[Budget] September Report and Payout Request for the NEAR Degen Army

Near Community and nodes
, , ,
1

*For further context on the Degen Army, Degens DAO, membership, and rewards policy, please see here.

Report on Use of August Funding

The funds we received through the Degens DAO for August were used for 1) individual payout for each member, 2) incentives for top performers (claimed through the wallet “degenarmy.near” and transferred to the wallets of 8 members). The funds we requested for general expenses have not been claimed yet, but will be used to retroactively compensate expenses (such as Combot or a Twitter analytics tool) after evaluating their effectiveness.

September Updates

  1. Expansion

At the end of August, we recruited several new members, who have now successfully passed their trial month. Several older members, who have either become inactive or failed to meet our standards, have been removed. In sum, the Degen Army has grown from 43 members last month to 49 members in total this month. The full list of members eligible for payout this month are here.

  1. Pivot from quantity to quality + efforts to diversify approaches

As the Army matures, we are increasingly pivoting our efforts from simple shills to more quality-driven content, and focusing on becoming KOLs for NEAR. Additionally, we are experimenting with diversification of our approach, as well as new means of outreach. Some of these new efforts can be seen in “[Qualitative] Contributions and Key Results.”

  1. Incubation of the Kitchen Guild

Under the leadership of @lolson_tg, a council member of the Degens DAO, the Degen Army has incubated the Kitchen Guild - a guild for collaboration with crypto influencers/youtubers to produce content about the NEAR ecosystem. The Kitchen Guild’s creation post can be read here.

In order to jumpstart the program and facilitate a smooth onboarding process (through a concrete guarantee of compensation for the recruited influencers), the Degen Army decided to partially subsidize the Kitchen Guild’s budget as an effort to incubate the Kitchen Guild until it becomes a fully-funded, autonomous guild. For this reason, a portion of our payout this month will go towards the Kitchen Guild; specifically, 300 NEAR each for three influencers (Khalistas, Procent, Crypto Maximalist). The results of the Kitchen Guild’s trial month can be seen here. From next month on, the Kitchen Guild will work as an independent entity, only requesting payout from the Marketing DAO.

  1. Restructuring payout for NEAR Degen Syndicate

The NEAR Degen Syndicate was originally a Youtube team created from 7 members of the Degen Army. As the NEAR Degen Syndicate expanded their operations, they have requested funding from the Marketing DAO with regard to the production of their Youtube videos (studio, equipment, production, advertisement etc). For this reason, the metrics concerning their Youtube channel (+ the relevant social media channels they use to promote it) for the month of September will be reflected in their report to the Marketing DAO. Only the Syndicate’s Twitter account - which does separate content such as tutorials or threads on NEAR ecosystem projects - will be reflected in the Degen Twitter metrics. The 7 members belonging to the Syndicate contribute to the Degen Army (1) through the Syndicate Twitter account, as well as (2) through their individual activity in the Degen Army, and to this extent fall under this month’s Degen payout.

September Objectives

On the one hand, the Degens operate in teams specializing in certain platforms, led by the four council members. On the other hand, the Degens also perform activities such as Telegram moderation, community building, beta testing, participation in NEAR events etc, which will be listed in the section, “[Qualitative] Contributions and Key Results.”

  1. General Social Media
  • Objectives for September: (1) maintain or increase average impressions for twitter, (2) expanding reach and influence (going beyond near bubble), (3) increase of quality-driven content
  • Main actions: (1) continue daily twitter activity but optimize audience building and quality of content, (2) target eth influencers, threads, communities, (3) experiment with diff onboarding/growth hacking initiatives, (4) fix + communicate twitter method to promote outreach rather than internal boosting
  • Methodology for tracking performance: Twitter analytics
  1. Bitcoin Talk
  • Objectives: Improving the quality. Сreating more unique content and Threads.
  • Main actions
    • Local directions: Creating threads in local directions (creating topics about NEAR in other languages; e.g. Russian)
    • The official thread NEAR: Creating a new official thread about NEAR
  • Methodology for tracking performance: manually track each unique post and views, comments etc
  1. Reddit
  • Objectives: An increase in the number of Reddit users among degens. / Improving the quality of content
  • Main actions: Writing a manual about using Reddit. Foster support for activity in the main degens group. / Increasing the number of unique DYOR content, analysis, reviews, and so on.
    • Cooperation with the NEAR Reddit OPS Team: Coordination of actions with the OPS Team. Shared content.
    • Plans based on the Agenda: Creating plans for the week based on the Agenda and highlighting the main events that can be covered in Reddit.
  • Methodology for tracking performance: manually track each unique post and number of views, likes, and comments.
  1. YouTube Comments

  • Objectives: optimize organizational structure. Improve approach and effectiveness in targeting youtubers in the comments.

  • Main actions: Delete inactive participants. Based on the activity, remove unnecessary ones.

    • Organization of joint work: Together with SEM and Baxoff, to establish a new approach to the YT Team.

