Technology

Breaking Into Blockchain: An Interview With Cecily Mak

Her story goes to show that it's worth it to follow your interests and take the leap into a new position or industry.

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With the blockchain and crypto industries growing more and more every day, there is an increasing amount of exciting new positions for professionals interested in making a change. Cecily Mak, formerly Chief Business and Legal Officer at Flipboard, recently joined blockchain venture studio ConsenSys as a Venture Partner. Cecily shared insight on her new role and what inspired her to break into blockchain — and advice for professionals interested in doing the same.

What’s your new role?

I am now a Venture Partner at ConsenSys, a blockchain venture production studio building decentralized applications on Ethereum.

What did you do before?

I was the Chief Business and Legal Officer at Flipboard up until earlier this month. I held a range of roles at Flipboard over six years, including head of corporate operations, chief revenue officer, and general counsel. Before joining Flipboard in 2012, I was SVP & general counsel at Napster/Rhapsody, where over seven years I held a set of similarly diverse roles, rooted in licensing/legal and operations. I was at a law firm for three years before I started my in-house journey in 2004.

What inspired the change to ventures?

It was a very natural progression for me, as I have been gravitating towards venturing/advisory work in recent years. In addition to my full time executive and legal roles, I have served as an advisory board member/CEO coach to a range of start-ups for years. I love this work, as it is in the early chapters that a company shapes its mission, identity, values, and vision.  Being able to partner with the core team as this comes together is potent, fun work.  Further, while at Flipboard, I did most of the corporate development/investor relations work in partnership with the board, the CEO, and other key team members. When considering the next chapter in my career, a VC role was among the options at the very top of my list, as I am drawn to the blend of data-driven and high EQ-driven opportunity assessment. It was a blend of these two factors layered upon a deep fascination with the potential for blockchain technology that made this a very obvious fit.

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Wow, blockchain and crypto! Why?

The internet has been a remarkable game changer for a range of industries, including communication, media, education, and banking. Blockchain technology, which is essentially distributed truth tracking, is positioned to level up a whole new set of industry segments including real estate, insurance, supply chain management (across an infinite number of sectors), and just about any other field where there is a need and appetite for higher integrity value exchange, accountability, transparency, and overall distribution of power. I am fascinated by the infinite range of possibilities to not only improve industry, but the human condition as a whole. I’ll also admit an appetite for challenge; I am happiest professionally when at my limits and learning in both substance and format. I could not have imagined a role change with a steeper learning curve in both operations and substance.

How did you get this new adventure?

The way we get anything worth getting in life: passion, conviction, focus, persistence, authentic communication, and trust in the process. When I met a business development lead at ConsenSys as a potential client and heard a bit about the company’s diverse offerings (Academy, Labs, Capital, and Solutions), I was intrigued. As I learned more about the unique culture (ConsenSys is a teal organization with a commitment to self-governance, accountability, and fulfillment/happiness for its team members) and incredible pace of growth, I was committed to exploring what sounded like a perfect role for me. It turns out, it was and still is.

What do you think has prepared you for this new transition?

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Having worked in digital media for 15 years, I am very familiar with the thrill and pain of the intersections among old and new, analog and digital, known and opportunistic. I see similar themes as various projects, companies, and verticals onboard onto blockchain solutions. We are on a journey and I am looking forward to partnering internally and externally to help empower great decision making and make sure we are leveraging these innovations to the height of their potential. Further, I am a perpetual student and don’t expect to tire of new things to learn as the industry continues to evolve at the very fast “blockchain dog years” pace.

What’s your recommendation for professionals interested in working with blockchain or crypto? Where should they look?

I recommend self-educating first. Go deep. Find the best news sources/blogs/podcasts and dig in. See what interests you. What are you passionate about? The “internet” of the 1990s is “blockchain” of our era. I remember the moment in ~2000 when I realized there are no “internet companies,” though that was a heavily used term in the dot-com boom of the time. Just because an enterprise uses the internet to operate or offer a product or service does not make the company an “internet company.” It is time for us to face a similar realization regarding blockchain. There are not a lot of pure blockchain companies and projects, but there are countless companies, projects, and governments usingblockchain technology to enable their next level of innovation and overall capabilities. Once you’ve identified the thread that interests you the most, like any job hunt effort, tap your network. Meet people. Go to events. Ask questions. There is far more work now than there are competent people to do it, so it’s a great time to onboard.

How can professionals get ready for a position working with blockchain / crypto? What resources do you recommend?

I have found several topic-specific Medium channels very helpful. I also listened to almost every single Andreessen Horowitz podcast on crypto/blockchain in my early days. Read Coindesk.  Follow Coinbase, ConsenSys, Ripple, IBM Fabric, and other mainstream channels on Twitter and beyond. Ask around. There are new resources popping up every single day. By the time you are reading this, any specific suggestions will likely be gravely outdated. Oh, and have an open mind. You’ll encounter crypto-anarchists, genius engineers, and corporate loyalists in most circles, not to mention an entire universe of new terminology. Have fun.

It is always a difficult decision to make a career change, but Cecily Mak’s story shows that it can be worth it to follow your interests and take the leap into a new position or industry. With the blockchain and crypto industry truly booming, there is a wealth of new positions for passionate professionals who are willing to jump in and learn.

Olga V. Mack is a blockchain strategist, public speaker, and adjunct professor at Berkeley Law. She is Vice President of Strategy at Quantstamp, the first decentralized security auditing blockchain platform. Most recently, she served as General Counsel at ClearSlide and she has held legal and operational roles at Visa, Zoosk, Pacific Art League, Wilson Sonsini, and Yahoo. Olga founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to serve on the corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. You can email Olga at olga@olgamack.com or follow her on Twitter @olgavmack.

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