Web3 Talent Strategy: Interpreting the Long-Term Value of Six Key Positions from a Market Cycle Perspective

Historical Cycles in the Web3 Talent Market

It reminds me of the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis on Wall Street, when we saw a wave of traditional finance professionals moving into the emerging FinTech sector. Fundamentally, the current popularity of the Engineering Manager role and the Investment Manager role brings to mind the 2017 blockchain hiring boom. Looking back at the past three market cycles, I've found that the talent mobility patterns during each bull market are remarkably similar.

From a strategic perspective, now is a critical period for building long-term careers in Web3. Over the 12 years I've worked at MyJob.one, I've witnessed countless careers rise and fall. Those who persisted in deeply cultivating the Founding Engineer role during market downturns often achieve outsized returns in the next cycle.

Cycle Analysis of Six Core Roles

1. Engineering Manager: A Scarce Strategic Resource in Web3

Fundamentally, the Engineering Manager role is one of the most scarce talents in Web3 projects. It reminds me of 2015 when Ethereum was just emerging, how valuable it was to have a technical leader who could understand both blockchain technology and team management. In today's market environment, excellent Web3 engineering managers need to possess:

• Deep understanding of cross-chain technology
• Experience collaborating with decentralized teams
• Smart contract security audit capabilities
• Open-source community operational thinking

Strategically, the training cycle for this type of talent is at least 3-5 years, which explains why the average hiring cycle for such positions on the MyJob.one platform extends to 90 days.

2. Investment Manager: Value Guardians Across Cycles

Looking back at the market crash in 2022, those investment professionals focused on long-term value demonstrated remarkable resilience. This reminds me of how young fund managers rebuilt new investment paradigms after the 2008 financial crisis.

Currently, Web3 investment management talent needs to pay special attention to:

1. Tokengraph design capabilities
2. On-chain data analysis skills
3. Regulatory compliance awareness
4. Cross-cycle asset allocation experience

3. Founding Engineer: The Innovation Engine of Web3

The Founding Engineer role is the core of every successful Web3 project. It reminds me of recruiting the early team for Consensys in 2017—the engineers who understood both cryptography and product thinking are now industry leaders.

In today's environment, excellent Founding Engineers need:

• Hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies like ZK-proof
• Open protocol design capabilities
• Cross-disciplinary understanding of economic models and technology
• Experience with distributed system architecture

Essentially, the investment value of this type of talent is comparable to backing an early-stage quality project.

Opportunities at the Intersection of Creativity and Technology

4. Visual Designer: Revolutionizing Web3 User Experience

Strategically, the importance of the Visual Designer role in Web3 is severely underestimated. It reminds me of the demand for designers who could visualize complex financial products before the DeFi Summer in 2019.

Currently, Web3 visual design talent needs to break through:

1. Visual expression of decentralized identity
2. Innovative visualization of on-chain data
3. Aesthetic construction for NFTs and the metaverse
4. The interactive revolution in wallets and DApps

5. Technical Artist: Building Bridges for the Metaverse

The Technical Artist role is a unique position connecting creativity and technology. When the metaverse hype peaked in 2021, these professionals commanded astonishing daily rates of $3,000. Although rates have moderated during market adjustments, long-term prospects remain strong:

• Real-time rendering engine skills (Unity/Unreal)
• Shader programming capabilities
• VR/AR development experience
• Knowledge of blockchain asset pipelines

This role remains one of the most promising interdisciplinary positions.

The Undervalued Guardians of Quality

6. QA/QC Engineer: The Security Wall of Web3

It reminds me of the $600 million cross-chain bridge hack in 2022—if professional QA/QC Engineer teams had been involved, the tragedy might have been averted. Fundamentally, as Web3 applications scale, the value of quality assurance engineers is being rediscovered.

Top-tier Web3 quality engineers need:

1. Experience with smart contract fuzz testing
2. Ability to use formal verification tools
3. Skills in building on-chain monitoring systems
4. Experience designing security audit processes

Long-term Career Planning Advice

Based on 12 years of recruitment experience, I offer three core suggestions for Web3 professionals:

• Skills Hybridization: Pure technical or business backgrounds are no longer sufficient; actively build interdisciplinary capabilities
• Cycle Awareness: Understand where the market is in its cycle to avoid chasing hot trends at market peaks or changing careers during downturns
• Value Anchoring: Focus on solving real problems rather than chasing short-term trends

Essentially, the current market adjustment creates exceptional opportunities for truly forward-thinking talent. Just like those who persevered through the winter of 2018 ultimately reaped the greatest rewards.