Grant Proposal - Lomads - DAO toolkit

Project Title

Lomads - DAO toolkit for greater inclusivity and addressing real world use cases

Description

Till late last year, our team was working building a (web2) mobile app for event ticketing and IRL community management. The communities on our platform did collaborative projects (eg. Filmmakers collective), organised meet-ups (eg. Book club) and shared resources (eg. Small business owners collective), among other things. In a span of just 5 months, nearly 1000 people in Paris used lomads app, attending the events on our platform and joining the communities. But we started seeing the limits of web2 as we saw some of the communities on our platform evolve - having ambitious goals but lacking streamlined value exchange mechanisms.

That’s when we realised that the next paradigm shift has to be value creation and value exchange in communities. The new Lomads was thus born. :seedling:

As we started exploring DAO tool-kits, we realised that they were too cumbersome for web2 users, who we knew quite well. Therefore we decided to start building a DAO tool-kit which was rooted in our own set of unique experiences. Which is why we are creating a tool-kit which is more inclusive - will help onboard web2 users, and addresses real world use cases (NGOs, IRL collectives, local projects etc.).

Manifesto/Vision

:arrow_right: Global coordination, local impact: With web3 global coordination and value exchange is possible in unprecedented way. The immense potential must translate into brining positive change in way business, education, leisure activities and governance, among other things is conducted at the local level.

:arrow_right: Service Networks: The power unleashed by web3 will create independent business entities at a scale never seen before. While this is great for service providers and creators, it makes life difficult for others, putting increasingly higher demand on our already overstressed attention. At Lomads, we envision a world where service providers and creators come together as symbiotic networks orchestrated around broad themes. Imagine a bunch of sustainable fashion brand in Paris becoming a part of sustainable fashion network and having a shared loyalty program.

:arrow_right: Shared Ownership: Our consumption pattern has caused immense damage to earth. Our behaviour must change in order for us to flourish on this planet. We envision a wold where we co-own more and more stuff, from apartments, cars to vacuum cleaners.

Problem

Web3 seems inaccessible to web2 users because of its cumbersome user experience, same holds for DAOs too.

Excessive load on our attention was an issue in web2, which has only gotten worse in web3. No wonder then, most of the DAOs suffer from low member engagement.

The concept of DAO hasn’t found ‘product market fit’ for itself. The main reason, we believe, is the lack of business model innovation around real world use cases.

Solution

Lomads is building a tool-kit which simplifies the onboarding process and transactions so much so that a typical web2 user will breeze through them. Such a user experience will ensure that DAOs with local presence have much higher local traction and support.

This will also solve the problem of low member engagement for the DAOs with local presence. Real world interactions feel more intimate and are more conducive for informal interactions (esp. in case of non-gaming categories) that foster strong sense of camaraderie, leading to higher engagement.

We are also outlining business models around service networks and shared ownership. In due course, they will be rolled out as product features for DAOs to use.

Product Features

Phase 1

  • Wallet-less Onboarding (custodial wallet created for users who do not have a wallet while signing up)

  • Hybrid Transactions (users can easily buy tokens using their credit card if they do not own any widely circulated coins)

  • Simple governance model - proposal and voting

  • Simpler tokenomics for smaller DAOs (DAOs will have the ability to launch tokens that will follow a supply-price bonded curve, so those with low volume of transactions do not have to get into the hassle of listing on DEXs)

Phase 2

  • Liquidity pool module in collaboration with DEXs

  • Building skill/reputation module using Lens protocol

  • DAO template to serve as a vehicle to facilitate service networks

  • DAO template as a vehicle to facilitate shared ownership

Phase 3

  • Advanced governance models

  • Integrating legal and tax compliance services

Phase 4

  • Cross chain usability of tokens

Validation

We already have a few customers from the earlier version of Lomads who are ready to transition into DAOs once our first build is ready (eg. a filmmakers collective).

To develop our model of service networks, we are collaborating with a bunch of sustainable fashion business owners to roll out an umbrella loyalty program for their customers.

To develop our model of shared ownership, we are working with a co-living space startup to workout roadmap and initial token design for their community.

As a startup, we have human centred design DNA and we believe in co-developing products with our customers. :herb:

Progress

  • Walletless Onboarding - completed
  • Hybrid Transactions - completed
  • Token and NFT creation solidity contract - in development
  • DAO creation solidity contract - in development
  • Gnosis safe and snapshot integration - in development

Differentiation (from other projects)

  1. Smooth transition for web2 users. We are waiting to onboard the next 10M users from web2 to web3
  2. Tokenomics for projects that do not want to list on DEXs
  3. Features that specifically address real world use cases

Team

Nishant - design and strategy guy | has led projects worth $80M
Naman - data scientist | formerly tech lead at a deep tech startup
Fred - business model guy | formerly held director position in entertainment and gambling businesses
Ashish - in house blockchain developer | 7+ years of experience in coding
Marcia - graphic designer | illustrator and fashion aficionado
JoJo - community curator | formerly community builder at a DEX
Zelie - UX/UI designer, working on her own comic book

Grant Request

$75,000 USD

What the Funds Are For

Product - currently we are working with one developer and one designer. we need to involve a few more developers and designers in order to speed up our product development process.

Marketing - we need to be present at different conferences in order to spread our vision and attract more contributing community members.

Help Requested

Outside of funding, we would love to take advice from ReallyBoringGuild and the rest of the DAO in community building, tokenomics and in better aligning our product with other key developments taking place in web3.

Additional Resources, Links, Portfolio

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lomads
Instagram: Login • Instagram