Mesh Interview

March 21, 2023 · 7 min read

Governance Lead - CF

In this interview, Jingles, one of the co-founders of Mesh, talks about the project and how it aims to improve the developer experience within the Cardano ecosystem. Mesh is an open-source software developer kit that provides developers with the necessary resources and support to build innovative and impactful applications on the Cardano blockchain. Jingles discusses Mesh's features, the reasons for choosing Cardano, and the project's plans, such as a bounty program and improving the serialization library.

Hey Jingles! Happy to connect today and learn more about the Mesh project! First of all, can you introduce yourselves?

Hey everyone, Jingles here. I've been in the industry as a full-stack developer and machine learning engineer at Alibaba Group and Yahoo Inc. Currently, I'm a Ph.D. researcher researching machine learning applications on neuroscience.

I work together with Abdelkrim, and he is the wizard who makes Mesh robust, efficient, and well-engineered. He has a background in engineering and roots in the fintech industry. He worked for seven years in banking and mobile app development.

In 2021 we started working together and released end-to-end implementation of an open-source NFT marketplace. Then, we provided technical solutions for various Cardano projects. In July 2022, we began working on Mesh and released stable version 1.0 on Sept 22.

Can you tell us more about Mesh and the problem you were addressing?

The idea for Mesh first came about when we recognized a gap in the developer experience within the Cardano ecosystem. We noticed that there needed to be more documentation and tools available. Many developers required help to get their projects off the ground. This was frustrating and disheartening, as we strongly believed that building on Cardano should not be such a complex and convoluted process.

Thus, we were motivated to fill this gap for developers to onboard into the ecosystem. This resulted in the development of the software developer kit, Mesh, which provides the necessary resources and support for developers to focus on building innovative and impactful applications.

Mesh is a complete development framework for developers to easily bring their applications onto web3. Whether you're a new developer, a startup, or a large enterprise, Mesh makes Web3 development easy with reliable, scalable, and well-engineered APIs & developer tools.

What are the essential things about Mesh?

Mesh is designed to improve the developer experience, which will be crucial for wider Cardano adoption. By prioritizing ease of development and improving the developer experience, Mesh supports Cardano's values of decentralization and collaboration.

Mesh is a community-driven open-source project aligning with the Cardano Foundation's core focus areas. You don't need our permission to use Mesh. Both our code and UI components are open-source and accessible to everyone. You own the applications created using this tool, and no other parties have control over your project. Additionally, even if you're not using Mesh, the source code is still open for anyone to reference and learn from our implementation.

Mesh is an exceptional community-led project that offers an invaluable resource for people looking to learn more about Cardano and how it works. Its comprehensive documentation and guides are handy for individuals who are interested in gaining deeper insights into the workings of this innovative blockchain technology. With Mesh, you can explore the ins and outs of Cardano in an engaging and user-friendly manner, making it the perfect learning platform for everyone, from beginners to seasoned veterans.

Why did you choose to launch your project on Cardano?

Building on Cardano is still in its early stages, similar to the early days of the internet when protocols such as HTTPS and IP addresses were being discussed. CERN puts web technology in the public domain, available with an open license. Through these actions - making the software required to run a web server freely available and open-sourcing the code library - the web flourished.

Similarly, to realize the potential of the Cardano ecosystem, it is crucial that developers are equipped with the necessary tools and resources to create innovative and impactful projects. Providing Mesh and its technology, allowing anyone to build, is critical to widespread Cardano adoption. We work closely with Gimbalabs and EMURGO Academy to empower students with development skills, documentation, guides, and workshops.

In the future, how do you intend Mesh to make an impact in the crypto space or on the world?

Developers are essential for the successful implementation and adoption of technology. Mesh provides a comprehensive software developer framework and a range of resources that give developers the power to create projects on Cardano that are creative and have a meaningful impact. This allows for the utilization of Cardano to grow, bringing with it the advantages of decentralization for those who use it.

What are your accomplishments, and what are you most proud of?

Day after day, we are bringing on new developers to build on the Cardano blockchain. Together with the Gimbalabs, we are facilitating the learning process, providing students with hands-on experience that is invaluable for understanding how Cardano works. Additionally, we have actively engaged with developers on Stack Exchange and Discord, answering questions and providing support.

Developers have already created various innovative applications such as NFT minting and stake pool portals. It will be exciting to witness what these developers, now armed with the right tools, will create next within the Cardano ecosystem.

What is the future of your project? For example, what new features are planned?

Bounty program. We are developing a project bounty app that allows community members to propose feature requests for Mesh and fund them. Developers can collaborate on these requests to earn rewards and build their reputation. By incentivizing open source participation, this initiative will strengthen the Mesh community and encourage Cardano community members to contribute to open source. This will lead to a larger pool of developers making meaningful contributions and combining their expertise to develop the Cardano ecosystem further.

TypeScript serialization. We are collaborating with Harmonic Labs to replace the current Rust-written serialization library with TypeScript-native, enabling a more comprehensive range of mobile and web applications to build on Cardano quickly. This upgrade will likely enhance Cardano's adoption and developer experience and produce better application performance and intuitive error message traces.

Which partnerships have you engaged in, and which are the most impactful?

We are working closely with Gimbalabs, Harmonic Labs, and TxPipe; we all came together to improve the developer experience and foster Cardano adoption. With Gimbalabs, we equipped developers with a range of tools and materials to create applications on Cardano utilizing their project-based learning initiative. In collaboration with Harmonic Labs, we integrate TypeScript serialization into Mesh, enabling developers to write smart contracts in JavaScript, simplifying the process, and improving the user experience. Additionally, we are partnering with TxPipe to support their efforts by providing starter templates for developers so developers can begin development immediately.

How can someone interested in Mesh find out more about it?

You can stay updated on the latest Mesh development by following @meshsdk on Twitter. If you want to start building on Cardano, check out our guides, our guides in the developer portal, and start building.

Here are some of our links:

To engage in a conversation or share your thoughts about the interview with Jingles, please visit the designated Cardano Forum post.