A product manager’s guide to web3

This guest-authored guide by Jason Shah, head of product at Alchemy, explains how the product manager role changes at web3 startups. The author argues that PMs there are more versatile, more art than science given sparse user data, and more public, working through Discord and Crypto Twitter. He notes that many web3 teams have historically had no PMs, and that PMs tend to add the most value after the initial 0-1 phase, in the 1-10 stage. Ten structural differences are covered, including execution over vision, immutable smart contracts, open-source competition, DAO governance, and heavier security and regulatory stakes. The piece closes with pros and cons of the career and a concrete roadmap for breaking in. It matters to PMs considering a move into web3 because it separates real role differences from hype.

01Key takeaways

• Position yourself as someone who solves community and execution problems, not just a feature planner, since web3 PMs are judged on whether the community thrives.
• Expect to personally cover user research, data analysis, design input, partnerships, and marketing, because web3 roles are not yet unbundled.
• Prioritize security and the economics of your chosen blockchain, since immutable contracts and wallet-level risk make mistakes costly.
• Learn by using the products: hold assets, use wallets, join NFT and DAO communities, and experiment with bridges and DeFi protocols.
• Do not rely on proprietary code or data lock-in; compete on product quality, community strength, and continuous value.
• Reach out to founders directly with a concise, problem-focused pitch rather than assuming teams already know they need a PM.

02Key sections

How web3 PM work differs

The role is more versatile, more intuitive than data-driven, and conducted in public community spaces rather than behind closed doors. PMs often own incentives, partnerships, and community alongside product.

Why PMs are less common and when they're hired

Many successful web3 projects were built without PMs, and early-stage teams often rely on developers and community specialists. PMs typically become valuable once engineering coordination, complex consumer UX, or external activities like growth and business development outgrow the founders' capacity.

Ten truths of web3 product management

Execution dominates vision, PMs must personally cover research, marketing and BD, and details matter more than feature expansion. Limited user data, chain trade-offs, immutable code, open-source competition, DAO-governed roadmaps, security responsibility, and regulatory exposure all shape decisions.

Pros and cons of the career

The upside includes building new internet infrastructure, broad impact, and continuous learning. The downsides are needing to unlearn traditional PM habits, a nonstop pace, lower perceived importance relative to engineers and community leads, and a financialized culture.

Path into a web3 role

The author recommends learning the space through reading and podcasts, actually using wallets, DeFi and NFTs, and building something small. From there, research well-regarded teams, engage in their communities, then reach out directly with a concise pitch focused on the value you can add.

03From the post

“1. Lessons from 140+ angel investments 2. How to get promoted 3. What is good monthly churn Q: I’ve been a PM for a few years and I’m thinking about getting into web3. How is PM’ing different at a web3 startup, and what’s the best path into web3? With so many smart friends jumping into web3, this question has also been on my mind. The PM role is already so strange and varied—how does the web3 way of working change the role further? Is it fun to be a PM in web3? Are PMs even necessary? To understand this myself, I reached out to my good friend Jason Shah, who I was lucky to work with at Airbnb for many years and who now leads product at Alchemy. Alchemy is essentially AWS for web3, and has quickly become a fundamental infra layer in the web3 startup stack. And just last week, the company announced a raise of $200M at a $10B valuation. Through Jason’s experience scaling Alchemy, working with hundreds of web3 startups in the process, and having just recently…”

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.