How Harsh Joshi became a crypto accountant

Learning crypto accounting, finance, and operations to break into the web3 world can seem like a never-ending laborious process. That’s why we’re sharing inspiring stories from The Accountant Quits alumni community - to show you how people just like you (yes, you!) took the leap and ended up with a whole new career. These stories prove that there isn’t one “right way” to build a more fulfilling remote work life.

Today’s story is from Harsh Joshi, a 25-year-old Crypto Accountant living in Mumbai, India. While Harsh already had a year of crypto accounting experience under his belt when he signed up for Cohort 1 of the Crypto Accounting Academy, he knew that just understanding crypto bookkeeping wasn’t enough, he also needed to sharpen his networking game if he wanted to land that dream job in web3.

Within 10 months, Harsh obtained a job at Beam, a web3 company where another student from the program, Lucas Chamyan, was already working.

Here is what Harsh wanted to share with other accountants contemplating a career move in web3.

Why did I choose to learn crypto accounting?

I have always been fascinated by web3 and when I came across this course, it was a no-brainer for me. Although I had some crypto experience before joining the course, taking on a formal approach and learning from the best of the best made much more sense to me.

How did I make time to learn?

Once I attended a live lecture and was able to grasp the basic concepts, I took my time to explore readings given by instructors and check out transactions on a block explorer in real time. Looking at different block explorers also makes you understand how the blockchain actually functions. 

Did the price feel too expensive to enroll?

The price can feel a bit expensive for some students, but after I looked into what I would learn, it was worth it especially if you consider that this is a one-off cost. The course keeps on getting updates and the content keeps on increasing day by day. The instructors are always ready to help and answer your questions. The course is accessible to you forever which makes it a great deal. 

How I passed the interview to become a Crypto Accountant

I was relieved to learn that it really helps if you have some experience with traditional accounting that’s the one thing I had! But I quickly learned that if I wanted to clear the interview process I would need to be a person who is well-versed with crypto. Along with that, I would need to be aware of how crypto projects manage their accounting processes, and what kind of software they use.

How was the course experience from Day 1 & onwards?

We were aware of the topics beforehand and given the pre-lecture reading material. It helps you to be prepared mentally. Some days, it would be completely about crypto and some days it would be about accounting. Each lecture is very unique and it’s full of new learnings. Although it is officially titled the Crypto Accounting Academy, it goes well beyond accounting.

What I wish I knew before I started learning to be a Crypto Accountant

Looking back, I really think I should have kept a notebook handy with me during the lectures to make notes. The instructors are crypto native and they keep on sharing useful tips throughout the entire course.

Also, they constantly drop invaluable “knowledge nuggets” you won’t find in any course or textbook because they come from the real-life experience and insights they’ve gone through and this happens throughout the 7 weeks they’re training us. 

Harsh’s story is a reminder that breaking into web3 doesn’t require perfection. It just requires the right mindset, knowledge of using the right tools and having strategic connections. Building the right network can fast-track your chances of landing a web3 role. If you’re interested in having the foundation knowledge to work for a company using digital assets, consider joining our next cohort of the Crypto Accounting Academy.