last week i did something i wouldn’t have predicted even a year ago: i gave a 30-minute speech on bitcoin to a room full of people.

i’ve spoken in front of crowds before. i’ve made four best man speeches and one eulogy, i've presented ideas to a table full of executives, and i’ve had to stand in front of a room full of engineers to explain and defend my software code. the wedding toasts and eulogy were heartfelt, the work talks were professional — but in all of those moments, the role was defined for me. i knew the lane i was supposed to stay in.

*this time was uncharted. it wasn’t just about saying the words — it was about sharing something i’m passionate about, knowing i could be challenged on it, and risking the possibility of falling flat.*

i was asked by someone at the monthly 'bitcoin jawn' meetup to prepare a presentation about my experiences with bitcoin in a circular economy — buying coffee from vendors in miami beach from my lightning node hundreds of miles away, spending sats at el salvador souvenir stands, even showing how bitcoin was making its way into the nairobi slums. i hesitated replying for months.

speaking in front of a knowledgeable bitcoin crowd would test my own grasp of the knowledge. *was this full-on imposter syndrome? or did i actually know what i was talking about?*

during my delay, as i waffled between wanting to do it and feeling apprehensive about maybe being embarrassed, my uncle asked me to speak about bitcoin at his rotary club. i figured this could be the stepping stone. a boomer crowd that didn’t know anything about bitcoin would give me a runway. if i could get through that confidently, then i could circle back and tackle the tougher “bitcoin circular economy” talk.

so i said yes.

and it went so well last week that i’m now looking forward to the next more technical one. a couple of people thanked me afterwards, saying that they never stopped to think about money before -- and actually started to understand what bitcoin was. that’s a win for me. my main goal wasn’t to convert anyone on the spot, but to spark curiosity, to nudge them to question why our existing system is so flawed, and to think differently about what’s possible.

public speaking has never been where i’m most comfortable. although i remember winning an oratory competition in grade school while talking about collecting “doggy diamonds” from the backyard, and i remember being praised in mr. rybnick’s public speaking class in high school for my emphatic and engaging speaking style, i’ve always felt much more at home solving problems, writing code, or debating ideas one-on-one or in small groups, than standing at the front of a room with all eyes on me. that’s why this moment mattered. lately, i’ve been pushing myself to step out of my comfort zone, and this was one more step in that direction.

the topic -- bitcoin -- is something i care deeply about, but the bigger win wasn’t about the content. it was about proving to myself that i could do it,** that saying yes to the uncomfortable is where growth actually happens.**

comfort zones are cozy. but dangerous. stay in them too long, and they shrink around you. step out, and suddenly you find yourself expanding into spaces you didn’t think you belonged in.

so here’s to more yeses. more speeches. more risks. more moments to think “this isn’t me” ... and then choosing to make it me. to, in fact, do the things *because they make me feel uncomfortable.*

growth happens at the fringes of comfort.