The CryptoSmiles Series: Sam Davies
This Q&A series celebrates those visionaries who were the first in the world to buy a Smile Maker at CryptoSmiles.Store and demonstrate their commitment to the future of crypto payments and mass scale adoption.
Sam Davies is a self-taught expert in all things cocktails and BBQ — and — leader of the motley crew at Digital Noir, an agency based in Adelaide, South Australia, that creates beautifully engaging digital experiences. Sam caught up with intimate.io co-founder Leah Callon-Butler at Pause Fest 2019 to riff on everything from Facebook privacy breaches to buying sex toys with crypto.
Eavesdrop on their chats here or via the following link:
Everyone has a story about how they fell ‘down the rabbit hole’.
What’s yours?
I must admit I have been something of a lurker for the past few years. Being in the tech space I have kept an eye on crypto but from a distance. It has only been recently that I’ve taken the plunge into investment and practical use. I have a few colleagues who have gone in deep and have some strong arguments for investment, I have still only dipped my toes in. Watch this space.
Looking back, how do you think the blockchain space has changed? Or… What have you learned since then?
It is maturing and finding more and more practical, commercial applications. I still think we are very much in the early days of the technology.
It is interesting that a lot of attention gets put on the tech itself rather than the practical applications, which is what I am much more interested in and why I thought that the concept around intimate token, especially the ‘trust and transparency’ aspects were really interesting.
What are you working on now? Why?
Outside of the work I do for my business Digital Noir (an agency focussed on solving digital problems for businesses that give a shit) I have been loving the evolution of the podcast we started a little over 12 months ago.
Forcing yourself to sit down with someone for an hour, with no distractions and a set of headphones on, elicits some incredible human conversations. We are so distracted in 2019 that it is rare to share an hour of uninterrupted time one on one with someone and now I get the chance to do it a few times a week with some extremely interesting people!
You can find our chats by searching Digital Noir Presents on your favourite podcast app.
What myth would you like to dispel about crypto?
I am not in a position to be dispelling myths! A lot of the mainstream look at crypto (especially Bitcoin) and will throw things out there like “well, it’s not actually money”… But after recently reading Sapiens by Yuvah Noah Hurari, you get a pretty clear understanding that over human history what has been considered ‘currency’ has varied dramatically (just like sea shells were once the gold standard)! Many people are stuck with a world view that the current financial markets and institutions are set in stone. They are not. Nothing is!
Crypto is just as valid a form of exchange as US dollars or shells, it all comes down to trust. It will be interesting to see how crypto on the NASDAQ starts changing opinion.
What do you wish you could buy with crypto that you can’t now?
Heaps! Even though transactions have been increasing month on month for the past 5 years, there is still not a mainstream adoption of crypto.
I look forward to the day when more eCommerce stores begin accepting crypto here in the west.
Your prediction for crypto / blockchain in 2019?
Blockchain as a technology has a reputation problem. Many people associate it with crypto / bitcoin and then jump ship to the dark web, criminals, hacking, etc. I think that Blockchain needs to be better educated to the mainstream in terms of the power it posses for good. I think we will see the term itself being replaced for DLT or Distributed Ledger Technology, which might help give it a better image in the corporate (conservative) world.
What makes you smile?
So many things. Lately though I have really felt positive about the discussions I have been having with complete strangers through our podcast. Last week, I had the shittiest day at the studio and walked into a chat with the Australian Venture Capitalist, Elaine Stead. I was in a foul mood, but just 10 minutes into our chat, I had forgotten all of my days concerns and was just focussed on the present and smiling!
Why did you choose to support the launch of CryptoSmiles.Store?
It’s exciting to be able to support what I believe is a brilliant application of the technology and also spend crypto online! Even better when Leah hand delivers your order to you (as she did, when we were at Pause Fest in Melbourne this year).
Smile Makers are designing the next model to add to their collection. If you were a Smile Maker, what would you be named and why?
Sammy Davies Jnr? LOL.
Contact Sam and the team at Digital Noir here.
Listen to Sam and Leah’s podcast interview here.
Buy yourself a Smile Makers vibrator with crypto here.
