Time operates differently in the crypto. When market conditions shift weekly and funding runways have definite endpoints, every hire either accelerates your protocol or becomes a drag on precious resources. The traditional luxury of extended evaluation periods simply doesn't exist in this space.

This approach to talent evaluation may seem intense to those accustomed to conventional tech companies. But anyone who's built in Web3 understands that resource management isn't just important—it's existential. When you're building at the bleeding edge of crypto or AI, having the right team isn't just a competitive advantage; it's the difference between breakthrough success and joining the graveyard of promising-but-failed projects.

The most successful Web3 projects share a common practice: they treat the first 90 days as a deliberate, transparent evaluation period that benefits both the organization and the new hire. This period reveals whether someone can truly translate potential into impact in your specific environment.

In Web3, the luxury of extended ramp-up periods doesn't exist. Market cycles shift overnight, technical paradigms evolve weekly, and runway calculations leave no room for passengers. This isn't about holding new hires to unreasonably high standards—it's about acknowledging the economic reality of building in this space.

Successful founders don't sugarcoat the situation. They have an explicit conversation on day one that sounds something like:

"We're building in an environment where six months feel like six years in traditional tech. Our runway extends X months at current burn. We need contributors who can navigate uncertainty, locate resources independently, and ship meaningful work within weeks, not months. Here's what success looks like at 30, 60, and 90 days..."

This conversation isn't meant to intimidate—it's meant to align. It acknowledges the constraints of building in Web3 and sets expectations accordingly.

Rather than cordoning off new hires in orientation sessions or training programs, elite Web3 teams practice immediate immersion:

• Access to production codebases on day one

• Inclusion in key meetings immediately

• Assignment to real (though carefully scoped) project work within the first week

• Direct exposure to users and community members

During my time at Rodeo.club (previously Foundation), we would identify a small but meaningful feature for new hires to build in their first week. This wasn't a test or throwaway exercise—it was genuine product work. Watching how they dove into the codebase, collaborated with teammates, thought critically about implementation details, and showed proactiveness around what they were building provided a clear signal about their ability to integrate quickly.

This first-week feature served as a powerful litmus test that revealed far more than technical skills. It showcased problem-solving approaches, communication styles, and whether someone could navigate ambiguity while delivering tangible results—all critical capabilities in the fast-moving Web3 space.

The accelerated timeline isn't about unreasonable pressure—it's about acknowledging that in a space where resources are precious and opportunities fleeting, finding alignment quickly serves everyone's interests.

When evaluating new talent during this compressed timeline, three interwoven qualities distinguish exceptional contributors: intellectual curiosity, proactive initiative, and consistent delivery. The best Web3 talent doesn't just ask thoughtful questions—they transform insights into tangible outputs with remarkable velocity.

What separates transformative hires from merely adequate ones isn't hours logged or meetings attended. It's their ability to navigate uncertainty, identify high-leverage opportunities, and ship meaningful contributions within days, not weeks.

Key Behaviors That Predict Success:

• They ship early and often, even if the initial scope is modest

• They intuitively know when to ask questions versus when to make informed decisions

• They identify the right stakeholders for specific questions, respecting senior team members' time

• They document their work proactively so others can build upon it

• They connect theoretical knowledge with practical implementation

• They surface potential issues alongside proposed solutions

• They seek feedback on work-in-progress rather than waiting for perfection

This combination of curiosity-driven learning and execution-focused delivery predicts long-term value with remarkable accuracy. Anyone can appear busy; exceptional talent makes measurable impact within days of joining.

What's particularly telling is how they balance autonomous execution with appropriate collaboration. They don't disappear for weeks building something brilliant but misaligned. Instead, they establish rapid feedback loops—sharing work-in-progress, incorporating guidance, and iterating toward increasingly valuable contributions.

This rhythm of learn-build-share becomes evident within the first two weeks and solidifies by day 30. When someone embodies this pattern, you'll notice the entire team's velocity increasing as their contributions compound.

