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I've hired over 200 people in crypto. The best performers knew crypto basics, but their real edge came from outside the industry Teacher becomes our top Product Manager because they understand user psychology Bartender becomes our best BD Lead because they know how to build real relationships Consultant becomes Operations Head because they know how to build processes that scale Everyone has transferrable skills. You just need to match yours to the right crypto role. Industry experience teaches you what's possible in crypto. Experience outside crypto teaches you what actually works. The teacher knows when users are confused before they say anything. The bartender knows how to read room dynamics at networking events. The consultant spots process gaps that crypto natives miss because they're used to chaos. Crypto loves hiring people who already "get" Web3 But the best hires are people who get humans, systems, and relationships. You can teach someone about tokenomics in two weeks but you can't teach emotional intelligence or systems thinking Your background isn't a disadvantage. It's your edge Figure out which part of crypto needs what you already know, then make that connection obvious to whoever's hiring

Crypto is losing talent fast Not because of the 24/7 culture but because of what the grind produces Brilliant engineers ship products to zero users. Product managers optimize apps nobody opens. Great designers polish interfaces for protocols that die Working hard on the wrong thing breaks people faster than working hard on the right thing ever could

Quick hiring tip: Crypto companies hire passionate people who lack skills Traditional companies hire competent people who don't care So when you find someone competent who genuinely believes in what you're building, hold onto them. That's the entire competitive advantage.

The crypto talent exodus is real But it's not because of the 24/7 culture or market volatility The real problem is simpler: they've spent years building products nobody wanted I've seen incredible engineers burn 18 months of effort on NFT marketplaces that launched into empty rooms Product managers who optimized user flows for apps with 12 daily active users Designers who perfected interfaces for protocols that never found product-market fit The exhaustion isn't from working hard. It's from working hard on things that don't matter Most crypto projects fail because founders fall in love with their solution before understanding the problem. They hire great people to build the wrong thing beautifully That's why so many talented people leave crypto feeling defeated. Not because they couldn't handle the pace, but because they realized they were running nowhere fast This is exactly why we need a utility season, not another memecoin cycle. When speculation dominates, the best builders waste their time chasing trends instead of solving real problems. Real utility creates sustainable traction. Memes create temporary distractions.

The career path in crypto that nobody talks about but pays incredibly well: Protocol operations While everyone tries to become founders or chase influence, these "boring" $300k roles sit empty But here's the thing Every major protocol needs someone to manage partnerships, coordinate launches, and handle the business side that founders don't want to touch It's not glamorous, but it's essential. The best part is you don't need to be overly technical You need project management skills, attention to detail, and the ability to translate between technical teams and business stakeholders. These roles pay $150k-300k because finding competent operators in crypto is nearly impossible. Most people want to build or trade, not handle the boring stuff that keeps protocols running If this speaks to you, I'd advise you to learn how to navigate the space, understand how protocols work, then apply for ops roles at established projects It's the most reliable path to crypto wealth that doesn't require gambling

Don't hire from crypto. Hire from the industries crypto is disrupting. They understand the problems you're solving better than any crypto native. I've seen this pattern repeatedly across portfolio companies. The best DeFi hires come from traditional finance as they've spent years frustrated with settlement times, cross-border payments, and outdated clearing systems. When they see blockchain solutions, they immediately understand the value because they've lived with the pain Gaming industry people make the best GameFi and metaverse builders. They understand user psychology, engagement loops, and virtual economies in ways that crypto people trying to gamify everything completely miss EdTech professionals naturally grasp learn-to-earn mechanics because they've been thinking about learning incentives long before tokens existed. Supply chain experts can immediately spot the inefficiencies that logistics protocols are trying to solve Meanwhile, crypto natives often understand the technology but miss the nuances of the real-world problems they're trying to address. They build solutions for theoretical pain points instead of actual user needs. Industry veterans bring something crypto natives can't: deep knowledge of what's actually broken and needs fixing.

