Work in Bitcoin

Lately, I've received a few messages about how to land a job at a bitcoin-only company. This post will try to provide some general advice based on my own experience (expanded from a previous twitter thread).

Please note: this is primarily for non-technical roles.

I’ve now worked for, or contracted with several bitcoin-only companies (including Bitcoin Magazine, Swan, and Unchained Capital). Here is what I witnessed:

Payroll

I’ve worked in the public sector, for private companies, for a startup, and have run my own business. The level of effort required to get paid is always a good gauge on a) bureaucracy b) cash-flow.

My personal experience at bitcoin-only companies has been highly positive. I’ve never had to chase anyone up and always been paid almost immediately (either in dollars or bitcoin). I cannot overstate how rare this is compared with other industries. This also requires an incredibly organized and genuinely helpful finance/payroll teams.

Culture

It makes sense to want to protect your reputation from mistakes. But there’s no growth in this strategy. At bitcoin-only companies, there’s almost a sense of pride in owning your mistakes. This is a product of a low-ego environment, focused on personal development.

I’ve often felt imposter syndrome in new organizations. However, I have rarely felt intimidated as there’s a clear common cause and willingness to teach what you know.

Time Preference

Adopting a bitcoin standard often means having a long-term view on everything from health and relationships to skill development and education. Shortcuts will not be tolerated, just like the strategies and tactics used in a ZIRP environment.

Read the foundational books. They will be referenced regularly.

Integrity

Reputation matters as a signal of who you want to work with or be associated with. It's also a strong indicator of future opportunities that may come your way.

"We look for three things when we hire- intelligence, initiative or energy, and integrity. And if they don't have the latter, the first two will kill you.." —Warren Buffet

It should then make sense that bitcoin-only companies must operate with high levels of integrity, transparency, and accountability. Not necessarily from a moral stance (though it helps), but simply because it is demanded by bitcoiners (customers). Reputations are built over decades, but destroyed in seconds.

"All the returns in life, whether in wealth, relationships, or knowledge, come from compound interest." —Naval Ravikant

Getting Hired

Every opportunity that has come my way (writing, designing, consulting, etc) has been the result of already having a public portfolio of work that demonstrates:

1. what I know (knowledge)

2. what I can do (skills)

3. what I care about (values)

It acts as a lighthouse for opportunities outside of your current focus. For me this was signing a publishing deal, angel investing, and working on projects with people I greatly admired.

Before you utter 'but there's too much competition', let me remind you that we still have several orders of magnitude to go on the adoption curve.

Interview Tips

After completing business school, I briefly managed MBA admissions at my alma mater. I interviewed hundreds of smart, capable, and driven people. Most would approach the interview from the wrong angle by selling themselves. What you want to do is sell the organization. Explain the potential you see and why you're uniquely positioned to help get there. This must be genuine!

Finding Opportunities

1. Bitcoin-only Job Boards (BitcoinerJobs, Trammel Venture Partners, etc)
2. Fundraising Announcements: Companies that have recently raised capital often put it towards new hires.
3. Start building a public portfolio of work (write articles/tutorials/guides, start a podcast/YT channel, contribute to open-source projects). It's not about engagement, it's publicly documenting your skills, values, and knowledge. Consistency is key.

I won't wish you good luck, because luck has nothing to do with it. It's all about Proof of Work.