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Steem Research Foundation

Face-to-Face Meeting, May 2018

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Steem Research Foundation

Face-to-Face Meeting - May 17, 2018

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Welcome & Introductions

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Agenda

What is the Steem Research Foundation?

    • Vision
    • Mission/Goals
    • SRF Relationships

How does the Steem Research Foundation Operate?

    • Legal, Governance and Organizational Model
    • Board Roles & Responsibilities

Who are the Steem Research Foundation Participants and How do they Engage?

    • Target Audience
    • Membership Structure
    • Activity Plan

How does the Steem Research Foundation Grow?

    • Recruiting Plan

When does the Steem Research Foundation Launch?

Agree to Action Items and Next Steps

    • Assign owners and due dates

5 of 66

Antitrust Considerations

The participants in this meeting acknowledge that they may compete with one another in various lines of business and that it is therefore imperative that they and their respective representatives act in a manner that does not violate any applicable antitrust laws and regulations. Each participant may have similar agreements with others. Each participant may design, develop, manufacture, acquire or market competitive deliverables, products and services, and conduct its business, in whatever way it chooses. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the participants agree not to have any discussion relating to any product pricing, methods or channels of product distribution, division of markets, allocation of customers or any other topic that should not be discussed among competitors.

6 of 66

Meeting Goals

  • Introduce the concept of the Steem Research Foundation�
  • Attain validation/feedback on planned direction and activities�
  • Secure commitment to participate

7 of 66

Introducing the Steem Research Foundation

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VISION OF THE STEEM RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Ned Scott

9 of 66

Mission of the SRF

The purpose and mission of the Foundation is to support, advance and develop a technical and business environment in the computer industry for the Steem blockchain, SMTs and blockchain technologies in general through education initiatives and the sponsorship of technical programs.

The specific purposes of the Foundation are:

  • Identify and create specifications and operational processes required to further the technical development of the Steem blockchain, SMTs and other decentralized applications built on the Steem blockchain;
  • Drive development with and forge alliances among the appropriate standards development organizations, open source projects, industry associations and internet companies;
  • Educate and advocate regarding the Steem blockchain, SMTs and other decentralized applications built on the Steem blockchain; and
  • Provide networking and professional opportunities, programs, services and resources for members within the organization that would not be available elsewhere in the industry.

10 of 66

Near-Term Goals of the SRF

  • Secure participation commitments from a core set of targeted initial SRF leadership team
  • Complete the formation and build-out of the SRF operational infrastructure, agree on mission and goals, and deliverables 
  • Establish a clear plan for the public launch of SRF; launch the organization
  • Attract a critical mass of initial members of SRF, particularly from a diverse set of industry segments
  • Board Leadership to establish a crisp set of goals/target outcomes for SRF over the next two years
  • Hire a President to work side-by-side with Steemit over the coming months on building programs

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Discussion and Next Steps on Mission/Goals and Deliverables

  • Validation of Mission

  • Validation of Goals

  • Identify Deliverables

Actions and Next Steps Based on Discussion

  • List actions, owner(s), and due dates

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SRF Planned Structure and Operational Model

13 of 66

Legal Documents

Completed

  • Certificate of Incorporation

Filed in Delaware on January 24, 2018 as a 501(c)6 non-profit corporation

Additional Docs Necessary

  • Bylaws (initial draft complete)
  • Antitrust Policy (initial draft complete)
  • IP Rights Policy (initial draft complete)
  • NDA (initial draft complete)
  • Membership Agreement (initial draft complete)
  • Operating Procedures

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Organizational Structure

Board of Directors

Working Groups

Consultants/Vendors

Staff

Executive Committee

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Board of Directors Composition

Each Charter Member may nominate a candidate to be elected as a Director to serve a three year term.

Each Charter Member may appoint an alternate representative to serve on the Board on a temporary basis; the designated Director and the alternate may attend meetings in a nonvoting capacity (the alternate being in a nonvoting capacity)

Ideal Board member candidates have deep industry expertise, strong interest in the mission of the SRF, and an ability to commit the time necessary to lead.

Size of the Board is limited to ensure that it is a functional group, well-equipped to drive forward progress.

Proposed size of no less than 5 and no more than 11 with a focus on cross-sector diversity across each target segment.

Developer Advocate

Content Creator/Community Advocate

International Representation

Legal Representation

(Media IP)

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Proposed Board of Directors/Officers

Initial Appointment: The Initial Board of Directors may be appointed by the incorporator or the sole current Board member and shall consist of representatives of the Charter Members who have executed the Charter Members Agreement; such Charter Members shall prior to or contemporaneously at the Organization meeting of the Foundation submit an executed Charter Member Agreement. Said members of the Initial Board of Directors shall serve until their term expires or terminates or until their successors are elected.

