You're the Guinea Pig
This post was written by Camp Developer Relations Engineer Charlene Nicer and was first published May 1, 2025 on Substack.
I’m finally doing it. After sitting on the sidelines for years, I’m diving into web3 and documenting the journey. Every mistake, every win, every confused moment.
Why Now?
For years, I watched web3 from a safe distance:
- “Too risky”
- “Too confusing”
- “Too early”
- “Too late”
Every excuse in the book. But here’s what changed: I realized I was already participating in systems I didn’t understand. At least with web3, I could learn.
The Plan
Week 1-4: Foundations
- Set up wallets (done, terrifying)
- Understand gas (expensive lessons incoming)
- First transactions (sweaty palms)
Month 2: DeFi Basics
- Liquidity providing
- Yield farming
- Learning to read contracts
Month 3: Creator Tools
- NFT minting
- IP registration (hello, Camp!)
- Royalty setup
Ongoing: Build in Public
- Weekly updates
- Real numbers
- Honest reflections
What I’ve Learned So Far
The Good
- Community is genuinely helpful
- Documentation is better than expected
- Small experiments = manageable risk
The Confusing
- Gas estimation is art, not science
- Every chain is slightly different
- Wallet management is a full-time job
The Scary
- One wrong click, gone forever
- Phishing attempts everywhere
- FOMO is real and dangerous
Why Document This?
Because I wish someone had when I started:
- Real mistakes - Not just wins
- Actual numbers - Not vague “returns”
- Honest timeline - Learning takes time
- Practical tips - What actually helped
The Guinea Pig Manifesto
I promise to:
- Share both wins and losses
- Post real numbers when relevant
- Admit when I don’t understand
- Update when I learn something new
- Never shill, always explain
What’s Next
Next week:
- My first DeFi position
- Calculating actual returns
- Understanding impermanent loss (the hard way)
Follow along. Learn from my experiments. Avoid my mistakes.
We’re all guinea pigs in this grand experiment. Might as well document it.
More updates coming soon. Stay curious, stay careful.