This is an open letter to the Lens Community.
If you didn’t know me before Lens, my last job was at DeFi Pulse, where I started as an SEO specialist but took on the challenge of managing the entire content creation operation. Why content? Because I had left my established career as a software engineer, believing it wasn’t for me. When DeFi Pulse shut down and I was let go, it felt like I had failed completely. I had poured my soul into that business, and the hit to my self-esteem was immense. Somehow, I blamed myself for everything.
I had saved some money, so I decided to take a break to reflect on what I truly wanted to do with my life. But then COVID happened. Lockdowns, loss of close family members… what was already a tough time turned into a period of deep depression and social phobia. For someone pivoting into a marketing career, how could I face people when I was afraid of social interactions? I would spend days scrolling through web3 job listings but couldn’t see myself fitting into any role, team, or project. I applied to maybe two jobs and turned down offers. I was burned out from the financial sector. I started therapy, but I felt completely lost.
Then I found Lens. A social protocol on web3. It immediately clicked. It made sense. Having studied the history and mechanics of social media when I shifted to marketing, I saw its potential right away. And then there was Stani—someone I had respected since the Aave days—building something entirely new. Finally, it wasn’t another yield product or gambling platform, but a protocol addressing real pain points of web2. And when I thought it couldn’t get cooler, I met you—the brave, crazy early adopters diving into this experimental technology. And women! For the first time, I felt like I could engage with other women in crypto. You were all so supportive and it's unbelievable how well I was accepted here. Lens Girls is one of the most intelligent and talented group of people I've ever met.
After studying the technology and realizing the vast potential of Lens’ data, I built my first project, Lens Forest Diaries, where I conducted data science studies on Lens. "Wait… data science? Didn’t you hate coding?" Yeah, so I thought. But suddenly, I was excited—writing Python scripts, running SQL queries, and delivering fun, colorful reports to support creators. Not for a single moment did I feel bored.
Then, engaging more with the community, I identified gaps and built Mystic Garden. I’m so proud of this product, you can’t imagine! And it will be ported to the new Lens.
But I was running out of money. My cats needed surgery, I was getting hospitalized because of stomach problems, everything happened so fast. What now? Get a job and code Lens stuff in my spare time? What kind of job? Coding? Most offers were for "super senior PHD blockchain experts." Marketing? Absolutely not. I was lost again.
When the hackathon was announced, I thought, "Okay, I have tons of Lens app ideas. Maybe I can secure funding for a month or two to create something meaningful for the community and maybe get it monetized." But my excitement quickly faded—it wasn’t about the protocol but the network. Smart contracts. Damn. I hadn’t touched smart contract development in years, aside from a few integrations for Mystic Garden.
A conversation with Paul changed everything. He pointed me to BuildGuild’s Speedrun Ethereum course, which teaches end-to-end EVM smart contract testing, deployment, and tools. I took the "speedrun" term literally—completing it in just four days, the first four days of the hackathon. What I thought would be a boring grind turned out to be incredibly fun! I was thrilled. I could finally see a career path again. Daniel, my bf, joked, "Years ago, you said coding wasn’t for you. Now you’re excited about smart contracts?" Well baby, Lens happened 🩷🥹.
After finishing the course, I knew what I needed to build for Lens Network: a marketplace. It was a massive challenge, against many suggestions, but I was confident. I know you! The rest, as you know, is history.
This is the first win I’ve had in years. It’s validation. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I’ve found my path again. The final decision on Wednesday will determine whether I’ve secured the funding, but this voting has already changed everything for me. You’ve brought my confidence back, and I can’t wait to continue building meaningful solutions for our community.
Thank you 🩷
