# \[Election & Application Thread\] Arbitrum D.A.O. (Domain Allocator Offerings) Grant Program **URL:** \ **Category:** Applications for DAO programs\ **Created:** [December 16, 2024, 7:35am UTC](https://forum.arbitrum.foundation/t/election-application-thread-arbitrum-d-a-o-domain-allocator-offerings-grant-program/27909 "2024-12-16T07:35:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 22
**Author:** ![Uhthred](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.arbitrum.foundation/uhthred/32/10571_2.png) [@Uhthred](https://forum.arbitrum.foundation/u/Uhthred)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2025, 9:52pm UTC](https://forum.arbitrum.foundation/t/election-application-thread-arbitrum-d-a-o-domain-allocator-offerings-grant-program/27909/22 "2025-01-12T21:52:53Z")
### Applicant Information - Name of Applicant & Applicant’s Representative (If applicable): Uhthred Of Bebbenburg - Telegram Handle (if applicable): @Uhthred\_B - Twitter/X Handle (if applicable): [https://x.com/UhthredB](https://x.com/UhthredB) - LinkedIn Profile (if applicable): [https://www.linkedin.com/in/prasanth-vijayakumar/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/prasanth-vijayakumar/) - The role being applied for (choose ONLY one): - **New Protocols and Ideas** ### Background & Skills * * * I hold an undergraduate degree in English Language & World History, and a Master’s in Politics & International Relations (specialization in middle eastern policy & conflict resolution) from a Russells group University. My trad-fi expertise is in private placement(analyst), financial advisory(licensed- private wealth) and investment banking(VP). I began my web 3 journey three years ago researching decentralized governance as a full time vocation and has contributed to multiple DAOs ([Deep Work](https://www.deepwork.studio/) ([PoW](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t4Z1wx8hUeNuTY4vgHQNjxzSQvwtDBur/view?usp=sharing)), [RnDAO](https://www.rndao.io/) ([POW](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zk_zRsC9APT4HTF_Ou1x9rurNDyQnRDslvTORg02Gcg/edit#heading=h.j2w2hxsdlbw0)), [Valley DAO](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PfJjwuouJXtmR63kHuO1uh2XTq2ZzRKS/view?usp=sharing) ([PoW](https://www.notion.so/111105f0215780138ba0ce0f534dfe6e?pvs=21)), Lex DAO ([PoW](https://www.notion.so/DDA-Application-1798c22190bc80a88cf4eb57a54b2c4a?pvs=21)) and more) Highlights of my web 3 journey: 1. [YC Startup school](https://www.startupschool.org/) participant with a submission in DAO [framework design](https://tome.app/uhthred/ostroms-biovet-pitch-draft-clcvwwkd20mpi8r40kadrk11r) - ([PoW](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I7cZc4NuJtPjcMY228EJKpVKEtXNlrJA/view?usp=sharing)) 2. [Grant Winner](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PEflLuI5cuXLFQbSy0qBiIk5iNvqxxaM/view?usp=sharing), Governance- NEAR protocol Constitution Working Group 3. [Scholar](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/prasanth-vijayakumar_well-well-well-for-long-i-thought-ai-activity-7130789091775844352--xE8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop), Arweave India Cohort 1 4. [Hackathon Winner](https://x.com/UhthredB/status/1734973690276950513), Arweave India Hacker house 5. Co-founder- [Baldr](https://www.baldr.chat/) 6. Co-founder- [ProjectAthena](https://x.com/AthenaF0SS) 7. [Governance Analyst](https://gov.near.org/t/on-hold-ops-team-is-hiring/37674/37?u=uhthredb), NEAR Protocol ([JD](https://gov.near.org/t/on-hold-ops-team-is-hiring/37674/28?u=uhthredb)) - 8. Speaker, Panelist, [W3K](https://x.com/Web3_kerala/status/1828428947685810384) Conference 9. Governance [Bounty](https://x.com/UhthredB/status/1868637659058552982), Arbitrum (proposals. app) 10. Independent Researcher, [ZKsync](https://forum.zknation.io/t/tpp-001-zksync-ignite-program-the-ignite-program/168/140) 11. [Speaker](https://x.com/UhthredB/status/1865612181938766094) - Arbitrum (EThIndia 24) ### Domain Related Experience and Vision * * * I am confident that I can transfer the following unique skills and experience I have acquired over my career to a potential DA mandate > **Due Diligence playbook** > > I have experience conducting due diligence on the authenticity of founders, the competency of their execution, and examining the “founder-market” fit of a startup proposition. I am confident in my abilities to promise a demonstrable transfer of this playbook in the execution of my duties as a potential DA > **Discovery Framework** > > I was VP of investment banking at a boutique [advisory](https://www.finlead.in/) where I had P&L ownership for the startup capital raising vertical. I owned the “success-fee only” business model where mission success depended upon my ability to judge the scalability of an