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> Are there any complaints you have about the space compared to other spaces you've worked in? The first time you go to an after party with colleagues and some

by 1996 6y ago

> Are there any complaints you have about the space compared to other spaces you've worked in? The first time you go to an after party with colleagues and someone innocently says to you "Want some cocaine?", it can be surprising. But if you can keep your head cool, you realize it's just a bunch of rich people who enjoy the good life and genuinely want to share the good things. Then you get rich too and you get along much better! So no complaints, just be ready for some funny experiences at first :) Now, if you genuinely want to get in, you need to learn. Install a BTC, BCH or DOGE full node (because they are essentially the same software, except DOGE is cheaper ATM), get some coins, make transactions. Then do the same with a Monero client. Do some transfer of fiat to DOGE, then find a website to convert that to XMR. Understand the processes and the risks - when you can get defrauded and how. Once it's done, try some mining: CPU mining with XMR is still accessible, and will teach you the ropes. Then it's time to move to DEFI: install an ethereum full node, get some ETC (cheaper than ETH and essentially the same thing like DOGE/BCH/BTC). Do a few transfers and try to write smart contracts - an oracle is something nice to play with. Try to interact with other chains - there's WBTC but a lot of other ways too! Once you're done with all this, you will have a better idea of the main areas in the field: payments and custody (BTC), mining, defi. These are the basis. Make some offline wallets to keep a few coins of each (you can check the prices on the likes of cryptomarketplot.com) and find a company to apply to. The field is so new that nobody really expects some experience, and having played with all the basic technology will open doors.

yowlingcat 6y ago
Sorry, I don't mean from a complete beginners perspective. I'm pretty familiar with how crypto works -- I've held some crypto for a while (not large quantities mind you, but enough here and there to develop the curiosity in the first place). I meant more along the lines of, I've never considered making it my full-time job before by working at company focused on crypto, and what I'm curious about is what things you like about working in the field and what things you may not. For example, my friends that work in the field have mentioned that for better and worse, there's the double edged sword of evangelism which can be very positive in so far as people are really enthusiastic about its positive potential. But it can also backfire because there's sometimes tunnel vision that can come from a lack of adequate skepticism and reasoning from first principles with respect to legacy finance. I guess that's along the line of questioning which I was curious about from your end. Sorry for being so vague!
- 1996 6y ago
  > double edged sword of evangelism Yes, you want to keep a cool head. I didn't mean just for the cocaine, but for everything else too. This is because you will find all kind of people there - including a few crooks that are still left from the early days, but also great hackers of the kind that you won't find anymore in regular startups. But it's no different than any other job IMHO, it just evolves faster and has greater upsides.
  - yowlingcat 6y ago
    > also great hackers of the kind that you won't find anymore in regular startups. Amazing, this is exactly what I was trying to put my finger on. I was kind of getting a gut feeling of this very special kind of OG hacker vibe which is quite rare, and honestly that's a /huge/ part of what made me interested in the space to begin with. It's as you say, a variety that you won't find anymore in regular startups, and that's exactly what makes it so exciting. Thanks for sharing, I again really appreciate your perspective :)

by 1996 6y ago

yowlingcat 6y ago

Sorry, I don't mean from a complete beginners perspective. I'm pretty familiar with how crypto works -- I've held some crypto for a while (not large quantities mind you, but enough here and there to develop the curiosity in the first place). I meant more along the lines of, I've never considered making it my full-time job before by working at company focused on crypto, and what I'm curious about is what things you like about working in the field and what things you may not. For example, my friends that work in the field have mentioned that for better and worse, there's the double edged sword of evangelism which can be very positive in so far as people are really enthusiastic about its positive potential. But it can also backfire because there's sometimes tunnel vision that can come from a lack of adequate skepticism and reasoning from first principles with respect to legacy finance. I guess that's along the line of questioning which I was curious about from your end. Sorry for being so vague!

1996 6y ago
> double edged sword of evangelism Yes, you want to keep a cool head. I didn't mean just for the cocaine, but for everything else too. This is because you will find all kind of people there - including a few crooks that are still left from the early days, but also great hackers of the kind that you won't find anymore in regular startups. But it's no different than any other job IMHO, it just evolves faster and has greater upsides.
- yowlingcat 6y ago
  > also great hackers of the kind that you won't find anymore in regular startups. Amazing, this is exactly what I was trying to put my finger on. I was kind of getting a gut feeling of this very special kind of OG hacker vibe which is quite rare, and honestly that's a /huge/ part of what made me interested in the space to begin with. It's as you say, a variety that you won't find anymore in regular startups, and that's exactly what makes it so exciting. Thanks for sharing, I again really appreciate your perspective :)