In 2021, my shift from stock day trading to crypto trading broadened my perspective significantly. While I was familiar with Bitcoin, encountering the wider crypto ecosystem, including smart contracts, was a revelation and ignited my interest in the Web3 space. This led me to fully immerse myself in this emerging field. Now, in 2025, I reflect on the lessons learned from various experiences, particularly two significant projects that highlighted the gap between the ideals and realities of Web3 organizational management. This is not simply a recollection of the past, but an attempt to contribute to the Web3 ecosystem by sharing the challenges and insights I’ve gained. To avoid any potential negative impact on individuals currently involved, I will refrain from mentioning specific company or project names.

My initial entry into the Web3 job market was somewhat serendipitous. I actively sought opportunities within communities that resonated with me, often inquiring about moderator or Community Manager positions. I was fortunate to receive offers, allowing me to leverage my existing skills while gaining practical experience and expanding my understanding of Web3.

Coming from a background solely in TA-based trading and lacking direct crypto experience, the Web3 job market initially felt daunting. The bull market at the time, however, provided opportunities to learn about Web3 communities, technologies, and concepts on the job. I quickly discovered that many job descriptions were vague, requiring me to juggle diverse roles—researcher, planning assistant, community manager, marketing, and even business development. While this unpredictable workload could be demanding, the diverse responsibilities ultimately provided invaluable insights and fostered significant professional and personal growth.

My first full-time foray into Web3 was at a company developing crypto wallets and decentralized games (dApps). I took on multiple roles, including operations, research, and planning assistance. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to form a team around my own idea for an AI-integrated dApp, which we successfully presented at an hackathon and even won an award. This was a very positive experience within the larger context of my time there.

However, a significant issue was the company’s inability to adapt to the rapidly changing market. This manifested in several key problems:

• Unrealistic Decision-Making: The leadership lacked a clear understanding of the team’s actual resources and technical capabilities. This led to the setting of unrealistic goals and timelines, often disconnected from on-the-ground realities. They would set deadlines or expectations without consulting the team actually doing the work, or without understanding the complexity of the technical challenges.

• Blurred Lines of Responsibility: With poorly defined roles and responsibilities, there was a tendency to shift blame onto team members when decisions went wrong. This created a culture of fear and discouraged ownership. Because no one was clearly in charge of specific areas, it was easy for responsibility to fall through the cracks, or for those in charge to deflect blame.

• Misuse of Personal Networks: The CEO attempted to leverage my personal network for business purposes in an inappropriate and excessive manner. This created unnecessary conflicts and put me in a difficult position. This blurred the lines between professional and personal relationships, and put undue pressure on me to compromise my personal connections for the company’s benefit.

As a result, the organization was plagued by a cycle of “irresponsible operations” and “chaotic decision-making,” hindering its ability to achieve consistent results or establish stability. Ultimately, I concluded that there was limited potential for growth within the company and decided to leave.

My second venture was with a project aiming to be a key player in the GameFi space. I initially joined as a Community Manager, but once again, I found myself taking on a wider range of responsibilities than initially defined. However, unlike my previous experience, this team possessed exceptional technical skills and building (development) capabilities.

Despite the strong technical foundation, several critical issues related to organizational structure and Web3 understanding hampered the project’s potential:

• Organizational Scale and Web3 Adaptation:

  • Bloated Team Size: The sheer size of the team led to exponentially increasing costs(e.g. communication, fixed spend). This made efficient information sharing and collaboration extremely difficult, often resulting in duplicated effort and wasted resources.

  • Lack of Web3 Familiarity: A significant portion of the team lacked a deep understanding of the Web3 domain. This resulted in a lack of shared understanding during decision-making processes, leading to a situation where one or two leaders (or individuals with significant authority) dominated all decisions. This top-down approach stifled innovation and limited the team’s ability to fully leverage the potential of Web3.

• Communication & Decision-Making Structure:

  • Slow Pivoting: While the nature of Web3 projects requires rapid pivots and adjustments, internal communication and decision-making processes were often slow and cumbersome. This inability to react quickly to market changes and community feedback hindered the project’s agility.

  • Lack of Clear Guidelines and Processes: The lack of established guidelines and processes made it very difficult to manage the schedule and stay on track, adding considerable stress to the team members. This lack of organization led to confusion and duplication of efforts, which in turn led to backlogs and reprioritized tasks, which ultimately affected the overall timeline.

• Distance from the Community:

  • Top-Down Approach to Community Management: Despite the critical importance of community interaction in Web 3 projects, the organization tended to push forward with pre-determined “ideal scenarios” rather than actively incorporating community feedback. This created a disconnect between the project and its community.

