Beyond Cryptocurrency, You Need a Plan B

2025.07.10

Beyond Cryptocurrency, You Need a Plan B

If you're stuck in the crypto space, perhaps take a look at the world outside.

2025.07.10 - 07:12:25

加密货币

Navigating Web3 tides with focused insights

If you're stuck in the crypto space, perhaps take a look at the world outside.

Author: DeRonin

Translation: Luffy, Foresight News

My career began in crypto, and I'm truly grateful for what it's given me.

But recently, I've come to the conclusion: I need a Plan B. Not because I think the crypto market will disappear, but because I need stable income. That way, my growth can depend on data and skills—not luck or risk-reward ratios.

Of course, I'll balance both, and I believe this approach will yield results. When the market is as dull as it is now, I’ll focus more on other areas—and vice versa when conditions improve.

Think about it: if you haven’t achieved meaningful progress over several years, something might be off. If you lack liquidity, should you first earn money elsewhere before returning here?

If your inner voice says, “Damn, I really want to do this—let’s start now,” then go for it. I’m not preaching or pressuring anyone—just sharing my experience and honest thoughts.

Why Transition? And When?

Certain signals can help determine whether a transition is needed. After all, shifting paths isn't just about external expansion—it's also about resolving internal challenges. Here are the key points I’ve identified:

1. Stagnant Results

When you’ve worked hard for months or even years with no results—and you know you've given it your all—that’s stagnation. You’ve tried new strategies, reflected on improvements, kept learning independently, yet nothing changes.

In crypto, outcomes aren’t always tied to skill—they often involve psychological games. Not everyone is suited for high-risk ventures at a young age. While such risks may offer advantages (like rapid growth), they can also become brutal traps. At some point, emotional burnout hits—not only blocking future gains but potentially stripping away what you already have. Financial markets operate this way: survival of the fittest.

2. Changing Market Conditions

Current market conditions bring no guarantees. Shifting environments often make everything harder, and not everyone adapts well. Such periods frequently cause most people to lose their hard-earned assets.

You can’t control the market, but you absolutely control how you allocate your time. Right now, certain specific skills offer far greater returns than testnets. Sometimes, temporarily shifting focus and returning later when the market improves is actually more advantageous.

3. Lack of Liquidity / Opportunity

Be honest: without liquidity, you’re essentially powerless in crypto. Testnets and free activities exist, but they’re fundamentally games of chance—you never know if effort will pay off, nor can you calculate potential returns. This creates inherent uncertainty.

I believe crypto won’t solve your financial problems if you're struggling financially. Only a clear mind—understanding why you’re doing what you’re doing and what risks are involved—can lead to real results. And that takes time. Growth needs space and patience.

So if you're currently struggling to make ends meet, transitioning is essential. It might be temporary—you simply need to build initial capital.

4. Other Fields Are Growing Faster Than Crypto

We and the world shouldn’t be confined to one domain. There are many hotter fields right now. Ignoring them means missing early entry opportunities. If other areas offer faster results, why not try them?

The section below on "Top Fields" will explore these in detail. I don’t suggest abandoning your "Plan A," but having a "Plan B" ensures you have both your area of expertise and a field where you can grow quickly.

5. You’ve Stopped Learning / Feel Disgust

Some of my friends have gone through this—it’s painful to watch them give up. When an activity burdens your mental health, persistence becomes nearly impossible. Under pressure, emotional exhaustion leads to repeated mistakes.

If researching projects, exploring new protocols, or understanding underlying logic no longer interests you—if your sole motivation is profit—then achieving results becomes unlikely, because you lack the drive to complete the full journey.

A transition helps you stop self-deception, see your true state clearly, and reignite the desire to learn and improve—which ultimately brings results.

Skills You've Gained in Crypto

I’m confident you’ve acquired valuable skills in crypto. Below are the abilities that matter most to me—they’re universally useful and make me better at anything I do:

1. Research & Critical Analysis

Research is one of the most important life skills. No matter your industry or job, you can easily find the information you need. This deep analytical ability makes you stand out from competitors and opens doors to roles like marketer, data analyst, or even IT specialist.

2. Critical Thinking & Decision-Making

Today, most professionals struggle to make independent decisions. In crypto, however, constant analysis—such as whether to open a position—makes you adaptable and capable of making sound judgments in any situation. This often separates managers from regular employees and enables you to spot early growth patterns and profitable opportunities across domains.

3. Technical Proficiency

Let’s be honest: understanding most project whitepapers isn’t easy, while Web2 documentation tends to be simpler. Yet many still fail at even basic comprehension. This alone sets you apart in roles requiring fundamental technical literacy. Plus, with AI, building your own products has never been easier.

Applying Crypto Mindset to Other Fields

The crypto mindset is fast and adaptive, enabling quick results: rapid testing, continuous learning, autonomy, self-sufficiency, and proactive task-setting. Overall, this mindset benefits not just 9-to-5 jobs, but entrepreneurship and leadership roles.

In marketing, it helps you rapidly test hypotheses, run experiments, and adopt a data-first approach.
In startups, it means confidently building quick MVPs (minimum viable products) and testing them in real-world conditions.
In personal development, it emphasizes taking action through practice rather than staying theoretical.

This mindset keeps you moving fast and applying knowledge immediately—the key to replicating past success. Your goal remains achieving maximum results in minimal time, since opportunity windows don’t last forever. Most Web2 fields won’t vanish soon, and consistent self-learning will eventually make you a top performer.

