AIP-321: Founders Circle Powered by ApeCoin

Hi @coolmatt,

Thank you for your feedback. I agree that gathering data and insights from the market would provide valuable information to ensure the space is utilized to its fullest potential.

I believe that consulting firms like Deloitte can provide valuable insights and data to help us make informed decisions and ensure the effective use of our resources. Their expertise and research capabilities can offer a deeper understanding of the market dynamics and demand trends that may not be readily available through our own research efforts. Considering the significant budget of 1 million dollars for this year, it becomes even more crucial to ensure that our investment is utilized effectively and efficiently.

In terms of research, while I have been based on AWS decisions, I also believe it would be beneficial to reach out to consulting firms like Deloitte to gather more comprehensive and in-depth data for developing a robust 5-10 year strategy. I would appreciate hearing your thoughts and suggestions on how we can gather more information to support this idea.

I want to clarify that the choice of Tel Aviv as a proposed location was not influenced by personal bias. In fact, I don’t currently reside in Tel Aviv, and I will be EU citizenship in the coming months. The decision was made after careful evaluation of various factors and considering Tel Aviv’s reputation as a thriving center for technology and innovation. The city has cultivated a vibrant ecosystem for startups, investors, and talent, making it an attractive hub for blockchain and Web3 communities. This provides a unique opportunity for like-minded individuals to connect and collaborate.

The selection of Tel Aviv as a pilot location by Amazon for its collaborative offices, among four global locations including Germany, the Nordic countries, and Spain, further highlights the city’s appeal and supports its suitability as a potential hub for our DAO. By examining the strategies of large companies, we can gain valuable insights to guide our decision-making process.

However, I fully acknowledge the need for comprehensive data and research to provide a more informed perspective. Moving forward, I completely agree with the importance of conducting thorough research and analysis to support the choice of location and demonstrate its impact on the DAO. I propose hiring a consulting firm to assist us in determining the optimal location to start with and subsequently expand to, based on achieving specific goals. This will allow us to assess the potential benefits and make well-informed decisions for the success of our initiative.

Thank you for your valuable input. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these points and any further suggestions you may have.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

Thanks MisterHype,

I understand the point of the proposal, what I was saying is that I didn’t see any data on the market demand in what you’ve written. One way to gather that data is to do some monthly meetups and collect data from those that show up.

If we ask you right now, today, how many people said they would like to have access to the services you plan to offer and are willing to commit to taking occupancy, what is the magnitude we’re looking at? 10, 100, 1000?

Do you expect to keep a waiting list for companies looking to enter? Will you need an eviction process if a company pivots their business model and does not plan to continue with what you have outlined are the goals for the program? Those are probably some of the terms that need to be stated in the occupancy contract. But I’m digressing, I’m really interested in understand the market data specific to the locale you are targeting first.

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Hi @dar ,

Thank you again for sharing your perspective and raising important questions about the market demand for the proposed services. I completely understand your point and appreciate your emphasis on gathering data to support our decision-making process.

You mentioned the idea of conducting monthly meetups to collect data from potential users of the space, which is a valid approach to gauge initial interest and demand. I agree that it would be beneficial to have concrete numbers to understand the magnitude of potential occupancy. By engaging with the community and collecting feedback from interested parties, we can gather valuable insights about their willingness to commit to the services we plan to offer.

To address your question about the number of people currently interested in accessing the services, I am in the process of preparing a base document that includes the key questions we need to ask and have answered. This document will serve as a foundation for our discussions and provide a framework for understanding the market data specific to the locale we are targeting.

Regarding the management of occupancy, your point about having a waiting list for companies and establishing terms in the occupancy contract is essential. We will need to consider various factors, such as the potential need for an eviction process if a company pivots its business model and no longer aligns with the goals outlined in the program. These details will be crucial to ensure the success and sustainability of the initiative.

In summary, I agree that gathering market data specific to the targeted locale is vital. I am currently working on the base document with the relevant questions to obtain the necessary information. Once we have this data, we will be in a better position to evaluate the potential demand and make informed decisions.

Thank you for bringing up these important points, and I appreciate your continued engagement and support in refining the proposal.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

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Hi @MisterHype,

Your topic will be moving to the AIP Draft phase in less than 24 hours. Are you content with the feedback received or do you wish to extend community discussion for another 7 days?

If we do not hear from you within 48 hours after your topic closes, your topic will be moved straight to the AIP Draft process.

We look forward to hearing from you.

-Chris

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Hi @Chris.Admin,

Happy to see you started your role and thank you for the notification.

Considering the importance and potential impact of the AIP Founders Circle, I believe it would be beneficial to continue the community discussion for another 14 days. We will share update based on community feedback. This will allow more members to provide feedback, share their perspectives, and contribute to shaping the proposal.

