Let me start with this - I would like to see Zcash prevail above natural, self-serving interests such as the preservation of power or the pursuit of excess. Success is not guaranteed by seemingly benevolent leaders. We must keep this in mind, especially as Zookoâs braces come off and he attempts to enchant us with pearly whites and flashy cover shots.
All jokes aside, my assumption is that attracting NEW users will require NEW ideas and NEW applications. More NEW ideas, the better.
I like this assumption because it takes from evolutionary biology: We want to increase the reproductive success of MGRC (customer referrals, network effect, etc). More on this later (another post?)
Yes, that is the question! It matters to the the success of the Zcash network -
If MGRC becomes another wing of the ECC, the devfund is inbreeding. There becomes a heavy loss of
- genetic variation (because same ideas getting mixed) and
- competition (because resources become shared between ECC/ZF/MGRC).
This may result in undifferentiated, uninspiring zapps.
As @acityinohio warned before leaving ZF, we should be vigilant. Allow meâŠ
The Big Annoucement, Part 1: Call for Candidates
First, notice that @Zooko extended MGRC deadline specifically to attract more candidates.
May 14, 2020:
Keep in mind the definition of self-dealing:
Self - dealing is when a fiduciary acts in their own best interest in a transaction, rather than in the best interest of their clients.
Who does ECC serve, first and foremost? Investors. Why? For-profit. They need to be able to raise money easily to make well on that potential for their investors.
In regards to MGRC and crypto-governance, I consider self-dealing to be the filling positions and allocating capital in the interest of founders (ECC/ZF/VCs) rather than in the best interest of Zcash end users.
I believe a focus on end users is paramount to the success of the MGRC. MGRC is the liason between devs and users, called to grant funding to useful apps.
Keep in mind that Zooko raised money and created ECC/ZF. ZF largely protects the quality of ECC products by creating redundant code, supporting talent development, and providing some checks and balances (2x2 trademark agreement) -
If people who work at ECC and ZF fill the selection of MGRC candidates with personal picks, as they did the Zcash Community Advisory Panel, and those picks actually get elected, wouldnât you consider that self-dealing?
If so, you probably understand why my question is pertinent and why I am concerned that
- only Chelsea openly admitted to inviting a specific candidate
- other candidates have refused to answer the question, some going so far as to
- declare it foul play or a questionable line of questioning (in your words, a non-question lol)
To reiterate, what I quoted above from Zooko is a call to action by the Founder of the Zcash, which includes ECC, ZF and the investors they rode in on.
It basically says, âUh-oh - we need more candidates to run for MGRCâ
We can expect that people who answer to Zooko (including ECC/ZF/VCs) want to help him! I want to help him, too (but not more than I want to see Zcash become a well-governed internet reserve currency)!
Sidenote:
As a result, few founders of high-potential startups can achieve both wealth and [control]; most choose between one or the other and often end up with neither" Noam Wassermanâs The Founderâs Dilemmas
If Zooko attempts to maintain control through his network of money, he will cap the potential for zcash adoption that comes from people who adapt zcash for users (rather than adapt zcash for investors, orgs, institutions, employees).
The Big Annoucement, Part 2: The Candidates
Why is that sidenote worth mentioning? Because on the very day of the big announcement, we have two new candidates enter!
DPB has been a forum member since Q42018 (@lawzec, for example, is more active despite his first post being his candidate announcement)-
It may be likely that @amiller invited @dontpanicburns: Andrew is on the board of Ethereum Enterprise Alliance (EEA Board of Directors - Enterprise Ethereum Alliance) where DPB is a member.
Then, on the very same day, @Souptacular announces his candidacy
This was Hudsonâs first post in 10 months: Earlier, he released a PR on zecforum as part of the devfund decision making process, too:
Two âoutsidersâ, or so it seems, on the day of Zookoâs annoucement.
Perfect! Soon after, perhaps for good measure, two âinsidersâ were not only announced, but officially endorsed: ZFâs @MineZcash and ECCâs @alchemydc:
But, wait â thereâs more. Like Andrew Miller, Chelsea works for ZF.
Yes, @chelseakomlo invited @SandyOrdonez, whoâs annoucement was also her first post to the forum (notice a pattern?). Yet, that is the level of transparency I would hope for! Wonderful!
Conclusion
It is not hard to imagine that Zooko asked everyone he knows to go find MGRC candidates they know.
In other words, they are empowering who they already know, or people connected to VCs they want to know or serve better, in order to further their interests.
âEmpoweringâ includes promotion from official ECC/ZF and CEO accounts. It also includes suppressing dissent.
Obviously, it is pertinent information considering that 50%+ of ZCAP are âinsidersâ.
Coming back to self-dealing to end here, I leave you with Josh Cincinnatiâs (ex-director of ZF) parting words about the pertinence of my question, as well as some of the questions that were left unanswered/unacknowledged:
