In conversation with Pandu S from Asosiasi Blockchain Indonesia
Pandu Sastrowardoyo is the Secretary-General of Asosiasi Blockchain Indonesia (the Indonesian Blockchain Association) and the Co-Founder and BoD of Blockchain Zoo. ABI is Indonesia’s only legally recognized Blockchain association of companies at the moment, while Blockchain Zoo is one of the earliest Blockchain technology companies. She has been interviewed in Forbes, CNN, and CNBC several times to help raise awareness about this amazing technology. I first met Pandu at an event in Indonesia we were both speaking at & really enjoyed her presentation.
What motivated you to get into blockchain & Crypto?
I was an early investor in Bitcoin but I sold early as well! :D This is unfortunate for me personally, but it got me involved in the community and I became fascinated with the concept of Blockchain itself. I’ve always been a computer geek, having started programming since I was 6 years old. I spent 6 years of my life in IBM as well, so I can be considered a major Enterprise IT geek. Blockchain fascinated me more than anything I ever saw in the Enterprise, as it opened doors to new kinds of solutions architectures and capabilities.
What were you doing before Crypto/Blockchain? Were there any Challenges you faced which crypto transformed for you?
I was the Country PureFlex Leader for IBM, Product Line Manager for x86, Networking and Flex Systems for IBM, was the Technical Solutions Manager for IBM Migration Factory for Asia Pacific, and several other roles related to Enterprise IT. Cryptocurrency never helped me with my work, but I became very conversant with Blockchain very early and that helped during IBM’s Blockchain adoption; it was easier for me to get through the internal training :)
What is the main problem you or your organization is excited to solve in this fast-evolving space? Why is this important?
I’d like to make sure that Blockchain is implemented where it needs to be implemented, and not shoehorned into solutions that don’t match it. I’d also like to create and maintain a healthy ecosystem and reduce the conditions that promote scams. I’d like the Blockchain ecosystem to have its own immune system against scams.
What do you think are the biggest challenges in the industry?
The largest challenge in IT is the lack of collaboration between companies due to organizational jealousy and distrust due to the need of centralized servers. This has actually increased with the current trends of Big Data and Analytics. Blockchain can solve some of these cases, if solutioned well.
Beyond your own project, which other blockchain projects are you excited about? Why?
I’m excited about too many projects to mention here :) I love projects that have real business uses and is backed by real Enterprise experience, but with a clear Blockchain business value.
Any Books or individuals that have completely changed your perspective on Blockchain?
The Politics of Bitcoin, by David Golumbia
Postcapitalism, by Paul Mason
Linked, by Albert-Lazlo Barabasi
What should anyone new to the space look out for?
There’s not just one Blockchain :) Your solutions might mix several technologies from the Blockchain & non-Blockchain world. Being agnostic is the best way to bring value.
