Web3's biggest threat isn't regulation: 9K people run a $3 trillion ecosystem. That's a crisis.
New episode: Don't come to web3 unless you're from the US! Learn about winning hackathons, AI vs smart contracts, and how web3 builders outside of the US grow their products.
Hi everyone,
Our latest episode surfaced a stat Web3 can't ignore: only 9,000 people work full-time in a $3 trillion ecosystem.
For context, a single company like Google employs two or three times that number. If the space doesn’t start training a new generation of builders, it’s going to stall.
That’s the problem Solene, founder of Dev3Pack, has set out to solve, and she’s doing it with zero illusions about how hard it actually is. In this episode, Daria asks Solene questions that many people in Web3 try to avoid.
What is Dev3pack? How does it help to change the current status quo?
Dev3Pack is a program designed for women and students making the leap from Web2 to Web3. It is education, community, mentorship, and an acceleration path that actually acknowledges the gap between "I finished a course" and "I'm building real things."
Over 2,000 people applied in 2025–2026, with more than 500 actively going through the program. Solene runs a deliberate selection process because she knows she can’t serve everyone and wants to maintain quality. That kind of honesty is rare.
One of the most striking parts of the episode was Solene’s breakdown of the three biggest misconceptions Web2 devs carry into Web3:
They default to LinkedIn, but in this space, X and GitHub are your real resume.
They’ve never touched open source.
They assume getting a job in Web3 will be straightforward. It’s not.
There’s a real builder journey that has to happen first, and Solene makes that clear from day one.
The elephant in the room: geography
She also addressed the elephant in the room: geography. Around 70% of Web3 jobs are concentrated in the US, and if you’re building from Africa, Latin America, or Southeast Asia, access to capital, incubators, and even visas becomes a massive barrier. Solene’s answer isn’t to complain about it, it’s to build local ecosystems that can sustain themselves.
On AI and vibe coding, Solene offered a nuanced take that cuts through the hype. She uses AI tools (Claude Code, Cursor) for operational tasks and frontend work, but draws a hard line at smart contracts.
The risk is too high, and AI models simply aren’t trained well enough on that domain yet. Her stance: Web3 still needs real developers, and that’s exactly what makes investing in human talent non-negotiable.
Solene’s hackathon track record (over 35 wins and $75k+ in bounties) gives her advice extra weight. Her key insight for hackers: don’t wait until the final pitch to engage with sponsors. Build a feedback loop with their teams every single day of the event.
Partnership strategy
The partnership strategy behind Dev3Pack is equally clear-eyed. Solene is upfront that ecosystem partners like Alchemy, ENS, Base, and Lisk aren’t investing because Dev3Pack serves underrepresented communities.
They're investing because the return is real, and the diversity angle is a bonus, not a charity case.
Perhaps the most memorable moment of the episode was Solene’s advice to her younger self: learn English and go practice. She skipped most of her classes at one of France’s top schools, traveled to hackathons around the world instead, and still ended up delivering the graduation closing speech.
If you’re trying to break into Web3 from a non-traditional background or an underrepresented region, this episode is essential listening.
If you’re already in the space, it’s a reminder that the ecosystem’s future depends on how seriously we invest in the people who aren’t in the room yet.
Enjoy the full episode on YouTube:
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