#BUIDL :: Dev Environment Setup. This series is written for anyone searching for a way to break free. There’s no reason to stay in a cage once you know how to make the key.
It all started with #BUIDL… and it seems to have taken off among the Ethereum community like wildfire. It’s a play on the “HODL” meme you probably are familiar with, but in productive endeavors. None of this crypto stuff matters unless we execute and #BUIDL ways to increase adoption.

The problem is, it’s very hard to get started. When people come to this space, there is an overwhelming amount of information. Are you ready to take the next step into #Ethereum #Blockchain education? You don’t need a University degree. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars. You already have what you need. All that’s missing is a guide. By the end of this post, you will have a working development environment and ready for the next lesson on how to build your first Ethereum Smart Contract.

Altered image from the Greatest Showman, 2017

#HODL. It’s a term that was created by a drunken man shouting in a forum on the internet that the best thing to do with bitcoin, when it’s just falling, is to hold. But, that’s reckless and the worst kind of risk management there is. Later on, someone created a “backronym” to make each letter stand for “Hold On for Dear Life” — but really, let’s not forget HODL literally was the misspelling word of a drunken man who couldn’t spell Hold.

#BUIDL — Builders suggest a term that refrences the action of building things. Build. This is NOT a post about debating prices. This is another post about innovation and leveraging Blockchain technology to help us move the human race forward, because the ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Who can do it? Everyone. What is the catch? It’s difficult.
When can you get started. Right now. Where do I need to learn? Your seat.
Why? Never be the same. You can come alive.

Excuse #1. “But I’m told I need an academy degree.”
Self-limiting belief. Don’t you want to get away to a new part you get to play?
You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to get started today.

Excuse #2. “I’ve never coded anything. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
You might not understand. But you will. You can share your knowledge, too.

Sometimes people pair this excuse with not understanding cryptography or being confused by mathematical formulas and concepts. DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. You don’t need to be a mathemetician nor a cryptographer in order to get started #BUIDLing.

Excuse #3. “I wouldn’t even know what do make.”
This is an exercise to pique your curiousity. Research. PLAY. Be Creative. Have faith in the process. Zingo! You will strike upon an idea that you can’t wait to get working on.

Excuse #4. “I heard crypto is falling in price. Isn’t it dead?”
Whenever you hear the crowds fighting about one crypto versus another crypto like it’s a sports event, run the other way. Abandon the town squares. Abandon the forums. #BUIDL.

Excuse #5. “This is really hard.”
The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds. Even experts in software development struggle. But, this is an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new endeavor, a new technology, and participate in the crypto-economic system that is growing with skills that are in increasing demand.

Excuse #6. “What if I get stuck? Then it’s pointless.”
There’s a multitude of resources available, often for free. From StackoverflowExchange to an entire ecosystem of Gitter chatrooms where developers can be found 24 hours a day, all around the globe, all busy working on open source software and provide quick Q&A help to get past hurdles. The greater our knowledge increases, the greater our ignorance unfolds.

Excuse #7. “Yeah sure. Why would anyone help me?”

John Nash was ahead of his time. He explained Open Source Software best in Governing Dynamics. Adam Smith once said, ‘the best result comes from everyone in the group doing what’s best for himself’. Incomplete. The best result will come from everyone in the group doing what’s best for himself, AND the group.

Now that we’re out of excuses,
you’re ready to be a force for positive change.

Let’s get started. Optionally skip this content.
Understand what a Blockchain is.
Understand the difference between Cryptocurrency versus Tokens.
Gain an understanding of Ethereum 101 from a Non-Technical Perspective.

Right here, right now. I put the offer out. I don’t want to chase you down.
I know you see it. You run with me. And I can cut you free.
Out of the drudgery and walls you keep in.
So trade that typical for something colorful. And if it’s crazy, live a little crazy.
You can play it sensible, a king of conventional. Or you can risk it all and see.
But I guess I’ll leave that up to you…

Stay tuned for the next episode of this #HowToBUIDL Series.

Dan Emmons is owner of Emmonspired LLC, a Certified Bitcoin Professional, Certified Ethereum Developer, Full Stack Developer and Advisor on Cryptocurrency projects. He is also the creator of a Youtube Channel and iTunes Podcast called #ByteSizeBlockchain.