Reflections

I think we all agree that the timing of the event was perfect. It really hit the sweet-spot of being ready, but not over-prepared. The value of having everybody in one place at one time was immense. Doing this remotely would have been agonising. Just learning to build and configure each others’ clients was a big step forward for interoperability.

The venue was wonderful. All being together — in an isolated, beautiful cabin, with superb catering laid on and no distractions — promoted a strong sense of purpose and focus. The event enabled teams and individuals to build relationships and friendships that will help us greatly as we work together over the next months to deliver this thing.

Do we really need so many beacon chain client teams? It’s a question that is often asked. To be honest, I don’t know. Nonetheless, getting so many implementations to interoperate is a thorough test of the specification and of each other. Coordination costs have turned out to be relatively low. And having so many first-rate engineers fully focused on Eth2 definitely ups everyone’s game.

My own lasting impression from the event is the sheer level of drive and energy of all the teams. Everyone pulled together in an extraordinary way; I have never worked in such a committed, positive, and simply fun to work in environment. Everyone, both onsite and offsite, put in huge and heroic efforts to make this project work.

Jim Jagielski recently reminded me of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s quote, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” This is the spirit of Ethereum 2.0 development.

It wasn’t all work-work-work… Mikhail Kalinin rescues Jonny Rhea’s phone from drowning after a boating incident. [Photo: Ben Edgington]

Huge thanks to Joe Lubin and ConsenSys for making this event possible, and special thanks to Joe Delong for taking the initiative and putting in the hours and stress to make it happen. See the Ethereum Foundation’s Review for a slightly more technical perspective.