Officers: chairperson, a president who is also the chief executive officer, a secretary, and a treasurer.

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Board Roles & Responsibilities

The Fun Role

  • Be an Evangelist
  • Be an Ambassador
  • Be a Strategic Visionary

The Legal Role

  • Duty of Care
  • Duty of Loyalty
  • Duty of Obedience

Expectation is that Board of Directors will spend 1-2 hours per month related directly to the governance of the organization and 3-5 hours a month evangelizing.

18 of 66

Board/Officer Meeting Cadence

Recommendation:

    • Monthly Conference Calls for Board of Directors
    • At least two F2F Meetings for Board of Directors per year
    • Monthly Officer Conference call two weeks prior to Board Meeting

19 of 66

Discussion and Next Steps on Organization of Leadership

  • Confirmation of Foundation Organizational Structure�
  • Confirmation of Founders/Directors Composition�
  • Confirmation of Board Roles and Responsibilities

Actions and Next Steps Based on Discussion

  • List actions, owner(s), and due dates

20 of 66

Networking Break

21 of 66

SRF Participation Model

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Target Audiences

Target Members

Target Industries

  • Media Companies
  • Publishers
  • Technology Vendors
    • Mobile
    • Video
    • CryptoCurrency
  • Developer
  • Entrepreneur

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Activities of the Foundation

Concrete Developer Resources

  • Open Source Code Repository

Events

  • Member-Only Meetings
  • Local MeetUps
  • Hack-a-Thons
  • Industry Event Participation

Public Website

  • Primary source of information

Education/Professional Development

  • Certification or Credentialing
  • Online Training
  • White Papers
  • Career Center

Goals

Activities

Structure

Member�Value

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Gradual Expansion Plan

Broader Set of�Industry� Participants�Added

Core Set of�Industry� Participants�Added

Board members�secured

Virtual recommends a gradual opening of the organization to ensure forward progress in a methodical, controlled manner

These are generally�the deeper financial�and resource commitments

These are generally�the lighter financial�and resource commitments

Participation Growth Path

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Membership Structure

Member Classes

Charter Member ($$$$)�(Targeted for those organizations most strongly committed to the mission of the SRF and which seek the deepest level of participation)

General Member ($$$)�(Targeted for those organizations that plan to participate in SRF at meaningful levels)

Associate Member ($$)(Targeted for those organizations that seek a modest level of participation in SRF)

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Example Membership Benefits

Benefit

Charter

General

Associate

Eligible to appoint a representative to be elected to sit on the Board

Eligible to be appointed or elected as an officer

Entitled to one vote on any matters brought forth to the members for a vote

May Chair a Working Group

or co-chair

May Participate in a Working Group

May participate in Conference Calls and Meetups

able to present if asked by the Board

May attend all-member events

Right to be listed on the SRF website with a hyperlink

Right to be listed in SRF press releases

Access to Working Group outputs before they are made available publicly

Access to Professional Development offerings (fee may depend on membership level)

May attend SRF hosted events (fee may depend on membership level)

27 of 66

SRF Recruitment Plan

28 of 66

Recruitment

Staff Driven

Sales Resource

  • Incentivized sales support to drive recruitment

Events

  • SRF participation at key industry events
    • Exhibit, Speak, Host a Reception, Sponsor
  • SRF Hosted Webinars
    • Open to the public, provide thought leadership, build the brand

PR and Marketing Channels

  • Develop a social media strategy
  • Develop an email marketing strategy
  • Develop a PR strategy

Member Driven

  • Directors evangelize SRF with contacts at events etc.
  • Members evangelize using SRF digital materials and info
  • Word of mouth

29 of 66

SRF Launch

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Launch Success

What does a successful launch look like for SRF:

  • Dependent on key members joining?
  • Dependent on geographic representation?
  • Dependent on industry segment diversity?
  • Dependent on SRF activities being ready?
  • Dependent on outside factors (such as Steem or SMT releases)?

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Timing

May 17

1st Face-to-Face Mtg.

By June 30

2nd Face-to-Face meeting held

Timing??

Final review of governance docs, choose BOD & Officers

Timing??

Founding Board member signed membership agreements received

Timing??

Operational Meeting/1st Board Meeting

Timing

Soft launch; announcement of foundation

Timing??

Public launch at an event?

32 of 66

Summary and Next Steps

33 of 66

Meeting Goals Achieved

  • Introduce the concept of the Steem Research Foundation�
  • Attain validation/feedback on planned direction and activities�
  • Secure commitment to participate

34 of 66

Next Steps

  • Plan for second face-to-face meeting

35 of 66

Welcome & Introductions

36 of 66

Agenda

What is the Steem Research Foundation?

