CIP-186 El Salvador Mission

Proposals (CIPs)
1

CIP-186 El Salvador Mission - Strategic exploration

What is CityDAO? Why are we here? The stated purpose is to build the web3 city of the future and help put the land on the Blockchain.

We have a unique and lasting opportunity to make a concrete step toward our goal by building on our current relationship with the Consulate of El Salvador.

There is something here for everyone in CityDAO, and the relationship is supportive. Why some projects may be personally profitable to some, and others may bring national pride - this is a project the entire community can be proud of working on together.

Every now and then, we encounter a unique opportunity that can solidify the future of CityDAO… One opportunity is building on our excellent current relationship with the Consulate of El Salvador.

They have shown interest in what kind of partnerships CityDAO can offer

CIP-129, t0wn, Education programs, and Pebble experiments are some initiatives that could be implemented in a promising country aiming to become a regional tech hub.

Moreover, after the exploration mission to El Salvador that is going to be based on having conversations with the country’s officials and relevant institutions (both within the government and NGOs), we plan to create a meaningful action plan that would leverage our network and Citizen skills in making our contribution in building network states and cities of the future.

Together with Jayespi, in cooperation with the El Salvador consulate, we wish to explore opportunities in that country and create a report showing the results of our conversations and in-field exploration of that promising region.

While the Web2 approach encourages DAOs to start with a product, we believe that with an agile approach to the process, we can leverage our network, the DAO’s decentralized decision-making, and the dynamic growth of El Salvador.

TLDR:

Recently both with @jayespi we established relations with El Salvador government officials.

With the local government’s backing, we anticipate that this journey will lay a solid groundwork for future cooperation and success for CityDAO.

Our plan is to connect with local businesspeople, entrepreneurs, and government representatives to spot potential joint ventures and build connections that CityDAO can leverage in the future.

The journey will be recorded, giving CityDAO content for marketing. Additionally, we’ll compile a detailed report about the situation in El Salvador, which could be useful for prospective partnerships in that region.

We request $9000 from the DAO treasury to compensate for expenses related to the mission so we can explore partnership opportunities in El Salvador.

Best case scenario:

We end up with several partnerships in that region, perks for Citizens and the DAO, legal support from the government

Worst case scenario:

We end up with a report relevant to CityDAO’s criteria regarding the situation in El Salvador, and have marketing materials that CityDAO can use to showcase its attempts to build a web3 City of the Future.

Below is a detailed breakdown of the benefits that this Mission can bring and our plan for this Mission.

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The outcome of the strategic exploration:

After our trip to El Salvador, we will create a report with our findings, insights, and recommendations for the DAO. This will help the DAO make informed decisions on partnership opportunities in El Salvador.

The report will cover the following key areas:

  1. Executive Summary: Briefly outlines the trip’s purpose, main findings, and key recommendations.

  2. Market Analysis: An evaluation of El Salvador’s economy, the potential growth of its tech sector, and partnership opportunities.

  3. Local government’s policies and incentives for foreign tech entities: an overview.

  4. Local Business Environment: Insights on local culture, ease of doing business, infrastructure, and workforce.

  5. A report on meetings with government officials, local business leaders, and potential partners. Information about opportunities for collaboration

  6. Partnership Opportunities: List of opportunities identified on trip, with feasibility analysis, potential ROI, and alignment with DAO’s objectives.

  7. Risks and Challenges: Assessing the risks and challenges of collaborating with El Salvador, including political, economic, and social factors.

  8. DAO recommendations, cover the best collaboration opportunities, potential partnerships, and strategies for engaging with the El Salvadoran market.

  9. Proposed action plan for the DAO to follow up on trip findings and recommendations, with timeline and milestones for desired outcomes.

TEAM:

Jayespi:

Jayespi is a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for supporting underrepresented communities. He is dedicated to healthcare, business growth, and utilizing Web3 for communal and generational wealth creation. He has developed BookedMD, a multilingual healthcare platform designed to help immigrants and minority communities access quality doctors and navigate their healthcare experiences.

Founder of Move The Needle, LLC, a tech coworking community and event venue. Jose draws on his personal and professional experiences as a former Strategic Partnerships lead in Investment Banking and Healthtech to provide mentoring and coaching for entrepreneurs through all the stages of business life; from idea formation to fully-scaled, commercialized enterprise.

quantumdoll:

quantumdoll is an early member of CityDAO (pre-minting out). Multilingual professional experienced in event management, software technology, and consulting, focusing on emerging digital trends like blockchain, IoT, and Web3. My decade-long live event production expertise and working in software and consulting for four years have developed audience research, logistics management, and strategic negotiation skills, which are valuable for identifying potential partnerships abroad.

