Gitcoin username: jamesjohnbeck
ETH Address: jamesbeck.eth
Statement of Intention / My Values & Reason for Joining:
My first interaction with the idea that would become Gitcoin DAO was in 2017. I had recently joined ConsenSysâ marketing team and we were hosting @owocki for a Q&A on what he wanted Gitcoin to solve, and how marketing could support the early platform. New to the culture of OSS, I failed to imagine it any different than a Fiverr for open-source code contributions.
But since then, Gitcoin itself has expanded upon three distinct and important vectors for web3: (1) By transitioning from solely a holding company to new, if cloudy, world of DAOs; (2) by testing out new funding and voting methods which are useful as political experiments even outside of the world of crypto; and finally (3) creating a protocol (soon ) that even other DAOs can use to better allocate funding.
I was invited this past August by @owocki to become a steward and like @Viriya, wanted to get to know the community more before taking on the responsibility. Iâm feeling up to the challenge, especially given how grand the mission is. I see so much potential in the way that Gitcoin is approaching the idea of DAOs: communities that can form over the internet and transparently fund public goods.
Iâve been reviewing the funding proposals for S16, and also spending more time familiarizing myself with the discord channels (though I prefer the way in which I can get such a good sense of the community by attending a schelling point). Iâm looking forward to sharing more of my ideas for the DAO in the coming seasons.
Qualifications /skills
Iâm Director of Content and Communications at ConsenSys, where Iâve been for the last five years. I manage our social, content marketing, and PR teams. I like to think our wordsmiths have helped to educate and onboard millions to web3 â through MetaMask and other dapps built using our developer tools, Infura and Truffle. We champion the communities, artists, developers, and positive outcomes that decentralized networks already enable. ConsenSys is also taking decisive steps to decentralize its own products and services (check out MetaMask Grants and our intent to launch a decentralized infrastructure network with Infura). We have a new policy to encourage more DAO participation outside of ConsenSys (think Googleâs 80/20 rule).
I contribute to DAOs in the cultural spaces of crypto as well as DAOs working on novel climate solutions. I can support Gitcoin in matters related to public policy and perception, comms, content marketing, and creative briefs. Iâm a passionate educator and intent on sharing the successes of Gitcoin with many more people. Prior to diving down the web3 rabbit-hole I worked in public affairs in China (if you see me at a conference, ask me for my take on politburo intrigue, just not if there is loud music playing).