Protecting Profits While Providing Free Items – No Strings Attached

The pricing strategy industry plays a crucial role in helping businesses determine the optimal price for their products or services. Discounting is a multi-trillion-dollar problem that had not been solved until NOSTR Fundraising. Today, the word “Sale” means the item has a lower price. In the future, prices may drop on their own due to a deflationary system rather than an inflationary one. This technology not only creates value for consumers but also helps merchants increase profits.

The pricing industry focuses on finding the right balance—attracting customers, covering costs, and generating profit. Experts in this field use data, market research, and customer behavior to determine what people are willing to pay. Effective pricing decisions can significantly impact a company’s success, while poor pricing can damage sales and reputation.

Steve Schroeder, CEO and Founder of Smart Community Technologies Inc and NOSTR Fundraising, has walked a path few could imagine—one marked by personal awakening, near-death survival, and a transformation of purpose. From building conventional smart technologies to now championing freedom-based systems rooted in Bitcoin, eCash, NOSTR, and Lightning, Steve’s journey is about more than innovation; it’s about redemption.

“Technology is best when it brings people together and uplifts communities, not just profits.”

How It All Started: A Conventional Beginning That Sparked Curiosity

When Steve started Smart Community Technologies, he followed a familiar path: building products, generating revenue, and securing his future. His early plans involved traditional closed-source systems like geo-fencing, data capture, centralized platforms, and advertising models. At the time, this seemed like the logical application of his customer loyalty and tech background.

But gradually, questions emerged. Personal reflection and discomfort with surveillance-driven systems pushed him toward decentralization and open-source tools. A thought kept returning: “We need to protect our kids, especially special needs kids, of which Steve was a caregiver.” That conviction led him to explore technologies better aligned with privacy, trust, and freedom.

The DeCoy App became part of this journey. Initially created to decentralize customer loyalty and encourage kids to move away from screens and into real-world activities, it evolved into something deeper. Integrating the NOSTR protocol felt less like a business choice and more like a personal alignment with his values. Steve doesn’t see DeCoy—now NOSTR Fundraising—as a finished product, but as a work in progress, much like himself.

Building for Lasting Impact

Steve has been steadily advancing NOSTR Fundraising and strengthening the technology at its core. His focus is not on flashy announcements or outside validation, but on creating tools that can truly empower people and communities.

In a fast-moving digital world—where even platforms like TikTok have launched services such as TikTok Pro—Steve emphasizes that the real shift must come from protocols built for freedom, not control. While traditional platforms remain owned and governed by corporations, freedom technologies like Bitcoin, NOSTR, eCash, and Lightning remove human gatekeepers. By doing so, they ensure that adoption is driven by value and contribution, not by control.

The Hornet’s Nest: Asking Hard Questions, Even When There Are No Clear Answers

Steve’s podcast, The Hornet’s Nest, wasn’t created to instruct, but to explore. It gave him a space to wrestle with topics close to his heart: God, energy, and money. These are subjects he doesn’t claim to have mastered. They raise more questions than answers, but he is drawn to them because they touch every human life.

He has shared thoughts that challenge conventional thinking—like the idea that money is a form of energy, or the fact that Jesus spoke about money more often than many realize. Steve doesn’t offer conclusions; he offers provocations. The podcast is less about being right and more about creating space for honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations.

NOSTR Fundraising, like the podcast and DeCoy before it, is a work in progress—built on open-source protocols designed so everyone benefits. By combining Bitcoin with NOSTR, eCash, and Lightning, Steve believes the tools are finally in place to help reshape the world.

“Success isn’t about what you accomplish for yourself; it’s about what you inspire others to become.”

From Collapse to Awakening: A Journey Still Unfolding

In 2014, Steve collapsed while creating what became the DeCoy app. He suffered cardiac arrest and was without oxygen for over 20 minutes. Doctors feared brain damage. In the months that followed, he faced confusion, memory gaps, and physical weakness. But in that slowing down, deeper questions surfaced. Instead of racing to achieve, Steve began asking who he was becoming and what truly mattered.

Much of his growth has been shaped by his son Gentry, diagnosed with severe autism at age 2 and now living in a Human Development Center in Conway, Arkansas. Gentry’s presence has been a mirror, teaching Steve patience, empathy, and unconditional love. His other son, Jonathan, has also been a constant source of support.

Teaching Bitcoin, Discovering God: Connecting Ideas to Meaning

Steve sometimes introduces people to faith through Bitcoin—not because it’s a perfect metaphor, but because it sparks curiosity. He sees parallels in Bitcoin’s traits: decentralized, incorruptible, and sovereign—qualities many long for but struggle to define. These reflections aren’t lessons; they are personal connections he has drawn while still seeking answers himself.

For many disillusioned by institutions, conversations about money feel more approachable. Steve uses these moments not to convince, but to invite reflection. He doesn’t claim to know everything about God or Bitcoin, but he finds even these small conversations can point to something larger and sacred.

Leading Through Learning: From Self-Focus to Shared Humanity

Steve once led from a place of striving—chasing success, recognition, and outcomes. Hardship and family responsibilities softened that stance. Today, he views leadership as service. Though he admits he still gets it wrong at times, he tries to let love guide more than pride.

That perspective inspired NOSTR Fundraising—not as a grand breakthrough but as a humble offering rooted in care. His proudest moments aren’t business milestones but small instances, like seeing someone cry with relief when help arrived. For Steve, success is no longer about chasing achievements, but about showing up, loving well, and continuing to learn.

For Fellow Builders: It’s Okay to Not Have It All Figured Out

If Steve has advice for builders, it is this: you don’t need everything figured out to do meaningful work. Start with one question: “How can I serve?” He believes all of us are created to care for each other. With or without faith, living with purpose and compassion leads somewhere meaningful.

You don’t need rituals or credentials to begin. What matters is the willingness to love, learn, and try. Building with heart isn’t a one-time choice—it’s a daily practice. Steve is still learning himself, and he believes that is more than enough.