Hey Damilola. Excited to speak to you today. Please tell me about yourself

‍My name is Damilola Ogungbesan. I’m a Software Engineer based in Lagos.

How did you become a software developer?

I am a self-taught programmer that started off by learning python. Then I picked up HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and NodeJs. I started by working on a couple of projects alongside my cousin who was already in software. Then in 2017, I got my first job as a developer.

How did you get started in web3?

I got interested in cryptocurrency during the ICO boom. I had read about people making 1000X of their money from investing in crypto. This piqued my interest. So I started reading about crypto and watching YouTube videos. Afterwards, I got my first Web3 gig as a Solana developer to build an NFT marketplace.

What were the challenges that you faced as a newbie Solana developer?

‍I was expected to write smart contracts for different auction types. This was very challenging as Solana’s smart contract was in Rust, and I had never worked with Rust. I had to learn everything from scratch. Google search was of little help because, at the time, there was only one explanatory document other than the official documentation. It was really hard, plus we needed to get things done really quick.

That’s a lot! How did you overcome these challenges?

I put so many hours into learning what I needed to know. I also ensured that I did not skip the basics. It’s easy to gloss over the rudimentary stuff when learning new technology.

It is also important to leverage your team’s knowledge. Sometimes you may not completely understand the documentation or codebase. Having someone explain certain things to you will make a difference.

What are the resources that have helped in your Web3 development journey?

Figment and Buildspace are good places to start.

Also, Discord communities have been helpful. This is because all web3 projects are built in the open. This will help you understand how projects are built. You learn by contributing to them.

What advice do you have for people that want to get into Web3 development?

The web3 ecosystem can be full of with buzzwords and over hyped projects. You have to filter out the noise and focus on what you need to learn.

So, my advise is to choose a path and stick to it. This could be smart contract developer, protocol developer, node developer, etc. Learn as much as you can, practice your learnings, and build projects. This will serve as a signal of credibility.

There are also grants available for many projects that you can take advantage of. By contributing to many projects, you’ll understand the landscape better.

Thank you so much for this, Damilola. How can people find you?

Thanks, Lanre. Here is my LinkedIn account

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