We sat down with one Maddie, one of our Blockchain Recruiters here at Odiin to talk about what it really takes to hire in Web3.
From navigating competitive talent markets to staying ahead of rapidly evolving industry trends, Maddie shares her perspective on the unique challenges of blockchain recruitment and what companies often get wrong when building their teams.
What unique challenges do you face when recruiting talent for blockchain projects?
The talent pool is small and highly competitive, particularly for technical and protocol-level roles. Strong candidates often have multiple offers on the table, which means timing and positioning are critical. It can also be difficult to verify genuine, up-to-date experience in such a fast-moving space. Technologies evolve quickly, so it’s important to understand not just where someone has worked, but what they’ve actually built and how relevant that experience is today.
How do you ensure that your recruitment practices stay current with rapidly changing industry trends?
By staying close to the ecosystem. That means following industry news, engaging in Web3 communities, attending events, and speaking regularly with founders and candidates. The space moves quickly, so real insight comes from ongoing conversations and understanding what teams are prioritising in real time.
What’s more critical for blockchain success: technical skills or industry knowledge?
Technical skills are the foundation, without strong engineering and product capability, nothing gets built. But industry knowledge becomes increasingly crucial as a product scales.
Understanding how Web3 communities operate, how token models work, and how the broader ecosystem evolves makes a big difference. The strongest people bring both: solid technical ability combined with contextual awareness of the industry.
What’s the biggest mistake Web3 companies make when hiring?
Chasing “unicorn” candidates who can do everything instead of building balanced teams. Founders often look for one person to cover multiple disciplines, but that slows hiring and can lead to unrealistic expectations. It often means overlooking strong specialists who would add more real value within a well-structured team. Building complementary skill sets tends to be far more effective long term.
One piece of advice for someone new to Web3?
Get involved first. Join communities, use the technology, and learn by doing. Genuine participation matters more than simply saying you’re interested.