CT is full of 20 years olds who've never managed anyone telling builders how to run their businesses Meanwhile, the few people who actually know how to run things are cautious about giving unsolicited advice The confidence to experience ratio is wild

Hired 200+ people in crypto over 7 years The ones who grew fastest all shared one trait: they could explain complex things simply If you can't describe your work to someone outside crypto, you don't understand it well enough. Clear thinking = clear communication.

I've hired 200 people across crypto companies in the past few years Never once asked about their degree. Always asked: show me what you've built Can you solve real problems? Do you ship things that work? Can you learn fast? The job market is shifting. Employers care more about results than degrees

Hiring from CT is surprisingly difficult Most applications come in with no portfolio, unclear communication, and salary expectations that don't match demonstrated ability Not asking for perfection here, just some proof you can do the work you're claiming you can do.

Hot take: There actually is a shortcut to growing in crypto It's called being useful.

I've built teams at Crypto​.com, Magic Eden, and Animoca. Here's what I learned about scaling from 1 to 300+ people: • Hire people who solve problems without being told what to do • Skills compound across industries, the best talents have a broad experience • Junior-heavy teams can't make decisions without you. Aim for 70/30 senior/junior ratio • Vision clarity trumps perfect credentials every time • Fire bad culture fits fast. 1 toxic person ruins everyone else's mood • Give people goals, not step-by-step tasks. "Fix user onboarding" not "Update page 3 of the docs" • Attitude beats aptitude when markets move fast • Lead from the sidelines during execution • Take time off to see what breaks. If everything falls apart, your team isn't ready • Collective intelligence > individual genius • Promote people who stay calm when things go wrong

Hot take: Most crypto projects would be more successful if they removed the token entirely and just focused on solving the problem

I never applied for a crypto job. I just became useful to communities and the offers came to me. Here's the side door strategy to get hired: Most people enter crypto through the front door, they spam applications to job boards, cold DM founders who ignore them, network at conferences where everyone's selling something. Then wonder why nothing happens. But there is a different path. Back in 2017, I bought into the Monaco ICO (now Crypto​.com). Instead of just holding the token and checking charts, I got curious about how the product would actually work. So I started hanging out in their community subreddit. I was reading user problems, asking questions, getting to know the moderators. My curiosity led to conversations with team members, and their talent team eventually suggested I apply for a product manager role. I did, and I got the job. That's the side door. Instead of fighting with thousands of other applicants, you become the obvious choice because people already know you can deliver. One warning though : actually be helpful. Don't be the guy spamming the team with random ideas thinking that's how you get hired. You should be genuinely curious, solve real problems users are facing and contribute value because you really care, without expecting anything back. Show up with, contribute genuinely, and let the opportunities come to you naturally.

I've hired over 200 people in crypto. The best performers knew crypto basics, but their real edge came from outside the industry Teacher becomes our top Product Manager because they understand user psychology Bartender becomes our best BD Lead because they know how to build real relationships Consultant becomes Operations Head because they know how to build processes that scale Everyone has transferrable skills. You just need to match yours to the right crypto role. Industry experience teaches you what's possible in crypto. Experience outside crypto teaches you what actually works. The teacher knows when users are confused before they say anything. The bartender knows how to read room dynamics at networking events. The consultant spots process gaps that crypto natives miss because they're used to chaos. Crypto loves hiring people who already "get" Web3 But the best hires are people who get humans, systems, and relationships. You can teach someone about tokenomics in two weeks but you can't teach emotional intelligence or systems thinking Your background isn't a disadvantage. It's your edge Figure out which part of crypto needs what you already know, then make that connection obvious to whoever's hiring

Crypto is losing talent fast Not because of the 24/7 culture but because of what the grind produces Brilliant engineers ship products to zero users. Product managers optimize apps nobody opens. Great designers polish interfaces for protocols that die Working hard on the wrong thing breaks people faster than working hard on the right thing ever could

Hot take: There actually is a shortcut to growing in crypto It's called being useful.

