust that you’ll be able to do it tomorrow. But that trust is misplaced—you won’t be the same person tomorrow. That’s why you sometimes hate yourself or wish you knew what you’ve learned now five years ago. The Public Toilet Method Your life is a relay race of consciousness. The version of you today is responsible only for today. Tomorrow, a different version takes over. Think of a public toilet. If you slack off today and leave a mess, tomorrow’s version of you will likely do the same, because it’s harder to clean up someone else’s mess. The cycle continues, getting worse over time. Are you going to have fun now and screw over your future self, or make things easier for the next version of you? Love is how much you’re willing to sacrifice to maintain a relationship. To truly love yourself, you must be willing to sacrifice short-term pleasure today, so that tomorrow’s version of you has a cleaner start. The more you slack off, the harder it gets for the future you. If You Don’t Do It Now, You Never Will Power is the distance between your thoughts and reality. If you want to be powerful, close the gap between thinking about something and actually doing it. The current version of you is the only one that wants to do it. The next version of you might not—that’s why you’ve quit habits or abandoned goals in the past. Fortunately, you can control the next version of yourself. Just like your body turns pizza and spaghetti into teeth and eyeballs, what you do with what you eat determines what your body becomes. Likewise, what you read and do with the information you consume shapes your mind. If you’re not obsessing over the actions that shape your future, you’re not truly committed to becoming who you want to be. You can live your life how you want—I’m just here to tell you the consequences of the actions you take. If you don’t do the work today, you lose control of who you become tomorrow. Discipline Discipline comes from clarity, not force. You’re not disciplined because the "perceived" pain of not achieving your goals isn’t as strong as the "perceived" pleasure you get from distractions. To be disciplined, fix your perception of pain and pleasure. Write down your reasons to stay focused and revisit them frequently so they stay top of mind. You need reminders more than you need new information. Each time you give in to distractions, the harder it becomes to stop. Write that down as one of your reasons to quit. The intensity of your reasons to stay focused must outweigh the pleasure of distractions at any given moment. You didn't do the next push up because the reasons to continue have faded. The Actual Purpose of a Goal Everyone tells you to set goals, but no one tells you why. Let’s clear up some misconceptions: 1. A goal isn’t "where you want to be in 5 years." That’s just fantasy. 2. A goal is what a better life looks like. 3. You don’t rise to your goals, you fall to your systems. 4. The more you tell people about your goals, the less likely you are to achieve them because talking about them releases dopamine in your brain, like you’ve already succeeded. 5. Goals are infinite, but your time and energy are finite. Be slow to set goals, quick to work on them. 6. You need only one big goal. A collection of small goals is not "one big goal". If it fills 2 pages, it’s too small. A big goal fits a sentence. 7. You’ll never achieve most of your small goals that are long term, because on your way to achieving them, the future you will change them. 8. If you have more than one main goal, you haven't found a big goal. 9. The ONLY purpose of a goal is to make your brain more attentive to things that help you survive or improve the quality of your life. The way you notice a restaurant that's always been there, just because you're hungry. That's ALL it's good for. Any other reasons are illusions. Practical Conclusion Ultimately, self-respect isn’t something you get from others. It’s something you build by living in alignment with your values and keeping promises to yourself. The first step is to break your goals into simple, daily tasks. Think of each task as a “level” in a game. The more levels you complete, the closer you get to mastery. For example, if your goal is to build an app, break it down into simple, achievable tasks. Each task brings you closer to the final product, and you make progress daily. The Role of Pain and Pleasure in Discipline When you procrastinate, it’s because the short-term pleasure of distraction outweighs the long-term pain of not achieving your goals. Reverse this dynamic by making distractions immediately painful. For example, every time you snooze your alarm, pay a friend a significant amount of money. This brings the pain of procrastination into the present. You can also make completing tasks easier by setting up your environment for success. Move your alarm across the room so you have to get up. Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Reduce the friction between you and your goals. Increase the friction between you and distractions. And don’t forget rewards. After hitting milestones, give yourself small rewards to tie pleasure to progress. But make sure the reward enhances your journey, not derails it. Turning Life Into an Irresistible Game You can make consistency easier by treating your life like a game. Which means to create the best game mechanics (aka systems). Everyone running alongside Usain bolt have the same goal (to finish first), but they don't win because they don't have the best systems. I’ll help you with creating your own systems on Level Up. You'll: Access powerful tools. Get exclusive content. Receive one-on-one support. Build lasting habits and achieve your goals. Schedule a 1-on-1 with me here: https://forms.gle/GEWLSKeEQczKokru6 The Truth About Respect The Truth About Respect You don't want fame, you want respect. What you want isn't respect from others. It's self-respect. You crave respect from others because you don’t truly respect yourself. It’s hard to respect yourself when you know the truth about