2077 Collective - Proposal for an Octant Grant to Accelerate Ethereum and onboard new users, builders, and investors through coordinated marketing efforts

Public Good Projects Discussion
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Project Description:
2077 Collective is a community focused on promoting Ethereum and it’s ecosystem and accelerating its adoption in the real world. Ethereum is a public good, but even the best protocol won’t speak for itself. 2077 Collective is an open community where everyone who wants to do so can use their skills to promote Ethereum.

Ethereum has evolved significantly since its inception, now home to over 70 rollups (as per L2beat), its current landscape is fragmented, which makes it challenging for users and developers to navigate the ecosystem. The social layer is weakened, with communities scattered across various rollup projects and lacking a unifying Schelling point in Ethereum itself.

The authors of this proposal have identified the following problems with Ethereum’s marketing:

  • Ethereum doesn’t have a marketing team but its competitors do. This affects the Ethereum brand and negatively affects public sentiment, mindshare, and developer/user adoption. There’s an established community of researchers and developers focused on building and scaling Ethereum. But there’s no unified community focused on promoting it.
  • Ethereum underallocates to coordinated marketing. The Ethereum community takes a hands off approach—in the interests of decentralization and credible neutrality—and eschews coordinated promotion and marketing of Ethereum and Ethereum projects. However, the lack of a central organization coordinating efforts to market Ethereum leads to inconsistent, incoherent, and ineffective promotional campaigns for the protocol and ecosystem projects.
  • Ethereum lacks strong voices and advocates. Builders and researchers are often too humble and would rather build in stealth than take up the task of advocating for Ethereum online and in meatspace. Excessive humility and aversion to self-promotion among Ethereans results in underappreciation of innovative projects in the Ethereum ecosystem and low interest in cutting-edge R&D work undertaken by core developers and researchers.

By harnessing the power of effective marketing, communication, and community engagement, the Collective aims to build an open social coordination layer that bridges these gaps. Our work will amplify Ethereum’s impact, ensuring that it is recognized not just as a technical marvel, but as a transformative force for societal good.

Through our efforts, we will drive adoption, foster trust, and help Ethereum maintain its leadership position in the rapidly evolving blockchain ecosystem. We aim to onboard new users and developers by providing them with the guidance and resources they need to navigate the Ethereum landscape effectively, making the technology more approachable and its benefits more apparent to a global audience.

Learn more about 2077 Collective - https://2077.xyz/

Public Repository:
You can check out our official Discord for all public updates and discussions, where we have 5 groups in charge of the collective operations, guild leads (developer guild, writer guild, social media guild, videographer guild, researcher guild, designer guild, marketer guild, Business developer guild) 3 support for guild leads.

Budget Breakdown
Milestone 1: 15 ETH for Content Development: Etherpedia, EIP Coverage, and 2077 Research

Expected Outcome:

  • Etherpedia: Publish 50+ articles as part of the Ethereum Roadmap Series, covering key topics like The Merge, The Surge, and others.
  • EIP Coverage: Publish detailed articles on all 10 major EIPs for the upcoming Pectra update, enhancing community understanding and engagement.
  • 2077 Research: Release 10+ deep-dive technical articles on advanced Ethereum topics.

Milestone 2: 30 ETH for Regional Expansion
Expected Outcome:

  • Community Establishment: Expand the 2077 Collective’s presence into Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Africa, establishing communities with over 500+ members in each region.Engage local stakeholders through tailored initiatives to foster a supportive ecosystem for Ethereum enthusiasts and contributors.
  • Event Organization: Organize a series of in-person (IRL) and online events aimed at educating and onboarding participants into Ethereum. These events will target developers, writers, artists, and general enthusiasts, providing them with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively engage with the Ethereum ecosystem.
  • Blockchain Club Partnerships: Develop partnerships with college blockchain clubs to provide internships, connections to job opportunities, and sponsorships for student projects. This initiative will also include hosting workshops and interviews, and supporting student-led projects, thereby nurturing the next generation of blockchain innovators and leaders.

Milestone 3: 20 ETH for Bootstrapping the Bounty Marketplace
Expected Outcome:

  • Platform Launch and Support: Allocate funds towards product development and hosting to build and launch the bounty platform within the next 3 months. Continue to support the development, maintenance, and hosting of the bounty platform and related tools for 6-12 months, ensuring robust performance and availability.
  • Operational and Market Development: Utilize the funds for operational costs that enhance the bounty platform’s capabilities. Implement business development strategies that focus on creating value for partner protocols, apps, and Ethereum-based chains by effectively onboarding them onto the platform. This strategy aims to establish a vibrant marketplace that connects developers with opportunities and drives innovation within the Ethereum ecosystem.

