Background
Name: Daniel Ospina (on behalf of RnDAO)
Position I am applying for: Council
TG: Telegram: Contact @mrjackalop
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_Daniel_Ospina
Affiliations (Currently I am working with, invested in, etc.): RnDAO
Why You
Why would You be the best candidate for this position?
I’m an organisation designer and governance nerd, having designed socio-technical-economic systems for the last decade.
I’ve been in Web3 since 2017. For the last two years, I’ve been an instigator at RnDAO (R&D DAO), through which we have completed research work and built tools for Aaave, Near, Celo, Optimism, Cosmos’s Atom Hub, Pocket, etc etc. Previously I was Head of Governance at Aragon, a visiting lecturer at Oxford University on topics of System Design and Innovation Management (for the Executive Master in Major Programme Management for executives managing $100m+ budgets), have been a resident in experimental psychology (focus on cognitive and perception psychology and dived deep into motivating theories) and was also a Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy of London University (some dabblings on Ethics), and I have also founded 2 companies and led the turnaround of a family enterprise. This background allows me to marry theory and practice on the success factors for incentives and a deep understanding of Web3.
I have also held a series of positions overseeing fund allocation in web3, including the design and first season in the Executive Council at Aragon (2021), Supervisory Council in Singularity Net (now), and at RnDAO as an instigator. As well as having been on the applicant side of the table across 30+ grant programmes.
Additionally, the combined experience of the RnDAO team spans a deep understanding mechanism design, complex systems engineering, behavioral economics, and psychology; the building of multiple ventures across Web1, 2, and 3; and deploying over $125m of funding for innovation through public and private institutions.
What do you think a good incentive application looks like?
A good application includes:
- Proof of traction without incentives (Product-market fit and using incentives to scale) or a clear strategy for how the incentives will help find PMF
- Market landscape analysis /USP and pro-social behavior: how does growing this protocol add value to the ecosystem
- Rationale for the incentive mechanism selected: how will this incentive create sustainable growth and not just a short-lived spike (e.g. destroying intrinsic motivation, short-termism, etc.)
- Unit economics analysis: projected output for input (analogous to a financial model and key metrics)
- Gameability analysis: how will sybil resistance and other attack vectors be managed
- Team capability and track record
- Detailed budget allocation planned and timeline
- Succinct: distilling to the essential shows the case has been thought through and refined through multiple cycles, showing strategy skills.
What are your goals for this program?
We want to bring a deeper understanding of the nuances of applying incentives (misused, incentives are often counterproductive) and the systemic consequences for the ecosystem (focus on strategic initiatives and building foundations over short-term spikes that then crash).
Additionally, we are excited to get more involved in the Arbitrum ecosystem and bring our research to support the great work happening here so it may realize its full potential.