1.) Preferred Display Name and Age (If you do not want to enter your age, enter that you are above 21 years of age, which is the minimum)
Name: JD Sutton (DeepSea)
Age: 42 years old
2.) Social Media Handles
Twitter: Deep_Sea_Iotan - https://twitter.com/Deep_Sea_Iotan
Discourse: Deep_Sea - Profile - Deep_Sea - govern.IOTA
Reddit: RetireTotheMOon - https://www.reddit.com/user/RetireTotheMOon
Linkedin: JD Sutton - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsuttonim/
Medium: JD Sutton - https://medium.com/@jamesjdsutton
Discord: Deep_Sea #0707
Telegram: DeepSea Diver
3.) What motivates you to apply for this position?
I have been a long time IOTA community member. Once the IOTA community treasury funds were announced back in April 2021, I found a place to utilize my skills. I started attending weekly meetings, built governance framework flows, and wrote a medium article of what the community was facing: IOTA – To Burn or To Build. I am very grateful to have been elected as the program lead in 2023. I am even more impressed with how amazing our community, the project builders, and committee reviewers are. Everyone truly has amazing strengths and I seek to encourage those skills to bring the community together.
It’s incredible how far we have come with our community. We have already seen a 60% increase in voting regarding community governance, which is a great KPI metric! The Tangle Community Treasury committee came in 30% under budget and developed multiple revenue streams. By these standards there is no doubt the Treasury is growing and improving. Moreso, this is the first year and therefore only the beginning!
The primary motivation and ambition I have to keep running the Tangle Community Treasury is that it is an organization built by the community, for the community, and that represents the community. Though it is one of the most stressful positions I have filled, I want to do everything in my heart and soul to see it become just that. An organization that is for and represents the commmunity.
Over the past year, the committee and I have made it a top priority to listen to the community. More importantly, we listen to the whole community. As elected representative, this is indeed our duty above all else, to be the voice and consensus of the community!
The Treasury ecosystem is ready to scale to the next level! To get back into the top 100 and certainly the top 20. However, to be in the top 20 token markets, we need multiple organizations working to expand our ecosystem. We need various organizations to do marketing, build, and innovate. So, who are these organizations? Those are organizations such as the IOTA Foundation, The Tangle Treasury, Blue Labs, Nakama, Build.5, Demia, Impierce, Bloom, GameFi builders, and our podcasters. More will be coming from the outside and also growing from the inside. I would like to see all of the projects being successful, earning revenue, and then funding expansion and marketing. My goal is to have our ecosystem and tokens in the top 20 growing as an economy, not simply a single organization. It is our time to scale and the Treasury can be one of those organizations that represent the community.
I came to IOTA because the vision was not to have any barrier of entry for users to the network. Where digital economic network are not controlled by mining conglomerate corporations that control the hash power as an Oligopoly, or a proof-of-stake system where the initial whales are the gate keepers and control the direction of such networks. Where Proof-of-work has been replaced with staking and Mana, that vision is close to coming true. We have to ensure the image is built and that all people, regardless of who they are, what projects they manage, or where they are located, that all users have access and an opportunity to build on our network. As well, all users get access to funding and support by a community Treasury.
I fight for this; I genuinely believe in my soul, and I hope you feel that my actions prove it!
4.) What is your educational and professional background?
What is your educational and professional background?
Educational Background
- Bachelor of Science in Business Management: University of Phoenix
- Project Management Certificate: University of Phoenix
Web3 Crypto Background
- Program Lead for the Tangle Community Treasury from April 2023
- IOTA evangelist
- IOTA Governance Community Member
Entrepreneurial Experience
I show this chart because I built this chart 8 years ago with a baseline networth goal. At the time I had a networth of $350k+ but wanted to ensure I can retire in my 40’s. I set a strategy that was a mix of diversified assets that would not only increase my networth but also offer passive income. Today, I have not only followed my 10 year projection and have reached a networth over $2 million but also make $80k+ annually in passive income.
I set this 10 year goal because I went to master minds, I made friends with other millionaires, I read books, and what it came to, have a long-term strategy, write it out, have a picture in front of you all the time, and don’t give up! So I did just that.