    • Vision
    • Mission/Goals
    • SRF Relationships

How does the Steem Research Foundation Operate?

    • Legal, Governance and Organizational Model
    • Board Roles & Responsibilities

Who are the Steem Research Foundation Participants and How do they Engage?

    • Target Audience
    • Membership Structure
    • Activity Plan

How does the Steem Research Foundation Grow?

    • Recruiting Plan

When does the Steem Research Foundation Launch?

Agree to Action Items and Next Steps

    • Assign owners and due dates

37 of 66

Antitrust Considerations

The participants in this meeting acknowledge that they may compete with one another in various lines of business and that it is therefore imperative that they and their respective representatives act in a manner that does not violate any applicable antitrust laws and regulations. Each participant may have similar agreements with others. Each participant may design, develop, manufacture, acquire or market competitive deliverables, products and services, and conduct its business, in whatever way it chooses. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the participants agree not to have any discussion relating to any product pricing, methods or channels of product distribution, division of markets, allocation of customers or any other topic that should not be discussed among competitors.

38 of 66

Meeting Goals

  • Introduce the concept of the Steem Research Foundation�
  • Attain validation/feedback on planned direction and activities�
  • Secure commitment to participate

39 of 66

Introducing the Steem Research Foundation

40 of 66

VISION OF THE STEEM RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Ned Scott

41 of 66

Mission of the SRF

The purpose and mission of the Foundation is to support, advance and develop a technical and business environment in the computer industry for the Steem blockchain, SMTs and the Steem ecosystem in general through education initiatives and the sponsorship of technical programs.

The specific purposes of the Foundation are:

  • Encourage entrepreneurs and developers to learn about and build on the Steem blockchain and use various Steem-related tools (such as SMTs) new businesses and decentralized applications;
  • Educate and advocate regarding the Steem blockchain, SMTs and other decentralized applications built on the Steem blockchain;
  • Identify and create specifications and developer certifications to further the technical development of the Steem blockchain, SMTs and other decentralized applications built on the Steem blockchain.
  • Provide networking and professional opportunities, programs, services and resources for members within the organization that would not be available elsewhere in the industry.

42 of 66

Near-Term Goals of the SRF

  • Secure participation commitments from a core set of targeted initial SRF leadership team
  • Complete the formation and build-out of the SRF operational infrastructure, agree on mission and goals, and deliverables 
  • Establish a clear plan for the public launch of SRF; launch the organization
  • Attract a critical mass of initial members of SRF, particularly from a diverse set of industry segments
  • Board Leadership to establish a crisp set of goals/target outcomes for SRF over the next two years

43 of 66

Discussion and Next Steps on Mission/Goals and Deliverables

  • Validation of Mission

  • Validation of Goals

  • Identify Deliverables

Actions and Next Steps Based on Discussion

  • List actions, owner(s), and due dates

44 of 66

SRF Planned Structure and Operational Model

45 of 66

Legal Documents

Completed

  • Certificate of Incorporation

Filed in Delaware on January 24, 2018 as a 501(c)6 non-profit corporation

Additional Docs Necessary

  • Bylaws (initial draft complete)
  • Antitrust Policy (initial draft complete)
  • IP Rights Policy (initial draft complete)
  • NDA (initial draft complete)
  • Membership Agreement (initial draft complete)
  • Operating Procedures

46 of 66

Organizational Structure

Board of Directors

Working Groups

Consultants/Vendors

Staff

Executive Committee

47 of 66

Board of Directors Composition

Each Charter Member may nominate a candidate to be elected as a Director to serve a three year term.

Each Charter Member may appoint an alternate representative to serve on the Board on a temporary basis; the designated Director and the alternate may attend meetings in a nonvoting capacity (the alternate being in a nonvoting capacity)

Ideal Board member candidates have deep industry expertise, strong interest in the mission of the SRF, and an ability to commit the time necessary to lead.

Size of the Board is limited to ensure that it is a functional group, well-equipped to drive forward progress.

Proposed size of no less than 3 and no more than 11 with a focus on cross-sector diversity across each target segment.

Developer Advocate

Content Creator/Community Advocate

International Representation

Legal Representation

(Media IP)

48 of 66

Proposed Board of Directors/Officers

Initial Appointment: The Initial Board of Directors may be appointed by the incorporator or the sole current Board member and shall consist of representatives of the Charter Members who have executed the Charter Members Agreement; such Charter Members shall prior to or contemporaneously at the Organization meeting of the Foundation submit an executed Charter Member Agreement. Said members of the Initial Board of Directors shall serve until their term expires or terminates or until their successors are elected.

