Let's start from the beginning. My name is Sushant, and I'm a third-year undergraduate at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
Without wasting your time talking more about myself, which isn't important for this blog (I can write another blog for that), let's get to the point where I first heard about "Summer of Bitcoin."
It was February 2024. I was sitting in my hostel room (it was really cold outside) and looking for internships on LinkedIn for the upcoming summer. I hadn't gotten any during the campus internship drive, even though I prepared well (bad luck, I guess). As I was scrolling through different internships on LinkedIn, I clicked on a profile that mentioned "open source contributor, Summer of Bitcoin'22" and "open source contributor, GSoC '23."
I had heard of Google Summer of Code (GSoC) before, but Summer of Bitcoin was new to me. I searched online to learn more about Summer of Bitcoin. I found it quite intriguing and decided to give it a try to see where it might lead.
That was the introduction. Now, let's move on to the main part of the story, which many of you are eager to know: how did I get selected?
There are two profiles in the Summer of Bitcoin (referred to as SoB from now on): Developer and Designer. I had to choose between these two profiles to maximize my chances of selection and ensure I would enjoy the work. I run my own YouTube channel where I post videos showcasing filmmaking skills and creative editing skills. Additionally, I write a newsletter on my website, covering topics such as politics, finance, climate, and the environment. I also serve as the coordinator of media and publicity at my college. Given these experiences, it is clear which profile I applied for. Yes, you guessed it correctly—Designer.
So I applied for the designer role in the SoB'24 and submitted it. So now the first round you have to clear is the screening round where they review your design portfolio ( hopefully I had one on behance )and if found impressive they select you for the next round.
A few days later, I received an email informing me that I had passed the screening round and was shortlisted for the upcoming SoB'24 bootcamp. Upon reading the email, I was thrilled to have cleared the screening round and now had the opportunity to attend the bootcamp, learn more about the Bitcoin space, interact with the community, and gain insights from my peers.
The bootcamp spans four weekends (starting from 24th Feb to 16th Mar), with two meetings scheduled each week (you attend one based on your time zone). During these meetings, participants are placed in breakout rooms with groups of 4 to 5 people to discuss their opinions and understanding of the weekly materials provided by the SoB team (which include videos and articles designed to teach Bitcoin from the ground up).
The bootcamp was highly enjoyable, and I greatly appreciated learning from individuals from various parts of the world. One of the most valuable aspects of SoB is its ability to connect people globally, offering diverse perspectives on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
After the bootcamp, we were assigned a task specific to the role for which we were shortlisted (in my case, a designer). There were several tasks available for designers, but I chose to develop a low-fidelity interaction flow for a Bitcoin wallet. This flow explained everything from setting up the wallet to receiving the first Bitcoin and completing the transaction. However, I also decided to develop the high-fidelity interaction flow out of curiosity and excitement (which I believe earned me some extra brownie points, if any was given).
On April 1st, Adi (Program Lead of SoB'24) announced on the Discord server that a few organisations would be presenting their projects in the coming days, with more to follow later. The time has come to engage with different companies and their various projects. Participants can choose up to three projects and prepare a proposal outlining their approach to the identified problem and their solution strategy.
On April 3rd, several organisations presented their projects. After reviewing all of them, I initially felt that none were a good fit for me, except for one that I was somewhat uncertain about. When I first read the project ideas from Here Comes Bitcoin, I decided to consult with the mentors before making a decision. Little did I know that this would be the project I would eventually work on in the future.
I visited the project site and found it had two mentors: Haley and a "Mystery Mentor" (who is no longer a mystery, but let's keep the title for fun). However, I did not contact them initially because, being my first time participating in the Summer of Bitcoin, I was unsure about the project and didn't want to make any mistakes.
I decided to build a solid foundation first and prepare a draft proposal before seeking guidance from the mentors to ensure I was on the right track. I allowed the ideas to flow and prepared a proposal. The challenge was that my end-semester exams at college were scheduled from April 18th to April 30th, and the proposal submission deadline was April 30th at 11:59 PM. It took me until April 14th to create my proposal, and I planned to make a few changes before sending it to the mentors.
I searched the SoB Discord server for Haley and the mystery mentor. I found Haley (the mystery mentor remained anonymous). I direct messaged Haley, asking if she could review my proposal and provide feedback.
On April 18th, my first end-semester exam went well, and I was in a positive mood. Later, I received a reply from Haley. She had reviewed my proposal, found it well-prepared for submission, and appreciated my ideas. Feeling elated, I decided to focus more on my end-semester exams and planned to make some adjustments to the proposal during breaks between exams. Ultimately, I completed my proposal and submitted it on time.
The vacation began on May 1st, and the results were scheduled to be released on May 7th, as mentioned by Adi. I decided to stay in the hostel and wait for the results instead of going home. However, no results were announced on May 7th or even on May 8th. Some individuals mentioned on server that they had received selection emails from their organisations. Then, on the morning of May 9th at 4:00 am, I received a message from Haley requesting a call to discuss my proposal further.
On the evening of May 9th, at 9:00 pm, I received a Google Meet invite link. I joined the meeting and met both of my mentors, finally learning the identity of the mystery mentor. We briefly discussed my proposal and the inspiration behind my idea. I must note that they were very cool and not at all intimidating. The call concluded in 15 minutes.
I was blown away by how quickly everything happened! After the call, I felt so satisfied knowing I gave it my all and didn't mess up anything. Then, nearly a week later, on the 14th at approximately 2 pm, I received a congratulatory email in my Gmail. I had been selected for the Summer of Bitcoin program with the organisation "Here Comes Bitcoin."
That's it for now. See you guys in next blog.