Hello everyone,
I’m thrilled to be in my first full-time week at the POKT Foundation as the Head of Community, and I’m excited to be onboarding to such a great project and team. Following Adz’s example (and using her post as a template), I’d like to introduce myself and provide some context about who I am and the work we’ll be undertaking together.
About Me:
I go by Zak, or doctorrobinson online. Over the past 5 years, I’ve been deeply involved in web3 at Protocol Labs. My role encompassed a mix of project management, production, and business development for IPFS & Filecoin. This work spanned blockchains, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and DAOs. I’m particularly interested in the innovative ways we’re shaping new methods of work and community building in this field.
Earlier this yet I met Ben, Dermot and Jack and we bonded over all the things that excite us about web3, DAOs, foundations as stewards of a project and the importance of the technologies we’re building. Between the team, the tech, and the timing it was a no brainer to join and become a steward of Pocket.
Pocket has a lot of similarities with Filecoin, as they’re both blockchain based infrastructure projects. A lot of the work I did previously overlaps nicely with the challenges we’re facing here, and I’m really excited to bring that knowledge and experience to this community.
Previous to web3 I worked as a producer in the agency world in NYC, doing a mix of marketing / motion graphics / video production and problem solving for megabrands. I was greenpilled in 2018 and haven’t looked back.
I’m an avid reader, SciFi enthusiast, and design aficionado. I’m passionate about understanding the human condition, exploring sauna culture, and delving into spiritual practices and religion. Day to day, nothing beats a warm morning coffee and a slow walk in the sun.These days I call the Southwest USA home - enjoying nature, deserts and warm, dry weather.
You can find my social and related links at: @doctorrobinson.eth | Twitter | Linktree.
About My Role:
As Head of Community, I’ll be dedicating most of my time to collaborating with you to grow and support Pocket. There are some straightforward tasks we can tackle together soon™️, and initial discussions will help shape our community goals for 2023 and beyond.
In parallel, it’s crucial to formulate a strategy that will evolve in the initial weeks. I’ll keep you updated as it develops, seeking feedback and opportunities for refinement.
My main responsibilities involve optimizing our community’s impact by:
- Streamlining operations that reflect our culture
- Educating our community about our ambitions, operations, and governance, and establishing effective onboarding and energy prioritization systems.
- Promoting contributors and collaborations through effective communication
- Sustaining communication structures that amplify meaningful signals and foster a culture aligned with our Pocket DNA.
- Orchestrating community rituals that strengthen relationships among core contributors and generate positive vibes (e.g., community calls, events, mentor cohorts, etc.).
- Coordinating community contributors, ensuring their confidence and accountability via efficient onboarding, internal communication, and operations.
- Cultivating a high-gravity community that enhances engagement, directly involving contributors and implementing methods to re-engage those who might drift away.
- Enabling faster iteration cycles and improvements by maintaining responsive feedback loops between stakeholders and the Foundation team
- Cultivating a two-way feedback loop for the Foundation team by distilling valuable insights from the noise, addressing issues, resolving conflicts, and elevating impactful matters to other team members.
What to Expect:
As we embark on this journey, I want to outline my commitments to the community. These include:
- Gaining a deep understanding of our community and its needs before implementing changes.
- Providing regular, transparent two-way communication from PNF to the community and back.
- Identifying opportunities & talent, to empower and support our community of contributors.
- Nurturing a culture of support and growth.
To elaborate: I intend to learn from you all, see what has worked, what hasn’t, and what holds significance to the community. Open communication and decision making are fundamental, and I am committed to ensuring everyone has access to the information they need to succeed. And I want to make sure we’re creating opportunities for teams and individuals that have been working to make Pocket great, and continuing to support those that have supported us.
Our community is diverse, with individual needs and goals. I’m eager to learn more about your projects and priorities. If you have specific requirements, feel free to share them in the comments below.
Next Steps:
To begin, I’d like to understand what aspects of POKT you’re passionate about, areas for improvement, and how you can & have contributed to the community. Please share your thoughts below!
Regarding communication, my preference is asynchronous first (Telegram > Discord > Discourse), and I commonly use Notion and Google Docs. I aim to be your primary contact at the Foundation, so don’t hesitate to reach out or schedule time on my calendar whenever you need synchronous engagement.
Looking forward to working with you all.
new revenue streams) come join us to help build Pocket into what we all believe is possible.