Note, I don’t show this to flex at all because I am like an ant compared to true mulit-milllionaires. I simply show it because not only am I an investor and entrepeneur myself but also that I strategically can set long-term goals and accomplish them. Building an organization or your personal wealth is a marathon not a race and we have to understand that. Sometimes you are up, other times you are down, but if you have a long-term strategy and are agile along the way this is how an individual or an organization reaches their goal. Not only have I shown that I can be successful in my personal life but I have also shown that I can manage the Treasury to be successful.
Unfortunately, a corporate philosophy over the years has been to use an individuals need for a salary as a weakness which they exploit. Anyone that has worked in a corporation has heard, “If you don’t want the job, then quit”. Or another co-worker say, “I just don’t want to get fired”. This old traditional corporate thinking and should never be used against or by a community DAO. For a DAO to be truly independent a program lead must be someone that can’t be corrupted by money but instead hold the position out of passion. I am passionate about this position and would love another opportunity at a one year term to continue to build this treasury.
Professional Background
- Program Lead for the Oil & Gas Industry
- Mechanical Integrity Consultant Wind and Petrochemical Industry
- Director of Field Operations & Mechanical Integrity
- Mechanical Integrity Specialist
- Mechanical Integrity Inspector
- Subsea Inspection Project Manager
- CSWIP 3.4u Subsea Inspection Coordinator
- Mixed Gas/Air Subsea Inspection Diver
- United States Marine Corps (Non-Commissioned Officer / Honorable Discharge)
Educational Training Certificates
International of Oil & Gas Produces Client Representative Training, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Mechanical Integrity and Understanding RAGAGEPs Training, American Petroleum Institute API-570 Piping Inspector, American Petroleum Institute API-510 Pressure Vessel Inspector, American Petroleum Institute API-653 Storage Tank Inspector, American Welding Certification AWS CWI D1.1, NACE International Institute NACE Coating Inspector Level I, Steel Tank Institute Steel Tank Inspector STI SP001, CSWIP UKAS Personnel Certification Underwater Inspection Controller 3.4u, CSWIP UKAS Personnel Certification Underwater Inspector 3.2u, CSWIP UKAS Personnel Certification Underwater Inspector 3.1u, Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme Part IV (Mixed Gas Diver).
Military Training
- Amphibious Reconnaissance (AHU)
- Infantry Rifleman
- Maintenance Management (ODM)
5.) What experience do you have that is relevant to this position?
I have an extensive background of senior management positions to includ; Program Lead of the Tangle Community Treasury, director of mechanical integrity, turn around API Lead, and senior project manager.
My main strength is building processes and programs to help an organization grow from the ground up and reach scalability. I personally built the backend database, front-end treasury website, and all the integrations efficiently manage grant submission, remote employee time tracking, grant review management, and processing. Visit the Treasury website to see what we built.
I show this chart because I built it eight years ago with a baseline net worth goal. At the time, I had a net worth of $350k+ but wanted to ensure I could retire in my 40s. I set a strategy that was a mix of diversified assets that would increase my net worth and offer passive income. Today, I have followed my ten-year projection and made $80k+ annually in passive income.
Note, I don’t show this to flex because I am like an ant compared to true multi-millionaires. I show it because I am an investor and entrepreneur but also focus on the long term. I don’t look to hit it big but take a very low-risk long-term strategy. Building an organization or your wealth is a marathon, not a race, and we must understand that. Sometimes you are up, other times you are down, but if you have a long-term strategy and are agile, this is how an individual or organization reaches their goal.
Additionally, I want to show that I don’t need this position but am choosing to fill this position. There is a big difference. Unfortunately, a corporate philosophy over the years has been to use an individual’s need for payment as a weakness and variable to exploit. Anyone who has worked in a corporation has heard, “If you don’t want the job, then quit.” DAOs need to be led by someone who can’t be corrupted to maintain it’s independent nature.
Professional Background
- Program Lead for the Oil & Gas Industry
- Mechanical Integrity Consultant Wind and Petrochemical Industry
- Director of Field Operations & Mechanical Integrity
- Mechanical Integrity Specialist
- Mechanical Integrity Inspector
- Subsea Inspection Project Manager
- CSWIP 3.4u Subsea Inspection Coordinator
- Mixed Gas/Air Subsea Inspection Diver
- United States Marine Corps (Non-Commissioned Officer / Honorable Discharge)
Educational Training Certificates
International of Oil & Gas Produces Client Representative Training, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Mechanical Integrity and Understanding RAGAGEPs Training, American Petroleum Institute API-570 Piping Inspector, American Petroleum Institute API-510 Pressure Vessel Inspector, American Petroleum Institute API-653 Storage Tank Inspector, American Welding Certification AWS CWI D1.1, NACE International Institute NACE Coating Inspector Level I, Steel Tank Institute Steel Tank Inspector STI SP001, CSWIP UKAS Personnel Certification Underwater Inspection Controller 3.4u, CSWIP UKAS Personnel Certification Underwater Inspector 3.2u, CSWIP UKAS Personnel Certification Underwater Inspector 3.1u, Australian Diver Accreditation Scheme Part IV (Mixed Gas Diver).
