> be @barnabemonnot > spend 6.5 years at the ethereum foundation studying how this whole thing should work > become obsessed with what happens when someone actually tries to use it > why are they waiting? > why did that builder leave? > what would make them want to come back? > still believe in the reasons ethereum chose the harder path > also believe people should enjoy using it > decide to spend your days connecting those two things > cofound ethlabs > a nonprofit mission with startup hours > apparently this is your idea of a good time > start posting weekly updates > sometimes just explain what you’re thinking about > people show up saying they’re working on the same problem > now you have collaborators > keep posting > people want faster ethereum > you also want faster ethereum > have spent enough time inside the protocol to know where the complications are > propose doing the engineering to make block times configurable > start with 12 seconds to 10 > keep working toward further reductions as testing supports them > ten seconds is the first target and an ethereum that keeps getting faster without losing its core properties is the goal > listen to client teams about deadlines, workload and slower validators > account for future proving and post-quantum requirements > the exciting future involves a lot of checking things carefully > “why bother?” > because people should feel confident that their transaction actually worked > because markets benefit from fresher prices > because money waiting for confirmation is money someone cannot use yet > seconds matter when enough people spend their day waiting for them > also work on faster confirmations > the tech helps bridges and exchanges credit deposits in tens of seconds instead of 13 minutes > explain the security assumptions > recognize where people still need finality > go talk to the teams who would actually integrate it > find out what’s stopping them > research becomes more useful when you stay around for this part > asked about L2s > want them to succeed > scale mainnet too > different communities will want different applications and experiences > give them good reasons to build within ethereum > $ETH can reach more people through all of them > asked about attracting younger builders > discuss mentorship, funding and helping experiments reach users > want to do it properly > remember the point is for new people to build things you wouldn’t have thought of yourself > asked what success looks like in a year > want ethereum to feel alive > more people building useful, strange, ambitious things > more reasons to open an app and do something > more young builders deciding this is where they want to spend their time > has thought deeply about how ethereum can survive for generations and still wants to make sure you have a reason to use it tomorrow