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Last week, we met Sarah—a freelance designer who was just getting started in Web3.
Since then, she’s set up her wallet, experimented with DeFi, claimed her ENS name, and bought her first crypto. But she’s still figuring out how to actually use Web3 beyond finance.
This week, she’s diving into the next level of Web3 engagement:
✔️ Joining a DAO to collaborate with others.
✔️ Exploring NFTs beyond just art.
✔️ Trying out a dApp to see how Web3 apps work.
✔️ Experimenting with Web3 social to own her audience.
Let’s follow Sarah’s journey as she integrates DAOs, NFTs, dApps, and Web3 social into her life.
Step 1: Joining Her First DAO
Sarah has always loved collaborating with other designers, so she looks for a creator-focused DAO.
📌 How She Finds a DAO:
She visits Forefront and DeepDAO to research DAOs.
She joins the Vector DAO and FWB (Friends With Benefits) Discords.
She listens in on conversations, trying to understand how governance works.
📌 How She Participates:
She checks the DAO’s bounty board—a section where members post paid design tasks.
She picks a simple project: designing a logo for a Web3 startup.
After submitting her work, she gets paid in USDC directly to her wallet.
✅ Outcome:
Sarah realizes DAOs are like global, remote-first communities where she can find work, earn crypto, and contribute to projects.
Sarah’s Takeaway: “I thought DAOs were just for tech bros and investors, but they’re actually great for finding creative gigs.”
Step 2: Buying an NFT (That’s More Than Just Art)
Sarah was skeptical about NFTs—she never saw the point of buying digital pictures. But after last week’s Hashed Out issue, she realized NFTs can be more than collectibles.
📌 How She Finds a Useful NFT:
She researches membership-based NFTs that offer real perks.
She finds LinksDAO—a DAO for golfers where an NFT acts as a membership pass to exclusive golf courses.
She also sees that FWB (Friends With Benefits) requires an NFT to join their Web3 creator community.
📌 How She Buys Her First NFT:
She connects her wallet to OpenSea.
She finds a low-cost FWB NFT and buys it using ETH.
The NFT appears in her wallet—she can now access exclusive events, content, and networking.
✅ Outcome:
Sarah isn’t just buying an image—she’s unlocking real-world experiences.
Sarah’s Takeaway: “I used to think NFTs were just overpriced JPEGs. But now I see them as digital memberships with actual benefits.”
Step 3: Using Her First dApp
Sarah keeps hearing about Web3 apps but hasn’t actually used one yet. She decides to test out a decentralized publishing platform since she wants to start sharing her design insights.
📌 How She Finds a dApp to Try:
She checks out Mirror.xyz, a Web3 publishing platform that lets writers mint their articles as NFTs.
📌 How She Uses Mirror:
She connects her wallet instead of creating an account.
She writes a blog post: “5 Lessons I Learned as a Web3 Designer.”
She mints the article as an NFT—anyone can collect it and support her work.
✅ Outcome:
Sarah now owns her content on-chain—no risk of a platform shutting her down.
Sarah’s Takeaway: “I just published my first Web3 blog post—no ads, no algorithms, no censorship. And I can even make money from it.”
Sarah has been growing her audience on Instagram and Twitter—but she knows these platforms control her reach and can ban her account anytime.
She wants to explore Web3 social, where she can own her identity and followers.
📌 How She Gets Started with Web3 Social:
She applies for a Lens Protocol profile (a decentralized social network like Twitter).
She joins Farcaster and claims her @sarahdesigns handle—which she actually owns.
She posts her first message on Web3 social:
“Just published my first Mirror post! Loving the shift to Web3 social where I actually own my content.”
📌 What Happens Next:
People “collect” her post on Lens, supporting her work directly.
She gains followers on Farcaster, knowing she can take them with her anywhere.
She realizes she no longer needs to rely on Web2 algorithms to be seen.
✅ Outcome:
Sarah is building an audience she controls—not one owned by Twitter or Instagram.
Sarah’s Takeaway: “Web3 social is a game-changer. I don’t have to worry about my content disappearing anymore.”
Final Takeaways: How Sarah’s Web3 Journey Has Evolved
In just a few weeks, Sarah has gone from Web3 newbie to active participant.
✔️ She joined a DAO and earned crypto for her design work.
✔️ She bought an NFT that gave her real-world access to a creative community.
✔️ She published her first article as an NFT—without relying on a centralized platform.
✔️ She moved her social media presence to Web3—where she owns her audience.
Sarah isn’t just holding tokens anymore—she’s using Web3 to build, create, and connect.
Sarah’s Biggest Lesson: “At first, Web3 felt like a confusing mess of wallets and crypto jargon. But once I started using DAOs, dApps, and Web3 social, I realized—it’s just a better way to participate in the digital world.”
🚀 Action Step: Follow Sarah’s Path & Try One Web3 Tool This Week
✅ Join a DAO (Lurk in Discord, see how decisions are made).
✅ Find an NFT with real utility (event passes, memberships, creative perks).
✅ Use a dApp (Try Mirror, Uniswap, or a Web3 social platform).
✅ Move part of your social media presence to Web3 (Lens, Farcaster).
📩 Which step are you most interested in trying? Reply and let us know!
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