your actions—you know you’ve lied to yourself. You said you’d do things and didn’t. You promised yourself you’d get it done, but instead, you slept. You told yourself you'd change, but you didn’t. So, your own self doesn’t respect you for this. The Illusion of External Respect The Illusion of External Respect You don’t want respect from everyone. You want respect from the people you respect. Because if they respect you, it feels like proof that you can respect yourself. But it’s an illusion. You can only gain genuine confidence and respect by being consistent with yourself. No one else can give that to you. The Nature of Confidence The Nature of Confidence Confidence doesn’t come from shouting affirmations at the mirror. If you were truly confident, you wouldn’t need to tell yourself—you’d have evidence of your confidence stacked up like trophies. You’re not confident because you don’t trust yourself. And you don’t trust yourself because you’re not consistent. Confidence is built on trust. The more certain you are that you’ll follow through, the more confidence you’ll have. Truth is something that, once you see it, you can’t unsee. Confidence is the amount of certainty you have that something won’t change—and that starts with your own behavior. The Power of Consistency The Power of Consistency Consistency is repeating a behavior frequently enough to create trust—first with yourself, and then with others. The more consistent you are, the more trustworthy you become, both in your eyes and in the eyes of others. Build enough undeniable proof that you follow through, and you’ll begin to trust yourself. Do what you say you’ll do. Don’t rely on external validation for your confidence and respect. The Role of Others The Role of Others Others can provide useful, unbiased feedback, but they can’t tell you the whole truth because they don’t know your internal state. External feedback is just a supplement to your internal knowledge. In the end, only you know whether you’ve truly done your best. Self-respect and confidence come from knowing you’ve done everything you could, not from what others think. The Paradox of Consistency The Paradox of Consistency You’re not consistent because you assume life is stable and unchanging. But in reality, the only thing that’s consistent is change. You procrastinate because you trust that you’ll be able to do it tomorrow. But that trust is misplaced—you won’t be the same person tomorrow. That’s why you sometimes hate yourself or wish you knew what you’ve learned now five years ago. The Public Toilet Method The Public Toilet Method Your life is a relay race of consciousness. The version of you today is responsible only for today. Tomorrow, a different version takes over. Think of a public toilet. If you slack off today and leave a mess, tomorrow’s version of you will likely do the same, because it’s harder to clean up someone else’s mess. The cycle continues, getting worse over time. Are you going to have fun now and screw over your future self, or make things easier for the next version of you? Love is how much you’re willing to sacrifice to maintain a relationship. To truly love yourself, you must be willing to sacrifice short-term pleasure today, so that tomorrow’s version of you has a cleaner start. The more you slack off, the harder it gets for the future you. If You Don’t Do It Now, You Never Will If You Don’t Do It Now, You Never Will Power is the distance between your thoughts and reality. If you want to be powerful, close the gap between thinking about something and actually doing it. The current version of you is the only one that wants to do it. The next version of you might not—that’s why you’ve quit habits or abandoned goals in the past. Fortunately, you can control the next version of yourself. Just like your body turns pizza and spaghetti into teeth and eyeballs, what you do with what you eat determines what your body becomes. Likewise, what you read and do with the information you consume shapes your mind. If you’re not obsessing over the actions that shape your future, you’re not truly committed to becoming who you want to be. You can live your life how you want—I’m just here to tell you the consequences of the actions you take. If you don’t do the work today, you lose control of who you become tomorrow. Discipline Discipline Discipline comes from clarity, not force. You’re not disciplined because the "perceived" pain of not achieving your goals isn’t as strong as the "perceived" pleasure you get from distractions. To be disciplined, fix your perception of pain and pleasure. Write down your reasons to stay focused and revisit them frequently so they stay top of mind. You need reminders more than you need new information. Each time you give in to distractions, the harder it becomes to stop. Write that down as one of your reasons to quit. The intensity of your reasons to stay focused must outweigh the pleasure of distractions at any given moment. You didn't do the next push up because the reasons to continue have faded. The Actual Purpose of a Goal The Actual Purpose of a Goal Everyone tells you to set goals, but no one tells you why. Let’s clear up some misconceptions: 1. A goal isn’t "where you want to be in 5 years." That’s just fantasy. 2. A goal is what a better life looks like. 3. You don’t rise to your goals, you fall to your systems. 4. The more you tell people about your goals, the less likely you are to achieve them because talking about them releases dopamine in your brain, like you’ve already succeeded. 5. Goals are infinite, but your time and energy are finite. Be slow to set goals, quick to work on them. 6. You need only one big goal. A collection of small goals is not "one big goal". If it fills 2 pages, it’s too small. A big goal fits a sentence. 