  • Accumulating Community Dissatisfaction:

Ultimately, despite possessing strong technical capabilities, the organization struggled to manage a large team effectively and fully embrace the unique culture of Web3 communities. This resulted in decreased project efficiency and a loss of community trust. In this environment, I felt a lack of fulfillment and decided to pursue new challenges.

These ventures provided me with valuable experience and a deeper understanding of the key elements and common pitfalls of running a Web3 organization. In particular, I learned the importance of organizational culture, effective community engagement, and the ability to adapt to rapid change.

In the first, I witnessed the consequences of poor leadership, including unrealistic decision-making, unclear responsibilities, and inappropriate use of connections. This experience taught me how important strong leadership and a transparent and efficient decision-making structure are to the success of an organization. At the time, I was not in a position or authority to effectively remedy these issues, but there were certainly team members who recognized the problems and tried to improve them.

In the second, despite its technical excellence, it faced problems such as an overly large organization size, a lack of understanding of Web3 by many team members, and insufficient community engagement. This taught me that a balance between organization size and operational efficiency, and active community engagement, is essential to the success of Web3 projects. It also made me realize the importance of on-chain governance and well-designed talkonomics, as well as the need to actively listen to community feedback and incorporate it into operations. As a community manager at the time, I tried to bring the voice of the field to the table, but due to the structural limitations of the organization and the constraints of my role, I was unable to bring about effective change. I would like to emphasize that not only I, but also many team members recognized these problems and made various efforts to improve them. I believe that all of this stemmed from the structural problems of the organization and the limitations of our respective roles, rather than from individual abilities. In this situation, the outcome was different from the direction I had intended.

These experiences have collectively reinforced the importance of several key elements for Web3 success: strong and transparent leadership, a well-defined organizational structure, a deep understanding of Web3 principles throughout the team, genuine community engagement, and a commitment to decentralized governance. While technical expertise is essential, it's not sufficient on its own. These “soft” skills and organizational structures are just as crucial, if not more so, for navigating the complexities of the Web3 landscape.

In effect, I left my previous organization in the fourth quarter of last year, and by the end of 2024, I received a job offer from the organization I wanted to join so badly. Starting in 2025, I will continue my Web3 journey in this new organization as a Regional Representative for Korea. I have great expectations for the future in a new environment, and I will do my best to contribute to the Web3 ecosystem in a more grown and developed form based on the valuable lessons learned from my previous experiences. I believe that in my new organization, I will be able to contribute to improving the efficiency of the organization's operations and strengthening communication with the community by actively utilizing the insights gained from my previous experiences.

On a personal note, I'm also planning to work on a small project with a few acquaintances. It will be more than just an idea, it will be an ambitious attempt to actually change the world through AI technology. The details are still in the early stages, but we believe in the infinite possibilities of AI and aim to create innovative solutions that will have a positive impact on society. I am confident that the experience and achievements we will gain from this project will mark another important milestone in my Web3 journey.

These two big changes - joining a new organization and starting a personal project - are very motivating for me. I hope to continue to learn and grow from these opportunities and make a meaningful contribution to the development of the Web3 ecosystem.

These ventures have provided invaluable experience and lessons. Directly experiencing the complexities and dynamics of Web3 has given me a deep understanding of the key elements and potential pitfalls of organizational management within this space. I particularly felt the importance of effective leadership, transparent decision-making structures, active community engagement, and rapid adaptation to change. These insights will be invaluable assets as I continue my Web3 journey.

From initially knowing only Bitcoin to experiencing various Web3 companies and projects, I have encountered both successes and setbacks. While I observed shortcomings and experienced disappointments within each organization, my belief in Web3’s potential and inherent value has only grown stronger. I now understand that realizing Web3’s core philosophies of decentralization and community-centricity requires a more systematic and professional approach.

The challenges I faced were often rooted in structural issues and role limitations rather than individual shortcomings. This realization has significantly shaped my perspective and fueled my desire to contribute to a more robust and effective Web3 ecosystem. It is not that I lacked the capacity to address certain issues, but rather that the organizational structures and my assigned roles often lacked the necessary authority or mechanisms for effective change. This experience has reinforced the importance of empowering individuals within organizations and establishing clear channels for feedback and upward communication.

Through my new role and personal projects, I aim to translate these lessons into action and make a more meaningful contribution to the Web3 landscape. I hope my experiences and future plans will positively impact the Web3 ecosystem, and I look forward to the industry realizing true decentralization and a thriving community culture. I welcome conversations with others walking a similar path or facing similar challenges, as collaborative learning is essential for the growth of this nascent space. I remain committed to continuous learning and growth, and to actively contributing to the ongoing development of the Web3 ecosystem.

