7 steps to transition to web3, for non-technical folks.
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.
A mini-guide 🧵
Conversation
1. Start by learning blockchain fundamentals.
a16z crypto startup school, which spearheaded, is a great resource for understanding the foundations of crypto and web3.
a16z.com/crypto-startup
Don't skip this step because it clarifies the how & why of web3!
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2. Immerse yourself in the industry by consuming the top information sources:
Newsletters:
- social tokens/DAOs
- DeFi
- on-chain metrics
- all things web3
& my newsletter 👇
Replying to
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.
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3. Follow people on Twitter. Twitter is the “layer 0” of web3, where a lot of the networking & information flow happens.
Here are some good lists of who to follow:
twitter.com/Cooopahtroopa/
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4. Use crypto products: learn by doing.
Buy some ETH or SOL on an exchange, transfer it to a crypto wallet like or , and start using dapps:
- Buy an NFT on or @MagicEden_NFT
- Support crowdfunds on
- Swap tokens on or
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If costs are a barrier, try DeFi apps on low-fee chains:
Solana:
- (gamified DeFi)
- (user-friendly dex/liquidity pools)
- (lending)
- (perpetual futures)
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Or try DeFi apps on Polygon:
- (no-loss prize games)
-
- (event betting)
- (optimizing DeFi strategy)
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- For DAOs, browse profiles on to see what DAOs people are participating in.
- For music lovers, join and browse music NFTs on and .
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6. Hop into various DAOs and start contributing. This is a great, lightweight way to meet people building in web3.
Introduce yourself in Discord, meet core contributors, and ask how to help.
shared this list of starter DAOs:
Quote Tweet
Best Starter DAOs:
@FWBtweets - Culture
@forefront__ - DAOs
@seedclubhq - Community
@developer_dao - Devs
@banklessDAO - DeFi
@songcamp_ - Music
@KrauseHouseDAO - Sports
@brtmoments - IRL NFT
@protein - Brands
@pub_DAO - Media
@water_and_music - Research
Show this thread
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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 & where you want to spend more time.
Apply to FT roles, e.g. at portcos variant.fund/portfolio or cryptocurrencyjobs.co
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For those not looking for a full-time role, resources like , , and @dao_exchange aggregate earnings opportunities across DAOs.
There are also groups like , , or that offer users opportunities to do work & earn tokens.
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More in-demand web3 skills:
- 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” (h/t )
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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's past experiences translate.
But don’t worry—there is a spot for you here!
Fill out our talent form to get connected to portcos: variant.fund/contact/talent
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This advice was synthesized from convos with these amazing people—follow them!
@natimuril, , , , , , , , , ,
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Other helpful resources:
@natimuril's beautiful guide & progress tracker for non-technical people going full-time in crypto
koopxyz.notion.site/going-full-tim
's beginners guide to crypto she256.org/guide/
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