Interview with Gavin Wood: Childhood Experiences, Innovative Ideas, and Industry Misunderstandings

Gavin Wood is a co-founder of Ethereum, the creator of Polkadot, and a proponent of the Web3 vision. In a 3-hour exclusive interview, he shared his childhood experiences, innovative ideas, and the misunderstandings he encountered in the blockchain industry.

From Japanese Whiskey to British Culture

Gavin said that he really likes Japanese culture and has a house in Japan. He appreciates the meticulous service in Japan, while also enjoying traditional British cuisine and etiquette culture. When it comes to humor, Gavin believes that humor is a great way to communicate, as it can indirectly express meaning and find common ground.

Childhood Experiences Shape Personality

Gavin grew up in a single-parent family and went through a rather unpleasant period during his childhood. This experience instilled in him a deep appreciation for a "safe environment." Although he has not undergone formal psychological therapy, he reflects on how his childhood experiences have affected him.

Innovative Ideas: Incremental Innovation

When it comes to innovation, Gavin expressed that he prefers incremental innovation. He looks for combinations of known and visible effects to derive meaningful and useful results. Gavin emphasized that a true "idea" is having a method to achieve something, rather than just a lofty goal.

Is being too ahead considered wrong?

As an inventor, Gavin acknowledges that he may be misunderstood for having ideas that are too ahead of their time. He agrees with the notion that "being too ahead is equivalent to being wrong" and believes that innovations should be explained in a way that the target audience can understand. Gavin points out that disruptive inventions are often initially used for simple or even seemingly childish use cases, such as the internet being originally used to send emails.

Profound understanding of knowledge drives significant breakthroughs

Gavin believes that innovation should not be limited to solving small problems or preset outcomes. He advocates starting with existing "components," including knowledge from various disciplines, existing technologies, etc., to solve problems through recombination and innovation. Gavin emphasizes that the pursuit of profound understanding of knowledge can lead to multiple significant outcomes, rather than just a specific result.