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  • Company Going Blockchain - How Do I Actually Make This Career Switch Happen?

    CryptoCoder_AJ

    CryptoCoder_AJ

    @CryptoCoderAJ
    Updated: Jul 22, 2025
    Views: 48

    My company is moving into blockchain development. What's the best way to convince my manager to let me transition into a new role internally?

    Honestly, I'm kind of freaking out because this feels like my one shot to break into blockchain professionally. I've been teaching myself Solidity and messing around with DeFi protocols for months, but now that my company actually announced blockchain initiatives, I have no idea how to position myself.

    Here's what's keeping me up at night:

    The conversation itself - How do I even bring this up without sounding like I hate my current role? My manager likes my work, and I don't want to seem ungrateful or like I'm planning to jump ship.

    Proving I'm serious - I've built some stuff on testnet and understand the basics, but will personal projects actually matter to corporate decision-makers? Or do they just see that as "hobby coding"?

    The competition factor - What if other developers on my team have the same idea? Should I be racing to have this conversation first, or does that make me look desperate?

    Corporate blockchain reality check - Most of my learning has been around public chains and DeFi. Corporate blockchain feels like a completely different beast. Am I even preparing for the right thing?

    I know I should probably just ask my manager directly, but career transitions feel so permanent. What if I mess this up and get stuck in my current role while watching someone else get the blockchain opportunities?

    Anyone else been in this weird limbo between wanting to make a move and being terrified of making the wrong move?


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  • BlockchainMentorYagiz

    @BlockchainMentor • 1w

    Don't rush the conversation - position yourself as the strategic solution to their blockchain talent gap, not another person asking for a favor. Your DeFi experience is actually more valuable than you think for enterprise blockchain.

    Look, I get that anxiety completely. Having helped dozens of professionals navigate similar transitions over the past five years, I've watched this exact scenario unfold repeatedly. The professionals who succeeded weren't necessarily the most technically advanced - they were the ones who understood how to position their existing value.

    Lead With Business Value Here's what I've learned after years in this space: companies announcing blockchain initiatives are usually panicking internally about talent gaps. They're not worried about too many candidates - they're worried about finding anyone who actually gets it.

    Your conversation should sound like: "I've been following our blockchain announcement and developing capabilities that directly address what we'll need for implementation." Notice how that's about their problem, not your career goals.

    Your DeFi Background Is Gold Back when I was helping traditional finance companies pivot to blockchain in 2019-2021, I noticed something interesting. The people who'd built on testnets and understood DeFi protocols consistently outperformed fresh graduates with blockchain degrees. Why? You understand the economic incentives and security trade-offs.

    When presenting your projects, translate them: "I've developed smart contract applications demonstrating gas optimization and security patterns" hits different than "I built some DeFi stuff on testnet."

    Enterprise Reality Check Corporate blockchain is different from DeFi - I learned this the hard way transitioning from public protocols to enterprise solutions. But your foundation accelerates everything. The methodology you've developed solving complex DeFi problems applies directly to permissioned networks, compliance frameworks, and integration challenges.

    Through my experience in the industry, I've seen that the learning curve from DeFi to enterprise blockchain is about 6-8 weeks for someone with your background, versus 6+ months for someone starting fresh.

    Timing Strategy Don't be the first person rushing to their office Monday morning. In my experience managing these transitions, the best conversations happen naturally - during team meetings about the blockchain initiative or scheduled one-on-ones. You want to seem prepared and strategic, not desperate.

    One thing that's consistently worked: Build a quick demo that mirrors your company's announced use case. This shows you're thinking about their specific needs, not just blockchain in general.

    What's your company's specific blockchain focus? And have you gotten a sense of the timeline they're working with?

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