Physical Spaces in Polkadot – Discussing Polkadot Hubs Bounty Proposal

Overview

This discussion post is aimed at triggering a dialogue about the significance of physical spaces within the Polkadot ecosystem. Over the past few years, there have been numerous conversations and initiatives held confirming the need for such spaces, highlighting a shared community belief in their importance for facilitating face-to-face interactions. This is particularly important in predominantly digital environments like Polkadot. We seek to explore the value of these physical spaces beyond short-term events and discuss the extent to which they should be financially supported by the Polkadot treasury.

When the concept of establishing physical spaces for the Polkadot community began taking shape in late 2022, it became evident that numerous individuals within the ecosystem shared this vision, working on similar ideas. In 2023 a group of like-minded individuals within Polkadot joined forces within a working group, unofficially called “Polkadot Hubs Collective”. The result of our common effort was a Polkadot Hubs playbook, the first attempt of providing guidelines, practical advice, basic definitions and valuable resources - with the aim to help everyone in the community to discover, ideate, define and kickstart physical spaces, we called them "Polkadot Hubs".

A wide array of in-person initiatives, such as hackerhouses, code camps, meetups (26 meetup events funded by Events Bounty in 2023), and pop-up hubs, have shown potential to enrich the experience of both current and aspiring Polkadot developers, as well as other community members. Some proposals for funding physical spaces were launched (e.g. New York), triggering heated discussions, others pursuing alternative concepts are still in the making (e.g. London, Paris). Historically, the Polkadot treasury has supported some similar initiatives through the event's bounty. However, until now, funding requests for these activities have often been event-specific and lacked a cohesive strategy.

Despite sharing the physical proximity, individuals and teams within the ecosystem tend to operate in isolation, with minimal interaction amongst each other. Consequently, a substantial portion of the budget for physical setups in co-working spaces or other venues, which may lack direct relevance to the Polkadot community, is borne by the initiators themselves. This approach fails to deliver broader benefits to the wider Polkadot community.

We are proposing setting up a new Polkadot Hubs Bounty that tries to merge 5 activities, as outlined by the Treasury:

• Ecosystem provisions (supporting collaboration with friendly chains through physical spaces);
• Marketing activities (advertising, paid features, collaborations);
• Community events and outreach (meetups, hackerspaces);
• Education (to enlarge the Polkadot developers community);
• Software development (NFTs, interoperability)

 

We are expecting to engage the Polkadot community in a conversation about the topic of establishing and managing a dedicated bounty that:

• Manages the allocation of physical spaces initiatives funding via child bounties (with a team of dedicated curators organised as a selection committee comprising of representatives of the Polkadot Ecosystem, appointed for a temporary mandate and submitted for confirmation via a separate proposal),
• Benefits Polkadot community by providing a network of connected and representative physical spaces supporting the establishment of a tangible, real-world presence for Polkadot,
• Releases the pressure of the Events Bounty and increases the awareness of local Polkadot events within and outside the community
• Benefits the Ecosystem by ensuring talented developers **are better able to attend in-person education events **and improves collaboration of existing developers in the ecosystem,
• Promotes adoption of Polkadot technology implementing DOTs as payment mechanism for Hubs access memberships,
• Provides a funding mechanism for newly established physical spaces dedicated to Polkadot community and a tangible framework for various temporary and permanent in-person initiatives globally across the ecosystem,
• Extends an invitation for existing ecosystem teams with physical spaces to open their doors to the wider community, fostering inclusivity and enabling collective expansion.

 

At this point, the exact allocation of funds required for the bounty's success remains unclear - the working group itself is not aligned. One of the main objectives of this submission is to gather input from the community to determine an appropriate budget for supporting physical spaces. We have outlined some key details below to help focus the discussion and gain a clearer understanding of the community's perspective on funding needs for these initiatives.