idea. I gained knowledge in the intricacies of discovery with regards to IP, market size, moat, founder-market fit and GTM strategies. I possess the knowledge, experience, and analytical skills to research a pitch deck, validate the arguments and develop an investment brief; all skills that are core to the success of a DA. > **Public Market Exposure** > > I was a [licensed](https://www.nism.ac.in/) private banker at [IIFL Wealth](https://www.360.one/wealth/home) with a US$ 10 mm book. I have knowledge, understanding, and experience selling most imaginable financial products (stocks, bonds, REITS, funds, margin financing, structure products) and am exposed to the nuances of trading instruments. If a CDO protocol applies for an MVP grant, it is comfortable within my skill sets to analyze, decide, and defend an investment thesis. Vision I strongly believe that defining an arbitrary range for “new protocols and ideas” is a counterproductive exercise. So instead my [decision-making framework](https://www.darpa.mil/about/heilmeier-catechism) would depend on a proposition’s response to the following questions: - What are you trying to do? - Can you articulate your objectives using absolutely no jargon? - How is it done today, and what are the limits of current practice? - What is new in your approach and why do you think it will be successful? - Who cares? If you are successful, what difference will it make? - What are the risks? - How much will it cost? - How long will it take? - What are the mid-term and final “exams” to check for success? ### Grant related Experience * * * I do not have experience managing a Web 3 grants program. Instead, what I do possess is the ability to demonstrate such capability and pledge my commitment in the execution of such a potential DAO Mandate. > **Framework Demo (PoW)** > > **Objective** > > * * * > > Choose 2 ideas to invest from a pool of 1362 projects that participated in the > > [Solana Colosseum Hackathon](https://www.colosseum.org/hackathon) > > **Methodology** > > * * * > > 1. Pull the list into a [database](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ka5NMzN9oK0GvQREMj83cwuoCQOqJa4mNNGfOXHasFI/edit?usp=sharing) > 2. Exclude all projects that were vague, duplicate, or had incomplete submissions > 3. Pick the first 100 based on > 1. size of market segment > 2. ease of understanding the business model, > 3. differentiation to market narratives > 4. successful Web 2 narratives and > 5. a whole lot of intuition (” Will I put my money into this” > > 4. Quickly skim through project GitHub repos to measure the number of git commits and cadence (speed/ dedication to ship) and picked my top 100 > 5. Ask the finale question - “If it was my money, which two projects would I invest in ?” > > [Thesis 1](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FC4iMUrARU41D7DIpiSRTV4ZX8wAH_BMFVWh0pASL9A/edit?tab=t.0) > > [Thesis 2](https://docs.google.com/document/d/16NA8GvNFS6A4LAPkMhvctDHia5VX69Q9Bd93SYsEjK4/edit?tab=t.0) > **Pledge** > > If I receive this mandate, I pledge the following commitments: > > **Towards Founders** > > - A turnaround time from application to decision in 2 weeks > > - Operational assistance in the onboarding process (KYC/KYB process streamlining) > > - A capital deployment signature to the multi-sig within 48 hours of confirmation > > **Towards the DAO** > > - A transparent documentation of the selection process > > - A rationale thesis for every investment decision > > - MIS on the forum (every month) > > - Exclusivity of time and attention. I know this job requires a 100% full-time commitment, I pledge to make this my ONLY job, and ONLY source of income for the duration of this mandate. > **Dealbreakers** > > These are the flags I shall look for in my elimination process > > 1. Impersonation > 2. Idea Plagiarism > 3. Zombie GitHub repo history > 4. Concentrated deployment tranches(for example: if there are 2 milestones and the first tranche request is for 80% of the total ask, I would insist on the logic of this construct before accepting the risk) > 5. Premium invoicing (there is a discoverable market cost for almost everything- if an ask sounds premium, the proposition better defend this invoicing choice) > 6. “GTM first” use of funds- (If all the efforts are not towards getting an MVP out and identifying a scalable GTM, there better be explanations for this) ### Declaration of Conflict of Interest * * * I have no conflicts of interest to declare in my submission Presentation: [Pitch](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j0IRajmAYpKkee49VZw0tZp6yxoFm1P7/view?usp=sharing) --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.arbitrum.foundation/t/election-application-thread-arbitrum-d-a-o-domain-allocator-offerings-grant-program/27909)._