Career Journeys

1. 1Deep-dove into DeFi protocol mechanics (3 months)
2. 2Built Dune Analytics dashboard for a major DEX
3. 3Wrote public thread on AMM impermanent loss — 50K impressions
4. 4Landed contract role at Euler Finance protocol team

Key learning: My risk modelling background transferred directly — DeFi protocols are just financial instruments with transparent on-chain mechanics.

"Don't try to learn Solidity first. Learn how protocols actually work — the economics, the risk surfaces, the governance. Technical skills follow naturally once you understand what you're building."

1. 1Learned Ethereum data model via mirror.xyz deep-dives (1 month)
2. 2Built 15 public Dune dashboards tracking DEX volumes
3. 3Open-sourced a Python script for MEV analysis — 400 GitHub stars
4. 4Hired directly from GitHub by Messari research team

Key learning: SQL is SQL. The blockchain is just another data source — once I understood the schema (blocks, transactions, logs, traces), everything clicked immediately.

"Start with Dune. Write 10 queries, publish them publicly. That portfolio will get you interviews faster than any certification."

1. 1Joined Gitcoin DAO as a community contributor (months 1–6)
2. 2Led a grants round analysis project pro bono
3. 3Published research on DAO treasury management — cited by 3 protocols
4. 4Full-time offer from MakerDAO community operations

Key learning: DAOs face exactly the same coordination problems as any organisation — strategy, incentives, accountability. The tools are new but the problems are ancient.

"Get involved with a DAO before you apply to work for one. Contribute to governance discussions, write proposals, volunteer for working groups. The hiring process in Web3 is relationship-first."

1. 1Completed Damn Vulnerable DeFi v3 and Ethernaut challenges
2. 2Learned Solidity fundamentals via CryptoZombies + Alchemy University
3. 3Competed in 3 Code4rena audit contests — found 2 medium severity bugs
4. 4Hired by Trail of Bits associate auditor programme

Key learning: Audit is advanced QA. You're hunting for edge cases in adversarial conditions where someone with $10M at stake is trying to break your assumptions. QA instincts translate perfectly.

"The Damn Vulnerable DeFi repo is where you start. Work through every challenge, understand every exploit. Then audit real protocols — even if just for practice — and publish your findings on GitHub."

1. 1Completed ETHGlobal hackathon as product lead — team placed top 10
2. 2Built a personal DeFi portfolio tracker as a side project
3. 3Wrote a public teardown of Uniswap v3 UX — shared widely in product communities
4. 4Hired by Aave ecosystem growth team based on portfolio and writing

Key learning: Product fundamentals don't change — understand your users, define the problem, ship iteratively. The Web3 context adds wallet UX, gas cost constraints, and protocol composability as new dimensions.

"Build something. Even a simple front-end connecting to an existing protocol. The fastest way to understand Web3 product challenges is to hit them yourself — wallet connection UX alone will teach you more than six months of reading."