How to get the job (in crypto or anywhere)

· 8 min read · Talent

A probabilistic framework for job searching: be relevant, build trust, and communicate with evidence—then run a clean process.

This post is a practical guide to landing the right role (crypto or otherwise). The core idea is simple:

You can’t control outcomes, but you can control inputs — and inputs compound.

Hiring is a decoding problem. Your job is to reduce misinterpretation and reduce reliance on luck.

The model: relevancy, trust, communication

At its core, finding a job is: visibility + signal.

The company is attempting to decode your signal (CV, GitHub, writing, referrals, interviews). Most hiring processes are noisy — on both sides — so your goal is to raise the quality of the evidence and the clarity of your communication.

Rarely does a job perfectly match your skills or goals. There’s always a gap. Be selective in what you control: who you target, how you apply, and where you invest energy.

Relevancy

You have skills or experience specific to their problem — ideally at a high standard.

  • If you’re not relevant yet, build credible potential toward relevancy (upskill + evidence).

Many people fail here without realizing it: they validate irrelevant skills instead of showing potential for the skills in demand.

Relevancy isn’t your title. It’s whether you can solve their problems, in their context.

Trust

They believe in you or what you say you can do.

Companies test relevancy with limited proof: your resume, social profiles, GitHub, referrals, and your ability to explain.

Obscure answers to hide lack of knowledge reduce trust. Being upfront may lower perceived relevancy, but it raises trust through integrity. Your choice.

Communication

Your ability to connect with them and translate your relevancy.

It’s a two-way street: understanding them and ensuring they understand you.

Motivation drives this process. If you care deeply about what they do and why, it shows in your preparation and how you communicate. Without it, you risk coming across as disconnected = risky hire.

TLDR: Outcomes aren’t always in your control, but inputs are. Be relevant, build trust, and communicate to a high standard.

Prep work: define, refine, send a signal

Most people skip this, then burn weeks applying randomly.

Your first task is to define what you’re aiming for. If you don’t, you’ll spend time in the wrong places, and you’ll call it “bad luck.”

Step 1: define your target

Write a one-paragraph spec:

  • Role: what you do day-to-day
  • Scope: IC vs lead vs manager
  • Domain: hiring systems in crypto, dev tooling, infra, etc.
  • Constraints: remote, comp, visa, location, stage
  • Why: your real reason (the thing that keeps you consistent)

If you can’t describe it cleanly, you can’t signal it cleanly.

Step 2: refine your story (truthfully)

You need a clear narrative that answers:

  • What do you do well?
  • What proof exists?
  • What are you doing next to close the gap?

Keep it honest. Hiring managers can smell performance.

Step 3: turn your evidence into artifacts

Artifacts are leverage. They travel without you.

Examples:

  • A short “here’s how I think” post
  • A work sample (sanitized)
  • A simple GitHub repo or portfolio
  • A one-page case study
  • A tight LinkedIn profile

Show > tell. If you have to say “trust me” often, you don’t have enough evidence yet.

🏃‍♀️ Actionable next steps

  • Write your target spec (5 bullets).
  • List your top 3 “proof artifacts” today.
  • Pick 1 artifact to build this week (2–4 hours).

Search: finding your targets

The goal is not “apply more.” The goal is apply better.

Create a target list:

  • 20 companies you’d be excited to join
  • 30 companies you’d join if the role is strong
  • 50 “maybe” companies to learn from (optional)

Use a simple scoring system (1–5):

  • mission/interest
  • role fit
  • team quality (signal: writing, shipping, reputation)
  • timing (hiring now? recent funding? growth?)

You’re building a funnel. TreatFunnel quality beats funnel size.

🏃‍♀️ Actionable next steps

  • Build a list of 30 companies.
  • For your top 10, write one sentence each: “They need X because Y.”
  • If you can’t write that sentence, you don’t understand them yet.

Methods: how job-seeking actually works

There are a few ways to get hired. Each has trade-offs.

1) Direct applications

Good for: clear fits + fast cycles
Bad for: highly competitive roles where signal is hard to convey

If you apply directly, your application must do the work:

  • mirror their language
  • show relevant proof
  • reduce ambiguity

2) Recruiters

Good for: speed, coordination, access
Bad for: they represent the company’s needs first

Your job is to make it easy for them:

  • crisp target spec
  • crisp proof
  • crisp communication

3) VC / ecosystem talent teams

Good for: broad access across a portfolio
Bad for: can become noisy if you’re not specific

Treat them like force multipliers — but only after your story is tight.

