Before Entering Web3, Understand Yourself and the Industry First
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Before Entering Web3, Understand Yourself and the Industry First
Career advice for friends interested in Web3.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insights1. Understand the Industry First, Then Make Further Decisions
You Must Trade Cryptocurrencies
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This refers to FTs (fungible tokens), as opposed to NFTs.
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Regardless of your personal views on crypto, if you intend to enter this industry but avoid touching any tokens, I believe that’s extremely risky. It's impossible to come up with good solutions without a solid understanding of the current state of the industry.
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Please see the note at the end of this article—this advice does not apply to readers in mainland China. Similar cases below will not be repeated.
NFT Trading Is Recommended
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NFTs, in contrast to FTs, offer tremendous potential, though they remain a relatively new concept and industry. Only by participating in buying and selling can you truly understand the current state of NFTs.
As a newcomer, don't invest too much money, and never use leverage
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Don’t invest large amounts—you can never predict how you might lose your funds. Among my close friends alone, at least five have had their wallets hacked, and this is just one of hundreds of possible ways to lose assets. Losing money as a beginner is normal; making profits is possible—but profiting immediately upon entry isn’t necessarily a good sign.
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For non-professionals, using leverage is tantamount to suicide. Even if you get lucky and become rich quickly, profit and loss stem from the same source—you could just as easily fall back into poverty.
Perform plenty of on-chain operations
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On-chain activity is the foundation and core of blockchain. The oldest technical and financial roots of blockchain lie here, as do the latest developments. Without hands-on on-chain experience, it’s impossible to truly understand this industry. As for gas fees, treat them as tuition—especially now during this bear market when gas prices are low.
Connect with more people in the industry, both online and offline, and talk to them
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The industry is filled with lies, arrogance, and prejudice. Without better information sources, you’ll never make sound judgments. If you’re coming from outside web3, you’ve likely already heard many outsiders’ opinions about it—why not also listen to what insiders have to say?
The safest approach is always to start part-time
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If you're unsure about going all-in full-time, try starting part-time. Students are especially well-positioned—they can intern. Those who've already graduated might consider joining projects part-time to see what the industry is really like. But don’t generalize based on just one project—combine insights from multiple channels to form a balanced judgment.
Pick 1–2 directions that interest or suit you, and dive deeper
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There are numerous subfields within the broader Web3, blockchain, and metaverse landscape. You should focus your learning strategically to avoid superficiality.
Listen to all opinions, but ultimately make your own judgment
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The industry is still in its early stages, and even experts disagree strongly. If you talk to enough insiders, you'll hear vastly different answers to the same question. So who should you trust? Ultimately, only your own judgment. You may still be wrong, but the benefit is that mistakes help you iterate. With proper risk management, you don’t need to fear being wrong.
2. Understand Yourself Before Deciding Whether to Join Full-Time (or Even Go All-In Physically)
At this stage, younger people are better suited than older ones
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Young people have less to lose, fewer constraints, and more energy and drive—ideal traits for this emerging industry. Older individuals face significantly higher opportunity costs and relative disadvantages, resulting in much lower ROI. That said, this doesn’t mean older people can’t participate—it’s just one factor among many. Globally, there are plenty of people in their fifties, sixties, and beyond actively working in web3.
Those who enjoy exploration are better suited; those seeking stability are less so
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The industry is still early—wild, chaotic, rule-light, volatile, and risky. It’s paradise for adventurers. If you prefer a stable life and career path, web3 is probably not the right fit.
It’s best to enter because you’re seeking something unavailable elsewhere
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If you hope to find in web3 something you can’t get anywhere else, that’s reasonable. But if what you want is available in other industries, remember: entering web3 means taking on additional risk.
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Similar situations exist to varying degrees both domestically and internationally. Whether it’s worth it is worth reflecting on.
Domestic audiences should proceed with extra caution
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The legality of public chain ecosystems remains ambiguous. Even consortium chains aren’t entirely safe. Most digital collectibles are built on consortium chains and carry various risks. Under these conditions, entering the space requires careful consideration—have you prepared for potential future policy changes?
The industry needs “global citizens”
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Those comfortable living and moving globally are best suited for this industry. People deeply attached to their homeland are relatively less suited.
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Exercise caution if you struggle with emotional regulation or basic judgment.
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The industry is deep and risky—mistakes can cascade. Often, you must tread carefully. If you act impulsively, you may make serious errors.
"Make a quick buck and leave"? Beware—you might get rekt instead
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Some people don’t believe in the industry’s value and have no real interest—they just want to cash out and leave. To them, I’d say: you’re far more likely to fail.
