Threshold
Hello.
Based on your previous activities, could you mention what you consider to be the most difficult objective to achieve and how you have planned to tackle it? Thanks
Buenas, cómo va?
Me gustaría dejar mi opinión, me parece excelente que se hagan este tipo de eventos, pero no me gusta el hecho de que se cobre abusivamente solo porque hay plata para ser gastada.
Yo he estado en organizaciones de eventos y soy consciente del trabajo que lleva y de los precios que se manejan.
Para evitar pensar que es un abuso, me gustaría ver un desglose de:
Cuántas personas van a conformar el equipo de organización en la previa? Y que costo tienen?
Cuántas durante? Y qué costo?
Cuánto sale el alquiler del espacio por la duración del evento?
Cuánto sale cada servicio? Catering, sillas, sonido, etc
Además, si bien veo bien que sea gratuito, no me parecería mal cobrar una entrada de 10usd/día o un valor bajo en relación al costo por persona pero que filtre la gente que va solo porque hay comida gratis.
Me parece que estaría bueno empezar a mostrar de manera transparente cuanto sale el armado de eventos, cuanto se lleva cada parte, y también quién dice que no haya alguien en la comunidad que pueda ofrecer algún servicio más barato y de mejor calidad que los conseguidos y pueda ser tomado en cuenta.
Dear Proposer,
Thank you for your proposal. Our first vote on this proposal is AYE.
The Medium Spender track requires 50% quorum (at least 5 aye votes) and simple majority of non-abstain votes according to our voting policy v0.2, and any referendum in which the majority of members vote abstain receives an abstain vote. This proposal has received five aye and zero nay votes from ten available members. Below is a summary of our members' comments:
The proposal aimed to host a flagship sub0 conference in Buenos Aires alongside Devconnect. It was designed as a three-day, immersive event featuring product and development stages, themed rooms, a continuous hackerspace, and numerous hackathons to attract around 3,000 attendees from both inside and outside the Polkadot ecosystem. Comments highlighted its strategic timing to leverage Devconnect’s momentum, the chance to expose Polkadot participants to broader industry trends like those seen in Ethereum, and the potential for enhanced traction and attendance. The budget was considered reasonable, and there was anticipation that the event could successfully scale up to become a significant global conference.
The full discussion can be found in our internal voting.
Please feel free to contact us through the links below for further discussion.
Kind regards,
Permanence DAO
Decentralized Voices Cohort IV Delegate
📅 Book Office Hours
💬 Public Telegram
🌐️ Web
🐦 Twitter
🗳️ Delegate
PolkaWorld votes AYE
Two-thirds in favor, one-third against.
Supporters felt the budget breakdown was clear and transparent, and noted the team’s past events were of high quality, making it worth backing them again.
Opponents questioned the $700K price tag as too expensive for an event aiming to attract 3,000 attendees, arguing that this type of event may not draw much attention from outside the Polkadot ecosystem and offers limited ROI.
But overall, this proposal has our support.
JAM DAO voted AYE on this Proposal
The proposal to fund sub0 25 Polkadot flagship conference in Buenos Aires received strong interest from JAM DAO members, but also triggered significant discussion around feasibility, transparency, and sustainability.
Budget Transparency & Scope Concerns
Several members flagged the proposed $738K budget as disproportionately large for a single event.
Requests were made for a detailed line-item breakdown, especially to justify the 19.5% agency/success fee.
Concerns were raised about the claim of attracting 3,000 attendees, with past sub0 Bangkok turnout reportedly lower than stated.
One member changed their vote to NAY, citing the attendee target as unrealistic and suggesting the budget should be scaled down accordingly.
Strategic Timing & Value as a Flagship Event
Despite cost concerns, many members acknowledged the importance of high-quality global gatherings.
The sub0 timing was praised for being scheduled just before Ethereum’s Devconnect (Nov 17–22), allowing crossover between communities and potentially boosting turnout.
In contrast to past clashes (e.g. sub0 Bangkok overlapping with Devcon), this sequential alignment was seen as a smart strategic move.
Sustainability & Contributor Wellbeing
One DAO member abstained from voting due to ethical concerns about team overwork. Public comments from organizers raised red flags about burnout and lack of rest.
This sparked a broader internal conversation on the need for ecosystem-wide sustainable work standards, including wellbeing clauses in treasury-funded event planning.
Efficiency & Comparative Benchmarks
Members cited examples like JAM Experience Lisbon ($15K budget for 2 days) and Protocol Berg (€156K) to demonstrate what’s possible at a smaller scale with community-driven planning.
These events were held up as models of lean, impactful programming, emphasizing that quality does not always require high production cost.
JAM DAO ultimately voted AYE, recognizing the proposal’s potential to boost Polkadot developer engagement and global presence. However, the vote came with clear calls for:
I have a few concerns regarding the proposed budget of $738,000 USD for a 3-day event:
1. High Cost per Attendee
With a goal of 3,000 participants, the cost is about $246 per person. If only 1,500 attend, it rises to $492 per person. That’s a very high amount for a community event, especially if tickets are free.
2. Questionable Return on Investment
How will success be measured? Attendance alone isn’t enough. If people join just for free food or merch, it distorts the metrics and doesn’t guarantee long-term value for the ecosystem.
3. Comparison with Similar Events
For reference, AI Weekend Buenos Aires 2025 had around 900 attendees and charged $110 per ticket, generating close to $100,000 USD in revenue. That shows it’s possible to run a successful event with meaningful engagement and much lower cost.
4. Proposal: Filtered Free Access
A small ticket fee (e.g. $20) could be charged, with free tickets offered to people who prove on-chain activity (e.g. interacting with a parachain). This ensures attendees are at least somewhat engaged with the ecosystem.
Rather than fully funding the event upfront and also providing a bonus if things go well, a fairer model would be: if the event performs well, the team can keep the ticket revenue as their reward.
This way, there’s a built-in incentive to succeed, but if the event underperforms, they don’t receive additional funds beyond the base grant. It encourages accountability while still offering upside for a successful outcome.
In summary, I support community events but $738k feels excessive without a clear success model or audience filter. There are more cost-effective ways to create impact.
TruthDAO voted AYE
As the annual flagship conference, Sub0 holds strategic value for technical outreach and developer attraction within the ecosystem, and the WebZero team’s execution capability has been proven.
However, a dynamic budget monitoring mechanism should be strengthened, clear risk contingency plans established, and third-party audits added to improve transparency.
Additional recommendations:
• KPI Binding: Publicly disclose participant source data (including the proportion from outside the ecosystem) and track hackathon project conversion rates (e.g., 30% entering the Grants process).
• Financial Transparency: Publish quarterly reports comparing actual spending vs. budget, and return any remaining funds as committed.
See all feedback here.
📖Truth DAO Governance Statement
💭 Email: open@truthdao.cn, Telegram
🗳️ Delegate
Webzero is household name in the Dotsama space, they make great events, mega AYE!
One question:
Is there a more detailed budget breakdown?
for example:
Here, the treasury pays 100k and 15k goes to prices, what happens with the rest of the 85k? its split in to different other prices or?
~flipchan