The leap from testnet to mainnet in the crypto world can be swift, but truel growth starts when there’s a strong team backing the technology. A project’s maturity is not just defined by technical architecture, it’s dependent on people. We spoke with Vasilina, EVEDEX’s HRD, to understand how hiring is structured within the project, which roles become critical at this stage, and how to strike a balance between Zoomers and Millennials in the team, without encountering toxicity or conflict.
We hope you find our conversation useful!
1. Introduction: Between Personal and Professional
- Vasilina, tell me, how did you enter the crypto space?
My HR journey began in more traditional and familiar industries. I worked with Big Three consulting firms and in banking before transitioning into fintech, where we were building a Forex trading platform. Eventually, former colleagues, which I trust, reached out and invited me into the crypto space. The task was to build marketing and sales teams from scratch for a new project. This sounded like an exciting opportunity in a fresh field, so I took the leap in early 2023.. Even back then, some very young crypto teams were already beginning to adopt corporate practices and structures, making my background unexpectedly valuable. Diving into an entirely new industry and adapting everything to its fast pace was both thrilling and deeply engaging for me.
- What was your entry point into EVEDEX, and what was so attractive about the project that you wanted to join? How would you describe the difference between HR in crypto and classic IT – in approach, culture, and people?
A happy accident and activity in professional communities. Never miss the opportunity to network! 😉 The most interesting projects are discovered through live contact and trust in the community.
HR in crypto-business is, first and foremost, about adapting classic processes and routines to suit the most freedom-loving Web3specialists. Here you cannot simply “transfer” experience from the corporate environment, you have to rethink your approach, build trust, and take the dynamism of the market into account at the same time.
Secondly, there is more freedom in communication and decision-making, but also more responsibility: you need to be flexible, with the ability to listen to both business and specialists, to be able to convey the value of decisions to both sides. It is about constantly bridging the gap between the different worlds – traditional and crypto.
For me, this isn’t just a job. It’s a personal challenge: building processes where none existed before, building a culture from scratch, and finding a balance between flexibility and efficiency is an opportunity to grow not only as a professional, but also as a person. Crypto thrives on rapid adaptation, forward thinking and the ability to operate in a highly uncertain environment – and that’s what makes it so exciting for me.
2. Transition from Startup to Mature Business
- How did the dynamics within the team change after the mainnet launch? Have you encountered a need for more structure, more responsibility, maybe a change in hiring priorities? What internal processes have had to be rebuilt, and which, on the contrary, have been strengthened?
With the launch of the mainnet, the EVEDEX team has moved to a new level of maturity. What used to be solved in working chats or on quick calls now requires calibrated regulations, clear processes and documentation. There is more emphasis on quality metrics, SLAs, transparency of communications, and accountability at every level. This is a natural progression: a project aimed at scale and long-term sustainability cannot exist in “startup chaos” indefinitely.
Yes, it adds a kind of bureaucracy, but it’s also about development and growth.
- How did your job change and what new HR challenges arose when the startup went from the fast and agile “build a product” mode to a scalable business with a mainnet and real users?
I can say with certainty: HR tasks became more involved and required a higher level of maturity with the launch of Mainnet. First of all, it is a constant, fast-paced search for solutions, while hiring strategies within teams can change literally on the fly. Today you need one profile, tomorrow you need a completely different one, and you are not just looking for a “person with skills”, you are looking for someone who will seamlessly fit into the rhythm and culture of the team at that very moment.
In parallel, you have to automate and simplify processes – otherwise you simply cannot keep up. But there is also a delicate balance: you cannot simplify at the expense of quality. HR needs to ensure that they are always one step ahead, so that teams don’t get bogged down and can focus on the product. Given the rate of change, this is not just a “challenge”, but a real stress test for stability, flexibility and professionalism. And if you’re up to it, it’s an opportunity for incredible growth.
- How does the approach to team building change depending on the stage of the project: from the first steps in the testnet to transitioning to mainnet? Which roles become key elements at each stage, how are the hiring, management and communication processes within the team transformed, and what mistakes do projects most often make during this transition period?
Testnet and everything that precedes it is usually a time of experimentation and quick, often spontaneous decisions. The team can be small but flexible, acting on the principle of “hand-holding where it is lacking” at this point, because the top priority is getting the product where it needs to be. There may be hierarchy issues, often there are no clear processes, but there is a lot of initiative and enthusiasm. This is a stage where chaos is allowed and sometimes even encouraged within reasonable limits, as long as there is a result and it pleases those involved.
