Introduction to RetroSeason
As Retro Funding Round 6 begins and Optimism Fractal celebrates its one-year anniversary, we're excited to introduce RetroSeason - a comprehensive initiative that enhances the evaluation and reward system for public goods creators within the Optimism Collective.
RetroSeason creates a more robust and participatory system for measuring impact and allocating resources through three key components: RetroPitches, RetroPolls, and the planned RetroReport. These elements work in harmony to create a holistic approach to impact evaluation aligned with Optimism's mission.
In the following sections, we'll explore how RetroSeason fits into the broader context of Retro Funding and the Optimism ecosystem. Whether you're a long-time contributor, a project applying for Retro Funding, or new to the community, RetroSeason offers something for everyone. Join us as we revolutionize how we recognize and reward contributions to the Optimism ecosystem.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to RetroSeason
- Optimism and Retro Funding: A Brief Overview
- Optimism Fractal’s One Year Anniversary
- RetroSeason: A New Approach to Impact Evaluation
- RetroPitches
- Optimism Governance RetroPitches
- Optimism Fractal RetroPitches
- RetroPolls
- Onchain Voting Structure
- Multi-Stakeholder Participation
- Supporting Badge Holder Evaluation
- RetroReport
- Optimism Fractal and RetroSeason
- Get Involved
- Related Posts
Optimism and Retro Funding: A Brief Overview
If you’re not already familiar, Optimism is an interconnected network of blockchains scaling Ethereum on a open-source codebase called the OP Stack. It’s called the Superchain and it’s working to create a more equitable internet for all, while making onchain transactions faster, cheaper, and more accessible.
At the heart of Optimism's philosophy is the concept of retroactive public goods funding (aka RetroFunding), a novel approach to supporting projects that benefit the ecosystem. Unlike traditional grant programs that try to predict future value, RetroFunding looks back to reward projects that have already demonstrated their impact. This aligns incentives and encourages developers to create value first, knowing they may be rewarded later. You can learn more about RetroFunding at retrofunding.optimism.io.
Currently, Optimism is in the midst of RetroFunding Round 6, focusing on contributions to Optimism Governance. This round will distribute up to 3.5 million OP tokens to projects that have made significant impacts in governance tooling & infrastructure, analytics, and leadership over the past year.
Optimism Fractal’s One Year Anniversary
Optimism Fractal is a community within the larger Optimism ecosystem, dedicated to fostering collaboration, awarding public goods creators, and optimizing governance on the Optimism Superchain. Over the past year, Optimism Fractal has been pioneering innovative approaches to community coordination and impact evaluation.
Central to Optimism Fractal's approach is the Respect Game, where participants earn non-transferable Respect tokens by contributing to the community. These tokens serve as a measure of reputation and impact within the ecosystem, and enable decentralized governance and capital allocation systems that can greatly benefit the Optimism Collective. As we look to the future, Optimism Fractal is exploring new ways to optimize governance and create value within the Optimism ecosystem.
You can learn more about Optimism Fractal and the Respect Game at OptimismFractal.com and get involved by joining the weekly events on Thursdays at 17 UTC. Join us for our next weekly event to experience the Respect Game firsthand and contribute to the growing Optimism Fractal community.
RetroSeason: A New Approach to Impact Evaluation
RetroSeason consists of three main components:
- RetroPitches: Engaging presentations showcasing contributions to Optimism Governance and the Optimism Fractal ecosystem
- RetroPolls: An on-chain voting system for diverse stakeholders to evaluate contributions
- RetroReport: A comprehensive summary providing insights for badge holders and the community
This initiative aims to assist badge holders in fairly evaluating impact and inform the broader community about the diverse range of projects contributing to Optimism's growth.
RetroPitches
RetroPitches are fun, friendly competitions where public goods creators present their projects and contributions to the Optimism ecosystem. These events provide an engaging platform for projects to showcase their work and for the community to learn about the diverse range of initiatives contributing to Optimism's growth.
This concept builds on our successful RetroPitches pilot program during Retro Funding Round 3, which received enthusiastic feedback from both presenters and audience members. You can learn more about the original RetroPitches and watch videos from previous events here.
Optimism Governance RetroPitches
These events are open to all projects applying for Retro Funding Round 6, focusing on contributions to Optimism Collective Governance. Each participant will have the opportunity to present their retroactive work and impact on Optimism Governance in a concise, engaging format.
This platform allows governance-focused projects to showcase their achievements, network with the community, and provide valuable context for the Retro Funding evaluation process. We encourage all applicants to participate, as these pitches can significantly enhance your project's visibility and help the community better understand your contributions to Optimism Governance.
If you're a Retro Funding Round 6 applicant or interested in learning more, read our article about RetroPitches upcoming announcement with details on how to sign up for your pitch slot.
Optimism Fractal RetroPitches
As part of Optimism Fractal's one-year anniversary celebration, we hosted a special RetroPitches and Retrospectives session for Optimism Fractal community members. This event highlighted the journey and contributions of individuals within the Optimism Fractal ecosystem over the past year, demonstrating personal growth, community impact, and contributions to Optimism's broader goals.
All Optimism Fractal community members were encouraged to participate and share their experiences. This was a great opportunity to reflect on their growth, showcase their contributions, and inspire others in the community. This event not only showcased individual achievements but also demonstrated the collective progress of Optimism Fractal over its inaugural year. Watch the video below to see the full anniversary event and jump to this timestamp to see the RetroPitches.
