So let’s start! Tell us a bit about yourself. For example, name, profession, and personal interests.
My name is Ulrik Lykke. I’m a Danish-born entrepreneur and business owner that has been involved in a number of businesses since I first started my own at the age of 18.
I first discovered Bitcoin more than a decade ago and since my first encounter, I’ve become more and more dedicated to the digital assets industry, and have been involved with a number of business ventures in that domain.
My forté lies within the investment side of the space and my experience covers everything from starting one of the first investment funds in Europe dealing with crypto assets to identifying, assessing, and investing in venture projects from the industry.
Interesting! What was your latest Hackernoon Top story about?
My latest story was titled “Crypto VC Behavior Reveals Market Trends for 2023 and Beyond”, where I tried to distill the behavior of venture capitalists in the crypto scene for the year 2022 and speculate on what to look out for in the new year.
Do you usually write on similar topics? If not, what do you usually write about?
I generally write a lot of things and have been an avid writer since I was quite young. I remember registering my domain ulriklykke.dk around the age of 15 and starting to write non-fiction posts about everything from tech to technology. The website still exists but I’ve since truncated the first entries.
Nowadays my writings are typically focused on the digital asset space or technology space. However, I do write an occasional poem or Essay as well.
Great! What is your usual writing routine like (if you have one?)
I’ve found that evenings are the best time for me to write. I try to spend 30 minutes every evening on my scribbles, and it is also there where I review social media posts and similar things. My really productive nights typically come as binges, and often it will keep me up till way after midnight.
Recently I’ve become fairly active on Linkedin, where I write small snippets on market behavior in crypto.
Being a writer in tech can be a challenge. It’s not often our main role, but an addition to another one. What is the biggest challenge you have when it comes to writing?
During a normal workday, I have a myriad of emails, phone calls, and instant messages tossed at me. This is wildly unproductive if you want to write some good.
I’ve long ago mastered writing while I am doing something else. However, I have also long realized that I cannot write quality if I don’t have the mental space and silence to do so. Perhaps this is why I prefer the evening for my scribbles.
What is the next thing you hope to achieve in your career?
I have many things I want to achieve. Both as an entrepreneur, an investor, and as a writer.
As an entrepreneur, I am working actively on a few projects which I think could capture a lot of value in the next few years. One of these is Bitcoin Global Macro, which I want to double down on and transform into a fully-fledged research institute for crypto.
As an investor, I am quite active with some bets this year, as the current market terrain.
Wow, that’s admirable. Now, something more casual: What is your guilty pleasure of choice?
I guess I am a sucker for quality social settings where I can enjoy good food and the occasional drink. For drinks, I enjoy most things as long as it is not sweet. I’m a big fan of whiskey in particular and have quite the collection at home.
Do you have a non-tech-related hobby? If yes, what is it?
I paint oil paintings on canvas. I mainly concentrate on abstract and contemporary art, and my work is largely guided by my intuition and feelings. I try to avoid conceptual plans for what I am creating and can paint for hours straight sometimes.
Recently, I also bought a mixer and got a little interested in mixing electronic music too. Creative outlets like painting and mixing music are very pleasant inputs in my life as most of my creativity is channeled toward business endeavors.
What can the Hacker Noon community expect to read from you next?
Quality content regarding the digital assets markets. I try to be fact-based, relevant, and slightly opinionated about what I write. I don’t claim to have all the answers at all, but I think I hold a qualified opinion regarding many topics.
What’s your opinion on HackerNoon as a platform for writers?
Obviously just discovering the writing aspects of this platform now but have since joined and also consumed more of a few tech reads already. I’m a big fan of staying on top of what’s happening in tech and lately; I’ve enjoyed many reads on AI here on HackerNoon.
Thanks for taking time to join our “Meet the writer” series. It was a pleasure. Do you have any closing words?
A pleasure to participate! I hope to be a consistent contributor and can also be found on my LinkedIn and my Twitter accounts where I also publish shorter-form content.