#Artisans
Creative history shows the model of a Guild of Builders that maps the journey of growth of a aspirational beginner from neophyte to elite leader.
In reflecting on our process, and the inherent mission to provide every developer with the ideal opportunities and experiences for optimal growth, we have implemented a hybrid of terminologies to demonstrate this adventure- while also benchmarking the trajectory of ascension.
While we at WBA work with serious, committed practicing or aspiring Web3 professionals, we are by no means the starting point of the journey- the proverbial entrypoint of the funnel.
Neophytes looking to start said journey have many places to turn. Whether it’s simple videos, documentation, or something akin to Easy A’s mobile application, there are places for one to dip a toe in the waters of development.
From the apprenticeship stage, where people are fully dependent on others to learn and build, the next step is journeymen- this stage is market by growing capacity and comfort with independent iteration on existing concepts. Now instead of working on a simple counter tutorial, the journeyman can iterate on the model to create a more useful implementation- perhaps a voting mechanism.
With greater practice, guidance, and deep commitment to learning one’s craft, the next step is that of being a craftsman. These are again increasingly confident, skilled builders who can create their own projects utilizing the tools and skills they have adopted from other models, yet still requiring support from more accomplished professionals.
Masters, from the Latin word magester, are those with all the aforementioned qualities, who are also starting to manifest leadership in the form of guiding others below them in this caste system.
Masters who not only act in service, but are also increasingly creative in designing new models, are the Artisans. These are the people who come together and team in the deep discussion of craft. They ask hard questions, strive for increasingly deeper soils to plant new seeds of inquiry and innovation. While they perhaps are lacking at this stage in the ability to fully execute on said innovations, they still have the Maestros to consult- those who have achieved, built, succeeded, created, and served successfully and sustainably.
The brass ring, the top of the pyramid, is the Virtuoso. The Virtuoso has not only been elite in all he/she does, but has set new standards, suggested AND successfully implemented new, leading edge practices. They are the ultimate aspiration.
The WBA currently serves Journeymen in our Builders Course, and Artisans in our first cohort now in session during Q3 2023.
Our Journeymen Cadets get heavy support from our Maestro and Virtuoso Instructors- the anecdotal analogy of learning to ride bike, removing the training wheels, but still having that comfort of someone being their to restore balance in moments of mis-pedal.
The Artisans, successful graduates of our Builders course and/or successful mainnet shippers, come together as teams- they flesh out their auxiliary skills: organization, operations, BD, strategy, PMF and GTM strategies. They do so with nearly full autonomy. We are their to help restore balance only when absolutely necessary.
The successful Artisans? Their next step is to become Maestros as instructors, mentors, and full-time professionals in our DevHouse or working for other projects.
That other project could very well be the one they build in small teams during their Artisan experience.
It is an exciting time of growth and building in Web3 and especially on Solana, where the energy, resilience, and technology are archetypal for anyone aspiring to Virtuosity.
Come Buidl with Us.