I value the input and insights from the community, and I believe that extending the discussion period will lead to a more comprehensive and well-rounded AIP draft.

Once again, thank you for the notification, and I look forward to continuing the discussion on the AIP Founders Circle.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

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Hi ApeCoin DAO Community,

@MisterHype has requested to extend the community discussion period for this AIP idea. This topic will automatically close a further 14 days from now. We encourage the community to continue to engage in thoughtful discussions through constructive criticism, honest feedback, and helpful suggestions.

Follow this Topic as further updates will be posted here in the comments.

-Chris

1 Like

My view after reading all the comments might not be that popular but I will say it anyway.

I am sorry I don’t see this as a priority now.

Many companies are reducing their office OPEX, think HSBC, Volkswagen. Let alone more modern or tech based firms.

I have a friend who made I think 10 spaces across Europe and ended up selling his company. He sold partly as it needed massive capital to scale up, so for him as a founder it was time to move on. It was bought by a family owned real estate group worth over 500m USD.

I have another friend with a tech spaces in Israel and other countries, but they basically try to break even on the space rental and make money with a venture capital fund. They have invested in companies that got bought for example by Intel. For them it would be a total loss leader as an office shared rental business.

I have another friend with a large incubator, I rent space for one of my companies. It is cheap as he gets government subsidies to drive jobs to the city. Again without those subsidies he would be losing money. If he put the rent up too high I as others would just look at alternatives.

For now a virtual network of founders is one of the big strengths of BAYC and MAYC. Physical clubs high end work as wealthy people pay to keep the status even if they use rarely. However shared office isn’t that market segment.

There was one great post above talking about alternative ways to use under utilized space of others without all the overhead and renovation overhead.

The question I have is how can your ideal of a founders circle work virtually?

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Excellent post. I wrote a post, but had to find yours to highlight for others.

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Have you thought about linking this to the recently approved Ape Accelerator AIP? Tech accelerators usually provide workspace as part of the benefits, so this could fit in seamlessly.

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This AIP is interesting. I do see some concerns with it. It feels underbudgeted and over-emphasizing the DAO itself. I think an AIP where the DAO is sponsoring other accelerators would be more effective to get the DAO brand awareness.

I do not think these event salaries are correct. I’d like to see evidence of the average salaries of these roles based on where you’re hiring. I do not think you will get quality team members at these salaries.

Also, I do not see the DAO backing enough startups to warrant this type of event, but I do see the Dao supporting other well-established accelerators that are using their own brand.

Just my 2 ape (cents)

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Hi @bigbull,

Thank you for sharing your perspective on the AIP Founder Circle, I’m sorry for the late respond. I appreciate hearing different viewpoints, in fact this is the goal of discourse, to hear opinions and share proposals before bring them to vote. And I understand your concerns about the feasibility and relevance of a physical shared office space in today’s business landscape, let me try get you the goal we can achieve by having this physical space with this proposal and I would like to hear your feedback.

Again, you raise valid points about companies reducing their office expenses, but I see that as opportunity to the DAO, those companies still looking for places to combine the employees together to keep the company unite not just by tasks.

While physical co-working office spaces may not be the optimal solution in every case, it’s crucial to remember that the AIP Founder Circle proposal is just focus on that.

We can’t ignore the fact that tech companies still seek ways to bring their employees together and foster a sense of community. The Founder Circle aims to address this need by providing a platform for connection, educate and collaboration. While a physical working space may be just one aspect of the proposal, the overarching vision is to organize events and create opportunities for local tech companies to engage with the ApeCoin DAO.

The Founder Circle serves as a means to connect and educate about the ApeCoin DAO through these organized events. These events will not be limited to physical gatherings but will also be shared virtually through an education hub in the website. This virtual aspect ensures that all events and resources are easily accessible to a wider audience, fostering inclusivity and enabling participation from anywhere.

Again, as I see it, the Founder Circle proposal considers a 10-year vision and recognizes the ongoing need for tech companies to find ways to connect and engage their employees, as we want to bring a space to educate about $APE an connect to the tech communities. The virtual aspect, supported by the education hub website, allows us to organize events and share resources in an accessible manner.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

I did actually, it’s all depends on the execution. @Harry what’s your thoughts?

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Hi @JonahBlake,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns regarding the proposed AIP. I appreciate your feedback and would like to address your points.

