Interview with Michael Slinn (CTO, Micronautics Research Corp) - Speaker at Global Blockchain Conference April 2018 Posted on : Mar 07 - 2018

We feature speakers at Global Blockchain Conference - April 2 - 4 2018 - Santaclara - CA to catch up and find out what he or she is working on now and what's coming next. This week we're talking to Michael Slinn (CTO, Micronautics Research Corp) Topic- "Smart Contracts That Learn"

1. Tell us about yourself and your background.

I am a software technologist with senior management experience, focused on providing business value through innovation. I have performed technical evaluations and advised investors since the mid-80s.

I am an electronics engineer specializing in distributed systems software. I have done original research on artificial personality and large-scale group dynamics using an innovative event-based meta-model approach. I built scalacourses.com five years ago to teach advanced programming using the Scala programming language, and that automated system mostly runs itself. I worked on some of the first internet-enabled payments in 1994, and literally wrote the book for the first shrink-wrapped online store in 1995. I have published 3 books on distributed computing, and have delivered dozens of presentations on related topics. I have designed and built network protocols, an operating system, graphics subsystems, and designed and integrated enterprise software.

2. What have you been working on recently?

I am now preparing two Ethereum courses, one for Node.js programmers and one for Java programmers. I authored dozens of open source projects, including web3j-scala, an idiomatic Scala wrapper around web3j (a popular Ethereum library for Java). I am a contributor to web3j, Apache Spark and dozens more open source projects.

I also advise senior management in large organizations on how to incorporate open-source and blockchain technology in their strategic planning. I mentor blockchain startups and consult to organizations seeking to employ blockchain and related concepts into their strategic technical direction. I counsel startups on how to build product that addresses customer needs, and guide them towards activities that result in sales.

3. Tell me about the right tool you used recently to solve a customer problem?

The three aspects of engineering and operations are people, process and technology. However, clarity of purpose must come first, without dogma, group think or complacency.  Technical tools must be wielded by trained and knowledgeable people, using an effective process. There is no magic tool that can solve a political problem, or a problem that is rooted in a dysfunctional process. Once participants are in alignment, tooling can be optimized.

4. Where are we now today in terms of the state of blockchain, and where do you think we’ll go over the next five years?

These are clearly early days. The parallels to the internet in 1995 are strong. The internet has changed people's lives in fundamental ways, from dating, to shopping, to entertainment. The first search engine was Archie, started in 1990. Google started in 1998, a late entry to the field of search engines. The current blockchain leaders have no guarantee of even existing in 5 years, and the leaders 5 years from now probably have not entered the market yet.

"We believe in rough consensus and running code" was the byline of the Internet Task Force, and that also describes what is happening now with blockchain. In the next 5 years we will see blockchain start to reshape the world, including new forms of politics, finance, employment, healthcare and ultimately people's sense of security and well-being.

5. Where are you going?

I am looking for a product company with unrealized potential to lead to success.

6. What are the takeaways from your talk?

In my presentation, "Smart Contracts that Learn", I will summarize the current state of technology, and look into the future to describe how smart contracts might evolve and adapt. Potential applications are numerous, and I will describe the fundamental characteristics of applications for smart contracts that learn.

7. What are the top blockchain use cases in enterprises?

Again, these are early days, so use cases that have been deployed and adopted are scarce today. It is difficult to rank order the use cases that are being developed, but the list should include: supply chain, health care, real estate, trade finance, security, record management, compliance and regulatory oversight, audits, money laundering, insurance, shareholder participation.

8. Which company do you think is winning the global blockchain race?

This is a marathon, not a sprint, and the race has hardly started. It is much too early to ask that question.

9. Any closing remarks?

Thank you for the opportunity to share my vision for how blockchain technology will improve people's lives all over the world. I look forward to answering questions and learning from others during the conference.

Watch Preview video of Mike here- https://youtu.be/2DGsFZLH7DI