Polkadot Business Fellowship

Ecosystem
1

Hello, everyone!

This post aims to get feedback from the community regarding the proposed Polkadot Business Fellowship group.

TL;DR: The PBF is an initiative to bring awareness about the benefits of Polkadot blockchain technology to the business community. The target audience includes entrepreneurs and companies unfamiliar with leveraging Polkadot technology to enhance their business. The Polkadot Business Fellowship (PBF) consists of 6 individuals who met at the Polkadot Blockchain Academy in Hong Kong, currently developing a range of projects within the Polkadot ecosystem and a shared goal of encouraging the adoption of Polkadot among businesses.

The problem(s) the PBF wants to solve:
Most blockchains have highly skilled technical teams driving the growth of their respective protocols. The technical talent that contributes to the development of Polkadot is top-class. The Polkadot Technical Fellowship exemplifies this. However, despite significant technical expertise, the broader adoption of blockchain remains a hurdle for many networks. For Polkadot to expand its reach, there’s a crucial need to develop decentralized applications (dApps), parachains, and appchains. Onboarding Web 2 businesses/enterprises has been the ultimate goal of every blockchain protocol, yet achieving this milestone has proven challenging for many protocols.

The challenge isn’t the quality of the technology; rather, it lies in the gap between enterprises’ understanding of blockchain’s potential benefits and their operational needs. The technical advantages protocols offer may not align directly with what businesses seek. Many are interested in adopting blockchain but face uncertainty about how to start. This makes it difficult to bring new people into the ecosystem. Most businesses and entrepreneurs do not have time to become blockchain tech experts.

The solution the PBF proposes.
A group specializing in

  1. Bring awareness about the benefits of blockchain technology, especially from a business perspective. This is where we will introduce Polkadot.
  2. Help Web 2 businesses determine if they want to implement blockchain technology. This is where we convey the benefits of building on Polkadot.
  3. Facilitate connecting with technical/non-technical experts and others in the Polkadot community when needed.

Our current target:
While this can change, the PBF will target the consulting, automotive, retail, logistics, supply chain, sustainability, and government sectors. This will help us determine which sectors should be prioritized. There is also the possibility that we will target new sectors.

The Strategy:
The methods used by the PBF to help entrepreneurs will consist of 3 stages:

  1. Target

    • Goal: Target entrepreneurs/companies unfamiliar with blockchain technology, encouraging them to explore its potential.
    • Action: Target and acquire.

  2. Awareness

    • Goal: Help entrepreneurs/companies become aware of blockchain technology and how it can benefit their business. This is where we introduce Polkadot.
    • Action: Educate and inform.

  3. Connect

    • Goal: Help the entrepreneur/company connect with other actors/partners in the Polkadot ecosystem.
    • Action: Connect

What needs to change for Polkadot:
Despite possessing distinct technological advantages compared to other chains, superior technology alone doesn’t guarantee widespread adoption. Sometimes, the technological benefits a chain emphasizes might not align with the actual needs of businesses, potentially leading to a disinterest in blockchain. Businesses/enterprises/entrepreneurs need to understand how Polkadot’s blockchain technology can improve their operations. Demonstrating this relevance is key to encouraging them to use Polkadot.

What PBF wants to do
The PBF consists of founders committed to promoting the benefits of using Polkadot blockchain technology. Every member has blockchain startup experience, skills in business development, marketing, management and a comprehensive understanding of how different components of the Polkadot ecosystem are interconnected.

  • Proactively reach out to entrepreneurs/ companies to present them with the benefits of using Polkadot blockchain technology. We are targeting companies/entrepreneurs who are unaware of Polkadot/blockchain or have misconceptions about blockchain technology.
  • The PBF wants to push the narrative that companies can use Polkadot’s technology to improve their businesses in different ways. And that Polkadot is a better alternative than other blockchain protocols.
  • Have monthly roundtables with entrepreneurs/companies to educate them about the benefits of using Polkadot technology. Here, we present the argument for choosing Polkadot over its competitors.
  • Represent Polkadot at industry events (e.g., Auto industry, Banking industry, Import/Export industry) in each of our respective markets to introduce Web3/Blockchain/Polkadot to the broader Web2 audience.
  • Down the line, we plan to transition from a group to a collective.

