Roadmap
I'm in a really good mood right now. I learned today of research projects that are aimed towards targeted genome sequencing and smart farming. I think these are exactly the kind of core technological problems that make sense to solve in the context of Brunei.
Brunei has many unique challenges. Very prosperous as a country, but prosperity is tied to the volatile oil industry. The SGD currency peg is beneficial for citizen quality of life, but will stifle local participation in primary industry that relies on cheap labor. Most households have a digital presence, which allows for very efficient top-down information dissemination. We don't have too many legacy systems to deal with. Small, so some business models just don't work, but densely populated, so some others work really well.
But in the context of my current state of contentment, it appears that it is precisely the cozy small country environment that could allow me to have a national impact.
For the better half of the past decade, I've wanted to adapt the US model in which libraries are a place for personal development. I can probably spare five hours a week to teach general programming 112/122 style workshops. The rise in remote work presents an opportunity for people to secure employment from outside the country, which provides an income stream independent of the current oil-based economy. The upfront cost is low (or zero if people bring their own laptops). Makes education accessible to everyone who cares. And since we're small, this will easily reach a significant portion of the country. Seems like a great idea to me.
But now, in addition to that, it looks like I may be able to work on projects that would actually do something at a nation-wide scale. For all the ridiculous salaries that you get in the US tech industry, there was a very distinct sense of "what am I doing with my life" back when I interned. I'm a pretty boring person. My slate is clean mostly because I never had an interest in the usual USA college shenanigans to begin with. So, given that I mostly like learning about things, eating things, and feeling like I'm achieving something that justifies my time on this planet..
Suddenly very hopeful for the future.