Like most beginners, I made many mistakes when I first started working as a Web3 developer in the Crypto industry.

But this was the biggest one by far:

Not switching lanes quickly enough.

Here's what happened:

When I first decided to join the Web3 industry as a developer, I followed a fairly traditional path: CryptoZombies and building to a job.

The thought of being able to program money in a cutting-edge industry was exciting, but as a beginner, you don't know what you don't know.

However, I had not learned that 95% of the job was writing tests.

Some people love and enjoy this grind, but not me.

Once you’ve learned the 20% that yields 80% of the results, there’s little leverage in this type of task.

But it's also worth acknowledging that making this mistake led to much growth.

First, my Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex (aMCC) has been thoroughly developed. This is the willpower center of the brain, and it grows when doing undesirable things.

Secondly, this initial drive propelled me into the Web3 space head-first, where I attended conferences and met really cool people.

Thirdly, I have a far better understanding of the different parts of a Web3 company and have developed the skills to build across the stack: smart contracts, subgraph, backend, and frontend.

Finally, and most importantly, I learned a lot about myself, including where my strengths and weaknesses lie, what gets me excited in the morning, and what drains my energy.

It's obvious, but do more of what excites you and less of what drains you.

This is why I encourage everyone to see their mistakes (and "failures") as necessary steps along the path.

There is always a lesson to be learned.