Thread by Li Jin

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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 🧵
1. Start by learning blockchain fundamentals.

a16z crypto startup school, which @jessewldn spearheaded, is a great resource for understanding the foundations of crypto and web3.
a16z.com/crypto-startup-school/

Don't skip this step because it clarifies the how & why of web3!
2. Immerse yourself in the industry by consuming the top information sources:

Newsletters:

@forefront__ - social tokens/DAOs
@banklessDAO - DeFi
@DefiantNews
@notboringclub
@OurNetwork__ - on-chain metrics
@ljxie - all things web3
& my newsletter 👇
li.substack.com/
Podcasts:

@BanklessHQ
@Unchained_pod
@UCCPodcast
@Delphi_Digital
@rabbithole_gg
@seedclubhq
@chaserchapman

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 & information flow happens.

Here are some good lists of who to follow:



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: 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:

- Buy an NFT on @Opensea or @MagicEden_NFT
- Support crowdfunds on @viamirror
- Swap tokens on @Uniswap or @SushiSwap
If costs are a barrier, try DeFi apps on low-fee chains:

Solana:
- @DeFi_Land (gamified DeFi)
- @orca_so (user-friendly dex/liquidity pools)
- @solendprotocol (lending)
- @DriftProtocol (perpetual futures)
Or try DeFi apps on Polygon:

- @PoolTogether_ (no-loss prize games)
- @QuickswapDEX
- @PolymarketHQ (event betting)
- @furucombo (optimizing DeFi strategy)
5. Find your niche.

There are 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 @withBackdrop to see what DAOs people are participating in.

- For music lovers, join @water_and_music @songcamp_ and browse music NFTs on @catalogworks and @soundxyz_.
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.

@Cooopahtroopa shared this list of starter DAOs:

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 @variantfund portcos variant.fund/portfolio or cryptocurrencyjobs.co/
For those not looking for a full-time role, resources like @rabbithole_gg, @layer3xyz, and @dao_exchange aggregate earnings opportunities across DAOs.

There are also groups like @MetricsDAO, @ScribeDAO, or @Pub_DAO that offer users opportunities to do work & earn tokens.
Fin. You’re in web3!
Some other tips throughout this process:

Reach out to non-technical web3 folks in the space to 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.
What non-technical skills are in-demand in web3?

- Community building: Manage socials, foster engagement, make connections
- Content: Write explainers, tutorials, documentation; refine narrative
- Governance: Create proposals, engage on governance forums
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 @0xJim)


Web3 projects are also hungry for all of the traditional non-technical startup roles:

Product management, design, BD, finance, recruiters, etc.

Excel at any of these skills and you're extremely hireable!
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
This advice was synthesized from convos with these amazing people—follow them!

@natimuril, @gilbertginsberg, @JulzRoze, @austinvirts, @sourcex44, @gham1lt0n, @medhakothari, @jessewldn, @stefdelev, @Cooopahtroopa, @patrickxrivera
Other helpful resources:

@natimuril's beautiful guide & progress tracker for non-technical people going full-time in crypto
koopxyz.notion.site/going-full-time-in-crypto-ae5a87183702414d8db348634f3a2b7f

@she_256's beginners guide to crypto she256.org/guide/
What other advice/resources should be added here?

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