Hello, everyone!
I’m Megha, Founder and COO of Cyborg Network, an emerging parachain project on Polkadot. Together with my co-founder, Barath, we are excited to express our interest in applying for the Decentralized Voices (DV) program. As a team, we proudly refer to ourselves as 'The Cyborgians’.
Our Background:
Hailing from India, we began our entrepreneurial journey together at the age of 18, driven by a shared curiosity for technology. Over time, we’ve evolved and specialized in two essential pillars for a tech startup: Technology and Business.
I, Megha Varshini, hold a Master’s in International Business and have been working in the web3 space for two years. Polkadot has played a pivotal role in bringing my vision to life—leveraging web3 technology to serve a non-web3 user base. I graduated from the PBA in Hong Kong and have experience organizing and managing events at various scales, which gives me the confidence to assess marketing initiatives and events for the value they can add to the Dotsama ecosystem.
Barath began his journey in crypto as a miner and trader before becoming a self-taught Rust and blockchain developer. He gained experience working on several blockchain projects before launching his own. When the idea of Cyborg Network was conceived, Polkadot was his first choice, recognizing its vast potential. He graduated from the PBA at UC Berkeley. Evolving from developer to architect and now leading a potential parachain team, Barath has the expertise to analyze technical complexities and assess the impact of new technological ideas on the ecosystem.
As a team that has experienced the journey of most OpenGov proposers—whether as project builders or event organizers—we possess an in-depth understanding of the intricacies involved in these roles. Below is a link to our interactions with the ecosystem.
“The Cyborgians”
The Motive:
As a young team, Polkadot has provided us with a platform to showcase our vision and helped us realize our potential through initiatives like the PBA. Until now, we have focused primarily on product development and research. However, we believe that this is the right time—and a great opportunity—to deepen our involvement by actively participating in OpenGov.
In our recent successful proposal, we recognized the value of feedback, both technical and analytical, for new ecosystem projects. This guidance can help teams stay on the right path as they continue building and innovating within Polkadot. We feel our team is well-positioned to fill this gap and, given the opportunity, would be eager to contribute through this application.
Cyborg Network:
We founded Cyborg Network in April 2023 and have been fully committed to its development ever since. What began as an idea has evolved into a well-defined project, set to launch on Paseo soon. Polkadot-funded initiatives such as incubators, accelerators, hackathons, and, most notably, the Polkadot Blockchain Academy, have shaped our vision and helped us achieve the right product-market fit.
Cyborg Network is a DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) focused on edge computing servers, or Cyborg Miners. We leverage Zero-Knowledge (ZK) technology to effectively verify AI inference tasks executed on lightweight servers distributed globally, primarily in commercial establishments like convenience stores located near city centers. This strategic placement reduces latency in AI inference engines. By using ZK, we ensure that off-chain tasks are verified on-chain with full data privacy.
We are redefining crypto mining through a two-stage reward system that optimizes the use of connected miners. Miners are rewarded for maintaining uptime and for successfully completing AI inference tasks, which are verified on-chain.
Starting with our own Web 2.5 solution, we are establishing partnerships across both Web2 and Web3 domains. After our launch, we are committed to evolving our parachain into Polkadot’s Web 2.5 hub, empowering developers to build, deploy, and scale Web 2.5 applications on our network. This will be supported by dedicated business development and mentorship initiatives.
Our Political Philosophy:
Our political philosophy is inspired by the ancient Indian tradition, grounded in timeless principles that echo through Vedic thought. We uphold three fundamental pillars: Integrity, Rationality, and Equality.
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Integrity reflects the virtue of Satyam (Truth), where personal and collective honesty aligns with the moral order of Dharma. We are steadfast in our commitment to truthfulness, transparency, and ethical conduct in all our actions.
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Rationality is drawn from the principle of Anumana (Reasoning), deeply rooted in Indian logic and philosophical thought. Our decisions will be guided by clarity of mind, evidence, and logical reasoning, free from external influences.
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Equality resonates with the concept of Samata (Equality), embodying the spiritual and social vision of unity found in the Upanishads, where all beings are seen as equal parts of the divine whole. We are dedicated to voting on proposals based on their merit while giving equal consideration to proposers at all levels, ensuring fairness throughout.
Key principles we consider when voting:
- Avoiding FOMO: We ask ourselves if Polkadot will regret passing up a proposal.
- Treasury Justification: Why should this be funded by the Treasury? Could there be alternative funding methods?
- Right Timing: Is the proposal well-timed, and is the requested support reasonable?
- DOT Impact: Does this initiative have any scope to drive the price of DOT?
We categorize proposals into two main types: marketing and project-based.
Aye:
- Common Good projects with a proven track record (e.g., successful hackathons, grants, or ties to the Polkadot ecosystem).
- Marketing initiatives with a clear value proposition and ROI, focusing on genuine promotional efforts.
- Anything directly benefiting Polkadot gets our support.
Nay:
- New projects with no established credibility. We love seeing new builders join the ecosystem, but asking for funding the very next day of starting a new project shows lack of commitment. That’s a tough sell for us.
- Casual, non-strategic events / parties that don’t add real value to the ecosystem. Treasury funds are precious and should be used wisely.
- Personal Promotion: Proposals that primarily focus on personal benefit, overshadowing their potential positive impact on the Polkadot ecosystem.
Abstain:
- Proposals lacking sufficient detail but backed by a solid reputation.
- Initiatives with potential but proposed at the wrong time. Rather than dismiss them outright, we’ll abstain from voting.
And one of our core beliefs: feedback matters. Whether we vote yes, no, or abstain, we’ll provide reasoning and feedback. It’s the only way to help ideas grow and evolve.
We will implement a multi-tiered evaluation process, including various methods based on the project’s track record and the requested funding amount before casting a vote (which may include GitHub code walkthroughs). Additionally, we will pose strategic questions to assess the proposer’s perspective, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the proposal. We are committed to dedicating ample time to proposals that require closer examination.
Our Advantage:
- Despite our extensive experience in the ecosystem, we maintain a professional relationship, ensuring no personal biases influence our decisions.
- Having gone through the process of submitting a Treasury proposal for Cyborg Network, we experienced first-hand the challenge of obtaining feedback. We firmly believe in the importance of providing constructive feedback, regardless of the vote outcome. Every proposal deserves thorough consideration, and we will offer critical feedback for each one.
- As first-time candidates, we bring a fresh perspective to the table. We’re looking at things with new eyes, and that gives us a competitive edge in spotting ideas that might otherwise be overlooked.
Kusama: FMAwBBzT9jmT6Wmvhmai26TNMi3RLBY3P7FNQkZqPdAaWja
Polkadot: 13mrRC7BgZzK8yhr7e1XxDZc5PRTJxvVfVzz93TxugSC1yJr