Leaving A Legacy: Andrew Marquardt
Like with all graduates, the Spartan Blockchain Solutions seniors often catch themselves reflecting on the experiences they’ve gained over their college careers. We decided to sit down with them and discuss their time with S.B.S., and how it’s changing how they go into the professional world.
Today, Former President Andrew Marquardt explains what S.B.S. has done for him, how is perspective has shifted, and what he wants young recruits to know going in:
Give me some thoughts on your experience at Spartan Blockchain. What’s it like to be leaving?
“I would say that my experience at Spartan Blockchain has been extremely significant. My experience is a bit unique because I’ve been here since our founding, back when we were focusing on cryptocurrencies and the trading side of things. To go from that, to teaching blockchain education, to now starting to work on real blockchain projects, I think it’s significant in the sense of seeing how the scope of the organization has changed and what our members have been able to accomplish. Getting to know all of the members and learning about their interests in blockchain technology is also really cool.”
“Focusing on me leaving, looking back I think the thing our board has always stressed is making sure we put people in the right place regarding secession. Making sure everyone can continue to grow and continue to grow the organization. I think we’re in a position in which we’re well prepared going into next year. Our executive board members know what to do, they know how to execute. It’s now just a matter of setting that strategy and going out and doing it. It’s just cool to see something that myself and the other co-founders created actually being continued on after we graduate.”
If you had to name the one thing you are personally taking away from Spartan Blockchain, what would it be?
“I would say the biggest thing for me is knowing how to fail. We always give people the autonomy to complete their work at their own pace with their own method. With that being said, if something doesn’t go right the first time it’s okay. There’s been countless times where I messed up or forgot to do something. I regretted it at that moment, but at the same time I learned from it and I understood I gained valuable experience from that.”
What do you think the future of Spartan Blockchain looks like?
“I think what’s really cool is that while we’re building structure to work in the advisory space, we’re also giving our members the tools to become successful Blockchain developers. We’re really starting to build up that curriculum, and our recruits seemed to be interested in that.”
“I think we’re well on our way to forming industry partnerships with technology focused organizations. Because of that, I think we’re going to be able to collaborate with them on a lot of projects in the Blockchain space. Overall, I think [our future holds] a lot more collaboration in the space. The projects our team members will be working on will be significantly larger than what we currently have.”
What is your one piece of advice for new members going into Spartan Blockchain?
“Be open to new experiences. Be willing to be a sponge. Be willing to come in and learn and work. Be willing to listen to everyone around you. Try to solve the problem at hand, that’s the main thing I have for them.”
