Introducing Projects on Layer3

May 11th, 2022

The way we work is changing, fast.

Just look at the rise of platforms like Upwork, where talented individuals exchange their time and skills for cash compensation. People want to earn on their own terms.

Here’s the thing though.

In this model, talent gets zero stake in the projects they’re contributing to. This means individuals cannot share in the upside of the projects they’ve backed, often at the earliest stages.

At Layer3 we want to create more people like David Choe, the artist who painted murals on Facebook’s Palo Alto office in 2005. Choe took his compensation in company stock, and that $60k in ownership turned into $200M years later.

To that end, today we’re launching one of our most-requested products: Projects. This is a big step towards making meaningful work in web3, and earning ownership a reality.

How it works

Projects are a game changer for the communities and contributors who use Layer3.

Here’s how:

Communities post a Project on Layer3, which are typically longer-term, high-impact tasks
Contributors apply to the Project by sharing their pseudonymous Layer3 profile, experience, and why they’re right for the job
Communities review applicants via their Layer3 dashboard, shortlist promising candidates, and select someone for the project
Contributors complete the work while building relationships with core team members from the DAO
Contributors get paid in ownership with payment in the DAO’s token—automatically processed through Layer3

Or, in other words... here’s a TLDR 👇

That’s Layer3 Projects 👋

Why we built it

Big web2 talent marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr make finding freelance opportunities easy, but offer no way to earn ownership.

Then along came DAOs - which are unlocking the possibility to earn in ownership (or governance tokens). But contributing to a DAO usually amounts to digital barbed wire, and it’s even more difficult to earn a liveable wage or significant income on a part-time basis.

With Projects on Layer3 there’s one place to find relevant ways to contribute to a web3 community and earn ownership. We’re making it easy for contributors to find work and for DAOs to find the the best talent.

The evolution of work on Layer3

We’re building the best place for web3 work.

Most of the work on Layer3 has been “Contests,” where fellow contributors submit work and compete to earn token rewards.

But this model doesn’t work so well when work requires increasing time and effort. This is something we hear a lot from our community.

For longer-form, high-impact work, contributors need certainty about compensation for their time. And communities want to hand-pick the best candidates for the job.

So projects are a natural next step. It’s a 1:1 matching of talent to web3 work.