# (33.3%) (33.3%) is a symbol of failure. But that's dope. The number (33.3%) originates from the 1st DeGods experiment: The Paper Hands Bitch Tax. "PHBT" was a 33.3% tax charged on people that sold their DeGod under the floor. Almost instantly, the PHBT concept went stupid viral. Post-mint, everyone started adding (33.3%) to their usernames. Hundreds of holders started listing their DeGods at 33.3◎ (when DeGods floor was at a 4◎ lol). 33.3 was quickly becoming a fucking movement. Unfortunately, after 2 months it was pretty obvious: the experiment was *not* working. At all. On January 1st, 2022 we announced that we will be removing the 33.3% tax. But most of us have decided to keep the (33.3%) tag in our username. I mean shit, even SOLBigBrain just added it to his username like a week ago. So... *why the fuck* is everyone keeping this random number in their username, even though it has nothing to do with what DeGods is building? Something specific happened this week that made it clear to me. For context, this was a massive week for DeGods: * We became the #4 largest market cap Solana NFT * had the #1 trading volume on Solana by far ($3.2M) * both the co-founders of Solana made a DeGod their profile picture * Urkann started featuring a DeGod on his $10M plot of land on Sandbox * a DeGod sold for 950◎ (and dozens over 150◎) * and that’s just the highlights. But there was a moment that was obviously more meaningful than all of the highlights: The moment the DeGods floor price hit 33.3◎ for the first time. This meant a lot to all of us. Why? Because that’s *our* number. A lot of people thought the idea of a 33.3◎+ floor was more of a *meme* than an actual possibility. Now it's a reality. We *made* it happen. Now\... the question is "What *can't* we make happen?" That list is getting shorter & shorter. \-- To the uninitiated, (33.3%) might represent failure. But for DeGods, **(33.3%) represents the willingness to fail & try again until it works.** Over & over again until it works. And when it works… there isn't a single better fucking feeling in the world. Man in The Arena type shit. Let’s keep trying shit. Learning shit. And trying new shit. That’s what (33.3%) means. That’s what it means to be a DeGod. \-- Ok. So we got to 33.3◎ and had some cool shit happen this week. Big fucking whoop. It could go up or down from here in the short term. Doesn’t matter. Milestone checked, on to the next one. We have DUST auctions, DUST gaming partnerships, DYOR App, DeGodCast, our own DeGods custom marketplace, DeGods Asia Expansion, a DeGods 3D Metaverse planet, DUST Marketplace Integrations, and a DEX listing coming up very, very soon. Oh yeah, and DeadGods are coming too. And once we get through all of this, we’ll think of some new shit that nobody has thought of and crush that too. Because that’s the (33.3%) way. That’s the DeGods way. **--** Sincerely, Frank (33.3%) ps. Here’s a fun equation: 33.3◎ = 33.3% of X What is X? # growth how do we think about building DeGods (internally). **Hey Frank, what is the "right" way to build a *****great***** NFT project?** Well, anon, there is no right answer. We are in a cluster-fuck of an industry and there are no rules to this shit. But if I *had to* isolate one variable that every great NFT project has in common: **they grow.** All great NFT projects grow something very well. They grow their trading volume, their floor price, their Twitter followers, their % staked, their daily active users, their Discord activity, etc. Growth has a funny way of fixing everything. Here's an excerpt from one of my favorite essays: ["Startup=Growth"](http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html). > "Startups are so hard that you can't be pointed off to the side and hope to succeed. You have to know that growth is what you're after. The good news is, if you get growth, everything else tends to fall into place. Which means you can use growth like a compass to make almost every decision you face." -Paul Graham So, I have no idea where the market will be at the end of 2022. I have zero clue how regulations will affect this industry. I have no idea when the fuck OpenSea is coming... **But I know how we are going to keep growing.** **Keep reading to see an inside look on how we're planning to create consistent growth for DeGods.** # growth plan This was originally supposed to be an internal document just for the team. But then I thought, fuck it, this is crypto... let's just open it up so everyone can see. This is not a roadmap. *This is the growth plan.* This plan is in order (mostly). ## 1: The Vision {% hint style="info" %} **Goal:** Create & publish a clear vision for what we’re building with DeGods. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Result:** The community becomes united & aligned towards the same goals. {% endhint %} ### Action Items * [ ] Create & Publish a New Roadmap * [ ] Create Detailed funnels for all major DeGods touch points (Website, Twitter, Discord, Telegram, Notion, etc.) * How should these feel for the end-user? * What information belongs on each of them? * [ ] Create a clear list of A-player roles we need filled to accomplish these goals. * Begin recruiting & hiring. ## 2: Operationalize {% hint style="info" %} **Goal:** Create & align the team around key metrics that boost growth, engagement, clarity, conversion rates, and volume. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Result:** We are on a path of constant improvement & the community will have a clear view into this. {% endhint %} ### Action Items * [ ] Create an internal dashboard tracking our KPI’s. * Trading Volume, # of $DUST integrations, Website Visits, Twitter Followers, Discord Engagement, etc. * [ ] Create & maintain a running to-do list for all members of the team on Notion. * Ruthlessly prioritize this to-do list to make sure they are improving our key metrics. * [ ] Create payment-incentive structure to proportionately reward our key contributors. * [ ] Weekly Meetings for free-form brainstorming and ideas. These ideas will then be prioritized against our KPI’s. * This will also be focused on more urgent solutions for pending support tickets. * [ ] Create a public-facing DeGods Calendar so our holders can be up to date on the latest “thing” we are building. ## 3: Initiate GigaHype {% hint style="info" %} **Goal:** Create overwhelming top-of-the-funnel traffic for the launch of DeadGods. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Result:** We give the soon-to-be best art in the Solana Ecosystem, the hype it deserves. {% endhint %} ### Action Item * [ ] Complete the final DeadGods art (ideally a week before the actual launch). * [ ] Release strategic 1/1’s and partnerships on the days leading up to the launch. * [ ] Create website that clearly explains how the mechanics of DeGods / DeadGods works. * [ ] Create minting website that actually executes the DeGods → DeadGods upgrade. * [ ] Collaborate with top marketplaces to ensure that DeadGods are fully compatible with them. ## 4: Democratic Monarchy {% hint style="info" %} **Goal:** Create a fluid governance structure for DeGods that is people-focused not just voting focused. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Result:** DeGods transitions to a proper DAO without losing the speed and agility of centralization. {% endhint %} ### Action Items * [ ] Publish comprehensive brand kit, guidelines, and assets. * [ ] Pilot governance structure with the current Devine Council for set period of time. * [ ] Create on-chain elections for a smaller # of "DeMonarchs". * These leaders will: * get *compensated* via a percentage of royalties generated by the DeDAO. * serve a term (only X number can be voted for re-election/back-to-back terms). * have on-chain voting powers to control how the DAO funds get allocated. * be in charge of approving & declining community proposals (core team will always reserve ultimate veto rights) * be removable/replaceable if over 66.6% community votes for it. * [ ] If this new style of on-chain governance fails, Core Team will step in and fix it & create a new structure. ## 5: Expansion {% hint style="info" %} **Goal:** Launch massive partnerships, secure significant endorsements, and overall grow the brand. {% endhint %} {% hint style="success" %} **Result:** DeGods becomes a fucking household name. {% endhint %} ### Action Items (This section will be the least detailed, because a lot of this is the furthest out from where we are at right now.) * [ ] Launch viral stunts that capture global attention. * [ ] Onboard celebrities, athletes, influencers, etc. * [ ] Host large IRL events at major NFT conferences * [ ] Secure partnerships with non-crypto brands. * [ ] New, larger collection(s) to expand reach and holder base. Sincerely, Frank (33.3%) ps. In my intro, I mentioned that the #1 trait that all great NFT projects have in common is **growth.