Top Fields for Practical Transition

“Field” here doesn’t refer to a specific job or duty, but rather reflects the core direction and potential of a product. I’ve selected the most promising fields for the next five years and provided brief introductions.

1. Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Potential: 9/10

SaaS refers to software products related to artificial intelligence and their development. In my view, this is currently the most promising field—and crucially, you can create your own applications even without coding skills. By learning AI tools like Bubble and Make, which automate tasks based on your inputs, you can build products efficiently. Abundant online resources teach how to create and sell them.

Getting started: Learn these tools, launch a related blog, or join a startup using them. Study successful cases via https://clutch.co/ and https://acquire.com/, analyze their marketing strategies, then build your own product.

2. E-commerce (Shopify), Potential: 8/10

E-commerce involves selling goods online. Demand is high for dropshipping and e-commerce marketers. Dropshipping lets you sell without holding inventory—suppliers ship directly to customers and share profits with you. This includes various sales channels beyond TikTok, such as short-video marketing.

Getting started: Find reliable dropshipping partners, study successful stores, and replicate their promotion tactics.

3. Coaching, Education & Personal Branding, Potential: 8/10

Education and edtech are booming, especially in niche areas like crypto. These fields constantly need people who can assist with sales, build funnels, or handle related operations.

You can gain initial experience by serving bloggers or so-called "creators." I include personal branding here because it's a monetizable skill: knowing how to grow followers, build communities, etc., allows you to offer valuable services—at premium rates.

Getting started: Build your personal brand, offer services to creators, clarify your value proposition, and scale gradually as you accumulate knowledge.

4. Business Automation, Potential: 7/10

In the AI era, automation is a highly sought-after business service. It reduces costs, accelerates processes, and minimizes manual labor. You can automate accounting, marketing, CRM, sales, HR, and more.

Low-code/no-code solutions are particularly popular. Once you master platforms like n8n or Zapier, you can begin selling automation services—and eventually grow into an agency.

Getting started: Learn n8n and Zapier, identify existing businesses needing solutions, offer free trials to gain experience, then charge fees.

5. Marketing & Building Your Own Agency, Potential: 8/10

Marketing isn’t a field per se, but a cross-cutting professional skill applicable everywhere. I prefer framing it as building niche agencies—for example, focusing on TikTok, Reels, Shorts, etc. Such agencies are in demand, and "video editors" have become sought-after professionals.

Combine key roles: someone to design content formats, another to edit, another to upload—and you can build a scalable business that collaborates with almost any company. Don’t limit yourself to one niche; this model works across industries.

Getting started: Recruit your first editors, develop creative concepts, produce initial case studies, then continuously refine and expand into a mature agency.

How to Achieve Early Wins—And What to Learn?

The first step is critical. My breakdown is concise—otherwise, detailing each field would exceed 10,000 words.

Start with analysis and strategy formulation:

Pick a field or idea (what exactly will you do?)
Assess real demand, willingness to pay, and price points
Study competitors and their strategies—see who else is doing similar work
Define your target audience—who are you selling to?

Next, analyze what you need to learn and the concrete steps:

Identify the knowledge required to deliver services
Form a team to learn together
Analyze how competitors sell, establish your sales channels, set pricing
Besides technical skills, consider what additional marketing services you can offer
Integrate all of this with your personal brand

After taking the first step, focus on scaling: delegate more tasks, continuously study marketing and new strategies. Collecting and acting on feedback is vital—honest input determines 50% of your product’s success. Offering free services initially is perfectly fine.

Financial Security: How to Avoid Losing Everything

Transitioning to another field requires a buffer period during which income may be zero. If you have a family, rent an apartment, or lack support, remember: you still need to eat tomorrow, and your new venture won’t solve immediate survival issues. Otherwise, stress overwhelms you, and you focus on survival instead of building strong products and services.

Personally, I follow three rules:

Financial reserves (buffer funds): Maintain savings covering 3–6 months of basic living expenses. If you lack work skills and enter a high-risk field, aim for a full year’s worth. While few achieve this, it’s essential to calculate realistically. Also, diversify funds across secure channels and assets (euros, dollars, stablecoins).
Don’t invest all your money in the new venture: Initially, your best investment is time—money rarely pays back quickly. The odds of succeeding on your first entrepreneurial attempt are low. Before launching your own business, work as an employee to deeply understand all processes. Keep living expenses and business capital separate, or you risk losing financial control.
Track your budget: Calculate actual monthly living costs. Never take loans without a repayment plan. Regularly review expenses for optimization, cut unnecessary spending—but ensure your quality of life doesn’t plummet, or mental strain will become overwhelming.

How to Discover Your Interests and Strengths

When deciding to change, “finding yourself” becomes central. Above all, identify what you genuinely love—even if it’s not trendy—or you risk burnout.

Review Past Experiences:

What do you do better than others?
Which tasks do you enjoy despite difficulties?
When do you feel motivated, entering “flow state”?
For what are you frequently thanked?
What has earned you the most income?

Interest Diagnosis:

List topics you've always been interested in;
What kind of YouTube/podcast content do you enjoy?
What would you learn even without pay?
Among the fields listed in this article, which appeals most?
Do you lean toward marketing or technical roles?

Strengths

To understand personal strengths, take a personality test—it helps identify suitable roles. Ask yourself, “Who do I want to become?” to deepen self-awareness.

Network & Environment: How to Change Your Circle

Before changing your social circle, clarify your purpose and the kind of people you want to meet. Evaluate individuals based on character, not just skills.

Clarify values and needs: