10 Things I Would Do If I Had To Learn Web3 All Over Again.

A Little Back Story

I first learned about crypto while in college. My colleagues (mostly male) had wallets for buying and selling tokens, but I never paid attention since I didn't understand the technology or care about how it worked.

In May 2022, a colleague from my design community landed a role at a web3 company. This sparked excitement and curiosity in the community. Several people became interested in learning about Web3 and its underlying technology, the Blockchain, hoping to secure similar roles.

The excitement was contagious, so I decided to explore it too. I wanted to understand what made this field so appealing to my colleagues. What particularly interested me was that I could apply my design skills in this space—this made it more valuable than I had earlier thought the crypto world to be.

I began reading extensively about Web3. Though I wanted to start designing right away, the crypto concepts were not clicking yet. I knew I needed to learn more.

To solidify my knowledge, I focused on research and writing. After reading numerous articles and following discussions across various Discord channels, I compiled my thoughts to explain web3 concepts and blockchain's role for other newcomers.

At that point, I had no hands-on experience with web3 applications, so everything still felt quite abstract.

Later in 2022, I discovered the Afriguild women's scholarship program, specifically designed to teach women about Web3. I enrolled for free and was accepted. I was thrilled to join others who shared my interest and was eager to see what the program offered.

Early in the program, we were asked to pitch ideas about blockchain possibilities. This helped us research and understand the technology's potential. Working in teams, we developed different projects. My team proposed a Fitness NFT designed for fitness enthusiasts.

Despite my limited knowledge then, collaborating with and learning from my colleagues was engaging. We all researched the topic thoroughly, and I led the design team and worked with the content team to create the pitch deck. Our project's acceptance gave us full access to the program.

The program sponsor was a Web3 gaming guild, whose mission was to accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology through gaming. We were introduced to various web3 games, including Axie Infinity, Thetan Arena, PUBG, FIFA, and even CODM.

I started with Thetan Arena but eventually found Axie Infinity more engaging and decided to focus on it. I participated in various challenges with my colleagues to improve my skills before qualifying for the program's formal challenge. I loved the game's strategic elements and sought practice opportunities with more experienced players.

During these challenges, the moderators guided us in creating our first web3 wallets, teaching us about their importance. We also set up Binance accounts to receive tournament payments and convert them to cash.

While learning these transactions, I realized that using these products was the best way to understand them.

I began to earn my first crypto, learning to convert it to cash, and understanding NFTs. Discovering that our in-game items were NFTs that could be bought in a marketplace was eye-opening. In Axie Infinity, the NFTs were Axies and gaming items, with AXS as the utility token.

For some months, I became deeply involved in web3 gaming, receiving scholarships (with paid Axies) from international guilds and competing in community gaming tournaments. I found gaming to be an excellent gateway into web3—since gaming is universally appealing, I thought using it to teach crypto concepts was brilliant.

I decided I was going to become an advocate for Web3 Gaming to help others learn about it. So I wrote my first article on the topic here.

In 2023, I returned to my studies (IRL) and began my national service. Though I stopped gaming, I remained interested and considered designing for web3 gaming projects. Then, I realized that DeFi played a crucial role in GameFi. It became clear that I needed to understand both gaming and DeFi concepts.

Months later, through the Outreachy program, I got into contributing to open-source projects. And given my passion for the blockchain ecosystem, I searched for open-source web3 projects to contribute to, and then I discovered the Superteam platform.

I explored the platform and saw how it welcomed contributions from various skill sets.

What impressed me most was its user-friendliness—straightforward and uncomplicated. I began visiting regularly and, as an active designer, tried various design bounties.

These bounties introduced me to numerous Solana projects and their user-friendly interfaces. I explored Birdeye, Jupiter, Meteora, and other projects in the Solana ecosystem, studying their designs and user flows, which greatly helped my web3 design journey.

I then discovered the Superteam IRL community. I was delighted because I'd been seeking a web3 community to join, and this seemed perfect—people sharing interests, learning, and earning together.

Finding Superteam and its ecosystem was transformative. I actively contributed to the design community, and in June 2024, I became an official Superteam contributor.

I continued exploring the platform and noticed the abundance of writing bounties, which made up about 80% more than design bounties. Though initially, I was doubtful about winning them. After several attempts and realizing my passion for learning and sharing, I reconsidered technical writing.

After months of learning and writing about Solana projects, I committed to technical writing and enrolled in a bootcamp to professionalize my skills.

Superteam was truly my turning point. Its impact was so significant that I wish I'd discovered it sooner.

It helped me understand web3 products practically, provided an excellent community, allowed me to earn while learning, and helped me (and others) find career clarity. Now I wish I'd figured it out earlier.

While I've come this far, I feel like I had spent a lot of time moving in circles. Now that I know better, here's how I would approach onboarding web3 all over again:

1. I Would Learn Common Web3 Concepts and Terminologies

Like any niche, the web3 ecosystem has its own jargon. You can only go so far without clearly understanding these terms. As someone just entering this new ecosystem, learning the common terminology should be your first step. Understanding concepts like blockchain technology, web3 (and how it differs from the existing web), cryptography, and decentralization—along with the reasoning behind them—will give you a solid foundation. This knowledge will help you confidently participate in conversations and enhance your learning journey.

2. I Would Research Different Niches That Are Applicable to Web3 and Stick With One Closest to My Interest

I studied blockchain for a while, but it didn't click until I realized I could apply my design skills to improve blockchain products. That's when I was ready to dive deeper, focusing on blockchain product design. Exploring different niches shows you what's possible, and finding your interest early gives you clarity on what to focus on—making your journey more straightforward instead of getting overwhelmed trying every possible path.

3. I Would Learn About Top Blockchain Networks, Taking Note of Their Strengths and Weaknesses

There are reasons why we have so many blockchain networks. Bitcoin emerged first and solved the problem of centralized finance, enabling peer-to-peer transactions.

Ethereum built on that but enabled smart contracts, which allow applications to be built on the blockchain. This made Ethereum a go-to network for developers and crypto enthusiasts who wanted to build their own projects. However, its popularity led to network congestion, making it slow and expensive to perform transactions.

While other blockchains emerged with different solutions, Solana emerged as a top contender with its unique approach—making it the fastest, cheapest, and best option for any newbie to get started with low transaction fees.

4. I Would Join a Community in the Solana Ecosystem

Following the previous step, you'll understand why Solana is the best choice for beginners. In addition to being the fastest blockchain with low gas fees, it also has several welcoming communities where you can learn with people who share your interests. Some of these communities include—Superteam, All-Stars, JupiterDao, and the Solflare Guardian. These communities will accelerate your learning journey, provide valuable resources, and support your growth.

5. I Would Register on Superteam and Create My First Solana Wallet

   

These two steps go together because they both enable you to earn your first crypto. Superteam is the premier talent platform on Solana that lets you access opportunities and earn within the ecosystem. A Solana wallet like Solflare or Phantom allows you to securely receive, store, and transfer your crypto.

You'll need a crypto wallet to create a Superteam account. So go ahead—create your new wallet, then head to Superteam Earn to set up your talent account and start earning.

6. I Would Join a Guild for My Niche

   

   Image from superteamUK

Remember those niches we discussed in step 2? Finding a community of people in this niche—say design, who also want to learn about Web3, makes the journey more exciting.

You can find experienced mentors to learn from, in addition to streamlined and more focused resources.

Superteam has guilds for every niche—design, writing, developing, robotics, and more. Joining a guild specific to your niche makes learning seamless and focused. You'll have opportunities to learn alongside others and even attend IRL meetups with people who share your interests.

7. I Would Buy or Earn SOL for Transaction Fees

   

When I won my first Superteam bounty, I couldn't swap or transfer until I had some SOL. Every blockchain network has its primary token for transaction fees—for Solana, it's the SOL token. Having SOL allows you to perform transactions, swap tokens, and claim airdrops. You'll want to have at least enough for your first swap. You can buy SOL through your Solana wallet or earn it through community games, bounties, or perks.

8. I Would Explore Projects on Solana That Can Use My Skills and Contribute to Them

This is another aspect that makes the Solana ecosystem unique. Real-world projects actively welcome contributions. You can contribute through project bounties on Superteam, participating in hackathons, or volunteering with your favorite projects. These experiences offer multiple benefits: you can earn perks, learn new skills, or build a portfolio that leads to bigger roles.

9. I Would Position Myself for Opportunities in the Solana Ecosystem

   

If you're seeking contracts or permanent roles in the ecosystem, actively contributing to projects through writing, design, or content creation will build your portfolio. Consistent participation in bounties helps hone your skills over time, preparing you for bigger opportunities.

Winning bounties also improves your standing on the Superteam Leaderboard, making you more attractive to employers. You can find new opportunities on the Superteam project page and the Solana job board.

10. I Would Champion The Solana Ecosystem and Make the Onboarding Process Easier for Others

A good product turns visitors into users and users into product champions—Solana made my crypto journey easier, helping me find my feet in the ecosystem. It’s only natural that I share my journey and learnings to help grow the community, and there's nothing more fulfilling than helping others gain clarity, and earn their first crypto!

Conclusion

Exploring a new path can be overwhelming. Sometimes you need to test the waters to find what works for you. Many have explored the ecosystem without knowing exactly what they wanted at first, but through consistency, they eventually figured it out. This approach might not work for you—sometimes it's better to learn from others' experiences rather than take the hard road. That's why I've created this roadmap. I hope it gives you the insight and resources you need to begin your journey in web3 and the Solana ecosystem.

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