But as soon as a project goes into production, and especially into mainnet, everything changes. There comes a point when product development can no longer exclusively rely on enthusiasm and improvisation – a stable, coherent and predictable system is required. There is a need for formalization of roles, clear delineation of areas of responsibility, processes, and corporate rules. Now it is not just important to launch quickly, but also to provide stable support, maintenance, security and compliance with business goals.
This is the transition from a startup team to a mature tech company, or what you might call a well-oiled machine. And it is at this point that HR plays a crucial role – as the architect of the future structure, the mediator between speed and quality, and the one who helps to keep the team alive without sacrificing efficiency.
3. Scaling Without Loss of Quality
- How does the hiring approach change when a project leaves the startup stage and enters the growth phase? What processes are put in place to ensure that candidate selection is not only fast, but also of high quality? And how do you keep the culture of the team intact? For many people, this question is now not just relevant, it is essential.
The first step is always to build clear communication with the business, first and foremost with the C-level. We clarify exactly what tasks the future specialist will have, what results are expected of him or her, and what metrics are important for this role. Often, at this stage, we form and clarify the roles themselves with the team: in crypto, they can be flexible and atypical compared to traditional IT roles.
We analyze which specialists are currently available and where to look for them, what offers they receive, and what motivations the candidates have. Technical expertise is not the only important aspect, but also an understanding of the Web3 context – how immersed a person is in crypto, and how quickly he or she can adapt.
And finally – quality dialog. While the funnel may be narrow, every interaction must be precise and respectful. The candidate must understand why we are calling him or her, what we are offering, and why they are important to the team. We are not just looking for “hands” – we are forming a core that will develop the future of the product and culture.
This issue remains perpetually relevant and open for discussion..
- What roles and areas of focus become priorities for hiring when a project is actively growing and going mainnet? What is most critical to the development of the platform right now? How do you determine who should be hired first and why?
From a mainnet perspective, roles that directly affect the sustainability and development of the entire ecosystem are prioritized. First and foremost, these are technical specialists: security engineers, backend and blockchain developers, and big data specialists that ensure both the reliability of the infrastructure and stable scalability as the load grows. Product managers who will be able not only to support current streams, but also to launch new directions based on user analytics and feedback are also critically important.
Along with this come challenges at the operational level – and this is where experienced support and operations managers are particularly important. Their expertise determines not only the internal coordination of processes, but also how the project is perceived from the outside: how quickly and efficiently users receive assistance, how quickly processes are organized between departments, and how well issues are resolved without disruptions. This is the foundation that supports and maintains growth and professional reputation.
4. Working with Mid-Level Specialists and C-Level Executives
- Mid-level specialists are often no longer beginners, but they are not yet leaders: they have ambition, but not always enough maturity in decision-making and responsibility. What challenges do you face when hiring these candidates, and how do you find a balance between ambition, desire to grow and willingness to actually take responsibility?
In fact, the key here is open and honest dialog. At the first stage, we always try to talk in simple human language: about expectations, about pace of work, about ambitions, about boundaries – in order to understand to what extent the candidate and I have the same views on the workflow. This helps to test soft-matching without pressure. If there is mutual understanding at this stage, then we involve the team at a higher level and add a couple of technical questions – to understand not only the level of competence, but also the style of thinking, approach to solutions and interaction. Live interactions with the team reveal how well candidates fit our dynamics and where we can support their growth.
- How do you build trust and effective communication within the team, especially when members are in different time zones and work at different rhythms? What helps to maintain cohesion, openness and a sense of purpose in the common cause?
We start from the very foundation – we select people in one vertical who are close in values, views and perception of processes. Only with similar sources of motivation is it possible to achieve real unity in a team, especially a dispersed team. When participants are “on the same wavelength”, even the difference in time zones does not interfere with the feeling that you are following the same rhythm.
But this is not enough – the constant emotional involvement of the HR team is important. We are not just an administrative layer, but mediators who monitor the climate, sense the mood and are always ready to intervene in time if necessary. Sometimes it’s about timing to say “let’s exhale” and sometimes it’s about protecting the team’s interests before the business. And yes, our willingness to be on call 24/7 is not just a formality, but a genuine desire to be there when needed. Because trust starts with a simple “you’re not alone.”
