In 2022, I entered my thirties.
I left my job in August to pursue my passion for web3 technology.
I explored different options to generate cash flows in DeFi sector.
ETHSF winner and got accepted by a top web3 accelerator.
I developed a prototype system for hunting airdrops of crypto projects. Ultimately, I decided to abandon the project, recognizing that the pursuit of money was not something that inspired me.
I discovered a cash-printing DeFi project and became deeply involved with its community and team. I provided meaningful input in the direction of the project. Additionally, I built a sophisticated monitoring system to maximize profits and generate earning reports.
I was so fortunate to have narrowly avoided being impacted by the LUNA crash and the FTX collapse.
I explored MEV with the intention of generating a cash flow, but I soon abandoned the project due to the same aforementioned reason. However, I managed to create and open source two tools for MEV as a side-effect: Ethereum-Account-Generator (for generating accounts with leading zeros to save on gas fees) and Ethereum-Private-RPC (which can give you an advantage when it comes to MEV).
I conducted an in-depth analysis of various protocols for ETH staking and wrote a script to report earnings and track APYs of various pools to optimize profits.
I started a private business to generate revenues from DeFi protocols through staking. However, the protocol was heavily affected by the FTX/Alameda collapse.
I started to consider leaving my job at Meta in late 2021 to start my own business. I officially resigned in August 2022.
When I quit my job, I intended to first explore the web3 space and conduct research. I anticipated it would take roughly a year before I found a tangible project to work on. However, after seeing a tweet from a speaker at EthCC about their successful ETHGlobal hackathon project, I was inspired to apply for ETHSF. I chose an idea from my list and assembled a team to work on it. Despite having little sleep, we put in a tremendous amount of effort and, ultimately, our project was chosen as one of the 13 finalists out of 284 teams.
After the hackathon, I conducted further research and validation and successfully applied to a top web3 accelerator (1% admission rate), raising funding at a $7M pre-seed valuation.
Looking back, I should have left Meta in May, when I had already lost my enthusiasm for my job. The last three months at Meta were difficult for me, both mentally and in terms of productivity.
I learned a lot about myself. I came to the realization that, at my core, I am a builder. As a result, chasing after money is not something that will bring me true fulfillment.
I have learnt an important lesson to never invest money that I cannot afford to lose in high-risk investments.
In the web3 world, one has to dive deeper into the protocols and actively keep track of the latest developments and governance proposals to find the alphas.
By being open to new possibilities, I experienced serendipitous moments that led me to some amazing opportunities. If I had continued to pursue my plan of independently exploring the web3 space without raising capital, my progress will be much slower than it is currently.
Focus on the right things. At the ETHSF hackathon, I did not have any expectations of taking home a prize, and I made sure to communicate this to my teammates. We kept our attention on creating a strong project, which ultimately earned us a spot as finalists.
A few people suggested that without a co-founder, it would be difficult to secure funding or gain acceptance into accelerator programs. Yet, finding the right co-founder is akin to finding one's perfect partner and thus, I chose not to rush the process. Instead, I applied as a solo founder and, through sheer hard work and dedication, was able to make it work.
Build MVP & showcase in demo day
Find product-market fit
Build founding team