4) Referrals

Good for: trust transfer
Bad for: if you rely on them without building proof, you stall

Execution: the day-to-day effort (your operating rhythm)

Consistency beats intensity.

A simple weekly cadence:

  • Mon: update target list + pick 5 priority targets
  • Tue/Wed: outreach + applications (quality only)
  • Thu: interviewing prep / skill building / artifact work
  • Fri: follow-ups + pipeline review + debriefs

If you treat this like a system, it stops being emotional.

🏃‍♀️ Actionable next steps

  • Block 3 x 90-min sessions weekly for job search.
  • Track:
    • outbound messages sent
    • replies
    • screens booked
    • loops started
    • offers

Networking (warm): the highest leverage move

Warm networking is not “asking for a job.”
It’s asking for context, then earning the right to ask for help.

Message format:

  • why them
  • what you’re targeting
  • one specific question
  • easy exit

Example:

“Saw you shipped X at Y. I’m targeting [role] in [domain]. I’m mapping teams that care about [thing]. Any chance you’d share what ‘good’ looks like in that role there?”

Networking (cold): high signal or don’t bother

Cold outreach can work, but only if it’s specific.

Rules:

  • no generic praise
  • no life story
  • one relevant insight
  • one clear ask

Example:

“I read your post on [topic]. If you’re hiring for [role], I’ve done [relevant thing] and wrote up a short case study on [problem]. Worth a look?”

🏃‍♀️ Actionable next steps

  • Send 10 cold messages that include:
    • one specific observation
    • one relevant proof link
    • one simple ask

Outreach to hiring managers (direct)

Most candidates hide behind recruiters. Don’t.

Hiring manager outreach works when:

  • you understand their problem
  • you show relevant evidence
  • you make next steps frictionless

Template:

  • 1 sentence: why them / why now
  • 1 sentence: your relevancy + proof link
  • 1 sentence: ask for a short call

Outreach to recruiters (efficient)

Recruiters are throughput machines. Make it easy.

Send:

  • your target spec (role, level, domain)
  • your proof (2–3 links max)
  • your constraints (location, comp range if needed)
  • your availability

What is the best process?

There isn’t one “best” process. But there is a best system:

  1. Targets
  2. Evidence
  3. Outreach
  4. Interviews
  5. Negotiation
  6. Debrief + iteration

You win by running the loop cleanly.

Interviewing: align with your targets

Interviewing is not performance. It’s communication under pressure.

Your job:

  • prove relevancy with examples
  • prove trust with honesty
  • prove communication with structure

Practical rules:

  • answer in a framework (context → action → result → reflection)
  • define terms before you debate them
  • when you don’t know, say so — then show how you’d find out

Obscurity is not sophistication. It’s usually fear.

🏃‍♀️ Actionable next steps

  • Write 5 stories that prove your core skills.
  • For each story: 2 lines max (context, impact).
  • Practice explaining one story in 60 seconds.

Negotiation: make it win/win

Negotiation is not combat. It’s alignment.

Know:

  • what you need
  • what you want
  • what you’ll trade

Be explicit:

  • role scope
  • growth path
  • comp
  • start date
  • what “great” looks like in 90 days

Mistakes to avoid (common, expensive)

  • Spray-and-pray applications
  • No target spec (“open to anything”)
  • Generic resume not tailored to the role
  • Weak evidence (all claims, no artifacts)
  • Over-optimizing for interview tricks instead of relevancy

And one more:

Lying

If you have to lie on your resume, you should:

  1. Start learning so you don’t have to lie
  2. Lead with your most relevant or adjacent skills + potential
  3. At worst, use an umbrella term that honestly covers what you can do

Rejection: what do you do?

Rejection is feedback — often noisy, sometimes unfair.

Your job is to extract signal:

  • Ask for one reason (if appropriate)
  • Debrief: what was missing — relevancy, trust, communication?
  • Update your artifacts and story
  • Stay human. Maintain relationships.

The goal isn’t to “win the interview.” It’s to become the kind of person who reliably wins interviews.

🏃‍♀️ Actionable next steps

  • After every rejection, write a 5-line debrief:
    • what role
    • what stage
    • what went well
    • what likely failed (R/T/C)
    • what you’ll change this week