Bitbillions - Break Through

I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I feel it fully explains what we have been dealing with and doing for the past few months.

Around the beginning of December I learned two things that took the wind and passion from me for a bit. First, I learned we needed to implement much more complex membership identification and business plan documentation than expected, in order to continue with banking and payment processing relationships. Second, I learned the platform for earning bits, paying for bits, and managing the Matrix would not be completed on time.

Imagine having an office of only a handful of people, two of which can write software code at a high level, and the rest are regular office staff. You are all working around the clock for 6 months trying to reach a deadline and you learn 30 days before the deadline that outside forces want you to add about 6 months of extra coding and managerial stuff to the project. On top of that, you have tens of thousands of people anticipating the completion of the project.

Needless to say, the beginning of December was extremely stressful for me. There were major items that needed to be added to the code and daily operations that we had not been planning or preparing for.

By this time, the membership is aware of the added work load required by the first issue I faced in December. We have implemented a “unique payment profile per individual or entity” and KYC/AML documentation. These are both things we were not expecting to do, or preparing to do.

Our entire software was designed around user authentication (log in, use the site, log out, refer others, etc.) where every account was entirely independent of the others. Suddenly, we had to think of a plan to integrate a global “unique profile” authentication system where all accounts could be linked and identified by a primary account. On the surface this may sound simple. In the software this is a huge, daunting task when there is nothing at all in your code that can support it.

In addition to the software burden, we had to learn exactly what details need to be verified, what documentation is acceptable, and develop a method to process incoming documentation accurately. We have a teeny tiny staff. Ninety percent of our staff speaks English only. And suddenly we are required to be able to process ID cards, utility bills, and other documents in literally 190 different languages. WHEW!

Think about it for a second. If I bundled up government ID cards, utility bills or other documents for tens of thousands of people and mailed them to you. Then I asked you to verify 6 or 7 points of information from all these documents, which are written in up to 190 different languages, and I asked you to organize them into a system where each unique individual or business has a “profile” and then link all accounts that relate to the same individual or business (from 165,000 different accounts), how fast do you think you could get that back to me?

In addition to the massive documentation and software user management work that was thrown on us, I learned the most vitally important piece of information I have learned in 5 years.

Many of our members know that I was CEO and primary responsible person for an organization known as tagvillage, inc. from 2010 until the middle of 2013. This was an organization that ultimately ground to a halt due to two massive problems. One was a credit card fraud issue that cost the company over 90% of its finances. The other was massively extended delays in product development.

I have spent years trying to understand why tagvillage never met development goals. We had one of the most talented software teams I have ever seen. And I have worked in software development over 30 years. So, I know good, quality, talented engineers.

When I was CEO of tagvillage I used to have trouble sleeping. I was constantly nervous and stressed. The primary reason was because every time I reported to our board of directors, or the membership, that a particular aspect of the project would be complete by a certain date, it never was. Normally milestones would be delayed 3, 6, even 9 months. It drove me crazy.

So, I hope you can imagine the stress and anxiety that overwhelmed me at the first of December when I learned our Matrix software and task system wasn’t anywhere near completion. I literally freaked out. I lashed out at the person responsible in such a way that I did not expect it. Everyone around me was shocked because they have never seen something like this in our organization before. I was extremely angry and filled with anxiety at the same time. Every member of bitbillions is counting on me to deliver on our promises, and again, just like tagvillage, the promises would be broken.

The first few days of December I started to reflect deeply on things. I had fired our chief software engineer and pretty much decimated the staff. I was in panic mode 24 hours a day. And I was beginning to think the entire reason tagvillage never had a finished product, and now bitbillions was massively incomplete, was entirely my fault. I learned a long time ago that repeat problems are generally caused by a common denominator. So, was the common denominator me?

I started analyzing this in very detailed ways. Documenting every action over the past 5 years. Reflecting on actions from my career in software development. Reviewing countless notes in project management software I have used for over 20 years. What I found was profound. What I found was that it was my fault tagvillage never had a completed project, and now GBBG was falling behind. But, the reason was absolutely not what I expected.

I moved up into senior development positions and further into project management roles around 1995. I directed the entire development of a major software project from 1996 through 1999 that never once missed a deadline. From 1999 through 2009 I worked as lead manager on many projects. Almost across the board we met deadlines as planned. Then, suddenly in 2010 the two projects I have been responsible for can’t seem to come within 9 months of meeting a deadline. There must be a reason.

Here is the reason.

People are unique individuals. They are human. They have intricate aspects that make them extremely predictable and unpredictable at the same time. And, generally, the more talented or intelligent a person is, the more bazaar and unpredictable they are in an aspect you wouldn’t expect.

Five years ago I met a person who is, in my opinion, the most brilliant and talented software engineer I have ever met. He develops code on a level nobody else can match. It is extremely efficient, extremely logical, extremely well documented, and extremely robust. It didn’t take long for me to become inferior to this person, in my psychology, and to unload all technical responsibility from myself to him. What did take much too long, at the expense of the tagvillage family and the GBBG family, was for me to learn that his greatest strength is also a major weakness.

Imagine you hired the greatest engineer in the world for a project. This is a person who can see far beyond anything you could imagine, and can create far better than anything you could imagine. You asked this person to build you an incredible, one-of-a-kind car. You told him some of the features and unique things you wanted in the car. You told him how fast you wanted it to be, how comfortable, how stylish, etc. And you told him you wanted it to be extremely high quality and safe.

Now, this is a person who can predict and think about every quality a person would dream of in a car. And, this person can predict and create solutions for every problem or issue the car might face. This is a person capable of producing the most advance, safest, highest quality car anyone could ever imagine.

