Deep in the pandemic, Ian rediscovered Bitcoin. He'd played with it a decade earlier. Mined some. Lost it. Trapped at home, he went down the rabbit holes: hours-long podcasts, economics books, research.

As D.C. reopened, Ian re-entered society as a Bitcoiner. People cornered him with questions. He'd spend hours on calls explaining. Mandana started missing her husband. She had an idea: record Ian teaching her. People could listen in instead of cornering him.

Mandana came open and curious. Most Bitcoin content

lost her attention. Ian's didn't. So he'd teach, she'd follow her own questions, he'd bring her back. This is how you learn something new. With someone who loves you. Patiently.

The podcast launched in 2022. They tried to promote it. The ad model was a scam, and Bitcoin content gets suppressed everywhere. The podcast stayed a hobby. The experience sparked the idea for NextBlock.

Mandana started knowing nothing about Bitcoin. Four years later, she co-founded a Bitcoin startup. You can hear the journey.