Milestone 4: 20 ETH for 2077 Bounties for Open Source Contributions
Expected Outcome:

  • Enhancing Open Source Ecosystem: Allocate funds to sponsor bounties specifically for open-source contributions that enhance or build upon existing Ethereum projects and 2077 initiatives. This strategic investment is designed to incentivize developers and creators to engage with and contribute innovative solutions to the Ethereum ecosystem.
    • Example - EQL Development: The EVM Query Language (EQL) is a prime example of such open-source initiatives. Recently released in alpha, EQL is a SQL-like language tailored for querying EVM chains, designed to handle complex relational queries on blockchain entities like blocks, accounts, and transactions. It aims to simplify data accessibility for developers, researchers, and analysts, thereby enhancing their ability to build and innovate efficiently.
  • Supporting Broad Range of Projects: Beyond EQL, this funding will also be directed towards nurturing a variety of open-source public goods projects. These projects are crucial for accelerating Ethereum development and adoption, providing the community with essential tools and resources to facilitate growth and innovation across the ecosystem.

Funding Requested: 85 ETH

Plans should you fall below, reach, or exceed funding goals:

  • If we fall below the funding goals, our primary focus will shift to ensuring the continued development and success of the bounty platform and 2077 Research, as these are now our highest priority projects. These components are crucial for fostering innovation and active engagement within the Ethereum community.
  • If we reach our funding goals, we will implement all outlined milestones as planned, fully realizing our project’s objectives and ensuring impactful delivery across all initiatives.
  • If we exceed our funding goals, additional resources will be directed to not only further enhance the bounty platform and expand the scope of 2077 Research but also to accelerate the expansion of Ethereum through the development of regional communities and the organization of more extensive event series. This expanded funding will allow us to amplify our impact and reach within the global Ethereum ecosystem, supporting a wider array of educational and developmental projects that contribute to the broader adoption and understanding of Ethereum.

Impact Measurement and Reporting
Inputs > Activities > Outputs > Outcomes > Long Term Impact

Short-term Outcomes (0-3 months):

  • Completion of the initial set of educational and technical articles.
  • Establishment of the first regional community hubs.
  • Initial development and launch of the bounty platform.

Mid-term Outcomes (3-6+ months):

  • Increased engagement and contributions from the regional communities.
  • Active participation and completion of bounties on the platform.
  • Growth in user engagement metrics across articles and research outputs.

Long-term Impact (5+ years):

  • Building a Global Knowledge Base: We aim to cultivate a well-informed and actively engaged global community around Ethereum. By continuously delivering educational content and supporting learning initiatives, we will empower individuals across the world to understand and leverage Ethereum technology, making the ecosystem more accessible and widespread.
  • Fostering Development and Innovation: Through our targeted support for developers and the bounty platform, we expect to significantly increase the number of active developers and contributors within the Ethereum ecosystem. This growth will be quantifiable, with a focus on attracting new talent and supporting the development of innovative projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible on Ethereum.
  • Enhancing Open Source Ecosystem: We will actively support and expand the number of open-source projects within the Ethereum community. By increasing funding and resources for these projects, we aim to bolster their success and sustainability, ensuring that the Ethereum ecosystem remains at the forefront of technological advancement and community-driven innovation.
  • Lasting Contributions to Infrastructure: Our efforts will result in lasting contributions to Ethereum’s educational resources and decentralized community infrastructure. These contributions will serve as foundational elements that support the continuous growth and development of Ethereum, ensuring it remains adaptable and resilient in the face of future technological shifts.

Outcomes Measurement:

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Track article views, community membership growth, event attendance, and developer engagement metrics on the bounty platform, including the number of projects completed and total bounty dollars awarded.
  • Utilize analytics tools for content and community engagement tracking, and employ platform-specific analytics to monitor activity on the bounty platform.

Qualitative Feedback:

  • Collect feedback from community members, developers, and event participants to gauge satisfaction, gather insights, and identify areas for improvement.

Interim Reporting
Regular Updates:

  • Monthly updates on project progress will be provided through our Discord community, social media channels, and articles published on our platforms. This approach ensures that stakeholders remain well-informed about ongoing activities and developments, fostering transparency and engagement across all our communication channels.

Milestone Verification:

  • Verification through public reports, deliverables, and updates on platforms such as GitHub and Karma GAP.

Sustainability Plan
Once we complete the initial grant scope, our vision for securing further funding involves several strategic steps to ensure the sustainability and growth of our project:

  • Demonstrating Impact and Success: We will focus on showcasing the tangible outcomes and impact of the initial grant. This includes highlighting the growth in our community, the successful onboarding of developers, the number of projects launched on Ethereum, and the overall contributions to the ecosystem.
  • Building Strategic Partnerships: We aim to establish and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders in the Ethereum ecosystem, such as leading projects, infrastructure providers, and blockchain organizations. These partnerships will open doors to co-funding opportunities, collaborations on joint initiatives, and access to a broader network of resources. •
  • Launching a Sustainable Revenue Model: We will explore and implement a sustainable revenue model that aligns with our mission. This could involve offering premium educational content, consulting services, or platform-based services that cater to developers and projects in the Ethereum space. •
  • Applying for Additional Grants and Sponsorships: We will continue to apply for additional grants and seek sponsorships from organizations and foundations that support blockchain innovation and community development. This will provide the necessary funds to scale our operations and expand our reach. •
  • Crowdfunding and Community Support: We will engage our growing community of developers and enthusiasts to support our initiatives through crowdfunding campaigns. By leveraging the power of our community, we can ensure a steady s

Case Studies and Testimonials
Gathering Feedback:

  • Feedback will be collected from community members, event participants, and developers engaged in the bounties program.
    Showcasing Success:
  • Success stories will be documented and shared via blog posts, social media, and formal reports to demonstrate the impact of the project.