Military Training
- Amphibious Reconnaissance (AHU)
- Infantry Rifleman
- Maintenance Management (ODM)
5.) What experience do you have that is relevant to this position?
I have an extensive background in senior management positions to include positions such as; program lead of the Tangle Community Treasury, director of mechanical integrity, turnaround API Lead, and senior project manager.
My main strength is building processes and programs to help an organization grow from the ground up and reach scalability. I have experience in legal structures, contract writting, and all things management. For the Treasury I built the backend database and front-end website, all the web integrations to efficiently manage grant submissions,to manage remote employee time tracking, a grant review management and processing system. Visit the Treasury website to see what we built.
The key for any organization is to stay energized, continue to conduct lessons learned based upon the favorable structures and adjust to deal with the negative ones. The point is we are building to grow and mature. The worst thing that can happen is to shut down the treasury to just start new and waste four years of community building.
6.) Which of the skills you obtained are the most important and valuable for this Grant Committee Lead position? Please provide proof of how and where you obtained those skills.
The essential skills are professionalism, critical thinking, and a high level of managing individuals and organizational structures, which I embody.
I know how to network and find the right individuals or seek the consensus of specialists. A program lead’s position is to reach out and get the consensus from the community and grant committee experts and make decisions collaboratively. A group of experts using a hive mind will consistently outperform a single technical specialist.
I not only have, but show that I can prioritize the community and seek the strength of our community by bringing people together so that we can harness the powers of our community!
7.) Are you a software developer? If yes, please provide info on your skills and proof of the projects you already have built/worked on (Github, languages, certificates, etc.)
No. I have used and am proficient with web tools such as Notion, SmartSheets, Google Tools, and MS Office to build automated data acquisition and management tools to support business applications. I also have basic Linux knowledge and have run multiple different IOTA and ICT nodes over the past five years. In the future, I plan to take some introductory courses in coding.
As the program lead I learned over the past year that the Treasury needs technical advisors. We partnered with Akkodis (https://www.akkodis.com/), a global technical support firm, to offer such support on a contract basis.
8.) Are you willing to reveal and verify your identity through a KYC process? Will you also sign a binding contract as a full-time team member with the legal entity of the Shimmer Community Treasury Committee?
Note: KYC is required for this position. You must be willing to KYC and sign a full-time contract with the Shimmer Community Treasury legal entity to be accepted to this position.**
Yes - I have filled out numerous KYC applications and documentation and would be happy to KYC if voted to the position of Program Lead. I am willing to KYC and sign a full-time contract with the Shimmer Community Treasury.
9.) Can you commit to focusing the next 12 months solely on the Shimmer Community Treasury as Program Lead and be available 40 hrs a week, if not more? As the Program Lead, you can only work other side jobs or support other Dapp projects occasionally. If acting against this, the committee will seek a replacement at that time.
Yes - I can commit 40 hours a week and I prioritize a global committee by ensuring that I can be available anytime of day throughout the week.
Additionally, this position will demand (over 40 hrs), which will be unpaid. I have done that while averaging 45 hrs a week this past year which means I have worked 260 hrs to date unpaid ($18,200). I am okay with this because the Treasury is in its first year. In the first year we built the foundation of a scalable Treasury. Now, with a solid foundation, we are ready for scalability and growth!
I only focus on achieving strategic (short-term and long-term) goals. Failure is not an option, even if I have to work extra hours. At the end of the day, the Program Lead’s responsibility is to ensure the organization’s success and longevity while ensuring to complete its vision of helping the ecosystem grow positively and such based on the communities consensus.
10.) As the Program Lead, you will likely support the Shimmer Community Treasuries’ interest in the Growth Committee. This may require more time above and beyond the 40 hrs (paid hourly, of course). Are you willing to commit to this?
