I recently saw a Twitter post in which someone discussed how difficult it is to onboard regular people to web3.
He stated that most people prefer to be spoonfed information and guidance without putting in the extra effort to fine tune themselves.
Interestingly, his comment section was flooded with similar stories from his fellow web3 geeks who had failed at onboarding. A specific person made an interesting observation; he stated that the information is always too much for the fragile mind of a new user because some of them want to learn what it took him many years to learn.
Another person made a joke about an onboardee who left his seed phrase in the comment section of a Twitter giveaway. It was amusing, but that is probably one of the most relatable comment sections ever.
Time is a big problem
I used to feel terrible about failed onboarding attempts, but it has recently occurred to me that onboarding comes with pressure.
The person you are onboarding wants to make money, just like you. They have weighed you and identified you as a success story, so they want to quickly learn a few things and begin flipping profits.
However, you, who is onboarding them, have been in the game for years; you learned from the ground up, making your own mistakes, learning from them, improving, and taking things one step at a time.
70% of people who want to get into the grind do not have time to be patient, which is always a problem. If there are more people who simply want to learn the ropes, the pressure to succeed will be relieved.
Over here, you can do things right and still fail: no certainty
For example, someone I know expressed a desire to be in the grind, but it felt difficult because she does not have the time to wait.
Time is always a problem.
The people on the other side cannot put effort without expecting corresponding results.
For example, almost everyone who's been in the grind understands and expects disappointment. In over 10 years of being in the grind, failures are just like another Tuesday; we take it like cold turkey and laugh it off, it's not like it doesn't hurt, but that is the game.
A cousin recently told me he wanted to buy Hive. I did not even object and quickly assisted him, because this guy has failed numerous times; what if he fails again? Not a big deal; he will just keep trying.
It is not like failure is guaranteed with his decision to buy, but I know him well, and he will never hold me accountable if things go wrong.
I am not sure how to take responsibility for other people's failures. I am not sure how to explain to people that it will take years to fully learn and that they will most likely fail along the way.
The web3 grind is harder than we realize; we think it is easy because we are used to the uncertainties.
The fastest methods are risky
We just don't talk about the consequences of moving with too much speed
If people want to quickly flip and make some money, trading crypto, longing and shorting the market is probably better, but can they put in 10 to 20 dollars knowing they are going to lose it by 80%, especially if they are inexperienced?
I have interacted with a lot of crypto projects outside of Hive, and I have failed 95% of the time. I know I am going to make it one day, but when that day comes and I win, how do I begin to tell someone who wants to make some money quickly that this is what I have gone through?
Because it is illogical to tell someone they cannot learn, it appears that you are mocking their intellectual capacity, when in fact you are simply stating the hard truth.
It is not like sitting in a classroom and learning how to label a rat or create a Venn diagram. These are simple learning schemes that require no pressure.
Marathon aren't meant for all track&and -field athletes
Not all athletes have endurance.
You start with enthusiasm and gas out in the 200th kilometer
Web3 is a whole new game or marathon; you enter looking like a fine man, but by the halfway point, your beards are overgrown, you can not sleep for eight hours at night, and even when you are at family gatherings, you are checking to see if Bitcoin is pumping or dumping.
You are constantly distracted, overly emotional, and all that. How many people can stand the emotional toll of doing everything, working hard, and failing 90% of the time? It is not everyone.
Growing in the cryptospace is a personal decision you make: you perish, rise from the ashes, or remain perished. This thing is harder than mastering the school of Harry Potter and Hermione, and people don't get onboarded unless they truly want to be in the game.
Interested in some more of my posts