7 Steps to Transition to Web3

Li Jin
01.06.22

Originally published on Twitter on January 6, 2022

It can be daunting to make a career shift to web3, especially for those who don’t code. There are new roles that don’t exist in other industries, and recruiting seems informal and network-based.

Here are 7 steps to transition to web3, for non-technical folks. 

1. Start by learning blockchain fundamentals

a16z crypto startup school, which Jesse Walden spearheaded, is a great resource for understanding the foundations of crypto and web3. 

Don’t skip this step because it clarifies the how and why of web3. 

2. Immerse yourself in the industry by consuming the top information sources

Here are some key newsletters:

Podcasts:

Tip: when you find projects you’d like to learn about, search for those founders’ podcast interviews to deep-dive into how they think. 

3. Follow people on Twitter

Twitter is the “layer 0” of web3, where a lot of the networking and information flow happens. 

Here’s a great list of who to follow in web3.

@0x_Lucas on Twitter

Twitter as a read-only experience is already valuable, but publishing turbo-charges what you get out of it. Start by writing summaries of various Spaces, podcasts, curating links, etc. Don’t be afraid to jump into conversations and ask questions — many people will respond!

4. Use crypto products

AKA: learn by doing. Buy some ETH or SOL on an exchange, transfer it to a crypto wallet like Phantom or MetaMask, and start using dapps. You can:

  • Buy an NFT on Open Sea or Magic Eden
  • SUpport crowdfunds on Mirror
  • Swap tokens on Uniswap or SushiSwap

If costs are a barrier, try DeFi apps on low-fee chains:

Solana:

Or try DeFi apps on Polygon:

5. Find your niche

There many sub-sectors within web3, each with their own rabbit holes of resources, content, and products:

  • For NFTs, follow accounts on Context to see what people are minting and trading
  • For DAOs, browse profiles on Backdrop to see what DAOs people are participating in
  • For music lovers, join Water & Music and SONGCAMP and browse music NFTs on Catalog and Sound

6. Hop into a DAO and start contribution

This is a great, lightweight way to meet people building in web3. Introduce yourself in Discord, meet core contributors, and ask how to help. 

See this list of starter DAOs you can join. 

7. Finally, commit to one (or a few) DAOs or work for a startup

By this point, you’ll have gained clarity on what’s interesting to you and where you want to spend more time. 

Apply to full-time roles, for example at Variant’s portfolio companies or at Cryptocurrency Jobs.

For those not looking for a full-time role, resources like RabbitHole, Layer3 and DAO Exchange aggregate earnings opportunities across DAOs. There are also groups like MetricsDAO, ScribeDAO, and PubDAO that offer users opportunities to do work and earn tokens. 

What skills are in-demand in web3?

  • Community building: manage socials, foster engagement, make connections
  • Content: write explainers, tutorials, documentation; refine narratives
  • Governance: create proposals, engage on governance forums
  • Data analysis: create on-chain analytics dashboards
  • Tokenomics: design tokenomics based on the specific nature of the project
  • project management: take notes, summarize community calls, be a “glue” person

@0xjim on Twitter

Web3 projects are also hungry for the rest of the traditional non-technical startup roles: product management, design, business development, finance, recruiting, etc. Excel at any of these skills and you’re extremely hireable. 

Reach out to non-technical web3 folks and learn about their journeys. Most people in the industry are extremely welcoming to newcomers and keep their DMs open. Find ways to give value to them and proactively offer to help. 

Transitioning to web3 may seem like a herculean effort at first — it’s like a parallel universe, and it’s hard to know how one’ past experiences translate. But don’t worry, there is a spot for you here. 

Here are some other helpful resources:

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Originally published on Twitter on January 6, 2022

 

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