The crypto talent exodus is real But it's not because of the 24/7 culture or market volatility The real problem is simpler: they've spent years building products nobody wanted I've seen incredible engineers burn 18 months of effort on NFT marketplaces that launched into empty rooms Product managers who optimized user flows for apps with 12 daily active users Designers who perfected interfaces for protocols that never found product-market fit The exhaustion isn't from working hard. It's from working hard on things that don't matter Most crypto projects fail because founders fall in love with their solution before understanding the problem. They hire great people to build the wrong thing beautifully That's why so many talented people leave crypto feeling defeated. Not because they couldn't handle the pace, but because they realized they were running nowhere fast This is exactly why we need a utility season, not another memecoin cycle. When speculation dominates, the best builders waste their time chasing trends instead of solving real problems. Real utility creates sustainable traction. Memes create temporary distractions.

CT is full of 20 years olds who've never managed anyone telling builders how to run their businesses Meanwhile, the few people who actually know how to run things are cautious about giving unsolicited advice The confidence to experience ratio is wild

Onboarding someone to crypto is easy, they just need to: - Write down 12-24 random words and never lose them - Understand that losing those words = losing your money forever - Understand gas fees - Choose the correct network from 15 options (wrong choice = money gone) - Approve multiple transactions without understanding why - Switch networks manually without messing up - Bridge tokens across chains without losing funds - Accept that failed transactions still cost money - Live with no undo button, no customer service, no password reset - Read contract addresses to avoid scams - Understand the difference between the same token on different networks - Know when gas is "high" vs "low" - Accept that sending to wrong address = permanent loss And this is just for managing your wallet... We want to onboard billions to crypto, yet the first app they touch offers significantly worse experience than any banking app It's like everyone's building protocols but nobody's fixing the front door

Hot take: Most crypto projects would be more successful if they removed the token entirely and just focused on solving the problem

I've hired 200 people across crypto companies in the past few years Never once asked about their degree. Always asked: show me what you've built Can you solve real problems? Do you ship things that work? Can you learn fast? The job market is shifting. Employers care more about results than degrees

The career path in crypto that nobody talks about but pays incredibly well: Protocol operations While everyone tries to become founders or chase influence, these "boring" $300k roles sit empty But here's the thing Every major protocol needs someone to manage partnerships, coordinate launches, and handle the business side that founders don't want to touch It's not glamorous, but it's essential. The best part is you don't need to be overly technical You need project management skills, attention to detail, and the ability to translate between technical teams and business stakeholders. These roles pay $150k-300k because finding competent operators in crypto is nearly impossible. Most people want to build or trade, not handle the boring stuff that keeps protocols running If this speaks to you, I'd advise you to learn how to navigate the space, understand how protocols work, then apply for ops roles at established projects It's the most reliable path to crypto wealth that doesn't require gambling

Hiring from CT is surprisingly difficult Most applications come in with no portfolio, unclear communication, and salary expectations that don't match demonstrated ability Not asking for perfection here, just some proof you can do the work you're claiming you can do.

Don't hire from crypto. Hire from the industries crypto is disrupting. They understand the problems you're solving better than any crypto native. I've seen this pattern repeatedly across portfolio companies. The best DeFi hires come from traditional finance as they've spent years frustrated with settlement times, cross-border payments, and outdated clearing systems. When they see blockchain solutions, they immediately understand the value because they've lived with the pain Gaming industry people make the best GameFi and metaverse builders. They understand user psychology, engagement loops, and virtual economies in ways that crypto people trying to gamify everything completely miss EdTech professionals naturally grasp learn-to-earn mechanics because they've been thinking about learning incentives long before tokens existed. Supply chain experts can immediately spot the inefficiencies that logistics protocols are trying to solve Meanwhile, crypto natives often understand the technology but miss the nuances of the real-world problems they're trying to address. They build solutions for theoretical pain points instead of actual user needs. Industry veterans bring something crypto natives can't: deep knowledge of what's actually broken and needs fixing.

Hired 200+ people in crypto over 7 years The ones who grew fastest all shared one trait: they could explain complex things simply If you can't describe your work to someone outside crypto, you don't understand it well enough. Clear thinking = clear communication.

Quick hiring tip: Crypto companies hire passionate people who lack skills Traditional companies hire competent people who don't care So when you find someone competent who genuinely believes in what you're building, hold onto them. That's the entire competitive advantage.