Over the past few years, I’ve often been asked this question: "If you had to start from scratch in crypto today, what would you do?" Overall, I’m very grateful for my journey in this industry. But I’ve also made many mistakes, and if I could do it over, I would do some things differently. So I thought I’d write this article, hoping it might help those who come after me. Here are five things I would do if I were to start over.

1. Find Your Passion and Focus on It
   My advice to crypto newcomers is: focus on 1-2 niche areas.
   For me, what interests me the most is DeFi. I’ve been a heavy DeFi user for many years and truly enjoyed researching new protocols, investing in DeFi projects, participating in mining, and yield strategies. DeFi has made me a lot of money. But if I had chosen a direction I wasn’t interested in (like GameFi), the returns would likely have been much smaller. For newcomers, I recommend trying as many different things as possible to find what you genuinely enjoy, then go deep in that area. There are countless ways to make money in this industry, but the key is: combine effort with passion.

2. Prioritize Increasing Income Over Investing
   I know this advice might be unpopular. But if you want to turn a few thousand dollars into a million through trading, the reality is: it’s almost statistically impossible.
   If you have free time, I’d suggest first focusing on increasing your income—finding a stable source of earnings in the crypto industry—before considering trading. Like writing? Create content on X or try ghostwriting. Know how to code? Find a job in smart contract development. Good at communication? Apply to be a community moderator for a project.
   Why work in the crypto industry? One important reason: if you live outside the US or Western Europe, the local average salary might be far lower than what you can earn online in crypto. Of course, easier said than done. But there’s a way to significantly increase your chances: provide value first, then ask for returns.
   For example: if you want to become a Discord admin for a project, start by being very active in the server. Don’t just chat idly; help answer questions from newcomers and let the team see your value. This doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the job, but it greatly improves your odds.

3. Adjust Risk Appetite Based on Capital Size
   Suppose you have a $1,000 portfolio. To have a real chance of success, you must take more risks than someone with $100,000.
   For instance, instead of buying a dozen tokens, pick 4 high-conviction ones. If you only buy BTC or ETH, you might get a few times return long-term, but that won’t be life-changing. So if I started over with small capital, I’d only invest in altcoins.
   Strategy:

• Be bold when an uptrend is just starting, and gradually sell when the market gets euphoric.

• Don’t wait until Crypto Twitter is collectively bullish—by then, you’re definitely late.

• As your capital grows, gradually diversify and reduce risk.

• The goal is not only to accumulate wealth but also to preserve it.

4. Expand Your Network and Build Valuable Connections
   I recently did an interesting analysis. About 30% of my biggest gains in the past few years came from opportunities through connections—ones I likely would never have found on my own. Knowing the right people can fast-forward your journey. How to build valuable connections? One way is to boost your social media presence and share valuable insights on X. This makes it easier to connect with people in the industry. If that’s not for you, another path remains: provide value first.
   For example: if you’re a designer and see a KOL’s X banner doesn’t look good, design one for them for free. If you’re a "gem hunter," share some potentially profitable opportunities to build relationships. These "small moves" might help you gain many valuable connections.

5. Remember: Patience Is More Important Than Anything
   I’ve witnessed this countless times.
   I have a friend who’s been in crypto for over two years. For the first 18 months, almost everything he tried failed; he couldn’t make money, wanted to quit multiple times, and felt crypto might not be for him. But recently, he encountered an opportunity that tripled his portfolio in a few days. That’s crypto: it constantly tests your patience until it lets you win at some point. If you don’t give up, keep working hard, learn from mistakes, and continually improve yourself, you will eventually be rewarded.