Finally the secret is out and @appics is officially announced! 

I am still reading your comments but the overall response seems to be very positive, which of course makes me happy.

I've been hinting at this project that my team and I have been working on for over year now, for quite some time and it's a great feeling seeing an idea evolve and come to life, especially with the support of you Steemians! 

Mika (Teamz-Host) , Timothy Sykes , @peetervoogd

Now it probably makes a little more sense why I was in Tokyo and what for. I went to conferences and events to represent APPICS and connect with powerful investors, partners, influencers and entrepreneurs from Asia and the States since we are planning on going global and directly targeting the mainstream market. The one particular event I enjoyed a lot was hosted by TEAMZ and Tribe Network / @theglobopreneur at...

The Venue

... Shangri-La Hotel, Tokyo

シャングリ・ラ ホテル 東京

An absolutely gorgeous location that combines traditional Japanese elements with modern architecture, with an incredible view!

Red Carpet Photos

The Importance Of Networking

After hanging around industry leaders and different types of entrepreneurs for a couple of days I can say that I learned something very important. This old saying:

YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH.

A new friend of mine @petervoogd is a great living proof of that. He built a person brand and leveled up his influence through his social network. This is btw. what's happening in general on social media. "Influencer groups" forming to support each other and grow their influence together. 

I am 100% excited about the digital revolution and I speak a lot about digital marketing, the power of social media and how it allows us to reach millions of people at the same time, but I want to take this opportunity right now to mention something that I think many people have forgotten and my trip to  Tokyo reminded me of:

HUMAN INTERACTION IS THE MOST POWERFUL THING THERE IS! 

It's the most intimate way of communication.. shaking someone's hand, looking directly into their eyes, speaking to someone IN PERSON!
And it is currently highly undervalued because the digital revolution is getting all the attention. 

Picking up the phone and calling someone is still more powerful than an e-mail and meeting someone in person is still more powerful than talking on the phone.

Social Media is amazing and a wonderful tool for SCALING, don't get me wrong. But don't forget that no matter what great of a technology comes along, how much we increase in speed and scalability.. it doesn't change the power of personal human connection. 

And actually if you are in business, take this as a hint to go out more, attend local events, travel to conferences, host your own events and take advantage of the most powerful and yet currently underestimated way of building a network.

Ok back to the event. After some time hanging out with my new friends and networking with people, it was finally time for speeches and the announcements from each investor. 

As I mentioned previously:

The first day of the International Business Summit consisted of presentations from 40 entrepreneurs that were pitching to powerful investors from Japan, China and The United States. Each investor could give away golden passes to the entrepreneurs they want to meet with privately. 

APPICS received 3 golden passes and 5 private meetings in total. A lot of people came up to me even directly after my presentation on Day 1, wanting to get involved and telling me how amazing this concept sounds (even though "turning likes into currency" sounds too good to be true). The conference wasn't particularly for FinTech or Blockchain Start-Ups (even though I knew some of the investors were ICO-oriented), but my point is that even though the crypto space still feels strange and uncertain for a lot of people, when I began explaining the level of disruption of a social network that simply uses the benefits of blockchain technology, even the typical VC's got curious. The reactions I received from the conferences I attended and spoke at, have given me confirmation not just in what we are doing with @appics , but in general about blockchain solutions becoming mass adapted. 

I think we Steemians have one thing in common, that we are aware, curious and excited for the future, but at the same time a level of uncertainty remains. However I can say that after many many conversations with industry leaders, it will just be a matter of time AND the right project to simplify blockchain and crypto (just like internet or wifi) so that anyone can use it without having to understand it... until blockchain becomes globally popular and as commonly used as the internet. 

If you aren't already signed up to APPICS' newsletter make sure to check our website 

or directly send an e-mail to: mail@appics.com (type "Steemian" in the subject line).
If you want to partake in the pre-sale, send an email to: presale@appics.com

Question OTD: What are your favorite blockchain solutions / crypto projects?

Much love,

- Mrs.Steemit