  • Methodology for tracking performance: manually track the number of comments and responses from Youtubers

[Quantitative] KPI

  1. Twitter

Out of 48 accounts, over the last 28 days,

  • Average # of tweets = 98; Profile Visits = 5576; Mentions = 200; New Followers = 185 (+38%); Average # of impressions: 60,776 (-5%); median # of impressions = 50,800 (+17%)
  • Distribution: 4 accounts accrued less than 10K; 5 accounts fell between 10~20K; 4 between 20~30K; 4 between 30~40K; 7 between 40~50K; 5 between 50~60K; 3 between 70~100K; 8 between 100~200K; 1 over 200K
  1. Bitcoin Talk
  • Comments posted = 50; Total views on degen’s threads = 5373 (+23%); total number of comments on degens’ threads = 592 (+16%)
  1. Reddit
  • posted 5 posts on behalf of the Reddit Ops Team
  • main subreddit: r/CyprtoCurrency
  • Total posts = 32; Likes = 322 (-114%); Comments = 375 (+7%)
  1. Youtuber Targeting
  • Total number of comments posted on Youtub: 183
  • Total number of tweets made to Youtubers: 28
  • Results: two videos on NEAR as a result of targeting + requesting
  1. Interactions with youtuber K Crypto:
    image
    image800×809 112 KB

    image

=> Result: K Crypto - Top 3 Micro Cap Altcoins To 100X SOON (September 2021)

2)Interactions with ZeMoood + voting for NEAR in their TG group

image
image591×1280 77.8 KB

image
image591×1280 71.4 KB

image
image

=> Result: ZeMoood - Cryptos PUMP + $NEAR analysis - NEAR price prediction - TODAY - NEAR Protocol coin NEARUSDT

[Qualitative] Contributions and Key Results

  1. Increase in quality-driven content across Twitter, Reddit, BTT, Youtube + experimentation on platforms such as Medium, Youtube, and Tik Tok: see some examples in this content highlight
  2. Recruited a researcher and started creating educational resources on Basecamp: a “Degen Wiki” is in the works, which currently has a summary of tech, advantages, use cases of NEAR ecosystem projects such as Rainbow Bridge, Aurora, Octopus, Metapool, and a database of key NEAR NFT artists. This has contributed to the general education of the Degens and has been reflected in Degens’ Reddit and Twitter threads.
  3. Continued coordination with NEAR marketing: (1) degens populate + actively participate in the Marketing Distribution TG group, (2) direct communication with NEAR core marketing (@rimberjack participates in the NEAR marketing sync and Trello board, coordinating community hype with official launches + news; @chronear directly communicates with Joep; NEAR’s social media managers are in the Degen TG group for coordination)
  4. Event participation: this month, the Degens have actively hyped + participated in key events such as the metabuidl closing ceremony (livestream), Human Guild X MTVRS Hangout on NEAR Lands, Octopus Cryptovoxels Party etc
  5. Key involvement in NEAR ecosystem projects and guilds
  • Many Degens are either founders or active participants of NEAR guilds/communities
  1. Silicon Craftsmen: AVB (founder), simeon4real
  2. NIA: chronear
  3. NEAR NFT Club: naveen_in margikbaxi, traderbtcc
  4. NEAR Meme Daily: naveen_in
  5. Corpsemen: rimberjack
  6. NEAR Games Guild: garikbesson (founder)
  7. Human Guild: haenko
  8. Merchants of NEAR: Yuppiefab, andresdavinf (Crypto G / podercripto)
  9. Wizards’ Guild: Node000 (founder), banan_ago
  10. Flying Rhinos Guild: banan_ago
  11. Kitchen Guild: lolson_tg, baxoff
  • Cheddar: many degens participated in the two month invite-only beta testing + sit on the Cheddar DAO
  • Pixelpets: degens participated in invite-only beta testing
  1. Moderation in NEAR groups
  1. Participation in major NFT Twitter Space, “499 Block NFT Avatar Carnival”: degen member Jeff G (x.com / DJ_JG on Telegram) participated as speaker, representing NEAR, along with the founder of Meebits and co-founder of Mirror

606×1280 550 KB

Proposal for September Funding

  1. Rewards: We request rewards for 49 members in total
  • Non-council member (45): 300 NEAR
  • Council member (4): 400 NEAR
  1. Incentives: 200 NEAR as incentives for top performers among non-council members

In sum, the total funding we request for September is 15,300 NEAR

Note on Form of Payment

While we recognize the recent adoption of the policy for community payouts, we operate with the understanding that this policy applies only to payouts directed to the community squad DAO or the other DAO verticals. The Degen Army receives funding through the Knights of Gondor DAO, which is the DAO responsible for the Degens and Warpspeed Guilds program, and we have not been made aware of any changes to our payout policy.

28 Likes
2

We’ll keep contributing to the NEAR ecosystem in as many ways as possible. Time to expand our reach. LFG!

7 Likes
3

x10 for @rimberjack , please :blush: You’re extremely hardworking person :wave:

8 Likes
4

:raised_hands: Amazing.
Glad to be Part of Such an Amazing Group & Ecosystem.