7. You’ll never achieve most of your small goals that are long term, because on your way to achieving them, the future you will change them. 8. If you have more than one main goal, you haven't found a big goal. 9. The ONLY purpose of a goal is to make your brain more attentive to things that help you survive or improve the quality of your life. The way you notice a restaurant that's always been there, just because you're hungry. That's ALL it's good for. Any other reasons are illusions. Practical Conclusion Practical Conclusion Ultimately, self-respect isn’t something you get from others. It’s something you build by living in alignment with your values and keeping promises to yourself. The first step is to break your goals into simple, daily tasks. Think of each task as a “level” in a game. The more levels you complete, the closer you get to mastery. For example, if your goal is to build an app, break it down into simple, achievable tasks. Each task brings you closer to the final product, and you make progress daily. The Role of Pain and Pleasure in Discipline The Role of Pain and Pleasure in Discipline When you procrastinate, it’s because the short-term pleasure of distraction outweighs the long-term pain of not achieving your goals. Reverse this dynamic by making distractions immediately painful. For example, every time you snooze your alarm, pay a friend a significant amount of money. This brings the pain of procrastination into the present. You can also make completing tasks easier by setting up your environment for success. Move your alarm across the room so you have to get up. Lay out your workout clothes the night before. Reduce the friction between you and your goals. Increase the friction between you and distractions. And don’t forget rewards. After hitting milestones, give yourself small rewards to tie pleasure to progress. But make sure the reward enhances your journey, not derails it. Turning Life Into an Irresistible Game Turning Life Into an Irresistible Game You can make consistency easier by treating your life like a game. Which means to create the best game mechanics (aka systems). Everyone running alongside Usain bolt have the same goal (to finish first), but they don't win because they don't have the best systems. I’ll help you with creating your own systems on Level Up . You'll: Level Up Access powerful tools. Get exclusive content. Receive one-on-one support. Build lasting habits and achieve your goals. Schedule a 1-on-1 with me here: https://forms.gle/GEWLSKeEQczKokru6

Why You're Not Consistent: the Equation for Consistency, Confidence, Discipline, Self Respect

Yes, bad mental health days happen even for hackers. I had one last week. And I'll tell you how I turned it around in about 45 minutes. I had been stressed about more than a few things. To name a few... Business has not been great lately.
I hadn't slept great the night before (it happens, even to sleep hackers sometimes).
There are some exciting but intimidating pivots I'm in the midst of making with my business (which involves a lot of work and learning some new things).
And the looming threat of nuclear war (in the part of the world where my little family lives!) Then, my wife made a perfectly understandable, concerned comment while rushing out the door to attend to matters in Sofia, which set me off. So, I dove into work with ferocious intensity. But I was less productive than I wanted to be. My MacBook was dragging a bit (it needed an optimization which it received), a Brazilian guy messaged me who was excited to read my book for men but my e-commerce store was broken because of a really annoying issue with my new hosting company (so I sent him the book for free - and the store is now fixed, by the way), and some new AI toolsI'm experimenting with were frustratingly not delivering the creative vision I had in my head.When my wife came home a few hours later, it was time to deal with one of my least favorite things in the world: customs paperwork for importing supplements. Getting a package of Biohacking goodness in the EU is often like negotiating with a very litigious demon for the release of your soul from purgatory! My wife is great; she handles most of the unpleasant mess of paperwork this entails, but she had a lot of questions to ask me about the package, interrupting what I was trying to do. Standing in front of my laptop (facing way too many open browser tabs), seething at the world, I realized I was about to blow up at my wife and her small barky dog (my little frenemy here in our abode). I had promised her and myself earlier this year that I'd handle my anger better and that blow-up episodes were behind me, along with explaining to her that sometimes, I needed her to stop talking and give me space. So that's what I did, and it was really time to close my laptop. I sat down in the chair where I meditate, slipped on my headphones, put a calming Brain.FM binaural beat on in my headphones, and I just breathed. Slow in the through the nose filling my belly, slow out the mouth. After 10-15 minutes, I returned to my senses. It was time for a little positive self-talk, so I reviewed the last few days; they had been stressful, but actually, I got a lot of important things done, almost all the important things. All things considered, I was doing pretty well as a husband and entrepreneur this week. And there was a lot of reason for optimism about this year (except for the nuclear war concern, which is a good thing I got a stash of "Nuke Pills" - Potassium Iodide). So, I borrowed a bit from Dr. Joe Dispenza's transformative meditation and began future-casting gratitude. In faith, I raised my hands and quietly praised my Creator (in advance) for the beautiful life waiting for me, where my efforts would come to fruition. After about 30 minutes of that, I was back to cool cat Jonathan. Then, it was time to do a coaching call with one of my favorite clients. The client was also struggling with life a bit; I listened attentively, and I think I was able to provide some insight, inspiration, clarity, and out-of-the-box solutions. It ended up being a downright decent day. To summarize, what works when compounding stress and to-dos push you to the boiling point? Know when to get off the damn computer or your "smart" device.
