Introduction
This a proposal for a Quick Grant aimed at Pocket Network’s Data Tool and Tooling initiative of Ecosystem Development in preparation for the Shannon protocol upgrade.
Specifically, this proposal aims to conduct user research and spell out what impactful insights, opportunities, and expectations the community and core team have for the upcoming Shannon upgrade. The main objectives are to:
- alleviate the workload from those involved in the upgrade
- add objectivity to what we collectively feel as pain points, and opportunities in a Post-Morse world
- spec out the software tooling needs we have to be continue progressively decentralized, empowering the community to help grow the ecosystem and token price, and build on the architecture that initiatives like 3D governance is laying out
Quick Grants need to deliver impact.
The deliverables of this project will include the following:
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A concise 3-5 page memo accessible to anyone in the DAO, outlining the expectations established through community and core team input.
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5-10 illustrative slides to visually represent the current challenges and opportunities facing Pocket Network as we prepare for Shannon.
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Transcripts from 10 user research interviews, with 5 participants from PNF and 5 from community members, discussing in depth what is plausible, possible, and expected for ecosystem development as Pocket transitions from Morse to Shannon
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A 5-10 minute collage of recorded footage from the interviews that show the context, the tone, and perspectives of different contributors, specifically as it relates to what kind of Data Tools and Transparency that POKT DAO should provide.
Quick Grants need to be fully self-directed.
I am self-directed and have the access and historical knowledge to execute on this project. Specifically, I have been part of a User Research Fellowship as per ArbitrumDAO/RnDAO Co.Lab program that helps larger ecosystems identify key pain points and levers available to address these pain points. While I have interviewed key contributors from other ecosystems, I actually want to contribute specifically to the Pocket Network ecosystem because I am most aligned with its mission.
Furthermore, recognizing the importance of objectivity and impartiality in this endeavor, I will also maintain an “arm’s-distance” approach from both the community and the core team. By fostering healthy discourse and empowerment, I aim to positively impact the Culture - Community NPS (Pride, Promote, Stay) metric, contributing to Pocket’s goal of having the healthiest culture and governance of any DAO.
Quick Grants need regular reporting and regular reviews
I aim to report on findings as many as three times (each at the end of each month). The final report, containing summarized content and actionable insights, will be delivered within 1 to 3 months from the project start date.
The only contribution I need is 30-60 minutes from 5 different people at PNF, and the same from volunteer community members.
As an additional consideration, I am open to keeping reports anonymously if PNF thinks it would get better quality interviews and insights. It would materially change some of the format of reports, but I can be flexible based on the preferences of stakeholders.
Your historical impact (aka reputation)
In terms of my historical impact within the Pocket Network ecosystem, I bring extensive experience and a track record of contributions. As a former employee of Pocket Network Incorporated (now Grove) , serving initially as Marketplace Ops and later as Head of Ecosystem Growth (Sales) until January 2023, I played a significant role in expanding to new chains and securing partnerships with key players such as Harmony, Matic, and Evmos. Additionally, I led initiatives such as the Transparent Biz Dev Dashboard and facilitated the creation of the first USDC/wPOKT Uniswap V3 trading pair. My current involvement in the ArbitrumDAO/RnDAO Co.Lab Fellowship and as the founder of Ourmada, a social web3 CRM, further enhances my ability to contribute valuable insights to Pocket Network.
The value of a Quick Grant
I estimate the value of this grant at $2.5k per month. Additionally, given the quick turn around on deliverables, I limit this Quick Grant to no more than 3 months. This means, I will not be asking for any grant money passed this time for this project.
The value of this user research, deliverables, and compatibility with 3D governance, also add value to POKT DAO during and after the transition to Shannon. In this vein, there is also a potential segue for Ourmada.xyz to offer customized support and software solution to POKT DAO to execute on these findings. However, this support isn’t intended to be part of the proposal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am committed to conducting thorough user research and providing clarity to both PNF and the POKT DAO community so we can facilitate robust ecosystem growth as we migrate to Shannon. Pocket Network is ambitious and trying to do a lot as we migrate protocols; I aim to shoulder some of the work such that the transition is grounded in best practices for research, collaboration and execution.