GE 237: How a High School Dropout Built the Blockchain Site Blockgeeks (& Did 1M Organic Visits in 1 Year!) [podcast]

Hey everyone! In today’s episode I share the mic with Ameer Rosic, co-founder of Blockgeeks, an online learning platform that helps you learn blockchain.

Tune in to hear Ameer discuss how he got the idea to create Blockgeeks in order to fill a need for a blockchain resource that didn’t exist, what the differences between cryptocurrency and ICOs are, how he went from not understanding bitcoin to building Blockgeeks, and where to go for educational guides and tips on learning more.

Download podcast transcript [PDF] here: How a High School Dropout Built the Blockchain Site Blockgeeks (& Did 1M Organic Visits in 1 Year!) TRANSCRIPT

Time-Stamped Show Notes:

• [00:27] Before we begin, please leave a review and rating and subscribe to the Growth Everywhere Podcast
• [00:46] Ameer Rosic, the Co-Founder of Blockgeeks, entrepreneur, marketing expert, and investor.
• [01:14] Ameer explains that he got kicked out of high school in 9th grade and got into business shortly after that.
• [1:30] He got into blockchain space, which led to him starting Blockgeeks.
• [02:13] When he first got involved in bitcoin, he didn’t completely understand it.
• [02:44] Blockgeeks is one of the fastest growing websites that provides a unique service.
• [03:18] He is only loyal to progression and people who are seeking to progress society and technology.
• [04:10] Blockgeeks is still in the protocol building stage.
• [04:58] Ameer thinks there is going to be a bitcoin bust in the next few years.
• [05:30] He believes we need to be thinking about new types of business models for online companies.
• [06:17] Rent-seeking businesses (like Amazon) are in trouble, because blockchain technology is a peer-to-peer, decentralized platform.
• [07:12] Medium suffered a huge failure with their ad platform and are now trying to experiment with a $5/month plan.
• [08:25] Ameer is excited about Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Kyber Network as blockchain projects.
• [09:04] He likes Cosmos’ work on identity management.
• [09:20] Ameer also thinks Bloom, a cryptocurrency trading site, is interesting. Bloom doesn’t operate using traditional finance metrics, but rather uses social signaling mechanisms.
• [11:04] Eric recommends that any of the previously referenced information that is going over listeners’ heads could be explained further by going to the Blockgeeks website.
• [11:38] ICO=Initial Coin Offering and the first ICO was Ethereum.
• [12:01] There is a difference between bitcoin and an ICO token. Bitcoin is an open-source, decentralized crypto-currency; while a token is built on top of Ethereum and the people who build it, can do so using any consensus or token model.
• [12:35] Not every ICO is well-built, because too many people are doing them. It’s the Wild West period for ICO’s.
• [13:31] Not all businesses need a token. Ameer explains further why investing in or creating an ICO shouldn’t be your go-to investment.
• [16:04] Blockgeeks trains developers to work with ICO’s and they also do job placement.
• [16:58] If you are looking to learn Blockchain from the beginning, Blockgeeks has free step-by-step guides.
• [17:25] Ameer wanted to learn about blockchain building without having to use Reddit or Stack Exchange, as he doesn’t like those forums.
• [18:05] When Ameer realized there wasn’t one definitive resource for blockchain building or developer training, he knew he had to create that resource.
• [18:18] It is difficult to find writers who can create content about blockchain, because it’s such a new topic.
• [19:15] Blockgeeks is always looking for new writers.
• [19:25] Within a year, they have one million organic visits to the Blockgeeks website.
• [19:52] From a marketing standpoint, Ameer values quality over quantity.
• [20:31] Ameer’s biggest tip is not to go into business with family or friends. “Money changes people”
• [21:12] Ameer is a fan of Mike Moyer’s Slicing Pie model. Have an open variable contract, where everyone can track their inputs and it is clear what every person is giving to the business.
• [22:17] Self-auditing is important for noticing certain patterns and allows you to re-calibrate your business plan.
• [23:23] Best resources for blockchain information: Reddit, Twitter, Blockgeeks (check out Chris Burniske on Twitter).
• [24:04] Ameer is a firm believer in “chunking” together similar activities, so you don’t lose your creative bandwidth scattering your resources.
• [24:54] No matter what, once a week, Ameer makes sure to do absolutely nothing.
• [25:38] Ameer likes AHREFS for SEO and MixPanel for analytics.
• [25:53] Ameer recommends the book Seeking Wisdom

Resources From This Interview:

• Blockgeeks
• Blockgeeks’ free educational guides
• Blockchain Space
• Ethereum
• Bitcoin
• Kyber Network
• Must-read books:
  • Slicing Pie: Funding Your Company without Funds by Mike Moyer
  • Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger by Peter Bevelin
• Chris Burniske on Twitter
• Ahrefs
• MixPanel
• Ameer on Twitter
• Ameer on YouTube
• ameer@blockgeeks.com

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