Why NEAR will fail

NDC Community and nodes
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…or not! :slight_smile:

Now that I have your attention, let me share a bit about myself. I’m Kemal, residing in Berlin. My journey into crypto began in 2017, evolving into a full-fledged crypto enthusiast in 2020—a decision I consider the best I’ve made!

For nearly a year, I quietly participated in the NEAR Community. In 2021, I noticed NF’s application for a community manager, and I promptly applied. Fortunately, I was among the 19 selected for the “Concierge Team,” which had various Ops teams. Initially, I co-managed international NEAR Protocol communities on Discord, Reddit, Telegram, and later the Forum. A few weeks later, the Project Ops team emerged, and I joined. We aided BUIDLers in accessing NEAR’s resources, connected them with VCs in the NEAR ecosystem, and facilitated onboarding. This experience was a tremendous learning opportunity, and I had the privilege of meeting remarkable individuals like @FritzWorm, @HaiVu, @LarryLang, @KriptoRaptor, @rahulgoel007, @Benz_Near, @Jloc, @ramgor, and @guille, with whom I even co-founded Mintickt an NFT ticketing platform on NEAR, and many more. I’m immensely grateful for the chance to be part of this initiative.

Today, I don’t just consider myself an enthusiast or fanatic; I’m a BUIDLer, particularly in the realm of community. I believe that Web3 can’t exist without a community. This is where I see NEAR lagging behind other blockchain networks.

You see, I live in Berlin, where the Ethereum Görli Testnet, named after Görlitzer Park, was partially developed and launched. Berlin is a hub for many Web3 companies and, most importantly, developers. What strikes me is that when I attend local events, hardly anyone is familiar with NEAR Protocol. And if they are, they rarely use the protocol or know of any dApps built on it. How can one of the best blockchains on the market go unnoticed in the Web3 capital of Europe?

This situation contrasts with other blockchains that have established German communities in Berlin and regularly host community events. The reason I mention this is because it’s not an isolated case. I’ve observed this in numerous local communities where NF’s attention seems lacking. As I mentioned earlier, communities are the cornerstone of Web3. Communities use, promote, and defend your product—in this case, the protocol. I hope my point is clear.

So, do I believe NEAR will fail? Likely not. Do I believe there’s room for improvement? Absolutely! How would I tackle these concerns?

To simplify matters, by addressing these 5 areas:

1. Community Empowerment: I believe a strong community is the foundation of any thriving ecosystem. I will foster engagement through regular town halls, workshops, and hackathons, nurturing an environment where diverse voices are heard and contributions are valued.

2. Strategic Partnerships: Collaboration is essential. I’ll work to establish partnerships that expand NEAR’s reach, attracting innovative projects and stakeholders. By identifying synergies across industries, we can drive growth and enrich the ecosystem.

3. Education and Accessibility: A key aspect of my strategy is education. I’ll develop resources that simplify blockchain concepts, making them accessible to newcomers. By offering tutorials and workshops, we’ll empower individuals to confidently engage with NEAR’s platform.

4. Technological Innovation: Innovation fuels growth. I’ll support developers with resources and incentives, encouraging them to push the boundaries of what’s possible on NEAR. Integration of emerging technologies and incentivizing novel projects will drive continuous innovation.

5. Sustainability and Inclusivity: Long-term success requires sustainability. I’ll advocate for mechanisms that reward contributors and ensure economic growth within the ecosystem. Additionally, I’ll promote inclusivity, ensuring that NEAR’s benefits reach a global audience.

Feel free to review my complete proposal for my nomination here.

NEAR Community, together, we can shape a brighter future by casting your vote for kemo.near. Now it is in your hands. :mechanical_arm:

I greatly appreciate your support in this vote.

:arrow_forward: VOTE HERE :ballot_box: :arrow_backward:

photo_2023-09-12_16-00-44:ballot_box:

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Görlitzer Park is a really nice place to enjoy good moments in community.
Imagine create a NEAR boot camp there!??!

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When was the last time you were there? It’s really nice there. Especially in the summer! :beers: A NEAR boot camp, man, that would be amazing! :rocket:

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Cool…
I have been there before pandemic…
It’s a special and democratic Park :national_park:

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Congrats, clickbait worked.

First I would like to make a very important difference between:

  • Governance - decision makers that will decide on things such as allocating funds to grassroots communities
  • Local leaders that have the ability to execute their vision independently (beyond the reasonably financial support).

It should be clear to EVERYONE that you don’t run for NDC to be able to advocate for running meetups in your city. There’s a few reasons why I find this reasoning to be flawed:

  1. Most of the candidates are aligned on supporting grassroots communities. (This isn’t a contentions issues where candidates are differentiated based on policy, but they will be differentiated based on execution - which leads to my next point).
  2. If you have been living in Berlin for a long time, and no one knows NEAR in Berlin (specially after being granted support from MDAO in the past), honestly I see that as a failure on your behalf, and should not be blamed on the broader ecosystem.

I am very familiar with the feeling of attending events and people not knowing about NEAR. I experienced that all over the world. YET, after people meet me, there is a new trusted point of contact, picks their interest, awareness grows over time, leading to soft onboarding, [flywheel goes on]

Australia had very harsh lockdowns and I went overseas for a long time after that. We are starting from 0 here. Yet, if I came back after YEARS of living here permanently to say ‘no one knows about NEAR in my city, vote for me’ I think people would be right to question what have I been doing? As mentioned above, not quite relevant to running for NDC, but most importantly - perhaps we need more leaders in that region to actually drive growth…

NEAR is going to fail if we don’t have these conversations.

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Berlin in general is like that, but I agree, you feel the vibe especially in that area. :heart_hands:

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:innocent:

While I largely concur with your perspective, it’s essential to regard my post as an illustration of a more extensive concern. It’s crucial not to make unwarranted allegations without a complete understanding of the situation. As an example, you can inquire with @kush.sharma, whom I encountered at a BerChain meetup in Berlin and subsequently introduced to NEAR. He can attest to the frequency with which I discuss NEAR at every meetup we attend together. Additionally, the photograph on my NDC banner was captured during a Solana event where I introduced my project, Mintickt, to the community and explicitly emphasized our exclusive association with NEAR. Thus, it’s important not to make inaccurate accusations without a comprehensive understanding of the actual circumstances.

Regardless, I appreciate your visit and for sharing your insights. :heart_hands:

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Hey Kush, thanks for dropping by! Your first post here on the forum btw. :heart_hands:

Hope to see more in the “near” future. :slight_smile: :muscle:

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damn! you got me there. Nice write-up by the way.

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Nice perspective. I think people should dedicate 5-7 minutes to read your thoughts…

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