In 2021, my shift from stock day trading to crypto trading broadened my perspective significantly. While I was familiar with Bitcoin, encountering the wider crypto ecosystem, including smart contracts, was a revelation and ignited my interest in the Web3 space. This led me to fully immerse myself in this emerging field. Now, in 2025, I reflect on the lessons learned from various experiences, particularly two significant projects that highlighted the gap between the ideals and realities of Web3 organizational management. This is not simply a recollection of the past, but an attempt to contribute to the Web3 ecosystem by sharing the challenges and insights I’ve gained. To avoid any potential negative impact on individuals currently involved, I will refrain from mentioning specific company or project names.

My initial entry into the Web3 job market was somewhat serendipitous. I actively sought opportunities within communities that resonated with me, often inquiring about moderator or Community Manager positions. I was fortunate to receive offers, allowing me to leverage my existing skills while gaining practical experience and expanding my understanding of Web3.

Coming from a background solely in TA-based trading and lacking direct crypto experience, the Web3 job market initially felt daunting. The bull market at the time, however, provided opportunities to learn about Web3 communities, technologies, and concepts on the job. I quickly discovered that many job descriptions were vague, requiring me to juggle diverse roles—researcher, planning assistant, community manager, marketing, and even business development. While this unpredictable workload could be demanding, the diverse responsibilities ultimately provided invaluable insights and fostered significant professional and personal growth.

My first full-time foray into Web3 was at a company developing crypto wallets and decentralized games (dApps). I took on multiple roles, including operations, research, and planning assistance. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to form a team around my own idea for an AI-integrated dApp, which we successfully presented at an hackathon and even won an award. This was a very positive experience within the larger context of my time there.

However, a significant issue was the company’s inability to adapt to the rapidly changing market. This manifested in several key problems:

• Unrealistic Decision-Making: The leadership lacked a clear understanding of the team’s actual resources and technical capabilities. This led to the setting of unrealistic goals and timelines, often disconnected from on-the-ground realities. They would set deadlines or expectations without consulting the team actually doing the work, or without understanding the complexity of the technical challenges.

• Blurred Lines of Responsibility: With poorly defined roles and responsibilities, there was a tendency to shift blame onto team members when decisions went wrong. This created a culture of fear and discouraged ownership. Because no one was clearly in charge of specific areas, it was easy for responsibility to fall through the cracks, or for those in charge to deflect blame.

• Misuse of Personal Networks: The CEO attempted to leverage my personal network for business purposes in an inappropriate and excessive manner. This created unnecessary conflicts and put me in a difficult position. This blurred the lines between professional and personal relationships, and put undue pressure on me to compromise my personal connections for the company’s benefit.

As a result, the organization was plagued by a cycle of “irresponsible operations” and “chaotic decision-making,” hindering its ability to achieve consistent results or establish stability. Ultimately, I concluded that there was limited potential for growth within the company and decided to leave.

My second venture was with a project aiming to be a key player in the GameFi space. I initially joined as a Community Manager, but once again, I found myself taking on a wider range of responsibilities than initially defined. However, unlike my previous experience, this team possessed exceptional technical skills and building (development) capabilities.

Despite the strong technical foundation, several critical issues related to organizational structure and Web3 understanding hampered the project’s potential:

• Organizational Scale and Web3 Adaptation:

  • Bloated Team Size: The sheer size of the team led to exponentially increasing costs(e.g. communication, fixed spend). This made efficient information sharing and collaboration extremely difficult, often resulting in duplicated effort and wasted resources.

  • Lack of Web3 Familiarity: A significant portion of the team lacked a deep understanding of the Web3 domain. This resulted in a lack of shared understanding during decision-making processes, leading to a situation where one or two leaders (or individuals with significant authority) dominated all decisions. This top-down approach stifled innovation and limited the team’s ability to fully leverage the potential of Web3.

• Communication & Decision-Making Structure:

  • Slow Pivoting: While the nature of Web3 projects requires rapid pivots and adjustments, internal communication and decision-making processes were often slow and cumbersome. This inability to react quickly to market changes and community feedback hindered the project’s agility.

  • Lack of Clear Guidelines and Processes: The lack of established guidelines and processes made it very difficult to manage the schedule and stay on track, adding considerable stress to the team members. This lack of organization led to confusion and duplication of efforts, which in turn led to backlogs and reprioritized tasks, which ultimately affected the overall timeline.

• Distance from the Community:

  • Top-Down Approach to Community Management: Despite the critical importance of community interaction in Web 3 projects, the organization tended to push forward with pre-determined “ideal scenarios” rather than actively incorporating community feedback. This created a disconnect between the project and its community.