Establish a rule with your loved ones or domestic partners - sometimes, you need silence and privacy.
Have a designated private space for relaxation - go there.
Binaural beats are a game-changer for mood - have some just a few clicks or swipes away at any given time.
Take 5-10 minutes just to breathe - I know it's boring, but it works!
Positive self-talk - praise yourself for what you've done right recently.
Then, future-cast gratitude - be thankful for the life you'll have. Hopefully, you can borrow from my tool kit when you inevitably find yourself on the verge of a blow-up, meltdown, or panic attack. Yes, bad mental health days happen even for hackers. I had one last week. And I'll tell you how I turned it around in about 45 minutes. I had been stressed about more than a few things. To name a few... Business has not been great lately. I hadn't slept great the night before (it happens, even to sleep hackers sometimes). There are some exciting but intimidating pivots I'm in the midst of making with my business (which involves a lot of work and learning some new things). And the looming threat of nuclear war (in the part of the world where my little family lives!) Business has not been great lately. I hadn't slept great the night before (it happens, even to sleep hackers sometimes). There are some exciting but intimidating pivots I'm in the midst of making with my business (which involves a lot of work and learning some new things). And the looming threat of nuclear war (in the part of the world where my little family lives!) Then, my wife made a perfectly understandable, concerned comment while rushing out the door to attend to matters in Sofia, which set me off. So, I dove into work with ferocious intensity. But I was less productive than I wanted to be. My MacBook was dragging a bit (it needed an optimization which it received), a Brazilian guy messaged me who was excited to read my book for men but my e-commerce store was broken because of a really annoying issue with my new hosting company (so I sent him the book for free - and the store is now fixed, by the way ), and some new AI tools I'm experimenting with were frustratingly not delivering the creative vision I had in my head. When my wife came home a few hours later, it was time to deal with one of my least favorite things in the world: customs paperwork for importing supplements. Getting a package of Biohacking goodness in the EU is often like negotiating with a very litigious demon for the release of your soul from purgatory! My wife is great; she handles most of the unpleasant mess of paperwork this entails, but she had a lot of questions to ask me about the package, interrupting what I was trying to do. by the way new AI tools Standing in front of my laptop (facing way too many open browser tabs), seething at the world, I realized I was about to blow up at my wife and her small barky dog ( my little frenemy here in our abode). I had promised her and myself earlier this year that I'd handle my anger better and that blow-up episodes were behind me, along with explaining to her that sometimes, I needed her to stop talking and give me space. So that's what I did, and it was really time to close my laptop. barky my little frenemy I sat down in the chair where I meditate, slipped on my headphones, put a calming Brain.FM binaural beat on in my headphones, and I just breathed. Slow in the through the nose filling my belly, slow out the mouth. After 10-15 minutes, I returned to my senses. It was time for a little positive self-talk, so I reviewed the last few days; they had been stressful, but actually, I got a lot of important things done, almost all the important things. All things considered, I was doing pretty well as a husband and entrepreneur this week. And there was a lot of reason for optimism about this year (except for the nuclear war concern, which is a good thing I got a stash of "Nuke Pills" - Potassium Iodide). So, I borrowed a bit from Dr. Joe Dispenza's transformative meditation and began future-casting gratitude. In faith, I raised my hands and quietly praised my Creator (in advance) for the beautiful life waiting for me, where my efforts would come to fruition. After about 30 minutes of that, I was back to cool cat Jonathan. cool cat Then, it was time to do a coaching call with one of my favorite clients. The client was also struggling with life a bit; I listened attentively, and I think I was able to provide some insight, inspiration, clarity, and out-of-the-box solutions. It ended up being a downright decent day. To summarize, what works when compounding stress and to-dos push you to the boiling point? To summarize, what works when compounding stress and to-dos push you to the boiling point? Know when to get off the damn computer or your "smart" device. Establish a rule with your loved ones or domestic partners - sometimes, you need silence and privacy. Have a designated private space for relaxation - go there. Binaural beats are a game-changer for mood - have some just a few clicks or swipes away at any given time. Take 5-10 minutes just to breathe - I know it's boring, but it works! Positive self-talk - praise yourself for what you've done right recently. Then, future-cast gratitude - be thankful for the life you'll have. Know when to get off the damn computer or your "smart" device. Establish a rule with your loved ones or domestic partners - sometimes, you need silence and privacy. Have a designated private space for relaxation - go there. Binaural beats are a game-changer for mood - have some just a few clicks or swipes away at any given time. Take 5-10 minutes just to breathe - I know it's boring, but it works! Positive self-talk - praise yourself for what you've done right recently. Then, future-cast gratitude - be thankful for the life you'll have. Hopefully, you can borrow from my tool kit when you inevitably find yourself on the verge of a blow-up, meltdown, or panic attack.

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