Do you know that Vitalik Buterin was only 19 years old when he wrote the white paper on Ethereum? What's more, he wrote the paper in an impressive two weeks! In some countries, Vitalik wouldn't even be considered as an adult when he authored the white paper. This got me thinking. How did Vitalik's parents nurture their child and actualize his potential to the fullest? To gather some insights into my question, I read "The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-Hackers is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum" (by Camila Russo) and "Out of the Ether: The Amazing Story of Ethereum and the $55 Million Heist that Almost Destroyed It All" (by Matthew Leising). 

I picked up the following three points on how Vitalik's parents successfully raised such a phenomenal child. 

1) A Stable Family Environment

Vitalik's parents married when both of them were 21 years old. Given that they married at such a young age, their relationship did not last long. As their relationship started to fall apart, Russia was embroiled in political chaos. What was commendable was that although Vitalik's parents decided not to stay married to each other, they came to a consensus that they needed to create a structure in which Vitalik could remain close to both his dad and mum. In the context of this political turmoil, this meant that Vitalik's mother moved to Edmonton, a Canadian city first. Vitalik's dad and Vitalik subsequently made their way to Toronto a year later. Vitalik's mother then moved to Toronto so as to make it more convenient for her to stay involved in Vitalik's life. 

The lengths that Vitalik's parents went to to ensure that Vitalik did not grow up in an environment of confusion and disruption impressed me a lot, to be honest. Even though they were no longer together in the name of the law, they worked as a unit to create a psychologically and spiritually safe environment for Vitalik to flourish in. This, I bet, empowered Vitalik to unleash his mental prowess to the maximum.

2) Private Tutoring

Vitalik showed an early aptitude for Mathematics, showcasing an ability to multiply two three-digit numbers when he was five years old. To hone his aptitude for Mathematics, his parents promptly engaged him a private math tutor, who was not any Tom, Dick or Harry but instead a former university professor. This arrangement continued even when Vitalik went to attend high school at the Abelard School. I have no doubt that such individualized coaching had a major impact in helping Vitalik fulfill his potential as he must have been able to apply the timely and targeted feedback this ex-university professor gave him. Not to mention the tonnes of deliberate practice that he engaged in during his tutoring sessions with his mentor. 

It was not mentioned how much Vitalik's parents paid for such a privilege. It's admirable for them to not only be mindful of Vitalik's prodigious amount of talent in Math, but also set aside a budget for him to sharpen his aptitude into a distinct advantage. Would Vitalik be able to come up with the white paper if he didn't have such dedicated supervision and guidance from a professional? I doubt so.

3) Nurturing School Environment

Vitalik's parents not only focused on his strength, but also tackled his weakness. Concerned that Vitalik suffered from social anxiety, they chose to enrol him at the Abelard School, where class sizes were small and students benefited from a holistic and eclectic curriculum. Not only did Vitalik had to learn ancient languages like Latin and Greek, but he was also expected to acquire programming skills and advocate his ideas in political science and philosophy. The fascinating curriculum offered by the Abelard School appealed to Vitalik immensely and drew him out of his shell. He shone like a diamond and was selected to represent the school in numerous math and computer programming competitions, which I think helped him to boost his self-confidence and rely on his wits when faced with intense pressure and intimidating problems. 

This training at the Abelard School must have played an important role in Vitalik's development since he frequently travels all around the world to attend meetings and conferences and discuss with potential partners about how to apply Ethereum. If he hadn't undergone such rigorous education during his high school years, he might not be able to persuade global citizens of the merits of Ethereum so convincingly.

Vitalik surely deserves the limelight as the founder of Ethereum but I think his parents did an awesome job in raising him. Don't you agree?

Photo by Jievani from Pexels.