Getting into the blockchain space can be challenging, I struggled to find the right path, right resource, and community and I believe this to be something a good number of people in the blockchain space struggle with as well.
As a result, I’ve embarked on this small interview with notable web3 figures to curate this article that should ultimately help you figure out how to get into the web3 space. More importantly, if you need web2 experience or not. Now, Let's get started!
To start us off, I spoke with Kristen who is currently the community lead@womenbuildweb3 on the topic. When I asked if a background in web2 was needed for beginners to thrive in web3, this was what she had to say:
When we talk about building, I believe that there's more to it than just websites and applications. Since continuing my journey, I've been presented with opportunities that involve helping build web3 communities up. Opportunities like writing, research, discord/community moderating and UI/UX Design etc.
However, If we're speaking in terms of strictly building apps and other things that require code, my opinion is this: "There are a ton of amazing open-source resources that can teach someone who has zero coding knowledge how to create a dApp"
I summarized from Kristen's response that you can probably learn web3 without necessarily having web2 experience. This is not to say that the web2 experience won't benefit you in the journey, however, it might be limiting to advise beginners otherwise.
I pondered about it for a while seeing that I had a different experience coming into the space. Along the way, I felt that I lacked some fundamentals of how the web worked, which would've helped me get through some huddles a lot easier than I did.
As a result, I continued to interview more people to get an idea of their own experiences and how it relates to this topic. So I spoke with Samuel a Senior Infra Engineer @o1labs and these were his thoughts:
"Well, yes I honestly believe(so you need a web2 background). There’s so much about the fundamentals of web3 that has its ties to web2 especially in the JavaScript world and that’s why many times, it’s advised to pick up JavaScript before Solidity, Ocaml ,and the rest".
Samuel continued,
If you ask me to choose between web2 and web3, I’d go for the latter because it is still an emerging field and that means, there’s a chance for me to become a formidable member of the community, build a solid infrastructure and impact the space while it is still at birth. Web2 background will help you conquer fast but going to web3 directly, is also not a bad shot, it’d just be a long race.
I couldn't agree more with Samuel, there’s so much about the fundamentals of web3 that has its ties to web2 especially in the JavaScript world. This is why I'm currently learning JavaScript, as I've continued to see the need to understand the basics.
I was also privileged to speak with Mack, A Decentralization Advocate @graphprotocol, CTO @graphrica, Web3 Dev and Trainer. When I asked the question, this was his reply
"Web2 helps but leapfrogging directly into web3 is possible. Anyone can start developing and starting in web3 is a lot more fun"
To support Mack's view, I'd say web3 has a lot of features that make the experience more interesting than the traditional web2 experience. A Platform like crypto zombies would teach you solidity whilst making learning fun and easy.
Up next is Fatma, Fullstack Blockchain/Web Developer and Educator @womenbuildweb3 and @developer_daoDAOs . When I asked her whether a web2 background was needed to build in web3, This was her reply
"Yes you do need a background in web2 to build in web3.
Furthermore, she stressed on some web3 roles and web2 backgrounds they required.
FrontEnd Web3 Developer: They have to understand understand Web2 development ,working >with frontend(HTML,CSS and JS frameworks) to interact with >smart contracts.
Developer Advocate/Relations Engineer: They must have an understanding of Blockchain, web2 >development before they can create content on web3.
Blockchain Developer: They develop smart contracts with languages like solidity >before you dive into solidity you've got to start with >other languages used web2 mainly object-oriented languages >and scripting languages(Python,Java, JavaScript..) to get >familiar with solidity.
Core Blockchain Developer These utilize languages like Go to build the EVM-based >blockchains infrastructure.
Fatma's list was thoroughly enjoyable to read, and I learned a lot from it as well.
Next, I spoke with another developer and technical writer Busayo. She’s also a contributor@womenbuildweb3 and @developer_daoDAOs.Her words were as follows:
I think you need a little fundamental of programming. You don’t have to be a pro. Just the basic foundations on terms like variables, functions and mathematical operations.
The last on this series was Kene. A Legal and DeFi M&A consultant @banklessconsult DAO.
I believe that having existing Web2 skills can make it easier to transition to creating value in Web3, however if you don’t have Web2 skills, you will need more time to study web3 and figure out exactly how you can provide value to the ecosystem.
In a subsequent post, I'll share details of my interviews with other web3 figures who are equally experienced in migrating from web2 to web3. In the meantime, I'd like to summarize my findings under these bullet points:
If you want to build in Web3, you'll likely need a background in Web2 to be more efficient.
A very good Web3 developer must have fundamental coding knowledge and experience.
Web3 does not have stringent rules regarding how things function like the traditional web, everything is possible.
That said, I'd like to acknowledge that my conclusions are not final and can still be disputed seeing as the Web3 ecosystem is still relatively new and constantly evolving.
Closing thoughts
Building in the web3 space is an incredible career path. The journey might not be easy, but it's worth it. Hopefully, this article helped you figure out some of the challenges you might face in this field.
If you liked reading this article, please tweet about it and give me some reactions as I work on the next one!
Also, If you’d like to share some thoughts on this topic with me or feature in the next series, please reach out to me on Twitter and I’d be happy to work with you!
