Dear NEARians,
It’s been an exhilarating month at NEAR and even more so for our Community. October witnessed a milestone for our Community, as we came together in physical space for the first time and created stronger bonds and meaningful connections.
Achievements
1- NEARCON brought together part of the Community. While we missed many great contributors, we were finally able to meet and socialize with those who were able to travel to Lisbon. As soon as the links are available, I will post the outstanding NEARCON talks of Guild leaders: @Primaveralina @Sofia_Alum @vrdoingthings @rimberjack @Mazi @Ozymandius, who delivered a genuine message filled with passion and inspiration; as well as a panel prepared by @SChamat, who facilitated an engaging legal discussion.
2- Our Community has developed in a way that we can achieve scale. We have a critical mass that allows for traction, a structure around Guilds, guidelines for valuable contribution to the Ecosystem, and a common vision towards decentralization which results in thriving, autonomous, and self-sustained Communities.
3- Many Guilds are forming, generating momentum and resources for all types of projects while creating an ‘unstoppable workforce.’
4- Incubated Guilds delivered their status at DemoDay Event.
Challenges
1- Our token’s increased valuation has created an exceptional sense of value when it comes to rewards and expectations for funding from many of our community members.
2- Delivery output does not meet expected quality standards. We are frequently encountering requests for payout for sub-optimal work.
3- COVID/Sickness has impacted everyone around us, including our colleagues and contributors.
4- The focus on NEARCON made us more complacent with our day-to-day. It is time to ‘Start-Again’.
Lessons and way forward
1- We need to keep growing and maturing as an Ecosystem. Values must be frequently restated and, more importantly, consciously embodied by all community members.
2- Transparency is still a work-in-progress—we have not reached our optimal state. We acknowledge the importance of accountability. We encourage community members to respectfully inquire about the output of the work and related rewards. As our Ecosystem grows, members of our community need to hold each other accountable.
3- We need more alignment on ‘value creation’. The value that we create is not for ourselves but for our Ecosystem [Ecosystem First]*. Consequently, our rewards should be proportional to the value we create for others. Feedback from beneficiaries should also be part of the process. *Ecosystem First: value that we create for individuals and projects building on NEAR.
4- Budgets, Proposals, and Payouts need to be discussed in USD($) value—we can no longer be attached to a NEAR value. We would like to ensure that Guilds are able to get a set amount for their contributions, regardless of price fluctuations. This is where denominating pricing in USD is helpful.
5- Contributors expecting rewards should agree beforehand with Council members on the expected ‘output of the work’ and set the right expectations for rewards and quality standards. We will not do reimbursements unless previously agreed upon.
6- Guilds need to Pause-Reset and ‘Start Again’.
Next Steps
1- November will be the month of ‘Start Again’. Our thriving Guild Ecosystem will be reviewed, assessed, and assigned to a Tier system. (Guilds will be grouped within 4 tiers, according to their skills, level of contribution, and reputation.)
2- We welcome all Guilds to post their Mission, Vision, Objectives, and Roadmap in the Forum, and schedule meetings with the Community Team.
3- We are offering Grants to qualified Guilds. The main criteria are as follows:
- Proven Capabilities of the Leadership
- Delivery Reputation (with actual feedback)
- Demonstrated Active Engagement and connection to the NEAR Ecosystem
- An Accountable Guild’s Governance structure
- DAO adoption and On-Chain Guild membership
- Quantity and Quality of the Support to specific Projects and initiatives within the Ecosystem
- Potential to connect to other communities outside of the NEAR Ecosystem
4- We are in the process of carrying out the implementation of our Community Onboarding initiative. We invite all our community members to be part of this project by contributing your feedback and ideas. Please reach out to @shreyas
5- Redefining the Guild experience and facilitating the growth of our Guild Ecosystem. We welcome Guild Leaders’ contributions by filling out the Q4 Survey.
6- November is the month to adopt Astro. All community funds will be distributed from Astro DAOs. Create your own DAO.
7- Mid-quarter is here! The Community Team would like to invite you to join our mid-quarter review next Friday, Nov 19. More details + how to join, coming soon!
We are eternally grateful for your continued support and for making the NEAR Community and Ecosystem the place where you belong!
