I've been recruiting in Web2 and Web3 for over a decade, watching hiring trends rise and fall with predictable regularity. From CS-degree purists to self-taught enthusiasts, from algorithm perfectionists to scrappy hackers—I've seen teams go all-in on one hiring philosophy only to hit walls they never anticipated.

Here's the reality in 2025's $3T crypto ecosystem: products can skyrocket from zero to a million users in weeks. The teams that thrive don't pick sides in the builder-versus-theorist debate—they blend both with finesse. You need builders who ship fast when opportunity knocks, but who design with scale in mind from the start. Too many projects either crawl too cautiously and miss their shot, or race to launch only to crumble when success hits.

After years at the forefront of technical recruiting, I've learned crypto demands a rare mix: people who prototype with urgency while architecting for that explosive growth spike. This isn't about pedigrees or trendy skills—it's about teams with the flexibility to move quickly and the foresight to build foundations that hold under pressure.

At Lazer, we have been able to begin to build a process that we've distilled from a decade of triumphs and tough lessons on threading this needle.

Why This Matters

The crypto landscape is brutal—global users, ever-shifting tech stacks, and financial stakes that can balloon to millions overnight. Your team needs two strengths that seem at odds: deep problem-solving for complex challenges, and the grit to build and iterate fast.

I've watched Web2 teams chase theoretical perfection while their market window slammed shut. I've seen Web3 crews of "builders" flounder beyond their last hackathon when real adoption kicked in. The teams that last blend these thoughtfully—practical building gets you to market; fundamental thinking keeps you there when success lands.

This isn't about credentials or chasing trends. It's about products that go from prototype to millions of users without imploding. In a space where opportunities flash and fade fast, this balance isn't optional—it's survival.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Successful crypto teams understand that building products in this space requires two complementary mindsets. Let's examine both sides of this coin and why each is essential to your team's success.

Real-World Building: The Practical Edge

Builders who act—who wield modern tools and thrive in live chaos—get your product to users. Their curiosity keeps their skills fresh and adaptable. Why this matters: in Web3, hesitation means missed chances.

These builders bring key strengths:

• Hands-on skill with tools that speed up development

• Ease with unclear, shifting demands

• Clever fixes using what's at hand

• The pace crypto's tight timelines need

They turn ideas into products users can touch, while others tweak theories on whiteboards.

CS Fundamentals: The Architecture That Scales

First-principles thinking tackles the big problems—how systems grow, stay robust, and last. This isn't about code syntax; it's reasoning that holds when users hit seven figures. Why this matters: skip this, and your product folds just as it takes off.

We've all seen it—protocols raise millions, launch big, then crash under load or get wrecked by exploits because the system wasn't thought through. All that hype, gone, because speed trumped solid design.

These thinkers deliver:

• Efficient code when transaction costs soar

• Security that stops exploits cold

• Designs that scale without constant fixes

• Insight into blockchain's unique limits

Projects that survive cycles—and avoid becoming warnings—have someone who foresaw the cracks "move fast" teams miss.

How to Assess Candidates: Two Key Angles

Finding talent that balances both building and architectural thinking requires a thoughtful interview process. Your goal is to evaluate candidates on their ability to ship quickly while designing for durability. This means going beyond standard tech interviews to assess real-world capabilities and deep technical reasoning.

Your interviews must test both: shipping in real conditions, and thinking for sustainable growth. Here's how:

Applied, Real-World Building

In crypto's fast-moving landscape, theoretical knowledge without practical application is nearly worthless. You need to see how candidates perform when faced with the kind of challenges they'll encounter on your team. This section focuses on testing their ability to turn ideas into working prototypes efficiently.

This checks how candidates create and launch in true settings.

Test MVPs Their Way: Use a take-home or live coding task, but let them work naturally:

• Full access to tools—AI, Google, docs

• Freedom with modern frameworks

• A problem like what they'd face on your team

Instead of obsolete restrictions on tools, explicitly encourage candidates to use AI in your interviews. Yes, it's a spicy take, but let's be honest—you want people who leverage every available tool to build efficiently. Try prompts like: "Build a basic DEX interface for our test API" or "Make a simple wallet connection with transaction signing," and make it clear that AI assistance is welcome. Watch how they integrate AI into their workflow—this is the future of building. Teams that pretend developers won't use AI tools are hiring for yesterday's skills, not tomorrow's competitive edge.

What to Watch For:

• How fast to a working prototype?

• Fluency with today's tools?

• AI as helper or crutch?

• Focus on a usable build?

• Clear on their choices and trade-offs?

Perfect code isn't the goal—shipping something iterable is. Top crypto builders know when to polish and when to launch.

Systems Architecture & Technical Reasoning

While shipping fast is crucial, building systems that collapse under their first success is a recipe for disaster. The second essential component of your assessment should evaluate how candidates think about scale, security, and sustainability in blockchain-specific contexts.

This probes how candidates handle scale—the backbone that keeps success from breaking you. Instead of theoretical computer science puzzles, engage them in meaningful discussions about real challenges your project might face.

Discuss Real Challenges:

Skip whiteboard trivia for talks on actual issues:

• "Transactions fail at peak—how do you fix it?"

• "How do you mix on-chain and off-chain when costs jump?"

• "What smart contract flaws do you catch first?"

What to Watch For:

• Reasoning from basics, not trends

• Grasp of blockchain's quirks

• Sense of scale's hidden traps

• Foresight on failure points

• Balancing now versus later

This reveals how they'd tackle crypto's growth pains. You want reasoning, not textbook answers.

What Not To Do: Hiring Traps

Crypto teams still fall into old habits that waste time and talent:

• Endless interviews: 7+ rounds just test patience, not skill. Keep it to three: build test, architecture talk, culture chat.

• CS trivia obsession: Red-black trees don't predict DEX builders. Focus on real skills, not academic rites.

• Toolset fixation: Hardhat or Foundry can be learned fast—problem-solving can't. Don't skip great minds over frameworks.

Top crypto teams cut hiring from 6+ steps to 3-4 sharp tests. Result: faster hires, better fits, code that launches and lasts.

In A Nutshell

In 2025's $3T crypto world, purity tests don't win. You need teams that ship with urgency and build to endure. Practical speed plus foundational depth—that's the formula.

Founders: test both, pay both well (market rates plus tokens for stars), and foster teams where builders and architects lift each other. Job seekers: show working code (link repos) and explain your design choices.

As crypto matures, the builder-thinker split fades. Winners know it's not either/or—it's blending execution with vision for this wild space.

Let's keep talking—find me at @thebc12.

Lazer is also hiring: https://www.lazertechnologies.com/careers