OF 47: Optimism Fractal RetroPitches & One Year Anniversary Celebration
How is Optimism Fractal making an impact? Join superchain builders in the consensus-driven Respect Game, then praise their optimistic experiences and contributions as we celebrate individual and collective milestones on Optimism Fractal's journey 🎊
RetroPolls
Following RetroPitches presentations, we're launching RetroPolls - an innovative onchain voting system that enables diverse stakeholders to participate in evaluating governance contributions for RetroFunding Round 6. This democratic approach combines multiple perspectives to provide badge holders with valuable signals for impact assessment.
Onchain Voting Structure
RetroPolls utilizes SnapshotX for transparent, onchain voting across three main categories aligned with RetroFunding Round 6:
- Governance Infrastructure & Tooling
- Governance Analytics
- Governance Leadership
For each category, voters evaluate both impact (measurable effects) and contributions (quality and significance of work), providing a more complete picture of value creation.
Multi-Stakeholder Participation
Drawing inspiration from successful governance systems worldwide, RetroPolls implements a pluralistic approach to impact measurement. Voting power is distributed across key stakeholders:
- Token House members (OP holders and delegates)
- Citizens' House badge holders
- Optimism Fractal OPF holders
This structure allows us to capture insights from those most engaged in Optimism governance while maintaining fairness and resistance to manipulation.
Supporting Badge Holder Evaluation
To make participation seamless, we pair RetroPolls with:
- Curated timestamps from RetroPitches presentations
- Project documentation and impact metrics
- Clear interfaces for reviewing and voting
The resulting data will provide badge holders with valuable community-driven insights to inform Round 6 funding decisions, while also helping pioneer evaluation methods that could benefit future rounds.
RetroReport
The planned RetroReport will serve as a comprehensive summary of the RetroSeason, featuring detailed charts and data analysis of the RetroPolls results. The results from can be visualized using The Graph and graphical analysis tools, providing clear and accessible data representations.
This report aims to serve multiple purposes:
- Provide badge holders with easy access to the collective wisdom of the community
- Offer insights into how different stakeholders perceive the impact of various projects
- Assist in the evaluation and rewarding of contributors to Optimism Governance in Retro Funding Round 6
- Inform the development of future impact measurement and Retro Funding mechanisms
- Demonstrate the value of innovative consensus processes and capital allocation protocols within the Optimism Collective
If all goes according to plan, the RetroReport will be published before the end of Retro Funding Round 6, providing ample time for badgeholders to review the results.
Optimism Fractal and RetroSeason
Optimism Fractal, launched in October 2023, builds upon years of work in fractal governance and public goods funding. Its core processes, including the Respect Game and consensus mechanisms, have been refined over time to optimize governance and reward public goods creators.
These align closely with Optimism's mission to scale Ethereum and fund public goods. Now, after a year of intensive development and refinement, the Optimism Fractal community has matured significantly. With robust software tools and well-established processes in place, we're poised to take our contributions to the next level. RetroSeason represents a significant step forward, leveraging our community's expertise and innovative approaches to benefit the broader Optimism ecosystem. A core goal of the Optimystics team and Optimism Fractal community has always been to enhance the RetroFunding process.
By developing and refining these tools and public goods games, we aim to contribute to the broader Optimism ecosystem and help create more effective ways of identifying and rewarding valuable contributions. We’re excited to share RetroSeason with you and hope you’ll enjoy all the initiatives!
Get Involved
Most RetroSeason events will take place during Optimism Town Hall, which occurs immediately after the weekly Optimism Fractal Respect Game events. The Town Hall provides a collaborative forum for discussions about Optimism, featuring innovative community agenda games.
We invite everyone to join our weekly events, where you can participate in the Respect Game, engage in Town Hall discussions, and now, be part of RetroSeason. These events are open to all and provide a great opportunity to engage with the community, showcase your work, and contribute to the future of Optimism. Whether you're a long-time contributor, a project applying for RetroFunding Round 6, or new to the ecosystem, your participation can help shape the future of how we measure and reward contributions to public goods.
As we embark on this journey, we're excited to see how RetroSeason can enhance our collective ability to identify, measure, and reward impactful contributions. Together, we can create a more transparent, fair, and effective system for recognizing and rewarding valuable contributions to the Optimism ecosystem. Join us in shaping the future of public goods funding on Optimism and beyond!
Related Posts
The Respect Game is an elegant onchain social game that anyone can play to grow their community. This profoundly helpful consensus game is at the heart of our work at Optimystics and provides essential public goods infrastructure for the future of all organizations.
Fun, friendly competitions where RetroPGF applicants present their projects and participants rank their pitches!
An exploration of RetroPitches, a consensus game where Optimists coopete to promote their RetroPGF projects and grow Optimism.
Imagine epic tournaments where talented creators compete, collaborate, and coordinate to help the Optimism Collective. Like the Olympic Games, but for creating public goods.
An overview of our impact on Optimism Collective governance, highlighting the development of infrastructure and community engagement necessary for fostering democratic governance on the Superchain.
An innovative onchain system to evaluate impact and contributions on Optimism, allowing diverse ecosystem stakeholders to participate in transparent voting processes.
An overview RetroSeason Week 1 event, which celebrates the one-year anniversary of Optimism Fractal and includes key activities like the Eden Fractal Season Finale and Retropitches.
An exploration of the transformative impact of fractal communities on governance within the Superchain throughout 2024.