** I know a lot of people like to say their #1 trait is "team is always building" but I actually disagree. There's a significant difference between *building random shit* & *building things that people actually want*. With startups, the former is a death sentence & the latter is a pathway to becoming a billion dollar company. With NFTs, it's even more extreme. It's not just about making things people want... it's about driving value back to your holders. There are tons of projects that just build random shit & even if it's they build something really cool... ask yourself "how does what they're building bring value back to me?" If you don't care about the thing... but think others will - that could work (see SSC), but 99% of the time, it doesn't. Why? Because there is not a large enough audience for that tool. There's an unlimited market for RPC nodes... but is the market that wide for an NFT sniper bot? The NFT community won't just wake up one day and pity buy a project because the "devs are hard-workers". Nor should they. This isn't elementary school. \-- So what does all of this have to do with DeGods? Hopefully it just gives you some perspective where our heads are at with this project. I just want our community aligned with the importance of growth. Let's grow this brand, together. # A New Type of Roadmap our thought process behind making a roadmap in this style. We decided to make a roadmap that is packed with something **big** happening as often as every week. Everything we're doing is all on the map (for the most part). But we decided not to reveal when & what exactly these milestones on the roadmap will be. We believe this is the best way to continue to grow our community & brand. Let me explain why. {% embed url="" %} ## The Paradox of “The NFT Roadmap”. ### Why do people want a roadmap? The simple answer for most people is - reasons to buy/sell the project. Let's be 100% real here. Yes, people look at the roadmap to see if the team has interesting ideas, what the future of the project will be, etc. But at the end of the day, most people just want to form a conclusion that can be synthesized into "Bullish (buy/hold)" or "Bearish (sell/avoid)" But the problem is... ### There's no "right" way to do an NFT Roadmap. There are some projects with no roadmaps, others with roadmaps that span 5 years, and some that are completely community/DAO driven. The dirty secret is - most projects don't actually work directly off their roadmap. The roadmap is purely something to share with the community to give them a sense of what you're building. Why don't teams work off their roadmaps? Well, because the space changes so fucking fast - if you want your project to remain relevant you have to be able to adapt to changing times. In a lot of ways, on the day-to-day execution *the roadmap is useless*. But the roadmap *is* great for aligning long-term visions between the team and the holders. As we were trying to figure out how to do a new roadmap to update our holders on the future of DeGods - we analyzed the current popular models for how projects do their roadmaps. ### Pros & Cons of 2 Most Roadmap Structures #### 1. "The Precise Roadmap" explains exactly what the team will do. #### **Pros:** • The community knows exactly what's going to happen. • The community can hold the team accountable on the proposed goals. • Specific times for people to sell into the "news" because of hype (let's be real lol.) **Cons:** **•** There's little/no excitement when things get completed (because people already know) • Other teams can steal your ideas before you even launch them. • The market can change - and sticking to a detailed roadmap makes it difficult to adjust. #### 2. "The Hype Roadmap" that is mysterious and vague. #### Pros: • The team can be flexible to adapt and still be fast at shipping. • There is an emphasis on community & driving hype. • It's a lot of fun. #### **Cons:** **•** The community gets anxious because they don't know what's going on. • The community can't hold the team accountable. • The community is over-reliant on blind trust of the team. • This can get very confusing for your holders to keep up with what's happening. ### No existing roadmap structures made sense for DeGods. All of our success has come from having unique ideas that provide value to our holders - and executing on it at a fast pace. This is what has always made us special. We don't want our community to be confused or anxious when they're holding a DeGod. We don't want people to feel like there’s no clear direction for the project / reason to hold. We also don't want to detail everything we're going to do & prematurely kill the hype for the cool shit coming up. We went back to first principles to solve these problems to figure out... ### What the best way to make a roadmap that's right for DeGods? We love providing as much value as humanly possible to our holders. But the most exciting things we've done with DeGods weren't part of a roadmap before we launched them. They were all from listening to our holders, then surprising them with something they might not know they want yet... • Doing a DeGodsWeek was not in our initial roadmap. We just surprised people and said this week is DeGodsWeek. **Nobody was expecting it.