ZKP developer q/a

Any ZKP developers here?

I’m seriously considering moving into Zero-Knowledge Proof development and would like to understand the real path to becoming one — beyond tutorials and surface-level guides.

I’m particularly interested in:

• The actual learning curve and prerequisite knowledge

• Real-world development experience

• Challenges or bottlenecks you faced while transitioning into ZK

• Skills that mattered in production, not just in demos

• Common mistakes beginners make when entering the ZK space

My intuition is that ZK will become foundational, especially as privacy increasingly becomes a core requirement across blockchain protocols.

For circuit development, I’m currently leaning toward Noir, but I’d appreciate insights from anyone working with Noir, Circom, Halo2, or other proving systems in real environments.

Would really value honest perspectives from builders — what the journey actually looks like, not just the highlight reel. And what are the steps need to take and avoid to pursue it!