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Why Blockchain Might Kill My Side Project

I know what you’re thinking. Ed, it’s very counter-intuitive to go from writing a post about starting a side project, to immediately writing about how it might possibly end. Let’s understand why.

First, to recap quickly about why I started a side project (HTML Resume).

• I started HTML Resume because I enjoy designing themes. I’ve designed themes for Websites, Tumblr, Wordpress and yes, MySpace.
• I strongly believe that investing in your online presence helps to establish and build trust between parties.
• I wanted to start a project that would give me new learning opportunities in many different areas.
• I talk too much about starting side projects, but I rarely do.

Ok, so what exactly is blockchain?

Blockchain is a distributed database that keeps a record of transactions, like an accounting ledger. Information that is stored in this public ledger doesn’t live on a single computer or server—it lives and gets updated on multiple computers so there’s no single point of failure or centralization of information. These computers also work together to verify the information to make sure it’s valid before it stores it as a record, so anything falsified then gets dismissed. Information that gets stored is append-only so previous transactions can’t be overwritten, and it’s fully encrypted (secure by design) so it can’t be hacked.

In a (very) brief summary, it’s a method for verifying information to make sure it’s recorded, secured, and validated to establish trust.

Sure, but why does this matter?

Let’s look at an example of how a typical recruiting process works today.

1. A recruiter finds you on LinkedIn and asks you for your resume.
2. You send them a PDF copy.
3. They email you back for an initial phone screening to make sure you’re qualified for the open position.
4. You come in, and nail the series of onsite interviews.
   Now they want to hire you (congrats!)
5. HR asks you for a few references.
6. HR asks you to undergo a background check.
7. HR asks you for more information (ID, address, proof of work, citizenship, academic degrees, etc).
8. Your information has successfully been verified.
9. You get an offer.

There’s a few times in this process where someone else needed to verify your information because what you wrote on your resume can’t automatically be proved to be true and verified—even after a full long day of interviews, we still won’t be able to prove that you are who you say you are. Often times, it involves the use of many third party players to step in and help verify your information, like an employment agency to perform background checks or a recruiter calling up your previous hiring manager for a reference. This is also generally the reason why recruiters take 2–3 weeks to get back to you.

But that sucks doesn’t it? And I don’t mean just the waiting part. But this underlying trust issue. You’ve put so much of your life and career in building your resume— only to be looked at as someone who still “needs to be trusted and verified”. It’s the same feeling you get when you’re asked for your ID at a bar when you clearly haven’t seen the insides of a college campus in almost a decade.

How would it work in a blockchain world?

1. A recruiter finds your website.
2. Your resume lives on the blockchain.
   Information (work experience, qualifications, achievements, references, proof of work, background checks, etc) has already been verified and validated.
3. You come in, and nail the series of onsite interviews.
   Now they want to hire you (congrats again!)
4. You hear back the next day, and get an offer.

Because trust has already been validated between the two parties (employer and candidate) through blockchain, consensus has been reached and the process can continue without the need for third-party verification. Since trust is inherently applied through the blockchain, it essentially becomes “trustless”. Employers don’t need to trust a third-party to verify your resume, because they’re confident that it’s real.

It’s worth noting that blockchain technology doesn’t have to just apply to employee data, nor does it need to be only used for financial transactions (cryptocurrency) — but virtually any system of record or information that needs to be stored, tracked, and verified.

So will blockchain actually kill my side project?

Your information still needs to be visible and accessible. Encrypted information that’s stored and locked away for no-one to ever access is not very useful is it?

Your resume will still play a big part in getting you discovered by recruiters and hiring managers. It represents a profile of who you are. However, in a world where blockchain acts as the trust layer between parties who are looking to exchange something of value — the need for verifying who you say you are will no longer exist. It’s too time consuming and expensive for employers, and it’s too demeaning in trust for qualified candidates.

So while resumes and CVs will still be useful, it’s the Employee Verification companies that have much more to worry about.

If you’re interested in checking it out, visit https://htmlresume.com/ or
follow me at Ed Moss (https://twitter.com/mosstache)