Linus Naumann - Program Lead Application (Round 2)

Governance Proposals Community Treasury 2024 Round 2 - Program Lead
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  • Do you support my application as Grant Committee Lead?
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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: Linus Naumann

Age: 34

2.) Social Media Handles

Twitter: @LinusNaumann - x.com

Reddit: Linus_Naumann - https://www.reddit.com/user/Linus_Naumann/

Discord: linus_naumann

Telegram: Linus Naumann

3.) What motivates you to apply for this position?

The IOTA/Shimmer ecosystems needs to grow in order to succeed. It needs to grow not only in monetary terms, but also by inviting new builders and new investors into its many spaces. It must activate and retain its current community, and it must inspire even more people to step up and become active as project supporters, builders and investors.

It is this single core task of the Tangle Community Treasury to ensure the IOTA/Shimmer ecosystem can grow its active community. However, recently this task got damaged, as personal differences between treasury personell and many ecosystem players soured and even escalated. We can see the effects of this downturn in shrinking community support (including lower voter participation), hurdles in operations and a generally bad sentiment, which also spoiled the atmosphere in the wider community.

However, these relationships can be repaired. A new baselayer of cooperation and mutual trust can emerge again and in turn can motivate community members to be active, to stay active and even to join the IOTA/Shimmer for the very first time.

My motivation for this application is to again unite all big ecosystem players and position the treasury as a well respected, independent, community controlled entity at its center. Old damages will be repaired and a new wave of builder cooperations will inspire positive movement in a newly united community.

4.) What is your educational and professional background?

Educational Background

  • 2013-2016: Master of Science in Technical Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, (GPA 1.4, Top 10%)
  • 2010-2013 Bachelor of Science in Biology, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany (GPA 2.1 (Top 20%)

Web3/Crypto Background

Project leader and member of several projects:

  • 2023-now: Co-Lead and reviewer of the Tangle Community Treasury
  • 2022-now: Tangleverse
  • 2023-now: Infernal Uprising NFT card-game
  • 2022-now: IOTA Content Creators DAO
  • 2021-now: Daobee
  • 2021-2022: IOTA tech and vision blog
  • 2021-now: IOTA/Shimmer Reddit mod and Governance Mod
  • 2017-now: Regular investor and IOTA/Shimmer supporter

Professional Background (outside of crypto)

  • 2019-2022: Science communication manager at Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany
  • 2016-2019: Research scientist at the Philipps University Marburg, Germany
  • 2015-2016: Research scientist at Brain AG, Zwingenberg, Germany
  • 2012-2016: Private tutor for highschool and university students in mathematics, chemistry and biochemistry
  • 2009-2010: Civil service

5.) What experience do you have that is relevant to this position?

  • 2023-2024: Tangle Community Treasury Co-Lead and Reviewer

  • 2019-now: Project- and Teammanagement with strong focus on the IOTA/Shimmer ecosystem (see list above for details)

  • Strong personal network and trusted relationships with large parts of the IOTA/Shimmer ecosystem, including a strong network of advisors and subject matter experts on all crypto-related topics.

6.) In your opinion, which of the skills you obtained are the most important and valuable for this Grant Committee Lead position? If possible, provide proof of how and where you obtained those skills.

Over the past years I acquired at several skills that will enable me to effectively lead the Tangle Community Treasury:

  • Multiple years of hands-on experience in project building, leading teams and releasing products in the IOTA/Shimmer ecosystem

Nothing beats practical experience gained through years of hard work when trying to understand the ins- and outs of the IOTA/Shimmer ecosystem. This experience is paramount in reality-checking ideas and proposals and to lead strategic decisions of the treasury. Also, a treasury lead must not only have a strong understanding about all aspects of crypto technology and markets themselve, but also needs a strong personal network reaching all important players in the ecosystem. Such a network can only be grown through years of trusted and positive collaboration with many people and over a range of different projects. In turn, a large network like that will be immensely helpful when discussing complex treasury decisions and coming up with new ways of collaboration.

  • Being the Co-Lead and a reviewer of the current TCT

I worked as a Co-Lead and reviewer in the TCT since its inception early 2023 and was part of its creation process in weekly governance meetings all back to 2022. Consequently I am familiar with all its parts and processes, including its legal and administrative backend its team dynamics and its way of public communication, reporting and community events. This experience enables me to pick up leadship of the treasury without much delay in operations and to improve on its existing structures in meaningful ways. Transition in leadership will be smooth and efficient and quickly start the TCTs new era.

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.)

I am not a software developer, but I am experienced in leading and working with frontend-, backend- and crypto developers as well as UI/UX designers. I gained basic understanding of all regularly used technologies to do basic reality-checks on technical claims myself and I can efficiently communicate with all kinds of experts. Additionally, I have my own hands-on knowledge in many common tools like Wordpress, R-Studio and Multi-Signature wallets etc.

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.

*Note: This will in no way prevent you from being elected to the position. It is the opposite. We seek experienced reviewers that are specialists in different industries. The reviewers with affiliations will not be able to review grants within their category; however, they will be great resources and act as subject matter experts.

In this moment I am involved in several IOTA/Shimmer based projects:

  • Tangleverse
  • Infernal Uprising
  • IOTA Content Creators DAO
  • Daobee

In preparation of this TCT lead application I talked with my teams and I will be able to leave active business in each of the aforementioned projects in order to fully concentrate on the TCT Lead position. All my work conducted in the treasury will be in strict accordance with all conflict-of-interest rules of the TCT framework. These rules include abstaining from all grant funding votes that could be construed to be in any way connected to the aforementioned projects or their fields of work (for example NFT-games, ecosystem platforms or community DAOs). I will also be prohibited from receiving any kind of payment from these projects or their related activities as long as I am in TCT lead position.

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. If you are not willing to KYC and sign a full-time contract with the Shimmer Community Treasury legal entity, you will not be accepted to this position.

Yes - I am willing to KYC and sign a part-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 a bit more? As the Program Lead, you will not be able to work other side jobs or support other Dapp projects regularly. If acting against this, the committee will seek a replacement at that time.

Yes - I am willing to focus all my time supporting the Shimmer Community Treasury as Program Lead for the next 12 months.

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

IOTA Content Creators DAO: Discord now part of Tangleverse Discord (links see above).

Selection of public appearances in the IOTA/Shimmer space:

Moonaco podcast:

Tangle Talk:

IOTA end-of-the-year event moderation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcGrSx3GLnE&t=150s

Battle of the Blockchains, Blockchain Week in Berlin 2023: x.com

IOTA 2.0 official interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy08jK3lqx4&

Infernal Uprising AMA: x.com

13.) 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 see the Tangle Community Treasury standing up and leading a serious wind of change in the IOTA/Shimmer ecosystem and community. Under my lead the TCT will reach out to all big players in this space, repair lost relationships and start a new wave of collaborations and initiatives, all aiming to make this community as attractive as it can be: For builders, investors and supporters alike. I see the TCT and its partners creating and executing far-reaching strategies to bring in new minds and new people into the community, retain established teams and motivate more individuals to step up and become builders themselves.

I see the TCT playing a complementary part to the other big entities in this space, the mostly technology focused role of the IOTA Foundation and the large for-profit enterprises in this space. It is in the unique position of the TCT to be a neutral fascilitator of positivity, human connection and, frankly, new hype. My vision is to see all parts of the IOTA/Shimmer ecosystem working together and making being an IOTA/Shimmer community member fun again.

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Thank you for your participation and good luck

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