JD Sutton - Grant Review Application 2024 (Round 2)

Do you support my application as Grant Committee Lead?
  • Yes
0 voters

1.) Preferred Display Name and Age

Name: JD Sutton (DeepSea)

Age: 43 years old

2.) Social Media Handles

Twitter: Deep_Sea_Iotan - x.com
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 can see that the certain individuals in the IOTA Foundation are not happy with how I developed the Treasury to be a representation of the community, supported transparency, and supported decentralized governance. It is pretty clear there is no chance to be a program lead unless the program lead prioritizes the IOTA Foundation’s direction over the communities.

For this I am submitting my application as a reviewer. If the community would like to have a representative hold the Tangle Community Treasury accountable, maintain the vision of being a transparent treasury, and be a vessel for the community, please vote for me as you know I will always prioritize the community and follow the legal frameworks.

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.

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.) 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.)

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.) Do you have affiliations that may cause a conflict of interest when reviewing applications? The community would like to know particularly if reviewers are involved with projects as a creator, on the board, or employed. Please list any projects or applications you have affiliations to.

No.

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.

8.) Can you committ 10 hours weekly on average to work as a grant reviwer for the Shimmer community over the next 12 months?

Yes.

**9.) If you are voted in the top 2 reviewers, you may have the option to join the Growth Committee and work with the TEA representatives. In this case, you may be required to work hours over the required 10 hrs per week. Are you able to commit to this if required?

Yes.

10.) Are you willing to sign a service provider contract, including an NDA with the Tangle Ecosystem Association, and respect the Non-Disclosure Agreement if selected as a member of the Growth Committee? Breaking the Non-Disclosure Agreement may bring consequences financially and or legally.

Yes.

11.) Provide any web links or supporting documentation you would like the community to see when assessing you for the Shimmer Community Treasury Grant Reviewer position.

Not Applicable

12.) 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 reviewer 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.

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