# From 100 Days to 250 Weeks: My New Security Researcher Challenge

Back in January, under the nickname **0xAlexSR**, I kicked off a personal experiment: *“100 days to join the Cantina fellowship.”*

It was my entry into the world of smart contract security — a crash course of daily learning, finding vulnerabilities, and sharing the grind in public. By the end of those 100 days, I did it: I reached the fellowship.

But the journey wasn’t a straight line. After months of pushing hard, life forced me to pause. I took a break, reset, and came back with fresh eyes and a clearer plan.

## **Why 250 Weeks?**

Five years is roughly the time it takes to earn a university degree or a master’s, which sounds like a good amount of time to build a real deep expertise.

## **The 5-Year Roadmap**

I split my challenge into **Main Quests** (career-defining goals) and **Side Quests** (personal growth). Here’s how I see it unfolding year by year.

### **Main Quests**

**Year 1: Foundation & Consistency**

* Sharpen fundamentals in Solidity, EVM internals, and common vulnerabilities.
    
* Start participating in ZK contests.
    
* Start competing in contests regularly (1-2 per month).
    
* Publish the first few articles to build writing momentum.
    
* Target: 2–3 top rankings, 3+ published articles.
    

**Year 2: Breakthrough**

* Push for consistent high rankings in contests.
    
* Contribute to open-source tools or research.
    
* Target: 5+ top rankings, 6+ total published articles.
    

**Year 3: Recognition**

* Join a respected audit firm or team.
    
* Lead or co-lead audits.
    
* Publish in-depth technical write-ups that gain traction.
    
* Target: 10+ top rankings, 12+ articles.
    

**Year 4: Mastery**

* Establish myself among the top auditors in the field.
    
* Handle complex, high-stakes audits.
    
* Possibly start teaching or running workshops.
    
* Target: 12–13 top rankings, 16+ articles.
    

**Year 5: Legacy & Leverage**

* Hit the “15+ top-1’s” milestone.
    
* Complete 20+ published articles.
    
* Reach $1M+ in gains.
    
* Cement a position in a top firm or run independent audits at scale.
    

### **Side Quests**

* **Learn Bulgarian 🇧🇬**
    
    Five years is enough to go from zero to fluent. Already living in Bulgaria for 2 years but still knowing only the basics - what a shame! I want to belong here.
    
* **Sustainable Growth**
    
    No more sprints that end in burnout. I want progress to feel like compound interest: slow at first, exponential over time.
    

## **Closing Thoughts**

The **100 days challenge** proved that I could sprint. The **250 weeks challenge** is proof that I can build something that lasts.

This isn’t just about smart contracts. It’s about learning how to learn, committing for the long term, and designing my own education.

The next 5 years are mapped. The quest **begins Monday, 1st September 2025**.

— **0xAlexSR**