Structure of the group:
Initially, the PBF won’t be a collective. This will make it easier to start the process. At some point, we will transition to a collective.

Who we are:

  • Albert: I have been in various “Web2” industries for the past 20+ years, from e-commerce to advertising and fintech. I have worked for big global and Chinese companies (e.g. Amazon, Yahoo, The Ant Group - the biggest Fintech in China). Since last year, I have started to explore the blockchain/web3 world and my knowledge was further enhanced by joining the PBA Hong Kong Founders Track. There I have witnessed first-hand how strong Polkadot’s technology and the potential for various “Web2” companies to adopt, so I believe I can leverage my connections in the various companies and industries to lure the mainstream into the ecosystem. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albert-wong-4bb426/

  • Anta: I started my BD experience as a digital ecosystem and SmartCity Consultant in Indonesia. I am helping cities and regencies in Indonesia to start the SmartCity initiative. I started on Blockchain in 2018 and built Mandala Chain in 2022. With my experience working with enterprises and governments, I am actively introducing blockchain to governments and enterprises in Indonesia. In 2021, I built the Bali Blockchain Center with the Denpasar city Government. I completed the Polkadot Blockchain Academy in Hong Kong for the Founder Track. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahmandesyanta

  • Christian: I have been in the blockchain industry for several years, initially focusing on the SocialFi sector. Polkadot’s technology and very active developer community motivated me to join and build in the ecosystem. I completed the Polkadot Blockchain Academy Hong Kong cohort for the founders track. I was one of the 4 founders to graduate with distinction. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiancasini

  • Mario S: A serial SaaS entrepreneur who, for the past year, has shifted his focus to Blockchain (LinkedCar - tokenization of vehicle data). He was one of the 4 founders who graduated with distinction from the Polkadot Blockchain Academy. (Hong Kong) https://www.linkedin.com/in/marioschraepen/

  • Mario A: With more than two decades of experience in IT consultancy, I have worked with the Italian and UK governments and large enterprises and startups in EdTech. I have held both technical and business roles at the executive level. I completed the PBA and have been engaged in delivering blockchain solutions in the past three years.
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/altimario/

  • William: William is the COO of Talisman, runs the Signet enterprise initiative, and was selected as one of the first Decentralized Voices by the Web3 Foundation. He has first-hand experience with the intricacies of running fully on-chain entities, including treasury management, distributed workforce compensation processes, and other financial and operational processes on both Polkadot and Ethereum. Prior to blockchain, his experience spans Defense, FinTech, and IoT.

What we plan to do in the first 6 months:

  • 4 webinar events
  • 2 in-person events
  • Proactively contact companies/entrepreneurs to explain the benefits of using Polkadot Blockchain technology.

We believe the Polkadot Business Fellowship can add a lot of value to the Polkadot ecosystem.

We look forward to the community’s feedback!

6 Likes
2

I strongly support this initiative. I was in PBA3 and working on my projects, but staying in touch with other founders is for sure a benefit.

Perhaps the fellowship is needed even more now that the founders’ track was discontinued in its current form. At least PBA5 won’t have a founders track and a new format hasn’t been shaped yet for as far as I know. So perhaps there’s room for cooperation here.

I’m also happy to help out actively if that’s needed.

3 Likes
3

I also strongly support this initiative.
Recently, I had a chat with a L1 business developer who said that developers are rare, but good business wo/men even rarer, to capitalize the available opportunities and ship a product.

Some suggestions
→ Plan to offer this content to distribute on LinkedIn
→ Apply as speakers at traditional business events
→ Set up a funnel for the community to support you with contacts
→ Provide transparent incentives (commissions) for you and others to support your work

Let me know regarding support in the DACH region, and on the development of your material.

2 Likes
4

Love the idea.
Didn’t know the founder’s track had been deprecated :frowning:
Would love to join the events, and happy to collaborate on anything I can help with!

1 Like
5

This is a super idea and I believe much needed in the community if we are to bridge the gap between exceptional technology and real world business use cases. I am also confident that these kinds of initiatives will lead to wider adoption of web3.

I will certainly try my best to support and attend any meetings.

2 Likes