- How do you approach the formation of a C-level team: do you prefer to grow leaders from within, through organic growth and development of the team, or do you more often invite external specialists with established experience and expertise?
We have been lucky to find like-minded people. 😉 But behind this luck, of course, there is a lot of work. We are very careful about who we can nurture and grow within the team, because an internal leader is someone who already understands the culture, values and pace of the product. But external candidates are also important: they bring new perspectives, experience from other industries, and can ask the right questions that we haven’t paid attention to before. So ideally it’s a combination of the two. In some places it is important to support internal growth, in others to bring in external impetus. The primary focus is to have a strong and stable leader who is close in spirit to the entire team and the product’s objectives.
5. EVEDEX HR Philosophy
- What kind of corporate culture do you strive to foster at EVEDEX? What is important to you in the daily atmosphere, communication, decision-making? And how do you maintain the integrity of this culture?
Openness, honesty, transparency of results and expectations – both for the team and the business. This is where we started and what we continue to strengthen as we grow. It is important for us that everyone understands not only their tasks, but also why they are being done and how they affect the overall result. This eliminates hesitation and gives a sense of real contribution. For example, I can’t stop being happy that the team initiated the AFK (away from keyboard) chat to keep each other informed if someone is away from their computer by force majeure. 😂 It seems like an insignificant factor, but in fact it’s a reflection of maturity and respect for each other. And we have a lot of similar examples in our team: when people feel trust, they become carriers of culture, and it doesn’t need to be imposed from above – it exists from within.
- In your practice, what is more important when selecting candidates for crypto: real industry experience or strong soft skills? How critical is it that a person has already “cooked” in the context, or is it more important how he or she communicates, adapts and works in a team?
Of course, soft-skills and overall critical thinking are what we look at first. The ability to work in a team, be proactive, solve non-standard problems and still maintain transparent and constructive communication is the foundation of any mature team, especially in a dynamic environment. But with all that said, if we are talking about key roles, understanding Web3 and the crypto market is no longer just a plus, but a necessity. Especially in technical and product areas: this is where it is important not only to “know how DeFi works”, but also to understand the nuances of architecture, user patterns and industry risks.
Nevertheless, we understand how niche this expertise can be, and therefore in the future we plan to scale the team through the launch of internships, training programs and internal academies. We don’t want to only attract strong talent from outside, but we also want to nurture the team internally. So if you are following us – stay in touch, there are a lot of interesting and exciting things ahead.
- Tell us more about how you build the onboarding and retention process in the EVEDEX team: what steps are important at the start, how is adaptation carried out, what helps newcomers to get involved faster, and what retention strategies do you use to keep specialists engaged and committed long-term?
Onboarding is all about clarity and honesty. We fix KPIs and tasks in the offer in advance, so that a person does not get the feeling that something “popped up later”. In the first few days, HR helps newbies to fit into the team, explains the processes and answers all questions. No overloading – just business.
Retention is simple: if people fit together, they stay together. We select people not only on the basis of their skills, but also on the way they think, work and interact. And it works – there is almost no turnover, the team is only growing, and most people stay for a long time because they really feel comfortable here.
Conclusion
- What advice would you give to those who want to find their dream team or start a career in the crypto industry? Where should one start? How can they avoid getting lost in the flow of information? What qualities and approaches really help to become part of a strong team and fit into the new generation ecosystem?
The main point is to clearly understand what direction you want to go in. Crypto is a huge ecosystem where there is room for engineers, designers, community managers, and product managers. But without specifics, it’s easy to get lost. The second important point is not to be afraid to take initiative: get involved in the community, write, comment, help, contribute. In Web3, this activity is noticed and appreciated – it is not “unnecessary amateurism”, but a way to real achievements, up to and including offsets to cool projects.
For established professionals from other fields, this can also be a great opportunity – don’t be afraid to try. Take your stack or experience and try to apply it to crypto tasks: it’s almost guaranteed that you will see your expertise is applicable. The main idea is to be open to new things, don’t wait for an “invitation” and don’t be afraid to start with something small. The winners in this case are those who don’t simply want to be a participant in the market, but those with a fiery passion.
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