Introduction
As part of RetroSeason and RetroFunding Round 6, we're introducing RetroPolls - an innovative onchain system for evaluating governance contributions across the Optimism ecosystem. This initiative complements RetroPitches presentations by enabling diverse stakeholders to participate in a comprehensive impact assessment process.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What are RetroPolls?
- How RetroPolls Work
- Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation
- Current Stakeholder Participation
- Future Expansion
- Voting Categories & Structure
- Evaluating Impact vs. Contributions
- Impact Evaluation
- Contribution Evaluation
- How to Participate
- Benefits of Participation
- Integration with RetroSeason
- Inspiration for RetroPolls
- Get Involved
- Related Posts
What are RetroPolls?
RetroPolls is a new public goods evaluation system that enables community members to vote on contributions presented during RetroPitch events and beyond. This democratic approach to impact evaluation covers both Optimism Fractal contributions and, more broadly, contributions to Optimism Collective Governance.
The system builds upon successful experiments in decentralized evaluation, including the Respect Game and Respect Trees, to create a comprehensive framework for assessing both contributions and impact in the Collective.
How RetroPolls Work
RetroPolls utilizes onchain voting through SnapshotX, featuring weighted voting polls and multiple voting strategies. This approach captures a nuanced view of impact from various stakeholders across the ecosystem.
Key features include:
- Onchain voting using SnapshotX
- Weighted voting capabilities
- Multiple voting strategies for different stakeholder groups
- Integration with RetroPitches video content
- Easy-to-use interface for voters
For users, participation is as simple as voting in a series of polls. To aid in the evaluation process, we curate video clips of presenters from RetroPitches alongside the polls.
Multi-Stakeholder Evaluation
RetroPolls implements a pluralistic approach to impact measurement, drawing inspiration from successful governance systems worldwide. By incorporating multiple stakeholder perspectives, we create a more nuanced and comprehensive evaluation framework.
The system uses SnapshotX for onchain voting, enabling transparent and verifiable results while maintaining flexibility for multiple voting strategies.
Current Stakeholder Participation
RetroPolls are open to key stakeholders across the ecosystem:
- Token House Members: OP holders and delegates who safeguard protocol evolution and manage economic policies
- Citizens' House Members: Badge holders selected to allocate RetroFunding with one-person-one-vote authority
- Community Members: Active participants in Optimism governance who contribute to ecosystem growth
Future Expansion
Looking ahead, we plan to expand participation to include:
- Past RetroFunding recipients
- Active builders (measured through GitHub contributions)
- Community leaders (measured through Farcaster engagement)
- Additional stakeholder groups identified through governance processes
This expansion aims to capture an increasingly comprehensive range of perspectives and leverage collective wisdom from across the ecosystem.
Voting Categories & Structure
RetroPolls for Retro Funding Round 6 focuses on three main categories, aligned with the round's scope:
- Governance Infrastructure & Tooling
- Governance Analytics
- Governance Leadership
For each category, there are two types of polls:
- Impact Assessment Poll
- Contribution Assessment Poll
This structure allows voters to evaluate projects holistically while maintaining clear distinction between current impact and valuable contributions that may yield future benefits.
Evaluating Impact vs. Contributions
RetroPolls introduces a novel dual evaluation system that measures both impact and contributions separately. This approach is inspired by contribution-based funding research and the understanding that both metrics provide valuable insights into public goods value creation.
Impact Evaluation
Impact measures the positive effects and outcomes that projects have already achieved for the Collective. This aligns with Optimism's core principle that "it's easier to agree on what was useful than what will be useful."
Contribution Evaluation
Contributions reflect the effort, innovation, and resources invested in creating public goods, regardless of their current adoption or measurable impact. As highlighted in contribution-based funding research, this metric helps recognize valuable work that may take time to demonstrate impact.
This dual approach helps address limitations in pure impact-based evaluation by:
- Recognizing early-stage projects with strong potential
- Valuing innovative approaches that may need time for adoption
- Acknowledging sustained effort and commitment to the ecosystem
- Providing a more complete picture of value creation
How to Participate
Participation in RetroPolls is open to qualified stakeholders and involves:
- Reviewing applications and supplementary materials provided by projects
- Watching RetroPitches project presentations (either live or via recorded sessions)
- Voting through the SnapshotX interface on impact and contributions
- Optionally providing feedback through governance forums
Benefits of Participation
By participating in RetroPolls, you:
- Help evaluate and reward vital governance contributions
- Shape the future of RetroFunding processes
- Pioneer new methods for measuring impact
- Support public goods development in the Collective
Integration with RetroSeason
RetroPolls form a crucial bridge between RetroPitches presentations and the final RetroReport. Here's how the planned process flows:
- RetroPitches: Projects present their governance contributions
- RetroPolls: Community members evaluate impact through onchain voting
- RetroReport: Voting data is analyzed and visualized using The Graph protocol
The planned RetroReport will transform onchain voting results into accessible charts and spreadsheets, providing badge holders with clear signals to inform their evaluation process. This data-driven approach helps ensure fair and transparent reward allocation based on demonstrated impact. Learn more about RetroSeason in this article.
Inspiration for RetroPolls
The RetroPolls concept draws significant inspiration from Respect Trees, a framework for decentralized decision-making and resource allocation. Respect Trees were first conceptualized within fractal communities as a way to create a more nuanced and fair system for evaluating contributions and allocating resources.
The idea has evolved through numerous discussions, design iterations, and small-scale experiments. You can explore the history, concept, and potential applications of Respect Trees in more depth through this comprehensive article, which includes explanatory videos and additional resources. You can also see this draft design, which provides inspiration for the planned implementation.
Get Involved
RetroPolls represent an exciting experiment in community-driven impact evaluation. Whether you're a badge holder, delegate, builder, or community member, your participation helps create a more effective and fair system for recognizing value creation in the Optimism ecosystem.
Stay tuned for:
- Upcoming poll announcements
- Voting guides and tutorials
- Results analysis and insights
- Future iterations and improvements
Together, we're pioneering new ways to measure and reward contributions to public goods. Join us in shaping the future of impact evaluation on Optimism.
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