Yes – I currently have no affiliations to other crypto projects. My time will be solely dedicated to the Shimmer Community Treasury and the Shimmer Growth Committee. I am willing to represent the community by participating in the Growth Committee at whatever time requirements are needed.
11.) As a member of the Shimmer Growth committee, are you willing to sign a service provider contract with the Tangle Ecosystem Association and respect the included Non-Disclosure Agreement? Breaking the contract or Non-Disclosure Agreement may bring consequences financially and or legally.
Yes - I have filled out several NDAs throughout my career. I am willing and happy to sign a service provider contract and a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the Tangle Ecosystem Association. I will absolutely respect all binding effects within such agreement contracts.
12.) Provide any web links or supporting documentation you would like the community to see when assessing you for the Shimmer Community Treasury Lead position.
I think anyone can view the Tangle Treasury website and see how I built an efficient grant management process and systems to integrate and empower the community. The TCT and its representatives are solely here to support the community and the ecosystem.
You can also see with my recent articles analyzing the annual review I completed for the Treasury. It isn’t just a high overview but a report providing factual data to back up any claims as to the successes, non-successes, and the future of the Treasury.
- Tangle Community Treasury “Year in Review” - Part 1: Fiscal Analysis
- Tangle Community Treasury “Year in Review” - Part 2: Governance Update
- Tangle Community Treasury “Year in Review” - Part 3: Success Metrics
- Tangle Community Treasury “Year in Review” - Part 4: What Can an Active Treasury Do?!? The Future Ahead!
13.) Do you have affiliations with any Crypto projects? The community would like to know mainly if you are involved with projects as a creator, on the board, or employed. Please list any projects or applications you have affiliations to.
*Note: The program lead cannot hold any paid position in any crypto project to ensure that the sole focus of work is on the Community Treasury. Please state current affiliations and ensure the community that you will quit any engagements in projects outside the Community Treasury should you be selected as Lead
The only affiliations I have is with the IOTA & Shimmer Governance. To date, I have solely focused my time on Community Governance and the Shimmer Treasury over the past two years. Outside of IOTA & Shimmer, I focus on my family, our homestead, my real estate portfolio, and my career. Through intelligent investing and acquiring a couple of rental properties, my wife and I are semi-retired, living off our passive income and our careers part-time. I can take a year or two off from renewables and the petrochemical industry while maintaining my contacts and skills. In short, I do not have any affiliations nor conflicts of interest if elected and delegated as the Program Lead. I would be absolutely grateful to keep managing the Treasury for the good of the community, given it is the communities tokens.
14.) What is your long-term vision of the Shimmer Community Treasury? How do you see the Community Treasury affecting the Shimmer & IOTA ecosystem, and what does the Shimmer & IOTA Ecosystem look to you in three years?
I wrote this last year in my application to this question, “My long-term vision for the Shimmer Community Treasury has and will always be for a long-lasting treasury that evolves to be self-replenishing, which can support the Shimmer & IOTA ecosystem for the life of the networks.”
This still stands today. We are creating a treasury that will grow along with the growing ecosystem and support the community. I have shown that the Treasury can earn revenue through such actions as liquidity support farm harvesting, getting equity in funded projects, and receiving tokens as donations.
- The Treasury is earning $5k+ a month in revenue by supporting the Shimmer DEFI ecosystem. Note that this action strictly supports liquidity pools and does not seek profits. We could make a lot more if we focused solely for financial gain but that is not our goal.
- The Treasury now holds equity in Demia and Bloom, two great projects working towards success.
- The Treasury also holds:
- $SOON tokens
- $Build Tokens
- $Audit Tokens
- $$Peppy Tokens
Generating revenue or acquiring positive financial assets has been looked down on by some people. This surprises me everytime I hear it because these revenue streams support the community and the ecosystem. Just like a private organization can not rely only on a volatile asset (i.e., a token Treasury), neither should the community DAO! In a few years, we may catch up with the other war chest ecosystem projects and we can do that through intelligent capital management.
I will end with this statement. Don’t forget why you came to crypto. Don’t forget that you sought a special community that support activity, collaboration, and transparency. This is why we are here and this is what the Treasury, that manages “THE COMMMUNITY’s” tokens, should support. I will always stand up for this vision while I fill the program leads position. I hope you vote for me, a community member that truly only wants to see the vision of the Treasury, and the community, become a reality.
- Yes