This story is a part of Hacker Noon's Meet the Writer series of interviews. The series is intended for tech professionals contributing the most insightful Hacker Noon stories to share more about their writing habits, ideas, and professional background (and maybe a hobby or two). If you too would like to start contributing to Hacker Noon, you can do so here.
#So let’s start! Tell us a bit about yourself. For example, name, profession, and personal interests.
Hi! My name is Ryan Cheng. I work in finance and am based in the United States. Years ago, I discovered the world of blockchain and crypto, and like many others, became intrigued and excited at all of the possibilities this new world had to offer. My excitement led me to begin writing and sharing with others about this exciting field, and soon I found myself moonlighting as a copywriter in this industry.
Outside of finance and writing, I enjoy traveling. I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited more than 30 countries and I hope to continue to increase that count once we get out of the pandemic. It is exciting to not only see new places, but to experience other cultures, experience new sights and sounds, and most importantly, to try different foods. Eating is important!
#Interesting! What was your latest Hackernoon Top story about?
I work with PARSIQ on their content, and have had the privilege of writing about their amazing products, some of which are already out and others which are coming down the pipeline. For the latest story, we introduced readers to PARSIQ’s IQ Protocol, and how it can help new and existing projects to improve their tokenomics models. You can read about it here.
#Do you usually write on similar topics? If not, what do you usually write about?
Yes, in addition to IQ Protocol, I also write about PARSIQ’s monitoring solutions, which are helping companies in a variety of ways, including notifications, security, and more. On my own blog, I’ve also written about various sub-topics in the blockchain space, including how it is set to change the creator economy, NFTs, DeFi, and more.
#Great! What is your usual writing routine like (if you have one?)
To ensure that each writing piece contains the most accurate and relevant information, I always start with some background and research on the topic at hand. I enjoy including the most up to date information in my pieces, so that the reader is getting the latest information possible on the topic being presented.
After I am satisfied with the information gathering, I work on a skeleton structure for the article. Depending on where my mind is at, I may fill out the bodies of the piece first, or if I already have a good intro in mind, I may just start writing the article from the very beginning.
#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?
You want your piece to speak to as many audiences as possible. In the tech world, this can be tough - because you can have readers who have little to no background in technology (but still want to try to understand it), to readers who are extremely detailed and technical by nature and trade. Writing a piece that is high level enough for general audiences to enjoy, but informative enough for technical folks to also get something out of is the most challenging. But it also happens to be the part I enjoy the most.
#What is the next thing you hope to achieve in your career?
I hope to continue growing and developing my knowledge in the crypto space. There is so much to absorb! In the end, I really enjoy sharing what I have learned, and to also inform people about exciting developments and possibilities in this field. I hope to be able to continue to do that in the world of blockchain and crypto - whether that be through writing, or a different type of platform.
#Wow, that’s admirable. Now, something more casual: What is your guilty pleasure of choice?
Black coffee and stroopwafels - a great (and unhealthy) combination to start off the day, writing or otherwise.
#Do you have a non-tech-related hobby? If yes, what is it?
I enjoy fixing things around my home before they break. Because well, after they break they become terrible nightmares. I also enjoy playing tennis and following the tennis scene. Right now is a particularly exciting time as we see a “changing of the guard” in both men’s and women’s tennis, with new champions and up and comers taking center stage in each slam.
#What can the Hacker Noon community expect to read from you next?
More great things from PARSIQ and hopefully other interesting, new, and exciting developments in the crypto space!
#Thanks for taking time to join our “Meet the writer” series. It was a pleasure. Do you have any closing words?
Thanks to the awesome team at Hacker Noon for publishing my story - it’s always great to be recognized and even more so when it’s related to something that you’re passionate about. I hope to continue sharing content that helps to inform the community and am happy to hear from the readers!