What if...
...you just kept building?
Even when there is blood in the streets.
Even in the face of amazing teams dissolving and people going back to fiat mining.
For those of us who have dedicated our lives to this movement, we have to keep moving.
The market has taken it's toll on all of us.
Especially the Block Producer and Witness communities.
But we just keep building because it's what we do.
In this industry... some ideas haunt you.
They keep you up at night.
They get you up in the morning.
The right ideas are worth fighting for.
The best ideas create a culture of shared perspectives; a community. π
TL;DR
After recently exiting from a blockchain startup and joining forces with @bitspace as Chief of Product for @bitgatex - @aet, @raleighfelton, @adamelmostehi and myself (@sf2) have formed a new entity called Fractal that will be a part of the Bitspace family of companies. We're happy to announce we will still be releasing our desktop wallet in Q1 officially with the support of @cryptolions, @hkeos, @eos.detroit, @eoscafe, @bitspace and others.
The Fractal team will be continuing support for other community projects we founded, came out of pocket and / or worked on in our own personal time like EOS Rise, EOS Tutorials, EOS UX Working Group and EOS Votes in 2019.
What is Fractal?
The realization of an idea and the foundations of a community.
Born from the heart of decentralized ecosystems like EOS, Steemit & Bitshares, Fractal is a collective of like minded creatives, UX pros, software & infrastructure engineers and growth marketers who are driven to create change.
We believe in the power of decentralized software and systems to create a more equitable and transparent world, but not with blind idealism. Understanding the technology adoption life cycle, we approach these goals with focus, deliberation and a clear path to execution.
Our commitment to this belief is exhibited by:
- Investing capital in projects that foster the advancement, adoption and awareness of blockchain technology.
- Engaging in the community to understand key issues and how they may be resolved.
- Donating time, resources and know how towards critical community initiatives.
- Being ambivalent and agnostic to any one protocol, group or chain, but a helpful, compassionate friend to all.
What does Fractal do?
Simply put - we invest in, build and grow decentralized applications and communities.
We specialize in UX/UI, Brand Development and Growth. Fractal has access to deep technical expertise (smart contract development, infrastructure, security, etc...) through it's partners, advisory and as part of the @Bitspace family of companies. Our program for pre-seed and early growth seed dApp startups building with EOSIO software provides help fleshing out a Minimum Lovable Product (MLP).
Compensation is usually in the form of equity and / or token distributions, as well as a combination of fiat depending on the nature of the project. Our team also occasionally consults with select startups and companies in the blockchain industry on a case by case basis.
Our Philosophy
Community is the real currency of decentralized applications and protocols. Our members, advisors and core team have a deep understanding of this and know that even the best projects live and die by their community. This is why we put community at the center of everything we do.
Our philosophy can be distilled into five guiding principles:
Be As You Are
Individualism and personal sovereignty should be protected at all cost, as they are the cornerstone of the human condition.Do Work That Matters
Spend time doing work that has tangible impact to others and yourself.Support The Good Work
Support the good work others do and give recognition when and where it is due.Continuously Improving
Always asking how we can do better.Lead From Behind
Good leaders create other leaders. By empowering others we also enrich our own lives.
Our Mission
We are driven by more than a paycheck, united in a common mission.
To Educate
We believe that the goals of decentralization can only be realized if people have access to this technology. Our primary mission is to advance and spread knowledge about the benefits of decentralized systems to as many people as we can.To Inspire Purpose
We strive to inspire others through our own actions and work.To Build Freedom
Build and protect individual sovereignty, ownership, privacy and rights through decentralization.
Core Values
The shared belief among all members of Fractal can be distilled into five core values we define as T.R.U.T.H:
Tenacity
The perseverance and vision to drive predictable outcomes.Reliability
Being dependable and the one others can call on.Understanding
Understanding where others are coming from and having the ability to develop empathy and humility.Trustworthiness
Be the stalwarts of the community you serve.Honesty
Honesty in our words and integrity in our work.
Code of Conduct
Our founding team, advisory and strategic partners have a rich history in blockchain startups and communities. We bring this experience into any venture we commit our time to, and we only commit our time to things we truly believe in. Our members operate under a strict code of conduct that guides our communications in the communities we operate in.
