Introducing my name Ramadhan, I took on the role of Wannabe-GovNERD on December 19, 2024 and did several activities in Season 7 such as joining governance calls, completing governance tasks, moderating and removing spam on Discord and guiding interested users to contribute to the Contributor Path.
I thank @brichis & @Sov for the guidance they gave me, even though I failed in the registration to become the Core GovNERDs Season 7, it doesn’t mean I am discouraged, it will prove that I can get in the next and keep learning. Stay Optimistic!
This time, let me share my Questions and Suggestions. In any case, I hope that the ideas I provide can inspire so that together we can create a better path of contribution and have a positive impact on the collective.
Questions:
What is GovNerd’s Vision and Mission for Optimism in 2025?
Will there be an increase in the number of GovNerd in 2025?
What achievements did GovNerd make during 2024?
One of the responsibilities of GovNERD is Support: Assisting projects in applying for Retro Funding. Can you explain what projects have been successfully assisted by GovNerd in applying for Retro Funding?
What system does GovNerd use in duty?
Suggestions:
GovNerd can collaborate with SupNerd to open an academy that educates the public about Optimism, especially the Optimism Governance section, namely local or Global Academy.
GovNerd can only propose tasks to GovNerd Lead and GovNerd cannot create tasks and then claim tasks created by that GovNerd.
Each GovNerd can only suggest 1-2 tasks every 1 month to the GovNerd Lead.
GovNerd has several responsibilities and if they do not carry out their responsibilities for a few weeks, their position can be demoted or even removed.
in Season 7 or season after, my input was to rate GovNerd’s activity, which was based on a few tasks completed, how many tasks were proposed, and their Moderation Activity on Discord.
Allow me to share my perspective please correct me if I’m wrong, and very open to anyone who would like to add their thoughts.
Regarding questions 1 & 2, I believe Sov has already explained them during the “Getting to Know Each Other” call.
GovNERDs have played an important role in Optimism’s governance and have helped lighten the workload of the Foundation team.
Yes, GovNERDs assist with the Retro Funding application process for impactful projects; however, terms and conditions still apply. The assistance provided includes guiding applicants to relevant links, answering questions in the #retrofunding channel, and engaging in discussions on the forum.
I don’t quite understand the term “system” in this context.
Suggestion for No. 5:
Yes, we do have 360 performance reviews, as mentioned on GitHub here, which states: “There also may be 360 performance reviews done at the end of the season”
As for the other suggestions, I will leave them to the Lead/Maintainer. @Sov
Thanks for your questions and suggestions @Ramadhan! I appreciate your active engagement and dedication during your time as a wannabe-govNERD. Let me address your points:
On Vision/Mission and 2025 Planning
As I mentioned in our “Getting to Know Each Other” call, my immediate focus is on ensuring stable core operations for Season 7. While we have some exciting opportunities ahead, I want to be thoughtful about major changes or expansions until we have our foundation solid. The core mission remains unchanged: ensuring timely governance announcements, responsive support across key channels, and high-quality documentation of voting cycles.
On Achievement Tracking and Systems
You raise good points about tracking and systems. As Fuji mentioned, we do have 360 performance reviews. We’re currently working on improving our task management and tracking systems. In fact, over the next few weeks, Julian will be handling task assignments while I focus on developing better infrastructure for both core govNERDs and the contribution path.
On Retro Funding Support
Fuji provided a good overview of how govNERDs support Retro Funding - primarily through guiding applicants to resources and answering questions in the Retro Funding Missions channel. This support role is important but also needs to be balanced with other core responsibilities.
Regarding Your Suggestions:
The academy collaboration idea is interesting - I’ll note this for future consideration once we have our core operations running smoothly.
& 3. Your suggestions about task creation and limits align well with some changes we’re planning. We’re moving toward a more structured task management system that will provide clearer guidelines around task creation and assignment.
& 5. Performance tracking and accountability are definitely important. We’ll be refining these processes as part of our infrastructure improvements.
For now, I want to set clear expectations: we’re temporarily pausing new task assignments through the general contribution path while we establish better systems to support community members. I expect this to take a few weeks, but it will help us create a more sustainable and valuable contribution experience in the long run.
Please keep up your engagement in the community - your perspective and feedback are valuable as we work to improve the program.