This, coupled with my active participation in important digital conferences such as NFT NYC, NFT Paris, Eth Denver, Consensus, and Web Summit 2021/2022, keeps me updated on the latest tech trends.

As a former member of the British Parliamentary Debating Club and the NGO, AEGEE, I developed skills in communication, negotiation, and diplomacy, all of which are crucial for exploring potential partnerships and stakeholder engagements abroad. With proficiency in multiple languages, including English, Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish I am well-prepared to navigate diverse cultural landscapes and partnership engagements in El Salvador.

Local Government Support:

The El Salvadoran consulate in Elizabeth, New Jersey has expressed its strong support for our project, recognizing the potential benefits it could bring to the region. They have also expressed their eagerness to collaborate with us, providing valuable insights and resources to help us succeed.

This partnership will help build a strong foundation for our involvement in that area and foster long-term relationships with key stakeholders in the region.

With the government as our partner, we can leverage their expertise and networks to identify new opportunities and drive sustainable growth in the region, benefitting both CityDAO and the local communities.

Importance of In-Person Engagement:

We must visit El Salvador in person to fully capitalize on this opportunity. This trip will enable us to:

  • Strengthen relationships with key government stakeholders.

  • Gain firsthand knowledge of the local market, culture, and business environment.

  • Identify potential partners and opportunities that align with the DAO’s strategic interests.

  • Assess the practicality and feasibility of a potential partnerships.

Benefits of partnership in El Salvador:

First Entrants Advantage:

Partnering early with El Salvador’s tech sector provides a unique advantage in shaping CityDAO’s growth trajectory and taking advantage of new opportunities. Building relationships with other DAOs, organizations, and key players in the industry in that area can provide valuable insights and potentially significant financial rewards.

Tech-Friendly Government:

They have established a technology park, provided tax incentives for R&D, and fostered collaboration between the private sector and academia. This has positioned the region as a hub for innovation, attracting entrepreneurs and institutions worldwide.

0% Tax Incentives:

El Salvador’s “Innovation and Technology Manufacturing Incentives Act” offers 0% tax on technology innovations, software, app programming, AI, and computer and communications hardware manufacturing to spur economic growth and innovation in the tech sector. The policy is expected to increase involvement in technology companies and attract more foreign businesses to set up operations in El Salvador as part of the government’s larger plan to promote economic development and job creation.

Strategic Location:

El Salvador’s location in Central America offers unique opportunities for businesses looking to expand in the region and connect with neighboring markets. It is part of the North Triangle Customs Union, has proximity to the Panama Canal, and a stable political climate and growing economy, making it an attractive destination for CityDAO.

El Salvador’s political stability, led by a President with a global high approval rating of 91%, ensures swift, innovative legislation, including the legalization of Bitcoin as legal tender. This groundbreaking move, made possible through close collaboration with fintech companies like Bitfinex and Bank to the Future, demonstrates a willingness to work alongside industry players to ensure rapid legislative responses, sidestepping the bureaucratic delays that often hinder global innovation.

El Salvador’s forward-thinking approach is further illustrated by the introduction of a securities law for cryptocurrency regulation and the creation of new legal instruments, such as volcanic bonds on the Liquid Network.

El Salvador has pioneered unique initiatives like ‘the Bitcoin office’ and ‘Bitcoin embassies’ to promote cryptocurrencies, setting a new precedent in international diplomacy. The first of these embassies was inaugurated in Lugano, Switzerland, with another recently opened in Texas, USA. This underscores El Salvador’s commitment to stability, forward-thinking, and sustained technological projects, creating an environment ripe for innovation for decades to come.

The country’s safe environment, recognized as the safest in Latin America, is conducive to business, R&D, and tourism. Planned infrastructure projects, including a new train system and the largest airport in the region, promise further benefits for CityDAO citizens and their businesses. These factors underscore the remarkable potential of a partnership with El Salvador.

Plan of the journey and compensation breakdown:

The allocated budget will be utilized for the following:

  1. Arranging travel logistics, including flight reservations and accommodations.

  2. Securing transportation on-site, such as car rental services.

  3. Procuring necessary equipment for documentation purposes, encompassing cameras, microphones, and related accessories.

  4. Post-production needs, including editing materials for the documentation captured during the trip.

  5. Covering sustenance requirements, notably meals during the trip.

  6. Facilitating networking activities to expand and strengthen relationships.

  7. Documentation of the trip, including audio, video, and photographic materials, to ensure comprehensive capture of insights and experiences.