** • Removing the PHBT was purely an executive decision. But it was swift & sudden. **Nobody was expecting it.** • Creating $DUST was not in a roadmap, we scoped everything out, then launched the first "white-paper" to the community. **Nobody was expecting it.** • Creating DeadGods was an idea the team had together sitting in a room trying to figure out what to do next with DeGods. **Nobody was expecting it.** Each of these have proven to be crucial to the success of DeGods. Each of them had a wondrous feeling of surprise and delight to them. Each of these were also executed extremely well. ### Why is the roadmap just art? Why no words? We believe it's the smartest way to do a roadmap for DeGods (and potentially for other blue-chips too). Roadmap 3.33 allows for us to build hype & still maintain an element of surprise & wonder when we launch something cool. For example, we can create hype by alluding to a piece of the map. Then when we finally drop that product/airdrop/art piece... and it will still be a surprise. If we detailed out what we were doing - we wouldn't be able to do that. #### To tie everything together: We want you to be confident that we are building long-term for DeGods. To prove it to you, we spent weeks planning out the next 3-6 months for DeGods and shared it with you in the form of an expansive visual roadmap. We also want keep doing what got us here - provide insane value to you as a holder when you're not expecting it. We want you to prove to you that we will constantly deliver value to you by surprising and delighting you as often as we can. **If we don't - then floor your fucking DeGod because we have failed.** If we do - you're very, very welcome. ### The Most Common Concerns What I hope to convey to the DeGod holders is - when you hold a DeGod, **we don’t want you to ever feel stressed.** We will still be extremely active on Discord & Twitter. We will still give progress updates and keep you informed. So don’t worry about that. But, we refuse to lose the magic of surprising you with the utterly unexpected. Maybe if this was 2021, I would tell everyone all the crazy shit we have planned. You know I love to leak shit. But I've learned that it's not the ***smart*** thing to do. There's a reason Yuga Labs doesn't tell people about what they're doing. They just dropped $APE Coin on their holders with 1-day notice. I'm not alluding to us doing an airdrop like that - but you get what I'm saying. The key to making surprises sustainable is if our community isn't stressing out about the "next thing Frank does". We don't need to be "saved" by Frank anymore. We have a fucking army. We have a 31 person team (11 people full-time) working around the clock literally to help give DeGod holders more value. When something comes out, it'll be cool. If it's not, fine we'll fix it or move on to the next thing. \- I've said this from day one: If we really want to be one of the biggest NFT projects in the world... we can't be constantly "searching" for validation externally. We are enough. It was hard for a lot of people to see when we were at a 4 SOL floor price. But hopefully today, it's easier for you to see this. We are enough. We always have been ### Closing Thoughts This roadmap is a symbol of the new direction we will be taking with DeGods as a brand & organization. We’re cleaning things up & getting laser focused. From now on, we aim to make everything we do map back to our core values & goals. This is to provide you clarity on ***why*** we are doing what we’re doing. Everyone that works full-time on DeGods is reminded of these core values & goals everyday. No excuses. **Values:** * Our holders are gods. We work to make them happy. * No egos. * The best idea wins every time. * Don’t ask “why”. Ask “why not”? * Don’t build something, unless you believe it will break the internet. * Make everything fun. * Growth = Life **Goals:** * Foster a community of the smartest, coolest, most wholesome degenerates on any blockchain. * Prioritize giving real value to DeGod holders (no bullshit). * Focus on winning the short term, so we can dominate in the long term. Become the biggest NFT brand in the world. These goals/values probably sound cheesy. I know. But these have been our values & goals from the very fucking beginning. They are what got us here. They are what make us DeGods. #### We aren't changing just because we got big. We're doubling down on what got us here & cutting out the bullshit. At least that's what we're trying to do. We ~~could~~ will be better. Sincerely, Frank (33.3%)