5 Likes
5

@rimberjack thank you for your work! It is very nice to be part of such a highly qualified and friendly team! Everyone who is part of the Degen Army is in their place! I am sure that we will improve our quality and reach new horizons in the future!
Thank you for your great help in creating Kitchen Guild, nothing would have happened without you :heart:

4 Likes
6

Sorry guys, a little bit fud.

1)I propose reduce payment for @p0k on $750 (100 N, down to 300N). He got $750 on teleprompter, but didn’t buy it and doesn’t use it in his guild videos.

image
image1284×2087 119 KB

image
image1920×887 67.2 KB

2)Could you please describe degens hiring process? I know I lot of active Near members which filled out your form, but didn’t get any responses.

Definitely, one of the way it’s be one of @p0k old friend.

I’m not sure that is fair. 2 new degens are poks friends (actor and operator assistant). Why?

image
image1284×2778 247 KB

image
image1176×2544 208 KB

image
image1284×1095 143 KB

  1. I think you need take over p0ks friends to another one supervisor (to Rim for instance, I trust him on 100%). I don’t realize how pok can manage your group without fear or favor.

Thank You

2 Likes
7

Hello,
and don’t worry so much, soon there will be a report on forum on every cent spent on the Syndicate project :slight_smile:
And I do not think it is appropriate to constantly mention my personal relationship on the forum. Thanks.

4 Likes
8

Thank you for your concerns.

I believe p0k will soon post a forum post with all expenses of his guild…
& also its not appropriate to talk about someone’s personal relationships in forum posts.

We appreciate your feedback.

4 Likes
9

Sorry, I will remove this information.

Could you please describe hiring process for

  1. Kkdarla
  2. Veshtorg

It will be great. Now, we can compare your guild’s expenses / effective with other guilds (Stars, Kitchen) which do the same job.

10

Thank You for your comment, but it’s not an answer on my question.

pOk wrote about it on telegram, not me. But, I deleted this information here anyway.

11

Where did you get information about it? He’s not in a syndicate and he has been in degens for a long time.

The decision to hire new degens is made jointly by the consuls after the interview.

This is not true. We make video content and all our expenses include the physical purchase of things and the Start and Kitchen guilds find bloggers and promote the near through advertising and work with them.

Thank you.

1 Like
12

May by you need to choose : be a degen or have your own guild and spend all your time there ? Don’t get me wrong guys, but it’s really hard be on 100% effective degen and work in guild.

Give a chance be a degen for other members in our large Near community.

Also, we need transparent hiring procedure.

Yes, may be @p0k is a great man, but it’s not a reason hire his friends in the Army and discriminate all others near Community members.

@Ozymandius first-of-all sorry for inappropriate memes. It took me time to realize how does it work here .

What do you think about it?

13

Sorry, I meant Kkdarla and other old friends in degens:

Gulfa
Malec Oleg
Poddsy (I like his acting work :+1:t2:)
Veshtorg211
Denis Madris
Kkdarla
Veshtorg

Yes man, but may be it’s more effective to pay bloggers than create your own content ?
I think we both together think how to promote Near better and save money. Right?

Your guild got 2000N vs Stars :star: guild 220N (they work with beginners bloggers)

1 Like
14

Rim BB :fire::fire: you are really doing a good work here. Kudos to all Near Degens. You guys are really doing a great work to build and support the ecosystem

4 Likes
15

Content creation is a long term perspective. If everyone is throwing money at bloggers, who will create the content?
And I believe that the development of the ecosystem and the promotion of NEAR should go in different directions and this will give the maximum effect.
Correct me if I’m wrong.

Thanks.

3 Likes
16

Yes, and expenses should have the same formula depend on KPI’s. And as a final result - self-sufficiency.

1 Like
17

Hi Dacha! If I’m not mistaken, but Pok and his friends joined the Degans from the beginning of the creation of the Degans, each went through an interview separately, at that time Pok was not yet a general. Even more, some Pok’s friends have been kicked out of the Degans for poor work. We do not have such a thing that if a person is a friend of a general, he is immediately hired to the Degans or not kicked out for bad work.

3 Likes
18

I think we need to combine this. Bloggers will talk about the NEAR Protocol to their audience, and will bring new users to Near Community. In the meantime, the Syndicate team is creating news content about the NEAR Ecosystem for the community. Perhaps some bloggers will also shoot such content, but most likely they will not do it on an ongoing basis, and will not delve into the news of our ecosystem in detail.

2 Likes
19

Thank You for comment. I hope it’s true.

3 Likes
20

Thank you @rimberjack for such thorough report. I appreciate the details.

As we reach the 3rd month of our ‘experimental approach’ for ecosystem development initiatives, this month we will review the achievements and progress made during these 3 months and adjust going forward.

It is my aim to close October with clear guidelines on contributions, payouts and more importantly, acceptance criteria for quality output.

With 49 active members of the Degens, I expect the quantitive KPIs to be higher than what I see in this month’s report. I rather support a smaller group that is very focused on achieving greater impact.

I welcome the opportunity to meet with the Council members and discuss in more detail.

7 Likes