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First, such behavior is unethical, unpopular, and often illegal, risking sanctions from authorities. Second, entering with such a short-term, restless mindset makes it nearly impossible to gain deep insight—and you’ll likely end up being the one scammed. If the industry has long-term potential, people like you won’t capture lasting gains. If the industry fails, your outcome will be even worse. So I don’t recommend this mindset.
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Of course, there *are* real "scammers" in the space—but becoming one isn’t something ordinary people can learn or do, nor is it a legitimate path. Stop dreaming of overnight riches. Most lack the information access, methodology, and diligence required. Instead of fantasizing, work hard to acquire these three things.
Should you join now? Be prepared for a long bear market
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Bear markets are tough for everyone. No one knows how long this one will last—have you mentally and financially prepared for a prolonged downturn?
3. Since You’re Here—Dive Deep Into This Wild, Uncertain World. It’s Actually Fascinating
Start with what was mentioned in Part One: keep trading cryptocurrencies (FTs), continue trading NFTs, perform frequent on-chain operations, engage in active networking. Also, improve your English
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Networking here is broad—learning from diverse people through conversations counts as networking too.
Keep learning, gradually build mature methodologies, and use them to question everything—including your past and present self
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The industry is early—there are no true authorities. Even figures like Vitalik can be wrong. Never follow anyone blindly. Given the complex web of interests, many statements aren’t genuine anyway—blind following is dangerous.
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Relying on yourself is the most reliable and sustainable path—but only if you continuously challenge and reinvent yourself.
Focus deeply on 1–2 areas, quickly become an expert, and gradually build an overall understanding of the industry
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In my view, NFTs can serve as a dividing line: less mature sectors are newer directions; more mature ones are established. For example, NFTs, GameFi, metaverse, SocialFi, DID, creator economy are newer; while blockchains, infrastructure, mining, CEX/CeFi, DeFi are more established.
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Choose new directions for speed—you may become an expert faster and capture larger early rewards. Choose established areas for stability—they’ve been tested, and studying them gives deeper industry insight. Theoretically, if the industry thrives, all areas offer opportunities. With strong learning ability, good methodology, and full dedication, you might master a new field in 3–6 months, an established one in 1–2 years. Building holistic industry awareness may take 1–2 years.
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But this only applies to those who are fast learners, methodical, and diligent. Without these traits, even after 4, 8, or 12 years, you might still lack real understanding. Yet this very gap is the opportunity for motivated newcomers.
The industry may be chaotic, but it’s full of hope, with坚定 believers and idealists. It may not guarantee the future, but it’s littered with shadows of the future and fragments of ideals
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It welcomes both adventurers and speculators, and those with grand visions seeking keys to their personal and societal futures.
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Adopt a long-term builder mindset—even if we ultimately fail, we’ll have contributed to society.
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Exploration is the entrepreneur’s duty. Innovation inherently risks failure. A society’s tolerance for failed innovation determines how likely it is to produce successful breakthroughs.
Despite all the warnings above, I sincerely hope like-minded people will join me in going all-in—so we can learn and grow together
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Even if we pursue different paths—like domestic consortium chains or private chains—that’s fine. Let’s explore separately, and co-create value.
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I hope that in a few years, we’ll each have carved out our own space; in ten years, we’ll have planted towering trees—for ourselves, for others, for future generations.
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As for proving ourselves or the industry—no need. I believe we don’t owe anyone proof. We only need to validate our choices for ourselves and create value for society. What others say? Let them talk.
4. Finally, 10 Excellent WeChat Official Accounts I’ve Curated
WeChat supports inserting up to 10 official account cards (in no particular order)
●ETH中文 (Ethereum Chinese Community ethereum.cn, 142 original articles)
●DoraFactory (DAO Factory, 337 original articles)
●橙皮书 (Decrypt cryptonetwork, 466 original articles)
●SevenUp DAO (7up Dao, Web3 research & learning community focused on deep value sharing! 24 original articles)
●蜂巢Tech (Blockchain truth-seekers, using in-depth reporting to reveal reality (formerly Hive Finance News), 331 original articles)
●Foresight Research (Foresight Ventures is a blockchain-focused investment firm with a global expert network including members from top internet, IT, and financial institutions. Neutral, professional, objective. 56 original articles)
●TechFlow (Pioneering insights, discovering value, 137 original articles)
●The SeeDAO (Empowering creators to enter Web3.0! 148 original articles)
●Rebase社区 (Web3 developer community, 857 original articles)
●链捕手ChainCatcher (A premium blockchain media brand emphasizing depth and frontier insights. 318 original articles)
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