Throughout the history of computer science, women have been an indispensable but often underplayed driving force. From Grace Hopper, who wrote the first compiler, to Margaret Hamilton, who wrote the Apollo moon landing program, women were not only pioneers in the early days of computer programming, but also occupied an important position in the programmer team. Their contributions laid the foundation for modern computer science and proved that technological innovation should never be limited to gender.
Entering the Web3 era, women still face significant resource allocation challenges. Bitget's report shows that female-led blockchain startups have only received 6.34% of overall financing. But on the positive side, more and more women are actively engaging in Web3 to promote gender diversity and fair development in the industry. For example, Bitget's CEO Gracy Chen once launched the Blockchain4Her program, dedicated to helping female entrepreneurs break through industry barriers. The 2024 Davos Women in Web3 Global Summit also brought together many female practitioners, demonstrating their firm beliefs. As Salama Belghali, founder of Women in Web3, said: "Our existence itself, especially in occasions like Davos, is a powerful declaration to the outside world - we have passion, commitment, and a firm belief that women can play a key role in solving major global problems."
2024 Davos Women in Web3 Global Summit
This belief also runs through the Polkadot ecosystem. From Charu, CMO of Unique Network, to Chrissy Hill, Chief Legal Officer of Parity, more and more women are standing at the forefront of the ecosystem and promoting the development of the Polkadot community. In addition, the community-sponsored Women of Polkadot is also actively building a growth network for female developers and founders to help them fully display their talents in the Polkadot ecosystem. At the Polkadot Decoded 2024 conference, female practitioners can be seen everywhere, and their expertise and enthusiasm are shaping the future of Polkadot.
Women in the industry speak at Polkadot Decoded
Behind these trends are women who have bravely chosen to step into Web3. Today, we interviewed Anne, a woman who quit her job as a mechanical engineer and transformed herself into a Web3 developer. Not only is she proficient in the Move language, she has also won the championship in the Aptos Hackathon, and created an on-chain Tarot project combined with AI at the Polkadot Hackathon Bangkok Station hosted by OneBlock+ in 2024 and successfully won the award. On this special day of Women's Day, let us listen to Anne's career change experience and deep thinking, and feel her dream journey in the Web3 world.
Anne's winning photo of the Polkadot Hackathon Bangkok
⚡️Quitting my job and changing career: From mechanical engineering to Web3
Q: What was the driving force behind your decision to quit your job as a mechanical engineer and switch to Web3?
Anne: Actually, I have always been interested in programming, but I made mistakes one after another. I chose the wrong major in college, and had to work as an engineer for several years. By chance, I got to know the Web3 industry, and found that this industry is relatively inclusive and open-minded, very suitable and accepting of people from all walks of life, so I finally decided to give it a try.
Q: How do you continue to learn and grow in the Web3 field?
Anne: I was quite determined at that time, I quit my job and gave it a try. Of course, I don’t recommend everyone to do this. At that time, I had accumulated savings from many years of work experience and no family pressure, so I could focus on studying.
At the beginning, I felt that there were a lot of resources on the Internet, which was very different from the traditional industry. In addition to documents and tutorials, netizens were very enthusiastic and willing to help answer questions and share technology. Be brave to ask questions - this is the most important point for beginners. I found a lot of technical support and help in some Discord, GitHub, and WeChat group communities, which are also one of the important sources of information.
Anne's first repo on Github
Q: Which resources have helped you most during self-study/development?
Anne: The answer is similar to the previous question - community. Most official documents are easy to find and use. But it is inevitable that you will get stuck with bugs or encounter situations that are not documented. At this time, if someone can help you solve the problem in time, it will save a lot of time and avoid wasting your patience and giving up easily.
💡From creativity to implementation: Anne's project experience
Q: Which project have you participated in that left the most profound impression on you?
Anne: I developed the Web3 AI Tarot platform, Art3mis Oracle, with my small team. The original intention of this project was to make some fun, beautiful, and different games, which were relatively pure. The inspiration for the project came from the idea of using VRF (verifiable random function) to make an innovative application. Later, AI agent became popular, and we also added AI interactive elements. The biggest technical breakthrough in the development is UI/UX. Many developers tend to over-focus on technical details and ignore user experience, but in fact this is the key to making users willing to stay.
Anne Hackathon Winning Project - Art3mis Oracle
Q: What is the biggest challenge you encountered in the process of learning and developing Web3?
Anne: The biggest challenge is how to turn an idea into a real product. It is a long process from a good idea to a good project and then to a successful project. Many projects may not even reach the next step. Therefore, independent developers must not only have technical skills but also BD thinking and ability. I suggest participating in more online and offline Web3 activities to meet different people, which may bring unexpected gains.
Anne Hackathon Winning Project - SuiMeet
💠 Female developer identity: ability is more important than gender
Q: As a career changer, how do you balance the pressure of study and the uncertainty of career transition?
Anne: There are still many opportunities in Web3. As long as you are willing to learn and invest time and energy, there is a high probability that you will be rewarded.
Q: As a female developer, what challenges or advantages do you feel in the Web3 industry?
Anne: Online, we basically don’t know each other’s real identities, so they may not know that I’m a girl at first. But in offline activities, I often hear people sighing, “Oh, female developers are so rare.” But I personally don’t feel that there are too many advantages or disadvantages, it mainly depends on ability.
Q: What advice do you have for women who want to enter the blockchain field?
Anne: If you really know that it is something you are interested in, enter the market early, as it will only get more and more competitive later.
💓 Web3 industry outlook and personal experience
Q: What do you think are the advantages of the Move language? How does it promote the development of the Web3 ecosystem?
Anne: Many contract developers learn Solidity first, so they may have a preconceived notion that Move is difficult to learn, but I have always felt that Move is much simpler than Solidity. Especially in terms of security, there are fewer considerations, which greatly reduces development resistance. Move is still in its early stages and will surely have great development in the future.
Anne's Move Study Notes
Q: For women who want to switch from traditional industries to Web3, what key abilities or mindsets would you emphasize?
Anne: Self-discipline and eagerness to learn. Web3 information and the industry are changing very quickly, so you need to keep up with it, otherwise you will be out of touch.
Q: Do you have any personal experience you would like to share with everyone?
Anne: It is important to find something you are interested in. Only by doing something you like can you persist for a long time. In addition, there is a qualitative difference between a good team and a bad team. Identify the wrong people and projects as early as possible and stop losses in time if they are not suitable. In general, there are still many good people in Web3. I suggest that everyone socialize more and get to know different people in the industry.
💐 Conclusion
On the podium of hackathons, female developers won recognition for their excellent code quality, and gender identity quietly retreated to the background; on the podium of the Web3 Summit, women attracted attention with their profound professional insights, and the label of "scarcity of female practitioners" is no longer the focus. Perhaps the revolutionary significance of Web3 lies not only in the decentralized technical architecture, but also in the fact that it provides everyone with equal opportunities to participate in shaping the digital future.
On this Women's Day, let us pay high tribute to the women who are fearlessly moving forward and devoting themselves to the field of science and technology. We also eagerly look forward to more women joining the Web3 wave, and jointly writing a diverse, inclusive and brilliant future chapter in the blockchain world with their unique perspectives and unlimited creativity.
🎁Interactive Easter Egg: Share your Web3 female growth story on Twitter or in the public account comment area, and 3 people will be drawn to receive customized peripherals! Your experience may inspire the next female developer!
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