  8. Preparation and creation of reports post visit, offering a thorough review of the exploration.

  9. Creating CityDAO branded wearables to foster a sense of identity and unity during the trip.

31 Likes
2

I’m supportive of this, and offer myself up as a volunteer throughout the process. Either virtually or possibly even IRL on the trip if there’s interest

It seems like a low-risk ie: <$10k, high-potential ie: something notable at a Country level, opportunity.

3

What other types of stakeholders might your team engage? I’m thinking universities, businesses, investors, etc. I t would be great to build something financially sustainable

1 Like
4

I think this is a good idea in an aspect of marketing. However, I got several concerns to this CIP

  • From what I know (which could be wrong), El Salvador mostly supports bitcoin economy. I’m not sure how much CityDAO as an NFT/crypto project can attract much attention to pro-Bitcoin government
  • What are the future benefits do you think we can get in return? What kind of partnerships are you expecting at El Salvador? Will we get anything in return from those partnerships (e.g. business opportunity that can generate revenue)
  • I think the objective should be more clear so that we can measure how much impact we can get from investing $9,000 to this project. For example, a clear KPI on what kind of partnership or deal we are expecting to receive from this mission.

I think this proposal should be more specific in a sense it can quantify how worthy it is for this potential partnership.

5

I wonder about this as well. I think part of the exploration of this CIP would be to definitively narrow down and answer this question in a concrete way

6

I am in favor of the idea, but it would be good to see a breakdown of the budget to determine if $9k is an appropriate amount :slightly_smiling_face:

7

We plan to discuss it with the consulate. We have several types of partnerships we plan to explore. Not all of them might be of the highest priority for CityDAO so after the proposal is passed I plan to narrow down the list to areas where CityDAO could onboard in the most efficient way.

Here are some of the types of partnerships we plan to explore:

8

Hey, basically it looks like that (more or less)

Plan of the journey and compensation breakdown:

The allocated budget will be utilized for the following:

  1. Arranging travel logistics, including flight reservations and accommodations.
  2. Securing transportation on-site, such as car rental services.
  3. Procuring necessary equipment for documentation, including cameras, microphones, and related accessories.
  4. Post-production needs, including editing materials for the documentation captured during the trip.
  5. Covering sustenance requirements, notably meals during the trip.
  6. Facilitating networking activities to expand and strengthen relationships.
  7. Documentation of the trip, including audio, video, and photographic materials, to ensure comprehensive capture of insights and experiences.
  8. Preparation and creation of reports post-visit, offering a thorough review of the exploration.
  9. Creating CityDAO branded wearables to foster a sense of identity and unity during the trip.
9
  • From what I know (which could be wrong), El Salvador mostly supports bitcoin economy. I’m not sure how much CityDAO as an NFT/crypto project can attract much attention to pro-Bitcoin government

Yes, but they are also innovation-friendly. We don’t have to do things that would “compete” with bitcoin. All in all I got positive feedback regarding Ethereum and other technologies that can bring value to the region.

  • What are the future benefits do you think we can get in return? What kind of partnerships are you expecting at El Salvador? Will we get anything in return from those partnerships (e.g. business opportunity that can generate revenue)

We can go there with particular goals (that we want to craft after voting), but at the end of the day we can’t promise anything. The point of this mission is to shake hands, meet people, see opportunities, and see how we can click.
See the Types of Partnerships file to see potential ways to collaborate.

  • I think the objective should be more clear so that we can measure how much impact we can get from investing $9,000 to this project. For example, a clear KPI on what kind of partnership or deal we are expecting to receive from this mission.

First and foremost, I believe not everything needs to have a tangible ROI. This CIP aims to explore this region, meet with various entities, and build relationships. These activities are meant to help CityDAO in later estimating the feasibility of actions so that CityDAO’s decisions are more thoughtful. Investigating El Salvador can also serve as a benchmark of what we can expect in similar regions, with similar entities.

It is hard to determine how much CityDAO will “earn” from this, but it is also worth looking at it from the perspective of how much CityDAO could “lose” or “spend more” if we were to take actions without such an exploratory mission and without having contacts with whom we’ve shaken hands and met in person.

I think it’s fair to assume that if you’ve already met someone in person, there’s a higher chance of finding attractive deal terms.

But even if you want to measure financial ROI.
If we assume that we want to determine how much this mission must bring to the treasury over 2 years in order for CityDAO not to be at a loss, we get about 12 dollars a day, which is a fairly modest amount considering the possibilities that such a mission carries with it.

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