I have made several versions of the title, and finally changed it to "All In Web3", which represents both my personal attitude and my understanding of future career paths.
After the description of my previous personal experience & pitfalls after leaving Alibaba in two articles, plus today's article as a conclusion, the trilogy of my career has been completed so far. (Original article mirror link: https://mirror.xyz/arthurwu.eth/YqsaQECSXzohkHc1OAaJwHJZeuzSFPYgpe-YMgYzJWQ)
Why choose web3?#
Originally, my personal inclination was web3 > small companies > medium and large companies (I have described my thoughts on these three tracks in the pitfalls article). However, at that time, I chose a lower cost of job hopping in web3 (the overall model of centralized exchanges is the same as web2 + I myself trade coins), and after the FTX incident and the pitfalls I encountered in small companies, I spent nearly two weeks thinking about the future path.
I mentioned before that I didn't have a good understanding of web3 at that time, so I chose the exchange business, hoping to first enter the exchange track and then further understand web3. So for these two weeks, I basically did nothing and searched online for all the information related to web3, trying to absorb as much as possible.
Next, let's talk about some of my understanding after communicating and learning with many web3 projects in the past two weeks.
The difference between web3 and web2#
Here, I don't want to talk about the technical differences, but more about the advantages and disadvantages of individuals or workers in these two fields.
web2
Advantages: Clear track, clear business, stable income.
Disadvantages: Limited space, low ROI.
There is no need to say much about web2. The keywords can be summarized as "stable and good, limited space." It must be suitable for a certain group of people. No matter how bad the overall Internet environment is, the bottom line of this track is already the ceiling of most other tracks. But this track does not have much room for growth, and it is not friendly to young people.
This is an extremely mature economy, so from the perspective of maximizing ROI for the entire economy, each individual unit must abide by the corresponding rules and regulations, so it is difficult for individuals to have a large space for development, and the ROI is not high.
If you need stability and money, don't leave web2; if you like freedom, and even a bit of idealism, then trying to understand web3 may be a better choice.
web3
Advantages: Many young and innovative people, early market.
Disadvantages: Many young and innovative people, early market.
The keywords for web3 can be summarized as "many young and innovative people, early market." You can see that many founders of project teams are from the 90s, and even many from the 96s and 98s. It's not that these people are ignorant, but they are the ones who are at the forefront and have been exposed to web3 concepts and practices.
For web3, I think the advantages and disadvantages are exactly the same.
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Many young and innovative people → It means there are many possibilities; it also means that these people don't have much experience in managing large-scale projects or commercial companies.
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Early market → It means that everyone is on the same starting line, and there is no high or low; it also means that there is no clear direction, and everyone needs to explore.
Therefore, for web3, the key is whether you see "advantages" or "disadvantages".
How to learn web3#
Assuming you have already figured out the above question and still choose to understand web3 and are willing to invest related efforts. Then the first question you will face is: As a beginner, how should I get started?
Approach#
Based on this question, I will also talk about my learning process of web3 during this period. Because the time is relatively short, I can't say that my example is a good answer, but I can only say that it is for your reference.
In short, my experience is in a top-down form, basically divided into two steps:
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First: You need to have a big picture of web3 in your mind, and then have a preliminary understanding of each module in the big picture. Based on this understanding, combined with your own interests and judgment of the future trend, choose a specific direction to focus on.
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Second: With a specific direction, find relevant project teams in that field and get involved in them in any way (full-time/part-time/internship, etc.). Through practical projects, further iterate your understanding.
This big picture of web3 mainly includes three parts: three major domains + major categories + specific projects under each category. It is enough for a newcomer to spend 1-2 months to understand the entire ecosystem of web3.
Today, I won't go into too much detail. I will write some articles later to discuss my understanding of related web3 projects.
Specific approach#
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Tools: Proficient use of Telegram, Discord, Twitter (to find relevant information)
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Knowledge:
- Learning from video content (search "Peking University Professor Xiaozhen's 'Blockchain Technology and Applications' Open Course" on Bilibili)
- Learning from books (One Book to Understand Web3.0)
- Using news apps (PANews, Followin)
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Application:
- Wallet registration and use (MetaMask)
- Buying and selling on exchanges (recommended for trial only, the main purpose is to understand the value chain behind coin prices/NFTs through their fluctuations)
- Learning about DAO organizations (I think this is the fastest way to get in touch with web3 projects, where everyone can make contributions, just find the right DAO for you)
- Find a job (part-time/full-time) and participate in a project
Other things you need to know about web3#
As mentioned earlier, the web3 market is currently in its early stages, so most of the people involved are helping to build the foundation, and there is currently no clear return cycle. This is also my advice to those who want to get involved in web3: the timing of your choice is very important.
The vigorous development of a new market will definitely go through several cycles of ups and downs. Entering from the mountaintop, mountainside, or foothill will give you completely different views and paths to follow. There is a paradox here: If I don't get involved in the web3 market, I will have less knowledge about the market. How do I know if this is the mountaintop, mountainside, or foothill?
I think this is a question without a correct answer, but it has different solutions. I divide these solutions into three types, which correspond to three different types of people:
- All-in players: After understanding the relevant concepts and projects, I feel the charm of web3. No matter how difficult the road ahead is, I still want to go all-in.
- Part-in players: I have a main job to support my family, but I believe web3 is the future. Therefore, I have been using my spare time to understand this ecosystem, track its developments, and even contribute to some projects part-time.
- Wait-in players: I wait for this track to be cultivated and become a market with certainty before entering.
There is no right or wrong among these three types. The key is to make choices based on your own situation. When you make different choices, the results you get will also be different. As long as you have really thought it through, we will meet in web3.
Feel free to reach out to me for communication and discussion. TG: Arthurwu24, WeChat: arthurwu2020.