That’s great to hear! Just to get a better idea—when you say he has a strong understanding of blockchain, DeFi, and smart contracts, do you mean more on the conceptual side (like knowing how things work and the mechanics behind DeFi) or the technical side (actually writing smart contracts, deploying dApps, working with blockchain APIs, etc.)?

Asking because the right next step depends on that. If he's already comfortable with the tech, jumping into real projects, hackathons, and open-source contributions might be more useful than another course. But if he’s looking to go deeper into Solana or refine his coding skills, there are some solid training programs out there.

Let me know what he's aiming for, happy to share some recommendations! 🚀

The candidate has a strong conceptual understanding, including how things work and the mechanics behind DeFi. While he isn’t deeply involved in coding, he has deployed readily available smart contracts and is familiar with the workflow. He is seeking an opportunity with minimal coding requirements.

Honestly, I get where he’s coming from. He’s got a solid grasp of how things work, has played around with smart contracts, but doesn’t want to go full-on developer mode. That’s actually not a bad spot to be in. A lot of people think blockchain = coding, but there’s a huge need for folks who understand DeFi, tokenomics, and smart contract mechanics without being deep in Solidity or Rust.

If he’s looking for an actual job, he should lean into roles like DeFi product management, blockchain business analysis, or even smart contract auditing (yeah, some auditors don’t code much—they just understand how contracts work and use tools to analyze them). Solution architects also get by with minimal coding but need to grasp how different blockchain components fit together. The trick is showing that understanding in a way that makes companies pay attention.

So what’s next? Instead of another generic "blockchain course," he needs hands-on experience that actually matters. He should start tweaking smart contracts, even in small ways, using Solana Playground or Remix IDE. If he doesn’t want to write from scratch, platforms like Thirdweb or Moralis let him build dApps without deep coding knowledge. Another underrated way to stand out? Security and auditing. Learning how to analyze smart contracts with Slither or Tenderly could make him super valuable without requiring hardcore development skills.

And honestly, job hunting in blockchain is a little different. A ton of hiring happens through hackathons, bounties, and community involvement. He should jump into ETHGlobal, Solana Hackathons, or Encode Club—not necessarily as a developer but as someone who understands DeFi protocols and can contribute in other ways. Also, if he’s not already active in governance forums like MakerDAO, Aave, or Snapshot, he’s missing out. A lot of hiring managers actually look for contributors there. If he wants to start freelancing or getting entry-level gigs, Gitcoin, RabbitHole, and Layer3 have projects that don’t always need coding. Even helping with documentation or testing stuff can get his foot in the door. The main thing is getting real-world exposure, not just collecting certifications. If he’s open to a specific niche, happy to brainstorm more!