What was your first job as a journalist?
The first paid job was at Crypto Globe. But I started writing at age 16 on a personal blog, and kept on learning.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yeah, grandma used to have one.
How is social media changing news?
It increases the speed requirement, but decreases the quality. Being first and getting more clicks has become more important than verifying.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lester Bangs of Rolling Stone.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Pour your soul on a thoughtful piece and get 100 reads in a month, then report on a stupid meaningless topic and get viral.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer reading about the ideas and events, then building my own narrative on how they should be reported or commented on.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Good old Microsoft Word and Wordpress. Sometimes Apple Pages.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Could settle with Mick Jagger.
Why did you become a journalist?
I've always enjoyed writing and overthinking, now I can get paid for it.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope, Romania is a poor country.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Innovations in Bitcoin, investigations on shitcoins, interviews with interesting people.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be yourself, look for topics you enjoy, and never be afraid to make use of your inter-disciplinary knowledge to offer unique perspectives.
When's the best time to pitch you?
In the evening, I'm extra grumpy in the morning.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"Write about Bitcoin"
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
"Write about this shitcoin nobody ever heard about, it pumped heavily over the weekend"
What's your favorite drink?
Water.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In an Italian restaurant.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
DoIOwnAShitcoin.com
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I download Kanye's beats.
