Adding Web3 to your project: Hiring in-house knowledge or consultancies?

2022-10-21

Traditional service design projects share many similarities with Web3 ecosystem design. However, incorporating a decentralized layer into your idea can quickly become overwhelming. It’s likely that you will eventually need to add some Web3 knowledge to your team. Depending on your situation, it may make sense to integrate a new team member or hire external support.

When a project domain lacks a dedicated person, it often becomes “everyone’s responsibility.” Ideally, everyone would allocate time to advancing the topic but in reality, that’s rarely the case. This problem is even more apparent in Web3 projects, where in-depth knowledge is hard to find. But hiring full-time employees in the early startup stages is not always feasible. So, what can be done?

It’s not always necessary to add a team member who has Web3 on their CV – although that would definitely be helpful. Contracting an interim manager, such as a CTO, or collaborating with a consultancy is a flexible way to bridge the gap between development stages. Having worked in those roles, I can tell you that each option has its benefits.

If your project currently lacks domain expertise in Web3, here are a few key things to consider when looking for the right person or people.

When should I hire an interim manager for Web3?

Interim hires are by nature much more integrated into the day-to-day functions compared to external consultants. As such, they will have a better understanding of your project’s goals and the reasoning behind every decision. It’s important that your team has at least one person who can see the big picture. This reason alone may be enough to justify hiring an interim manager if you are not in the position of adding permanent employees. In addition, you will buy time to find a more long-term solution as the project develops.

Keep in mind that integration can also blur the lines of responsibility. While your meetings may start with a deep dive into ecosystem design, you might also find yourselves talking about business-critical issues or detailed technical questions. Working with external partners tends to stay focused on the topic at hand.

When should I hire an external Web3 consultancy?

Service consultancies generally offer a process, which results in certain deliverables. It could involve bootstrapping a Web3 service or mapping out user journeys and personas. Scoping your company’s needs accurately helps agencies to provide a more accurate action plan and ensure that their work gets delivered on time.

What is critical to understand is that consultancies still require insider knowledge. Essentially, your team members are needed to fulfill the blanks. That is why agencies set up workshops and interviews alongside direct communication channels to make sure that they have sufficient information to work on. Even if you hire a consultant to deliver something, it still requires time and effort from all parties to get the best results.

Which Web3 hire should I choose?

If your team lacks a dedicated decentralization specialist, it may be wise to look for one. Whether interim or permanent, someone should be mindful of how Web3 connects to the larger scheme of things. In case there is a large chunk of work that needs to be done, a Web3 consultancy might be the better option.

That said, the options are not mutually exclusive. Discussing ideas openly and exploring potential pathways is the first step to finding a team composition that best helps your business to evolve.