Summary

The Polkadot Hubs Bounty aims to create a network of physical spaces that enhance collaboration within the Polkadot ecosystem. This ongoing initiative would be overseen by a committee of expert curators responsible for evaluating and awarding funding to proposals for the establishment and operation of these hubs, supported by an admin team. Applicants could submit requests for bounty contributions based on milestones, with the possibility of receiving funds in repeated annual installments adhering to detailed funding guidelines. Following the initial funding phase, the committee would assess the outcomes of each project, considering their impact and alignment with predefined success metrics. Based on this evaluation, they might receive further yearly funding, ensuring transparency and accountability by reporting outcomes and potential refinements to the broader Polkadot community. The bounty framework is proposed as it incorporates adequate safety measures and transparent allocations to safeguard against the misuse of funds, balancing efficiency with fiscal responsibility. It also allows dedicated funding for technical development of the Polkadot Hubs network, leveraging DOT as the go-to “currency/software” behind them. Technical development would be supported by “Polkadot Hubs App” that introduces NFT memberships for the global network of physical spaces in the Polkadot ecosystem.

Proposal Context

The Polkadot Hubs Bounty presents a unique opportunity to leverage the collective expertise of a diverse panel of curators, optimizing the allocation of funds within the Polkadot ecosystem through a structured and transparent evaluation process. This approach would not only streamline the funding of interconnected projects under a unified framework but also assure applicants accountability for funds spending. By doing so, we are aiming to accelerate each project completion, ensure a wider distribution of rewards, and solidify each Hub's long-term commitment to the Polkadot ecosystem, effectively eliminating the risk of rebranding and ensuring sustained alignment with Polkadot's objectives.

Polkadot Hubs Bounty Details

Curators Set Up

We are envisioning a group of dedicated subject matter experts, composed of representatives from the Polkadot ecosystem and independent co-working professionals, with a proven track record in their field of work. They would be expected to review and decide on submissions. This is what in the bounty mechanism is known as the "Bounty Curation Team".

The curators themselves, as well as the companies they are employed by, would be either prohibited from applying for the Bounty or (given the size of our ecosystem) excluded from an application evaluation from the initial phase.

Members of the Polkadot ecosystem would be able to apply for a curator position through a form published on the Polkadot Forum. The first round of applicants would be assessed by a Polkadot Hubs working group against predefined criteria to form the initial proposal for the curators initial term. This application process is proposed to recur every six months. Moving ahead, appointed candidates will be submitted for on-chain voting by the existing curators. Should the on-chain vote not confirm the list, the current curators would be responsible for submitting an alternative proposal. Curator selection would be based on criteria that cover expertise in key areas e.g. Community Management, Workplaces, Real Estate/Facility Management, Branding, Education, Business & Strategic Development, and Events.

This board of curators would require administrative support – a part of the initial bounty request would be allocated to an individual(s) through the child-bounty curator fees providing that support (e.g. a secretary). The time commitment of that individual would depend on the number of proposals, with tasks included but not limited to assisting with the logistical and operational aspects of managing the bounty mechanism, ensuring smooth execution and support for participants, and tracking the performance of hubs based on KPIs. The application and selection process for this position would be clarified in the proposal.

Funding

We're proposing a structured funding approach to ensure transparency and accountability every step of the way. Rather than direct allocations directly from the treasury, funds would be held in a dedicated bounty address, managed by the curators and disbursed gradually via child bounties.

The purpose of this discussion is to determine the optimal funding approach (if any) based on feedback from the Polkadot Community. The Polkadot Hubs Bounty aims to support both existing ecosystem teams with physical spaces and the establishment of new permanent or temporary spaces dedicated to Polkadot builders. The working group has discussed various funding allocations, ranging from several hundred thousand to multi-million dollar setups. Different budget levels will yield different outcomes, so we are seeking community input to help define the physical spaces that best meet Polkadot's needs.

As part of our funding strategy, we recognize the importance of supporting temporary initiatives and community-driven innovation within the Polkadot ecosystem. Therefore, in addition to funding permanent Polkadot Hubs, we would aim to allocate resources towards Pop-up Hubs and other temporary initiatives (e.g. Hackerhouses, Blockspätis, code camps etc). These initiatives, such as hacker houses organized around conferences or key events, play an important role in fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange within the community. This category may fund hackathons, workshops, co-living collaborative projects (JAM will need to be built somewhere, right?), and other initiatives aimed at advancing Polkadot technology and fostering community involvement.