The foundation of an effective evaluation lies in deliberate milestone design. These aren't generic onboarding checklists, but carefully calibrated challenges that test relevant capabilities:

30-Day Milestone: Technical Integration

• Assign substantive contributions to an established workflow

• Provide clear context on existing systems and architectural decisions

• Set specific deliverables that demonstrate technical competence

• Evaluate: How do they absorb product-specific knowledge? How thoughtful are their questions? How quickly do they begin contributing meaningful work?

60-Day Milestone: Collaborative Expansion

• Transition from guided work to self-directed contribution

• Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration

• Introduce ambiguity that requires independent judgment

• Evaluate: Do they proactively identify high-value work? How effectively do they navigate uncertainty? Are they building productive relationships across the team?

90-Day Milestone: Strategic Impact

• Assign responsibility for a complete feature or significant enhancement

• Require decision-making that balances technical tradeoffs

• Create space for them to demonstrate unique value beyond execution

• Evaluate: Do they understand how their work connects to broader business objectives? Can they make sound technical decisions independently? Are they having an outsized impact relative to their tenure?

What differentiates elite Web3 teams is their ability to make these milestones simultaneously challenging and achievable. The goal isn't to set impossible standards—it's to create clear conditions where true talent can demonstrate their capabilities unambiguously.

Perhaps the most consistent difference between Web3 teams that retain exceptional talent and those perpetually recruiting lies in feedback velocity. In conventional organizations, substantive performance discussions happen quarterly or annually. In high-functioning crypto projects, meaningful feedback flows weekly or even daily.

This isn't about micromanagement—it's about creating alignment through continuous calibration:

Week 1-2: Daily Touchpoints

• Brief, focused conversations about immediate work

• Clarification of expectations and available resources

• Quick course corrections before misalignments compound

Week 3-4: Weekly Depth Discussions

• Structured reviews of completed work against expectations

• Identification of emerging patterns (both strengths and gaps)

• Explicit acknowledgment of progress and remaining challenges

Throughout: Real-time Specific Feedback

• Immediate recognition of exceptional contributions

• Direct addressing of concerning patterns when they appear

• Continuous connection between individual work and protocol objectives

This approach serves both parties. For the contributor who's thriving, it reinforces positive trajectory and accelerates integration. For someone struggling, it eliminates the possibility of "surprise" termination—they've received clear, consistent feedback about performance gaps.

The most successful teams view feedback as an obligation, not an option. They recognize that withholding concerns about performance isn't kindness—it's a disservice that prolongs inevitable separation while consuming finite resources.

The final component of an effective 90-day framework requires what's often in shortest supply among technical founders: the resolve to make clear decisions when evidence indicates misalignment.

Some warning signs rarely improve with time:

• Persistent resistance to feedback or defensive responses

• Inability to work effectively without constant guidance

• Minimal curiosity about the broader ecosystem and tech landscape

• Consistent delivery delays without proactive communication

• Technical outputs that require substantial rework

When these patterns emerge and persist despite clear feedback, the kindest action for all parties is a swift, respectful separation. This isn't about blame—it's about acknowledging that not every talented person is the right fit for every company at every stage.

The conversation should reflect this reality:

"We've observed these specific patterns over our evaluation period. We've provided feedback and support in these specific ways. While we value your contributions, the evidence suggests this isn't the optimal role for your talents. Let's discuss how to transition respectfully."

This approach preserves dignity while protecting your company's momentum. It acknowledges that hiring decisions, even when made thoughtfully, sometimes prove suboptimal—and that recognizing this quickly benefits everyone involved.

In a space where execution velocity often determines survival, the advantages of a structured 90-day evaluation framework compound dramatically. The difference between a team that takes six months to reach conviction about talent and one that achieves clarity in 90 days isn't incremental—it's often existential.

The Web3 projects that emerged strongest from previous market cycles weren't just technically superior or better funded—they were ruthlessly effective at building cohesive teams aligned around clear objectives. Their secret wasn't finding perfect people; it was creating systems that rapidly identified who would thrive in their specific environment.

The 90-day crucible isn't about being harsh or demanding. It's about creating the conditions where exceptional talent can flourish and where misalignments surface quickly enough to address without derailing your company's potential.

Have thoughts on effective onboarding in Web3 or just Talent in general? Connect with me X and Farcaster.