10 Lessons from Interviewing 135+ Pioneering Web3 Changemakers
By Drew Simon, Founder, Crypto Altruism
The best part of hosting the Crypto Altruism Podcast is the opportunity to interact with inspiring leaders who are breaking ground in a new and exciting frontier of technology. In fact, over the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of interviewing 138 pioneering leaders who are using Web3 technology to build a better world.
While each conversation has been truly unique, there have been some common threads that have emerged throughout the interviews. So, I wanted to take a moment to share 10 common themes and lessons about building in the Web3 ecosystem that I have learned from these inspiring leaders.
1. People come for the technology and stay for the community.
Of all the leaders I’ve interviewed over the past two years, the vast majority of them have come from other sectors. Many of them stated that the original reason they decided to pursue a career in Web3 was because they were fascinated by the technology and its transformative potential. However, the reason they decided to stay in the sector, was because of the people, and the incredible community in the Web3 ecosystem.
2. Find your community.
No matter your background, passion, or interests, there is a community for you in Web3. Whether you’ve spent your life working on climate solutions, building financial tools, creating beautiful artwork, or anything in-between, there is a community that aligns with those interests in Web3. For those that are nervous about getting involved in this new sector, a great starting point can be to find your community and learn together. There are thousands of unique Web3 communities that can be found on Twitter/X, Discord, LinkedIn, Telegram, or by attending one of the many annual Web3 conferences around the world.
3. In Web3, collaboration and competition go hand-in-hand.
Web3 is all about collaboration over competition. While many traditional industries have a reputation for being hyper competitive, including the traditional finance and tech sectors, thankfully, the Web3 social impact ecosystem embraces an ethos of community and collaboration. While there is of course always going to be some degree of competition, and this is a good thing, it is more of a “collaborative competition” in Web3, where leaders and projects push each other to be better, so the ecosystem as a whole can grow and flourish.
4. Not everything needs to be on the blockchain.
If you are determining whether to build your project on a Web3 tech-stack, it’s important to be purposeful, and ensure that there is a true need for the project to be built on blockchain. Because not everything needs to be built on blockchain, and that’s okay. Over the past couple of years, through the highs-and-lows of Web3, the projects that have ultimately failed, have been those that are more interested in the hype of blockchain, rather than its practical use cases for their project.
5. When building Web3 social impact tools, it’s important to take a multilateral approach.
When building in a new and emerging ecosystem, it can be easy to leave behind traditional sectors, or other important stakeholders and leaders in the global community. However, for Web3 technology to truly achieve its potential as a generational technology for social good, it’s important to take a multilateral approach to building that includes diverse industries, builders, governments, Indigenous communities, NGOs, and more. The projects that have succeeded in the Web3 social impact ecosystem are those that have embraced this.
6. No matter your skill set, there is a place for you in Web3.
No matter your background or career experience, there is an opportunity for you to build in Web3. Since the space is so new and is disrupting diverse sectors including finance, art, social media, climate tech, supply chains, and more, diverse skill sets are needed in the ecosystem. So don’t worry, you don’t need to have previous experience in tech to pursue a career in Web3.
7. When onboarding to Web3 – lead with the benefits, not the tech.
When onboarding newcomers to Web3, it is important to lead with the benefits of the technology, as opposed to focusing on the technology itself and the complexities behind it. Using the example of a charitable organization interested in accepting cryptocurrency donations, they are far more interested in how the decentralization and transparency enabled by blockchain will be beneficial to their fundraising strategy, as opposed to the L1 blockchain it is built on, and the tokenomics behind each cryptocurrency they accept.
8. We’re all still learning!
It can be overwhelming learning about everything there is to know in Web3, but don’t worry, you don’t have to! Since Web3 is so new, and its use cases are far-reaching, nobody could possible know everything. Not even Vitalik himself knows everything there is to know about Web3. So, while you may experience imposter syndrome from time-to-time as you try to keep up with this fast paced ecosystem, don’t worry, everyone is new and learning together!
9. Blockchain is not a panacea for all the worlds woes.
The community of builders in the Web3 social impact ecosystem are extremely passionate about the potential of blockchain to positively change the world. At the same time, they’re also realistic in understanding that blockchain alone won’t solve all the world’s problems. This is why it’s important to take a multilateral approach to building that embraces diverse perspectives.
10. We have a lot to prove in Web3.
Unfortunately, over the last couple of years, the actions of several bad actors have cast a shadow over the whole Web3 ecosystem. The results have been devastating, including millions losing their hard-earned dollars, many losing their jobs, several prominent crypto institutions completely collapsing, and a break down of trust towards the sector. As such, there is a lot to prove to the world about the transformative potential of Web3. At the same time, however most of the builders I’ve spoken with think that the best is yet to come, and that the most exciting use cases of Web3 are yet to be discovered.
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