Be Fair, Be Balanced
We believe in the guiding principles of decentralization but do not engage in the religion, zealotry or tribalism that comes with it. Remaining protocol agnostic and understanding that there are different platforms to solve different problems is a standard of all who represent us publicly or privately.Stay Golden
How we treat others is often a reflection of how we see and treat ourselves. All Fractal members strive to treat others as they would like to be treated.Give Disclosure
If any of our members have a vested interest in a project, group or entity that would represent a conflict of interest in their public representation they will proactively disclose it in the appropriate manner. Our members will always be forthcoming about any potential conflicts of interest if and when those situations present themselves.Build Bridges
Members have an open door policy and will work as connectors across blockchain communities. Therefore, we try to be a friend to all and enemy to none.Say Your Peace
Fractal believes honest conflict has more social value than dishonest harmony. Our members are not afraid to speak up or speak out if necessary. We will always do so in accordance with our code of conduct, giving respect and professional dignity to those we may disagree with.Our Team
Our founding team is comprised of prominent leaders from the EOS community, UX designers, PR & marketing pros and analysts who have been active in the digital asset community since 2014.
Steve Floyd
Founder & CEOA lifelong learner of computer science and design theory, Steveβs been working in different industries for over 15 years running his own creative agency. He helps Fractal move fast and focus on the best outcomes.
Anna Taylor
Director of CommunicationsWith a degree in public relations & advertising and a decade in various aspects of marketing and media outreach, and recognized community leader, Anna helps Fractal build bridges in the community and communicate our key messages effectively across mediums.
Raleigh Felton
Chief of DesignA seasoned veteran in the field of UX/UI, branding & advertising, blockchain enthusiast and advocate, Raleigh helps Fractal set itself apart as one of the leading user experience focused teams in blockchain.
Adam Elmostehi
Business DevelopmentCommunity advocate, entrepreneur, student of human behavior and economics, Adam is the glue that helps the Tribe drive itβs international community outreach.
Advisory
Having the resources and team is only one part of the equation. Recognizing that the scope of technical obstacles in virtually any blockchain protocol is variable and highly specialized, we have tapped some of the sharpest up and coming minds in blockchain as advisory to help us traverse the most complex problems.
Christian Lains
Bitgate / Bitspace
Christian is the Co-Founder of both BitSpace and BitGate, and has been a key figure in the blockchain community since 2011.Jae Chung
Jae is a recognized technical leader in the world of EOSIO software and specializes in building blockchain infrastructure, security and smart contracts.
Rob Konsdorf
Rob Konsdorf is a passionate technologist with a rich and storied history in DPOS communities and our brother from another mother.Roadmap
Our team has developed a roadmap for 2019 to better communicate our goals and how you, the community, can hold us accountable. We plan to post transparency reports on our progress along the way.
Q1 2019
β Fractal Announcement
β Project Roadmaps
β Event Planning
β Metatron Public Beta
β Referendum Awareness
β EOS Votes Upgrade
Q2 2019
β Community Outreach
β Media Outreach
β Metatron Support
β EOS Rise Europe
β Chintai (Design Strategy)
β Transparency Report
Q3 2019
β Metatron Referendum Support
β Community Education Spotlight
β EOS Tutorials (Relaunch)
β EOS Rise Asia
β Transparency Report
Q4 2019
β Incubator Program
β dApp Announcement & MVP
β Ongoing Metatron Support
β Transparency Report
Our Contributions
Our founding team has made significant contributions at critical stages of the EOSIO software community, dedicating thousands of hours collectively and even being cited in the genesis block for those efforts.
Governance
Community
- EOS UX Working Group (Founders)
- EOS Dallas Meetup (Founders)
- EOS Denver Meetup (Co-Founders)
- Mainnet Launch T-Shirts
- EOS Rise West (Original)
- EOS Rise
- Conexus
- DPOS Dinner
dApps, Tools & Resources
Our Promise
Our founding team promises to uphold these goals and standards for the community to the best of our ability, and will communicate progress and transparency reports quarterly.
Final Thoughts
After being active in the block producer community this year (even being in the top 21 at one point), globetrotting a bit and talking to communities all over the world, it was obvious a new dynamic was emerging.
The idea of bringing the same approach to a more traditional business (like an incubator or consultancy) has intrigued us for the last year.
We wanted to look past just EOS and assess the larger blockchain industry, crafting a brand and community that could grow beyond the boundaries of any one protocol or project. Bringing the people who believe in us with us, sharing in that success.
This community is why we have a team of amazing people, a platform to share our ideas and an exciting new industry to explore and grow with.
That is why we love you.