Update: April 12 -Including the link to the docs for how to start contributing - Start Contributing | POKT DOCs
This forum post won’t be updated, but the docs will be maintained and up to date, so please refer to them for the most accurate information.
As we’re settling into 2024, I want to take a beat to help newcomers understand what our community values, specifically for this cycle as we head into Shannon. Now this is different from POKT’s values (aka DNA), which we’ve elaborated on in other posts. What a community values can change from community to community, and year to year, or even team to team.
Looking back on 2023, and thinking through what has separated those who have found success from those who haven’t, it seems that the POKT community leans towards impact. It’s one of the metrics we at PNF are evaluating as we fund and evaluate different projects and grants.
A history of impact may look different for each ecosystem participant; maybe you’ve launched a successful project in the web3 space, or you are a developer and use POKT to power your RPCs, or you have a history of regular contributions and a github showing that. Or maybe you’ve been working in web2 for years, and can demonstrate impact in the workplace more traditionally. Or maybe you’re a people person, with a wide network of people who can vouch for you and your work as you come into our ecosystem.
But maybe you’re just getting started and you don’t have a history with POKT or similar projects, or any connections in our network. How do you get involved, and how do you show that you’re value aligned with our community?
We think establishing your Proof of Impact is the best way to do that.
POKT Network Grants
If Proof of Impact is what we value at POKT, we need mechanisms to allow new community members to contribute while getting to know the protocol and embed in our community.
So what are these different mechanisms, how do I access them, and what’s the Foundation’s role?
New User Journey
If you want to follow a real user’s journey on how to go from ‘Hey what’s POKT?’ to ‘I’m a core contributor’ h5law wrote a great article on how he came to be full time on the Protocol team.
Below i’ve outlined one path that I can see for a new ecosystem participant to establish Proof of Impact and getting more responsibility and compensation along the way. There’s many paths, so don’t take this as scripture, but more as a loose direction to follow.
- Engage in the community
- This can be via discord, telegram, IRL events, twitter, joining community calls or leaving ideas on the forum. Show support and interest in what’s going on at POKT, unmute on calls, help other community members.
- Become a Citizen of POKT DAO
- With an updated CREDs system coming later this month, becoming a citizen unlocks voting in the DAO and gives you an understanding of what is important to POKT. This IS our DNA and values, and is the first tangible step to adding impact.
- Tackle a bounty
- With bounties back on the table, it’s the easiest, most friction-free way to do work and get paid for it. Learn more about bounties.
- Open a Quick Grant (fka socket)
- Quick Grants are a great way to start doing work that the DAO may find valuable. If you’re self-directing, quick grants are a great lightweight opportunity to dig your teeth in to POKT and bring ideas to fruition.
- Bid on an RFP (fka POPs)
- Typically larger scopes of work, these require a team or skilled individual to do scoped work that will drive impact within the POKT network. Our core contributors typically have one or more of these under their belt.
I think of each successful bounty, quick grant and RFP as adding to both your reputation and proof of impact, and with each win it makes it easier to award you more work. Keep stacking.
Next
Starting late Q1 2024, we’ll be hosting monthly onboarding initiatives for new participants to learn about POKT network and begin building their reputation around impact.
Bounties will re-open on Monday Feb 12 for contributors and DAO members to participate.
We’ll be experimenting with a new tool for Grant impact evaluation, called Karma Gap which will make reporting and evaluating impact much simpler.
CREDs will be our open discussion for Thursday’s Community Call, to make sure everyone understands the mechanisms and how they can participate.
The docs are being overhauled to be more useful and user friendly, and we’re migrating content from the forums over there so that it’s ‘official’.
As always, I’m looking forward to everyone’s thoughts and feedback as we build this proverbial boat together.