  1. Budget and DAO Emphasis: I understand your concern about the budget and the emphasis on the DAO itself. The intention behind this AIP is to establish a strong foundation for the DAO’s presence and impact in the startup ecosystem. By hosting events and supporting startups directly, the DAO can create brand awareness and foster meaningful connections. However, I acknowledge your suggestion of exploring partnerships with existing accelerators, which could be an effective way to address budget concerns. However, I believe that showcasing the DAO in our own offices to local companies carries significant value and aligns with the goals of this proposal.

  2. Staff Salaries and Team Quality: You raise a valid point regarding the salaries allocated for staff members. Taking into consideration the current average salary in Israel, which is $40,000 per year, I believe that allocating $250,000 can provide us with a competent and dedicated team. However, I am open to further discussions and evidence-based adjustments to ensure we attract and retain high-quality professionals for the team.

  3. Startup Support and Backing: Your observation about the number of startups supported by the DAO is noted. It is essential to evaluate the capacity and resources available for backing startups and tailor the event strategy accordingly. Collaborating with well-established accelerators and leveraging their brand could indeed provide an opportunity for the DAO to support a larger number of startups indirectly. I believe it would be beneficial to strike a balance between supporting startups directly and forging partnerships with reputable accelerators to maximize our impact.

Thank you for your 2 $APE cents, and I look forward to further discussions on this matter.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

Hi @MisterHype,

Your topic will be moving to the AIP Draft phase in less than 24 hours. Are you content with the feedback received or do you wish to extend community discussion for another 7 days?

If we do not hear from you within 48 hours after your topic closes, your topic will be moved straight to the AIP Draft process.

We look forward to hearing from you.

-Chris

1 Like

Hi @Chris.Admin,

I would like to extend it for 7 days, I was late with respond to @bigbull and @JonahBlake and I want to give them time to respond properly.
As well waiting for @Harry reply, as few members raise point about integrating with Ape Accelerator -

-Mr. Hype :fire:

1 Like

Hi ApeCoin DAO Community,

@MisterHype has requested to extend the community discussion period for this AIP idea. This topic will automatically close a further 7 days from now. We encourage the community to continue to engage in thoughtful discussions through constructive criticism, honest feedback, and helpful suggestions.

Follow this Topic as further updates will be posted here in the comments.

-Chris

1 Like

Current plan for Ape Accelerator is virtual at the moment. Physical venue has pros and cons; it comes down to logistics cost. Looking forward to seeing more case studies on how other Web3 ecosystem such as Polygon, Avalanche, Near run theirs and its effectiveness in bear market.

This is an example of Animoca Demo day:
https://twitter.com/harry_forj/status/1647084336687067139

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Congratulations on being accepted to the AWS Founders Club. The ApeCoin DAO Founders Circle sounds like an exciting initiative for early stage blockchain and DeFi startups. I think this proposal has a strong motivation and rationale. Building partnerships, hosting events, and supporting startups will further contribute to the growth of ApeCoin DAO. With this well thought out plan, including a timeline and cost estimates, you’re on track to achieve your goals and expand to multiple regions. Best of luck with the implementation of the Founders Circle. I hope it becomes a thriving hub for startup founders and entrepreneurs in the blockchain and DeFi space.

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Hi @Harry,

Thank you for sharing the example of Animoca Demo Day and your thoughts on integrating Founders Circle with the Ape Accelerator. I appreciate your input, and I believe there is potential for synergy between the two initiatives.

While the Ape Accelerator is currently planned to be a virtual program, I understand that a physical venue comes with logistical considerations and costs.

Considering the example you shared of Animoca Demo Day, which showcased the power of bringing together startups and investors in a physical event, I believe it’s important to create opportunities for face-to-face interactions and networking. The Founders Circle proposal aims to establish a physical networking and educational hub for the local tech community, and integrating it with the Ape Accelerator could enhance the overall program.

A combination of virtual components for a wider range and physical events to create targeted networks and education, can leverage the DAO. This integrated approach will allow us to adapt to different market conditions, provide accessibility and scalability through virtual programs, and foster a stronger sense of community through physical locations.

On a separate note, I noticed your recent portfolio collaborations with Sandbox and Dance Fight. It’s truly exciting to witness the expansion of digital “activities” in the Metaverse with The Wild Ones project. Will be interesting to see the integration of these collaborations with $APE and the ongoing progress of the Ape Accelerator within the ApeCoin DAO.

Thank you for sharing these updates, and I look forward to further discussions on how we can align the Founders Circle and Ape Accelerator to create a comprehensive and impactful program.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

Hi @nexus,

Thank you for your congratulations on being accepted. The ApeCoin DAO Founders Circle is indeed an exciting initiative for blockchain and DeFi startups but also to the tech community and ApeCoin Community. I have no doubt it will become a thriving hub.

-Mr. Hype :fire:

1 Like