Because of forum limits on consecutive replies, I am including two separate RA applications in one post here. If that’s a problem let me know and I’ll split them up. They are both for the same person (Valdorff). They should not be taken to be jointly exhaustive of the things that Valdorff has done that might be appropriate for an RA. Rather they are the two items that I feel most comfortable writing an application for given my knowledge and experience and the two items I most want to see rewarded from a governance perspective.
Retrospective Award Application
Retrospective Award
Title
Governance Facilitation
Who is the proposed retrospective award recipient?
Valdorff
What specific project or work is the retrospective award in recognition of?
The purpose of this retrospective award application is to recognize the work that Valdorff has done over the past year in keeping the pDAO governance process running smoothly. Here I specifically have in mind his role as a sort-of unofficial elections officer. This has included calling for elections as dictated by RPIPs, writing vote text, posting forum threads and polls per our outlined processes, soliciting nominations, collecting position statements, and organizing ballots (including reminders to the Team to move his text to Snapshot). This has also included organizing the RPIP snapshot votes. The latter has often involved helping others with the RPIP process and shepherding RPIPs other than his own across the finish line to get them ready to vote.
There are two caveats to this application. First, I do not envision the application as being for Valdorff’s work writing RPIPs themselves. Others can nominate people for such things if they choose, but as someone who has written 1.5 RPIPs myself, I think that the reward for doing so is having a larger influence over pDAO governance through agenda setting and framing.
Second, and this was requested to be added by Valdorff, this work is not highly specialized, but is mainly based on energy and effort. He sincerely hopes that others will step in (either one off or repeatedly) and this RA grant serves as an important precedent to show the work is valued and likely to be rewarded.
Are the subjects of this award entirely open source (MIT, GPL, Apache, CC BY license or similar)? If not, which parts will not be, why, and under what license will they be published?
I don’t think this question is particularly applicable, but inasmuch as it is: yes.
Benefits - enter N/A where appropriate
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given help people looking to stake ETH for rETH?
This answer is going to be the same for many of these questions. Valdorff’s work in this area has helped ensure that the RPIP process is a meaningful and successful one, and that the creation of our Management Committees has gone from idea to practice. Both of those factors have been important in the success of the protocol and of RP’s staking product.
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given help rETH holders?
See above.
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given help people looking to run a Rocket Pool node for the first time?
N/A
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given help people already running a Rocket Pool node?
This is the area where Valdorff’s work has had the most direct impact, as node operators are the voters of the pDAO. His efforts have assisted NOs in having their voice heard in snapshot votes.
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given how does this help the Rocket Pool community?
See above.
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given how does this help RPL holders?
See above.
Payment
How much in USD is the applicant requesting be awarded to the recipient?
$7500 - This is a hard amount to set. I don’t think that the work itself was difficult or required specialized knowledge (though assistance with the RPIP process did at least involve some specialized knowledge). Rather the reward should reflect the pDAO recognizing that even though it was a job that most members could do, it was not a job that anyone wanted to actually step up and do. There were ~15 votes shepherded through (though some take more effort than others, such as committee selections). An average around $500 per vote feels to me like a fair amount for saying thank you to someone for doing something that we clearly need(ed) in order to have a functioning governance process.
To what address should the award be sent if given?
rs.valdorff.eth
Conflict of Interest
Does the person or persons requesting the retrospective award have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if you have nominated a member of the GMC for this retrospective award).
None that I am aware of.
Retrospective Award Application
Retrospective Award
Title
Incentives Management Committee (IMC) Work
Who is the proposed retrospective award recipient?
Valdorff
What specific project or work is the retrospective award in recognition of? Please detail what the project or work entailed and the duration over which it took place.
In numerous discussions on the forum and in Discord, the pDAO has agreed (at least for the time being) that Management Committee positions should be voluntary and unpaid, but that especially strong contributions on such committees can and should be recognized with a retrospective award.
The IMC was voted into office back in September. The re-constituted committee is currently being voted on and should start effective mid-April. This RA would recognize the work that Valdorff did on the IMC, going above and beyond the expectations of a committee member, for the first 6 months of the committee’s existence. During that time Val took on a de facto leadership position; he not only initiated most of the committee’s multisig transactions, but also led discussions and was the one regular and consistent presence from the committee in the #rETH Liquidity Incentives sub-thread. This nomination should not be taken as a slight against any other committee members, several of whom certainly performed the job admirably and in line with expectations for an MC spot. But the award recognizes that Valdorff went above and beyond in being the force that kept the IMC moving.
Are the subjects of this award entirely open source (MIT, GPL, Apache, CC BY license or similar)? If not, which parts will not be, why, and under what license will they be published?
Not sure this is applicable but inasmuch as it is, yes.
Benefits - enter N/A where appropriate
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given help people looking to stake ETH for rETH?
N/A
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given help rETH holders?
The IMC’s work has helped drive the integration of rETH within DeFi protocols as well as the adoption of rETH more broadly. This has created more opportunities (as well as possible financial profits) for those who hold rETH or who might want to hold it in the future.
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given help people looking to run a Rocket Pool node for the first time?
The work of the IMC helped provide deep liquidity and thus confidence in rETH. Secondarily, the incentives helped drive demand for rETH, filling up the deposit pool at a time when we were rETH-constrained.
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given help people already running a Rocket Pool node?
N/A
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given how does this help the Rocket Pool community?
N/A
How did the project or work for which the retrospective award would be given how does this help RPL holders?
RPL holders benefit by greater adoption of rETH, as part of the value of RPL in most models is tied directly to the amount of rETH minted by the protocol.
Payment
How much in USD is the applicant requesting be awarded to the recipient?
$10000 - Much like the first award, this was a hard amount to set but I believe this appropriately in line with the amounts given in the first round of retrospective awards. The IMC played a crucial role in incentivizing the adoption and use of rETH in DeFi, especially around and right after the time of the Merge. Valdorff was a vital part of making sure the IMC was active in pursuing opportunities and updating its plans to match changing conditions in DeFi.
To what address should the award be sent if given?
rs.valdorff.eth
Conflict of Interest
Does the person or persons requesting the retrospective award have any conflicts of interest to disclose? (Please disclose here if you are a member of the GMC or if you have nominated a member of the GMC for this retrospective award).
To my knowledge, there are none.