  • Accumulating Community Dissatisfaction:

Ultimately, despite possessing strong technical capabilities, the organization struggled to manage a large team effectively and fully embrace the unique culture of Web3 communities. This resulted in decreased project efficiency and a loss of community trust. In this environment, I felt a lack of fulfillment and decided to pursue new challenges.

These ventures provided me with valuable experience and a deeper understanding of the key elements and common pitfalls of running a Web3 organization. In particular, I learned the importance of organizational culture, effective community engagement, and the ability to adapt to rapid change.

In the first, I witnessed the consequences of poor leadership, including unrealistic decision-making, unclear responsibilities, and inappropriate use of connections. This experience taught me how important strong leadership and a transparent and efficient decision-making structure are to the success of an organization. At the time, I was not in a position or authority to effectively remedy these issues, but there were certainly team members who recognized the problems and tried to improve them.

In the second, despite its technical excellence, it faced problems such as an overly large organization size, a lack of understanding of Web3 by many team members, and insufficient community engagement. This taught me that a balance between organization size and operational efficiency, and active community engagement, is essential to the success of Web3 projects. It also made me realize the importance of on-chain governance and well-designed talkonomics, as well as the need to actively listen to community feedback and incorporate it into operations. As a community manager at the time, I tried to bring the voice of the field to the table, but due to the structural limitations of the organization and the constraints of my role, I was unable to bring about effective change. I would like to emphasize that not only I, but also many team members recognized these problems and made various efforts to improve them. I believe that all of this stemmed from the structural problems of the organization and the limitations of our respective roles, rather than from individual abilities. In this situation, the outcome was different from the direction I had intended.

These experiences have collectively reinforced the importance of several key elements for Web3 success: strong and transparent leadership, a well-defined organizational structure, a deep understanding of Web3 principles throughout the team, genuine community engagement, and a commitment to decentralized governance. While technical expertise is essential, it's not sufficient on its own. These “soft” skills and organizational structures are just as crucial, if not more so, for navigating the complexities of the Web3 landscape.

In effect, I left my previous organization in the fourth quarter of last year, and by the end of 2024, I received a job offer from the organization I wanted to join so badly. Starting in 2025, I will continue my Web3 journey in this new organization as a Regional Representative for Korea. I have great expectations for the future in a new environment, and I will do my best to contribute to the Web3 ecosystem in a more grown and developed form based on the valuable lessons learned from my previous experiences. I believe that in my new organization, I will be able to contribute to improving the efficiency of the organization's operations and strengthening communication with the community by actively utilizing the insights gained from my previous experiences.

On a personal note, I'm also planning to work on a small project with a few acquaintances. It will be more than just an idea, it will be an ambitious attempt to actually change the world through AI technology. The details are still in the early stages, but we believe in the infinite possibilities of AI and aim to create innovative solutions that will have a positive impact on society. I am confident that the experience and achievements we will gain from this project will mark another important milestone in my Web3 journey.

These two big changes - joining a new organization and starting a personal project - are very motivating for me. I hope to continue to learn and grow from these opportunities and make a meaningful contribution to the development of the Web3 ecosystem.

These ventures have provided invaluable experience and lessons. Directly experiencing the complexities and dynamics of Web3 has given me a deep understanding of the key elements and potential pitfalls of organizational management within this space. I particularly felt the importance of effective leadership, transparent decision-making structures, active community engagement, and rapid adaptation to change. These insights will be invaluable assets as I continue my Web3 journey.

From initially knowing only Bitcoin to experiencing various Web3 companies and projects, I have encountered both successes and setbacks. While I observed shortcomings and experienced disappointments within each organization, my belief in Web3’s potential and inherent value has only grown stronger. I now understand that realizing Web3’s core philosophies of decentralization and community-centricity requires a more systematic and professional approach.

The challenges I faced were often rooted in structural issues and role limitations rather than individual shortcomings. This realization has significantly shaped my perspective and fueled my desire to contribute to a more robust and effective Web3 ecosystem. It is not that I lacked the capacity to address certain issues, but rather that the organizational structures and my assigned roles often lacked the necessary authority or mechanisms for effective change. This experience has reinforced the importance of empowering individuals within organizations and establishing clear channels for feedback and upward communication.

Through my new role and personal projects, I aim to translate these lessons into action and make a more meaningful contribution to the Web3 landscape. I hope my experiences and future plans will positively impact the Web3 ecosystem, and I look forward to the industry realizing true decentralization and a thriving community culture. I welcome conversations with others walking a similar path or facing similar challenges, as collaborative learning is essential for the growth of this nascent space. I remain committed to continuous learning and growth, and to actively contributing to the ongoing development of the Web3 ecosystem.