(Concept) My Journey to DevConnect App
1. Introduction & Concept
I’m outlining a concept for a “My Journey to DevConnect App,” designed to enhance the experience leading up to DevConnect. The core idea is to create a platform where individuals travelling to DevConnect from all over the world can find independent, community organized Eth-aligned events, plan and share their personal “journey to DevConnect” accordingly, and connect with fellow attendees based on their matching “journeys”. The app aims to create excitement leading up to DevConnect by highlight the human part of Ethereum, the stories worth sharing, the connections and friendships made along the way. The app is one part of a “Journey to DevConnect” Campaign idea (TBA), which is heavily inspired by last year’s Road to DevConnect initiative.
(More on the campaign in the upcoming days)
2. Problem & Opportunity
The Ethereum community is global, and attendees travel to DevConnect from diverse locations. Each person has a unique “Journey to DevConnect,” but several challenges and opportunities exist:
- Event Visibility Gap: While large conferences gain exposure through significant promotion, numerous smaller, independent community gatherings and Ethereum events happening globally often lack visibility. People don’t know what are all the events happening out there (especially smaller events, unlike big conferences that get exposure via paid PR and promo). This app serves as a dedicated platform for Eth-aligned events to be highlighted accordingly.
- Lack of Connection & Planning Insight: Individuals don’t know who else is going and what are their plans for their journey to DevConnect. This makes it difficult to coordinate, share experiences, or meet up along the journey.
- Untapped Potential for Connection: The shared experience of traveling to a major event like DevConnect presents a unique opportunity to connect attendees (“crypto nomads”) whose travel paths might overlap, fostering collaboration and community even before the main event.
- Opportunity to Foster Grassroots Growth: Providing a platform to discover fellow travelers and nearby events would incentivize more independent, smaller gatherings to sprout out globally, strengthening the ecosystem from the ground up.
- Bridging the Gap: There’s a need for a way for travelers to easily find both events and other people within the ecosystem, allowing them to attend smaller, intimate gatherings and build connections before the main conference.
3. Proposed Solution: My Journey to DevConnect App
My Journey to DevConnect App would serve as a central hub for the Journey To DevConnect Campaign.
4. Development Options
Two primary options exist for developing the My Journey to DevConnect App:
-
Option 1: Integrated DevCon Passport Experience
-
Integrate the Journey to DevConnect App as a dedicated section within the existing DevCon Passport PWA infrastructure.
-
Leverage existing identity/profile features.
-
Include full features: POAP integration (including Memories), wallet connection, self-custodial itinerary sharing, and a dedicated Events page.
-
Option 2: Standalone PWA
-
Develop a separate, standalone Progressive Web App (PWA), independent of the DevCon Passport.
-
Focus on core, barebone features: Adding Events on a map, creating a user profile, creating an itinerary, and the option to connect with other fellow travelers.
Note: I see this as starting out as Option 2 - an independent, community made app, which would be absorbed into the DevCon Passport if there’s positive reaction and usage of the first version.
5. Key Features & Technology Considerations (Applicable features depend on the chosen development option)
- Event & Gathering Discovery: A dedicated section or map feature lists Eth-aligned events, hubs, and community gatherings worldwide. Users can see events along their route or plan their journeys based on what’s on the map.
- User Profiles & Journey Sharing: Users create a profile and start creating their journeys.
Option 1 could leverage DevCon Passport profiles and wallet connection. Option 2 would require standalone profile creation. - Connecting Travelers: The app facilitates connections between users whose planned journeys intersect or overlap.
- Data Ownership & Privacy: Users maintain full ownership and control over their journey data.
- Self-Custody: Journeys should be self-custodial.
- POAP Integration (Primarily Option 1): Integrate with POAP for event check-ins/proof of attendance and leverage POAP Memories (option to add pictures and videos onto POAPs) for richer journey documentation.
- Technology Showcase: The app could potentially showcase technologies like Zero-Knowledge proofs or integrate with tools like ZuPass, POAP, etc.
- Open Source: The project should be open source.
6. Goals & Benefits
- Highlight the Human Element: Showcase the personal stories, connections, and friendships that form within the Ethereum community during their Journey to DevConnect.
- Enhanced Networking: Allow people to connect, make friends, and potentially travel together before arriving at DevConnect.
- Event Promotion & Discovery: Provide a unified platform to discover and promote smaller, grassroots Ethereum community events globally.
- Rich Journey Documentation: Enable users to create a memorable, shareable record of their journey through connections, event attendance (via POAP), and personal media (via POAP Memories).
- Build Excitement: Generate excitement for DevConnect by offering a glimpse into the ecosystem and facilitating connections beforehand.
- Complementary Experience: Offer a way to engage in smaller, more intimate gatherings as a complement to the large-scale Devconnect conference.
7. Summary
My Journey to DevConnect App aims to transform the Journey to DevConnect into a valuable experience in itself. By connecting travellers, highlighting global community events, emphasizing human stories, and potentially integrating tools like POAP with Memories, it can foster deeper connections, promote grassroots gatherings, create rich personal records of the journey, and build anticipation for DevConnect, all while upholding principles of data ownership and potentially showcasing innovative technology. The specific implementation can follow either a fully integrated approach within the DevCon Passport or a simpler, standalone PWA model.
Current mockups, wireframes and concepts I managed to whip up:
Call for Feedback
I believe this could add significant value to the DevConnect experience, create excitement ahead of the conference, and foster a wider movement. I’m eager to hear the community’s thoughts, suggestions, and interest in participating in such an initiative.
I’m also looking for anyone interested in improving this idea further. Please reach out.
I’m creating this app completely voluntarily and appreciate absolutely any support, connection, feedback, etc.
(feel free to check)