tldr;
NEAR Misfits is a Profile Picture (pfp) NFT Avatar project that is aiming to become the 'Bored Apes Yacht Club of NEAR.
NEAR Misfits is launching during NEAR | CON in Lisbon October 2021, and we are requesting a budget to allocate 190 NFTs to the NEAR Community. These avatars will be used for marketing the project across all NEAR communities to ensure the project is inclusive and representative of our diverse global presence.
NEAR Misfits Overview
1st Fleet of the Metaverse
Initially, there were 10,000 - but only 1927 made it.
NEAR Misfits are part of a Decentralised Special Operations crew from all over the world and all walks of life. A group of humans rising to the challenge of their times, coming together to build the Metaverse: challenge the status quo, push the boundaries of what is possible, build and contribute to enabling technology.
Armed with tech tools and their imagination, NEAR MISFITS are building a place where they can feel like they belong, build and compete freely.
NEAR MISFITS are a diverse bunch, but they share one thing in common: the vision for the Metaverse and their conviction to make it a reality. They are here, they are early, they are battling through winters and regulatory assaults. They will succeed…
Progress to Date
NEAR Misfits is deeply embedded in the NEAR Ecosystem.
After months of collaboration and frequent consultation with several key ecosystem players, we are finally ready to go live thanks to two grants from the Human Guild that enabled us to commission the groundbreaking, leading poly artwork. @sashahudzilin
We are also partnering with [CODAME] [which organisation is officially providing the software?] to use their novel TENK Avatar project as the platform to release and sell the NFTs.
Finally, we are working closely with the NEAR Community and Marketing teams, as well as all the grassroots ecosystem groups to ensure a successful launch during NEARCon. @mecsbecs
Marketing Budget (Presale)
Rather than asking for a grant to cover our operational costs leading up to the launch, we are instead asking for the cost of NFT Avatars that will be distributed to the community as part of our marketing promotional activities. There are several advantages to doing this:
- Fairness. We didn’t feel comfortable asking for a grant to cover our expenses weeks after having a cash flow generating event.
- Inclusion + Transparency. The NFTs that are being pre-sold as part of these proposals would’ve been sold to private buyers otherwise. This may exclude a lot of community members who may not have the funds to buy an Avatar. Conversely, giving them away for free is not fair to the people who buy them and could damage the perception of value of the project.
- Every single NFT is sold at the same price. This small bunch bought by NEAR Foundation will be used to pass on these NFTs to various communities (a subsidy of sorts).
- It will provide us the cashflow ahead of the public sales needed to go full blast operations to guarantee the launch, and ongoing community building, is a success.
The Proposal
We are willing to sell up to 10% of all NEAR Misfits - a total of 190 NFTs at their regular price of 20 NEAR each.
190 NFTs x US$150= US$28,500 (4,142 NEAR)
- Note: This proposal is being submitted in USD to be compliant with [current grant policies]. Price per NEAR as of the time of this application is $6.88 per NEAR.
- All regular sales to the public will be conducted in NEAR at a price of 20 NEAR.
These NFTs will then be allocated to active NEAR communities. We have a working Airtable database here. You can also reach out to us directly if you are the leader of a group that wants to participate in the promo.
The proposed funds will go to the NEAR Misfits DAO (misfits.sputnikdao.near).
Marketing Campaign (NFT Giveaway)
We expect each group to have a slightly different approach, depending on the nature of the community, where they hang out, etc. In general, the campaign is designed to:
- Maximise reach, buzz, excitement, FOMO in the lead-up to launch. This is a unique launch in the history of NEAR you will not want to miss.
- Foster a sense of community and belonging. This Avatar has been set apart for YOUR community. We value you as an important member of this ecosystem - display your NEAR Misfit as a badge of HONOUR.
Some of the strategies will include, but are not limited to:
- Follow NEAR Misfits social media accounts (and other relevant groups, such as the specific community, etc.)
- Share a message on social media, include hashtags, mentions
- Participate in NEARCon events (online)
- Participate in NEARCon events (in person)
- Participate in the NEAR | CON Community Choice Awards (more info to come) and vote on your favorites of the past year
Next Steps
We are ready to go. Very soon we will be activating all our social media and community channels. We are also conducting tests of the sales platform and liaising with the broader ecosystem to define and execute the go-to-market strategy.
We’re currently working with AVB as an advisor, and are planning on bringing more people on board.