While we are committed to fostering community engagement and collaboration, we understand the importance of balancing between hub's sustainability and accessibility. Therefore, instead of offering continued free entrance or attendance for every DOT token holder, we are exploring ways to provide discounts to Polkadot community members. The bounty is predicted to allocate funding to a technical development team. The goal of the Polkadot Hubs bounty is not only to provide a global network of Hubs dedicated to the Polkadot community but also offer innovative web3 native solutions to co-working, previously mentioned as Polkadothubs App. Integral part of the bounty, this can be seen as a “business-within-the-business”, with the goal of launching a NFT membership solution serving for identification, access, membership agreements and payments via DOT token (see demo here).

While the initial design of the app has been undertaken by Parity, ongoing maintenance and improvements will be essential for its continued effectiveness and relevance.

The "Existing Polkadot Ecosystem Spaces" allocation would be designed to enable predictably 10-20 ecosystem teams with existing operational office spaces to integrate into the Polkadot Hubs network. This transition primarily involves adopting the Polkadot Hubs App for streamlined access and Polkadot community integration, a task that requires modest technical effort with support from the bounty developers. Additionally, teams will be provided with branding materials to align their space with the Polkadot identity, and receive marketing support for promoting their new status within the ecosystem. Where necessary, funds may also cover practical enhancements like additional office furniture, meeting room setups, or upgrades to access and security systems, invoicing mechanisms and other.

Predicted Timeline, Milestones and Expected Tasks

• Trigger the discussion on physical spaces in Polkadot via the Discussion post on Polkassembly (June 2024)
• Secure initial endorsement from the Polkadot Community implementing discussion’s feedback on Polkassembly (July 2024)
• Submit a comprehensive treasury proposal with clear milestones, the funding blueprint, curator duties, KPIs, … (August 2024)
• Submit a public form for applications to the Curators Committee and Assemble the Curators Committee, ensuring diverse representation from key stakeholder factions within the Polkadot ecosystem (September 2024)
• Develop the Polkadot Hubs App to facilitate membership payments in DOTs through NFT-based membership agreements (September 2024)
• Launch an outreach campaign to inform potential teams and individuals about the program's opportunities and how they can benefit (September 2024)
• Initiate the application process, inviting proposals for funding allocations to establish and operationalize Polkadot Hubs (September 2024)
• Conduct thorough evaluations of submitted proposals, allocating funds to projects that meet the established criteria and demonstrate potential for significant impact (ongoing)
• Perform a detailed analysis of the program's outcomes, comparing them against predefined success metrics to gauge effectiveness and areas for improvement (quarterly)
• Engage in transparent and continuous communication with the Polkadot community, sharing updates, progress reports, and insights gained from the initiative (ongoing)

 

Hubs Performance Indicators

Qualitative	Quantitative
Communitiy contribution index	Utilization reviews*
Success stories and Case studies	Revenue reviews
Partnership outcomes	Membership growth
	NPS/Google reviews

*to be audited by the curators

 

Working Group

Name	Organization
Daria Mikhailova	Parity
David Pethes / Six	G6 Networks / Polkadot Head Ambassador
Gabor "Gabo" Bovai	G6 Networks / Polkadot Senior Ambassador
Matej Strucl	Parity
Nina Breznik	Play Project
Otar Shakarishvili	JUST
Patrizia De Bella	ANAMIX
Zoe Meckbach	Phala / (ex Polkadot Head Ambassador)

Other contributors: Tom Humber (Archisinal), Domen Ursic (Apillon), Clairee Delune (Polkadot Ambassador), Ryan Dinh (SubWallet), Cris Nguyen (Polkadot Ambassador), Christoph Fahle (Betahaus coworking)

 

Thank you for reading and we're looking forward to everyone's feedback!