Officers: chairperson, a president who is also the chief executive officer, a secretary, and a treasurer.

49 of 66

Board Roles & Responsibilities

The Fun Role

  • Be an Evangelist
  • Be an Ambassador
  • Be a Strategic Visionary

The Legal Role

  • Duty of Care
  • Duty of Loyalty
  • Duty of Obedience

Expectation is that Board of Directors will spend 1-2 hours per month related directly to the governance of the organization and 3-5 hours a month evangelizing.

50 of 66

Board/Officer Meeting Cadence

Recommendation:

    • Monthly Conference Calls for Board of Directors
    • At least two F2F Meetings for Board of Directors per year
    • Monthly Officer Conference call two weeks prior to Board Meeting

51 of 66

Discussion and Next Steps on Organization of Leadership

  • Confirmation of Foundation Organizational Structure�
  • Confirmation of Founders/Directors Composition�
  • Confirmation of Board Roles and Responsibilities

Actions and Next Steps Based on Discussion

  • List actions, owner(s), and due dates

52 of 66

Networking Break

53 of 66

SRF Participation Model

54 of 66

Target Audiences

Target Members

Target Industries

  • Media Companies
  • Publishers
  • Technology Vendors
    • Mobile
    • Video
    • CryptoCurrency
  • Developer
  • Entrepreneur
  • Content Creator

55 of 66

Activities of the Foundation

Concrete Developer Resources

  • Open Source Code Repository

Community

  • Developer Portal/Forum

Events

  • Member-Only Meetings
  • Local MeetUps
  • Hack-a-Thons
  • Industry Event Participation

Public Website

  • Primary source of information

Professional Development

  • Certification or Credentialing
  • Online Training
  • White Papers
  • Career Center

Standards Development

  • Working Groups

Goals

Activities

Structure

Member�Value

56 of 66

Gradual Expansion Plan

Broader Set of�Industry� Participants�Added

Core Set of�Industry� Participants�Added

Board members�secured

Virtual recommends a gradual opening of the organization to ensure forward progress in a methodical, controlled manner

These are generally�the deeper financial�and resource commitments

These are generally�the lighter financial�and resource commitments

Participation Growth Path

57 of 66

Membership Structure

Member Classes

Charter Member ($$$$)�(Targeted for those organizations most strongly committed to the mission of the SRF and which seek the deepest level of participation)

General Member ($$$)�(Targeted for those organizations that plan to participate in SRF at meaningful levels)

Associate Member ($$)(Targeted for those organizations that seek a modest level of participation in SRF)

58 of 66

Example Membership Benefits

Benefit

Charter

General

Associate

Eligible to appoint a representative to be elected to sit on the Board

Eligible to be appointed or elected as an officer

Entitled to one vote on any matters brought forth to the members for a vote

May Chair a Working Group

or co-chair

May Participate in a Working Group

May participate in Conference Calls and Meetups

able to present if asked by the Board

May attend all-member events

Right to be listed on the SRF website with a hyperlink

Right to be listed in SRF press releases

Access to Working Group outputs before they are made available publicly

Access to Professional Development offerings (fee may depend on membership level)

May attend SRF hosted events (fee may depend on membership level)

59 of 66

SRF Recruitment Plan

60 of 66

Recruitment

Staff Driven

Events

  • SRF participation at key industry events
    • Exhibit, Speak, Host a Reception, Sponsor
  • SRF Hosted Webinars
    • Open to the public, provide thought leadership, build the brand

PR and Marketing Channels

  • Develop a social media strategy
  • Develop an email marketing strategy
  • Develop a PR strategy

Member Driven

  • Directors evangelize SRF with contacts at events etc.
  • Members evangelize using SRF digital materials and info
  • Word of mouth

61 of 66

SRF Launch

62 of 66

Launch Success

What does a successful launch look like for SRF:

  • Dependent on key members joining?
  • Dependent on geographic representation?
  • Dependent on industry segment diversity?
  • Dependent on SRF activities being ready?
  • Dependent on outside factors (such as Steem or SMT releases)?

63 of 66

Timing

May 17/18

Validation

By June 29

2nd Face-to-Face meeting held

Timing??

Final review of governance docs, choose BOD & Officers

Timing??

Founding Board member signed membership agreements received

Timing??

Operational Meeting/1st Board Meeting

Timing

Soft launch; announcement of foundation

Timing??

Public launch at an event?

64 of 66

Summary and Next Steps

65 of 66

Meeting Goals Achieved

  • Introduce the concept of the Steem Research Foundation�
  • Attain validation/feedback on planned direction and activities�
  • Secure commitment to participate

66 of 66

Next Steps

  • Plan for second face-to-face meeting