NEAR Without the Noise Episode 4: The Open Web Collective and OP Games
At our core, we believe that the future of blockchain is not a zero sum game. The future is one network and many chains. The future is a positive-sum game – it is a multichain world, where founders will build on NEAR for pieces of their tech stack and leverage others as well” – Mildred Idada
4NTS Guild sat down with Mildred Idada from the NEAR team and Chase Freo from OP Games to talk about one of the most unique and exciting accelerator programs in all of crypto: The Open Web Collective.
A full link to the talk can be found here.
The Open Web Collective Is A 3-Month Silicon Valley Based Crypto Accelerator, For Early Stage Crypto Startups
At the beginning of the discussion, Mildred explained the importance of the Open Web Collective in the context of gaining traction for new products based upon where the cryptocurrency space is today:
The best solution put forward by the NEAR team is a blockchain agnostic, 3 month, cryptocurrency incubator known as the Open Web Collective, that accepts founders and teams at all stages of product development into their program!
The Vision Of The Open Web Collective Is To Help Build Out New Crypto Solutions Across Chains
Crucial to the understanding of what the OWC is, is their vision for participation in the new crypto economy. In essence, the OWC is trying to get more developers from Web2, and founders from the traditional startup space into building crypto-based solutions that help advance the ownership economy as well as decentralized infrastructure.
What Does The Open Web Collective Include?
As a 3 month accelerator, the OWC collective puts teams in touch with mentors, industry experts, and other founders all looking to build a better and more open internet of value. Crucial to advancing this vision, the OWC provides any company with the following help and services during the 3 month adventure:
Funding opportunities.
Launching a Token and the Considerations Therein (When is the right time to launch a token?).
Understanding Traction and Product Market Fit: What does traction look like?
Traction and Crypto Communities: How To Build A Community Around Your Product?
New Economies and New Ideas Being Spun up (Thinking Through A New Product in the Ownership or Passion Economy).
As Mildred explained in discussion, crypto-based product models actually have the potential to not just build more open and accessible services, but they can also be funded in new and creative ways:
The OWC Includes Group Meetings, Mentor Trainings, and a Network of Experts
During the 3 month accelerator, teams and individuals can expect to have group meetings with other teams, specific mentor trainings based upon the industry or niche that a product fits into, and a lasting network of contacts in the Web3 space. Teams are able to join any event remotely, making the Collective a truly global opportunity for companies from around the world.
OP Games: An Open Web Collective Case Study
OP Games is a Canadian – Filipino team of gamers and developers interested in building crypto-based monetization models for small and medium size game developers who may normally struggle to catch any market share at all because of the size of the Gaming giants. OP Games allows such companies to plug into the crypto economy to host tournaments, and increase the stakes on their games as an alternative revenue stream to advertising.
Chase went through the first cycle of the Open Web Collective, during which time he refined the idea behind OP Games, to make it more market focused, and sustainable in the long term.
Most importantly, the experience helped him not only refine his product to find a better fit within the existing market, but it also equipped him with the tools he needed to understand the state of his industry in the context of Web3 Adoption:
Applications For Round Two Are Open Until December 11th!
Applications for the second round of the Open Web Collective are Open until December 11th. A Submission form can be found here. Remote teams, solo founders, and those just starting to get an idea of their product are all welcome to apply!
For a full overview of the episode check out the full Youtube video here.