Cars have been being built for a very long time. They date all the way back to the year 1769. Have you ever stopped to think of the advancement cars have made from that time? The comfort advancements. The improvements in efficiency. The safety improvements. There are so many differences between a car built today vs a car built in 1910 that they are not even comparable. The technical engineering of a car built in 2015 would befuddle any engineer building cars in the 1950’s.

I would venture to say there were many engineers in the 1910’s or 1950’s or 1970’s who could think of, and even lay out specs for solutions and improvements we consider common on today’s cars. However, these engineering aspects were not found on cars in the 1910’s or 50’s or 70’s. Why? Because even though some of them were possible, they were not practical. The car makers had to produce cars and sell them for a profit. They had to meet deadlines.

So, even though engineers in the 1920’s could imagine ways to make a car safer or more efficient, the managers chose to exclude most improvements due to budgets, timelines, and other practical reasons. I can imagine the heated arguments. The engineer insisting he could get better gas efficiency and the manager insisting they needed to start rolling cars out of the factory in a few weeks so they would keep the older, less efficient engine. It is a classic case of excluding possibilities for the sake of meeting a deadline. It happens every single day in every single business that develops new products.

The problem at tagvillage, and now at GBBG, was that I had mistakenly turned product responsibility over to a person who is building a 2015 car but we are in 1900. With current budget and other resource, this is an impractical impossibility.

People who work with me daily understand I constantly seek outside input. The members of the Founders Advisory Committee can attest that I seek their opinions and guidance on items they probably believe I could decide easily on my own. However, I have felt for many years now that you cannot make a good decision on your own. You must have multiple sounding boards that give you constructive feedback.

As I was discussing our problem with people I had something enlightening and inspiring said to me. I was explaining how the person responsible for our software was incapable of completing the software because he would forever be in a state of refinement and improvement. I was explaining that the software was written in code and logic outside of my realm of expertise. And, I was explaining that the type of software I write is inferior and I was incapable of assisting the current software to completion. I was also explaining how budget and other resources prohibited employing an even more senior developer to manage the current development.

During this discussion, the person asked me why I feel my version of engineering is inferior. I explained that our current lead engineer works in a different language and environment that is superior. He asked if it that was really true, or if I just thought it was true because the engineer himself was so talented. Then he pointed out that the version of software and engineering I personally work in is the same that Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, and a host of major international businesses use. And he asked point blank, “if it is good enough for Facebook, why isn’t it good enough for GBBG?”

This conversation changed GBBG instantly. I immediately decided we would re-program 100% of our software into the languages, technology, and logic I am proficient with. In this way, I myself can contribute, manage, and regulate the software. I worked things out with our senior engineer (who I had actually already fired) and other staff.

On December 5th, 2014 we began re-coding 100% of GBBG software. We worked around the clock and coded every single detail of our project that had been in development for 2 years. I was easily able to identify tangents and “what if’s” that had been chased or added unnecessarily with our previous code. During the holidays (Christmas and New Year), while our staff took a break to be with family, I logged 20 hour work days.

By the middle of January, we published everything live that had currently existed, plus the addition of the member profile and documentation features we were required to add. Thirty days later, at the middle of February, the entire Matrix and genealogy system has been re-coded and deployed live. We are, as of today, exactly where I expected we would be on January 1st, 2015.

For many of our members, it may not be easy to comprehend the amount of work done recently. It may also be difficult to understand and forgive the delays. We have essentially re-done over 2 years of work, in the last 75 days. Right now, our system is 100% developed and deployed in language, engineering, and other aspects that I am fully proficient. It is impossible for our software development to be delayed for reasons I cannot understand or affect. I am not saying it is impossible for future projects to be delayed, but I am saying it is impossible for such delays to be out of my ability to influence.

We began re-coding the entire $9 Ad Network on February 2nd. This is a project that was in development for over 6 months. We are rapidly morphing it from what was, to what will be. But we need some time. I fully expect the remainder of February will be devoted to the completion and deployment of the $9 Ad Network. After it is complete, we will begin to re-code the Task/Bits system.

I fully expect the month of March will be devoted to the re-development and deployment of the Task system. Sometime, toward the end of March, members will finally be able to complete tasks and earn GBBG Bits. Then, all will be as expected. Members will be earning money and everyone will be happy. Well, other than those who cannot wait that long.

I accept responsibility for the delays. I have finally solved a 5 year problem. From my vantage, I can see the improvements. I can see how quickly the software is progressing now. I can see how the future will be much more controlled and manageable. And, honestly, it is kind of cool being able to be part of the core code again. I had forgotten how fun it is to develop code. My confidence is re-boosted knowing that I no longer just know we are building a car, but I also know what every nut and bolt goes to and what every spinning thingamajig does.

We are exhausted, but we are committed. I assure you we can reach our targets within reason now. The $9 Ad Network and Task System are just around the corner. I expect by the end of March we will be full sails hoisted and off to the races.

Two major developments will be announced in February. I expect we will begin the launch of the precious metals opportunity we have been talking about. Very soon members will be able to join, promote and earn from this exciting new project. In addition, GBBG|events will announce an incredible project sure to please our membership. And, it includes a chance for some of you to make some BIG MONEY!

I truly appreciate the loyalty and dedication of our membership. I apologize greatly for the delays. While I would like to say it is not my fault, it is. The solution was under my control all along. It just took me too long to understand the core problem. I know some people have already thrown in the towel. I fully understand them and appreciate their position. My goal now is to win them back by proving the business plan over time.

It may be boring right now. There isn’t much to do on the site. Hang in there. Just a few weeks and things will really start heating up. We are re-coding years of work. We are working around the clock for you. My dedication is to your success. Now, I have better tools to get there.

David Ruebush
CEO