Advancing Values of Freedom and Privacy

  • 2077 Collective is committed to advancing the values of freedom and privacy by creating decentralized educational resources and empowering communities to take ownership of their knowledge and contributions.

Supporting Decentralization

  • This project supports decentralization by enabling community-driven content creation, event organization around decentralised projects, and a bounties platform that incentivizes developer contributions in a decentralized manner.

Team Information
Our core team is currently in the expansion phase, with a diverse group of talented individuals who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table. Leading the team is Emmanuel, who has a strong background in Ethereum research and technical writing, having previously worked with the Ethereum Foundation, ConsenSys, Alchemy, etc.

The collective consists of both part-time contributors and full-time contributors; the contribution of the part-time contributors has been extremely valuable and crucial to our growth. The full time contributors consist of 5 groups in charge of the collective operations, guild leads (developer guild, writer guild, social media guild, videographer guild, researcher guild, designer guild, marketer guild, Business developer guild) 3 support for guild leads.

Our team consists of skilled professionals from various domains, including software development, marketing, business development, and growth. Many of our members have played pivotal roles in the growth of leading startups and have contributed to the development of prominent protocols and projects within the Ethereum ecosystem.

We are committed to fairly compensating our contributors for their efforts and are dedicated to supporting developers who aim to build meaningful projects on Ethereum. This grant will play a crucial role in helping us achieve these objectives by providing the necessary resources to empower our team and the broader developer community.

Social Proof
2077 Collective has been endorsed by several recognized experts within the Ethereum community.

Transparency
We commit to full transparency in the allocation of funds. All transactions will be recorded on-chain, and regular updates will be provided to the community. Funding received from the Octant grant will primarily go towards content creation, community building, and platform development.

Other funding
Grant funding received since the last Epoch: NA
Other non-grant funding sources:

2 Likes
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gm! :sun_with_face: at a high level, i think a more organized marketing initiative is a worthwhile idea, and i’m rooting for your success :slight_smile:

in the spirit of contributing to this outcome metric: biggest question i have is what level of specificity are you considering your target audience? the focus seems to be developers (vs. general public, founders, other non-technical roles, etc.), but curious if you’re targeting more specific niches in particular? for example, web2 devs that are/aren’t hostile to web3, may or may not have participated in a web3 hackathon already, web3 devs working in other ecosystems, devs with a particular experience level, etc. etc. - maybe helpful to try to identify some tipping points for each niche. the blockchain club partnerships is the clearest hint i see.

how do you combat having too broad of a focus here? i.e., how do you imagine all of these groups meaningfully benefiting from the same event?

good luck!

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GM! Thank you for your supportive words and insightful feedback—it’s invaluable as we refine our approach.

You’ve raised an important point about the level of specificity in our target audience. While our primary focus has been on developers, you’re correct that there’s a diverse spectrum within this group. Initially, our focus will be on engaging crypto-familiar or crypto-native developers to foster a strong foundational community where knowledge can be shared effectively from within:

  • Crypto-Familiar Developers: Host advanced workshops, sessions, and content tailored specifically to both beginner and advanced level Web3 native developers. These offerings will provide them with suitable project opportunities and delve into new Ethereum technologies and developments from the roadmap, advancing into more complex topics.
  • Web2 Developers: For those outside the Web3 space, we plan to introduce introductory workshops that ease the transition into blockchain technologies, starting with the fundamentals of Ethereum and the EVM, then progressively advancing to more complex concepts.
    • Onboarding Workshops: These sessions aim to introduce blockchain basics and the unique aspects of Ethereum, providing a gentle introduction for those new to the space.
    • Mentorship Programs: We will pair newcomers with experienced developers from the crypto-native community. This mentorship will guide them through their learning journey, offering hands-on project experience and fostering a robust internal community that supports continuous learning and development.

To combat the potential issue of having too broad a focus, as previously mentioned, we plan to host a series of events specifically targeted at distinct groups to maximize their engagement and outcomes. For developers, we are organizing technical workshops and hackathons tailored to their needs. For instance, for writers, we recently launched the “Exploring the Ether” Writing Competition in collaboration with t2.world. This competition invites writers to share innovative ideas on how to streamline the onboarding process to Ethereum. We have many such initiatives planned on our roadmap for the coming months. All these efforts are aimed at fostering a sustainable, community-driven ecosystem that fairly rewards all members, contributors, and participants. We believe this grant will play a pivotal role in achieving these goals.