I career-transitioned from a little-to-no-coding-experience copywriter, to working full-time in web3 - in 6 months 😬
This article is a compiled database of some of the resources I've used to going from a crypto/dev-newbie (or should I say, noobie) to now working as a dev on some pretty cool web3 initiatives (DAOs, NFT collections, etc.).
Let's dive into it ✨
what learn? 🧠
technologies and languages to get friendly with, assuming you have a fair knowledge of blockchain fundamentals
Priorities
Javascript
As painful as it is, you can't go wrong with cozying up to the holy grail of all programming languages. With a solid foundation of ES6, your future as a web3 dev is going to be...soooo much easier - trust me on this.
Ethereum
(Read the docs here) Ethereum is the leadest decentralised, and open-source blockchain with embedded smart-contract functionality.
Solidity
(Read the docs here) The the official programming language of Ethereum, designed for smart-contract development.
Maybs later?
Solana
(Read the docs here) Compared to ETH for faster speed and efficiency. In saying that, it has a higher barrier for entry, less mature tooling and dev ecosystem. Solana is usually programmed using Rust, or C.
Avalanche
(Read the docs here) Known as the fastest smart contracts platform in the blockchain ecosystem. Written in Solidity :)
Tezos
(Read the docs here) A blockchain linked to a digital token (tez). Tezos contracts are written in Michelson.
Cosmos
(Read the docs here) Known as 'The Internet Of Blockchains,' Cosmos makes blockchain interoperability possible, meaning it allows different blockchains to communicate with each other i.e. cross-chain transactions. Mainly programmed using C#
where learn? 🤷♀️
buildspace
buildspace is THE ultimate starting point to build cool stuff on web3. First of all, Farza speaks to you through the screen like a old friend recommending you the best restaurants in the world (but web3 projects). You earn NFTs for each project you finish. The community is awesome and very much alive (one of the best Discords out there). Plus alumni of buildspace get exclusive access to the cool opps in crypto jobs. DM me for more praise re: buildspace. Twitter
SuperHi
SuperHi has a special place in my heart. Taking their courses made me fall in love with frontend web dev technologies, e-commerce platforms and also played a major role in crypto-pilling the heck out of me. Again, the community is what sets them apart. Everyone on the SuperHi team is awfully helpful, knowledgeable and passionate. A big shoutout to Rik for his ‘Crypto + Web3 for Creative’ course. Also, make sure to read this amazing article by Ana Wang too!
QuestBook
A tertiary dream - a free decentralised university, catered towards developers. Twitter
useWeb3
A curated web3 dev learning platform full of courses, tutorials, challenges etc. they also have a dope newsletter and job board. Twitter
Figment
A web3 education platform for developers, by developers. Heaps of dev-friendly community tutorials. Twitter
web3 university
An awesome community gathering a library of the internet's best web3 learning resources. Twitter
ChainShot
Specific to Ethereum developers. Chainshot hosts an awesome bootcamp for learning the ins and outs of ETH. Twitter
Cryptozombies
A cute, gamified learning platform for smart contracts and Solidity. Conquer the world with your own Zombie factory. Twitter
What use? 🛠
Tools you'll be using
ethers.js
A comprehensive and compact Javascript library for the Ethereum ecosystem.
web.js
Create clients that interface with the Etherem Blockchain. It's a collection of libraries that, among other things, allow you to transfer Ether from one account to another, read and write data from smart contracts, and build smart contracts.
Remix IDE
An IDE used to write, compile and debug Solidity code. You can write smart contracts without having to set up any type of development environment. Twitter
OpenZeppelin
A library for secure smart-contracts. O.Z provides security products to build, automate, and operate decentralized applications. Twitter
Ganache
Part of TruffleSuite, Ganache allows you to develop, deploy, and test your dApps in a safe and deterministic environment. It's used mostly to test ETH contracts locally by simulating a blockchain with accounts to test your transactions.
TruffleSuite
A development environment based on the Ethereum blockchain. A one-stop solution for building DApps (distributed applications).
IPFS
A peer-to-peer decentralized network that lets users back up files and websites by hosting them across numerous nodes.
Alchemy
A blockchain developer platform making blockchain dev as easy as it can possibly be. Alchemy spoil us with a luxury suite of developer tools, enhanced APIs, and superior node infrastructure to make building and running blockchain applications seamless. Twitter
Hardhat
An Ethereum development environment where you can compile, deploy, test and debug your Ethereum software.
what do? 💁🏽♀️
tasty, tacit tactics to secure-that-job
Decide your niche
It's easier said than done, since web3 technologies are all so badass and interrelated. But for time management and skills sake, pick one or a couple areas of interest and deep dive into them. Are you passionate about DAO governance and changing the organisational status quo? Will you solemnly swear to decentralise financial institutions, and build equal opportunities to build wealth? Or will you hodl and nurture the coolest artworks in the NFT space?
Discover Discord
Web3 without Discord, is like life without words. to succeed and connect in web3, you have to talk the talk. It's where the real magic happens. As an insider of a project's Discord channel, you'll be exposed to the general atmosphere of the community, get opportunities to connect with new frens on the internet, and just have a looot of fun in general.
Explore web3 Twitter
Before web3, I thought Twitter was lame. I'm ashamed, but you live and ya learn! Master the algorithm by following your favourite web3 companies, thought leaders and content creators. Listen in on the ecosystem's best conversations in a Twitter space when you have time. (Do be careful of burnout from major fomo. web3 is incredibly fast moving, but you just HAVE to regulate yourself and take adequate breaks/draw healthy boundaries
where apply?📍
the best web3 job directories
CryptoJobsList
The internet's biggest list of crypto jobs Twitter
AngelList
Find a job at a crypto start-up and start your crypto career.
CryptoJobs
The #1 website for blockchain jobs.
Cryptocurrency jobs
A nice and curated job board for crypto/blockchain jobs. personal fave
Web3 jobs
Futuristic lookin' job directories specialising in web3 projects. Twitter
Proof Of Talent
Catered towards technical (and more senior) roles
useweb3 job board
Also a learning platform for developer, they have a friendly job board too! Twitter
she256 job board
she256 advocates for diversity in blockchain, and hopes to break entry barriers in the space. Twitter
PompCryptoJobs
One of the leading hosts in all things business, finance and cryptocurrency. Pomp's job board has all listings from his portfolio companies
bankless job board
A podcast, DAO, thought leader...The guys at Bankless put in the work. Twitter
Stay up-to-date with your favourite web3 projects/companies
More often than not, opportunities will arise just by supporting causes and missions you believe in. The plus side to this is that you'll most likely end up already doing the mental work to make meaningful contributions to this organisation!
final words 🐰
- Tech is already notorious for harbouring major imposter syndrome - web3 exacerbates it (I assure you, even the most successful people in web3 are facing this every-single-day) - so just apply
- 3 important things to have: (1) Resources, (2) Passion and drive, (3) Time
- Don't be afraid to build a digital personality and be vulnerable with your thoughts.
- web3 is a nascent space/philosophy/community. Cryptocurrency is volatile. Skepticism is very much expected. If you believe in the web3 future, and are prepared to ride out the rollercoaster of emotions and sentiments within it, you will definitely enjoy going 110% in.
Goodluck! 💥
If you want to hear the convoluted version of my personal web3 journey, have any questions at all, or just wanna spin a quick yarn, feel free to DM or message me via Twitter, Email or Instagram 🤍🤍🤍