Eden Fractal Appeal

Appeal for Eden Fractal Events in RetroFunding Round 6

This document appeals the decision to decline Eden Fractal Events' application in Optimism RetroFunding Round 6. Below we will demonstrate that Eden Fractal Events and Optimism Fractal Respect Game Events are entirely separate projects that facilitate different critical governance processes with no overlap in their work.

Reviewers raised three concerns that this appeal will address:

• Potential duplication with Optimism Fractal Respect Game Events
• Mentions of the Respect Games App across applications
• Questions about advertising

At the highest level, these projects serve fundamentally different purposes:

• Eden Fractal Events (Founded May 2022) - An educational community event focused on developing and teaching fractal governance processes through bi-weekly deep dive workshops

• Optimism Fractal Respect Game Events (Founded October 2023) - A community event based around a weekly contribution evaluation system focused specifically on measuring impact to Optimism

This appeal will:

1. Detail the fundamental differences between these communities' events, providing a detailed overview their distinct features
2. Clarify how references to governance tools like the Respect Games App do not indicate overlap between the projects

3. Demonstrate how Eden Fractal Events facilitates critical governance processes by providing the educational foundation needed for scaling Optimism governance through fractal democracy

The following sections will elaborate on each of these points to show why Eden Fractal Events are both distinct from Optimism Fractal Respect Game events and should be eligible for RetroFunding Round 6.

Table of Contents

• Appeal for Eden Fractal Events in RetroFunding Round 6
• Fundamental Differences Between Communities and Events
• Clarifications about the Respect Games App
• Not Advertising
• Why Eden Fractal Events are Critical for the Collective
• Looking Forward

Fundamental Differences Between Communities and Events

Eden Fractal and Optimism Fractal are two entirely separate communities that host two distinct events. Here is an overview of their differences:

• Origins: Eden Fractal was founded in May 2022, approximately 1.5 years before Optimism Fractal. In late 2023, Eden Fractal expanded its focus to include education about fractal governance implementation on the Superchain.

• Missions: Eden Fractal’s mission is focused on "implementing fractal decision-making processes throughout society via collaborative research, development, education, gamification and community engagement", while Optimism Fractal's core intents are "fostering collaboration, awarding public good creators, and optimizing governance on the Optimism Superchain”

• Event Structure: Eden Fractal hosts bi-weekly educational deep dives and development workshops, while Optimism Fractal hosts weekly Respect Game events with a fixed format. Eden Fractal events take place on Wednesdays—see the event page for details. Optimism Fractal events happen on Thursdays, and you can find more information on their event page as well.

• Event Format: Eden Fractal events feature long-form presentations and discussions about fractal governance processes, while Optimism Fractal events use a consistent 4-minute presentation structure for the Respect Game

• Participants: The events attract different audiences - Eden Fractal draws educators, researchers and community leaders interested in fractal governance broadly, while Optimism Fractal primarily attracts builders focused on Optimism. Some participants attend both events, utilizing Eden Fractal for education and Optimism Fractal for community interaction.

• Networks: Since 2022 Eden Fractal has operated independently with its own software, non-transferrable token distribution, and participant base. As part of its Epoch 2 initiative, the community is currently migrating it’s software deployment to Base to further support fractal governance education across the Superchain. Meanwhile, Optimism Fractal operates exclusively on OP Mainnet. You can learn more about Eden Fractal's independent infrastructure here.

• Topics: Eden Fractal covers broad governance education and implementation across different contexts, while Optimism Fractal focuses on contributions to Optimism specifically with the same format every week

To learn more about these distinct communities and their events, visit EdenFractal.com and OptimismFractal.com.

Clarifications about the Respect Games App

Some reviewers noted overlap in mentions of the "Respect Games App." This may stem from confusion between:

1. The Respect Game - A governance process played at Optimism Fractal events, currently using basic tools

2. The Respect Games App - A new comprehensive web application developed to make the game more accessible

Eden Fractal and Optimism Fractal supported this app's development in completely different ways:

• Eden Fractal provided educational workshops, deep dive presentations, and market research sessions

• Optimism Fractal provided practical testing and feedback through weekly gameplay

The app itself is simply a tool that any community can use, similar to how multiple projects might use the same development frameworks or governance tools. You can think of this in a similar way to how multiple projects in the Governance Leadership category facilitated discussions about of Citizen’s House RetroFunding design or multiple projects in RetroFunding Round 5 contributed the OP Stack. In each case, multiple projects can contribute towards a common goal and create a different forms of impact in ways that are not overlapping.

Not Advertising

Regarding the advertising concern - Eden Fractal Events does not promote any token or NFT sales. We have hosted 37 educational events focused purely on governance experimentation and implementation. This has helped grow the Optimism ecosystem by educating communities about governance opportunities on the Superchain.

Why Eden Fractal Events are Critical for the Collective

Eden Fractal Events provides educational infrastructure that enables both the Citizens House and Token House to scale effectively, operate more efficiently, and resist capture. This aligns directly with the Optimism Foundation's identified need for "more experimentation and clarity” regarding governance scaling.

As the Optimism Collective grows, it needs governance systems that can scale while remaining democratic and engaging. Eden Fractal events provide essential experimentation and testing for integrating fractal decision-making processes with prosocial games - a combination proven necessary for effective coordination at scale.

Through consistent events and deep educational content, we help the Collective understand why fractal democracy is vital while pioneering practical implementations that prevent centralization and maintain engagement. Read more about our impact and the evolution of fractal communities in the Eden Fractal blog. You can also learn more about how fractal democracy can enhance the Token House in this article and enhance RetroPGF in this post.

Our bi-weekly events create a space where governance leaders, builders, and community members can experience these processes firsthand, refining them to serve the Collective's unique needs as it works to create a more equitable internet.

Here are more details and impact metrics showing how Eden Fractal Events has created unique impact:

Educational Platform for Governance Scaling

• Hosted 37 deep-dive educational events with ~40 unique participants focused on fractal governance implementation
• Created over 35 hours of educational content with detailed show notes and timestamps
• Generated 1,000+ views of educational content with 10,000+ social media impressions
• Developed comprehensive resources on fractal governance implementation at EdenFractal.com/videos
• More details can be found at EdenFractal.com/impact.

Distinct Community Impact Examples

• Cross-Chain Knowledge Transfer: Connected governance leaders from EOS, Base, Mode, Telos, and WAX with Optimism builders through educational workshops

• Fractal Community Experiments: Eden Fractal facilitated multiple educational workshops where teams learned how to implement fractal processes for their community (such as ZAO Fractal), providing important governance experimentation on the Superchain.

• Base Integration: Leading education about fractal governance deployment on Base through our Epoch 2 initiative, complementing Optimism Fractal's focus on OP Mainnet

Governance Process Development

• Facilitated development workshops for tools like the Respect Games app, providing extended deep-dive sessions distinct from Optimism Fractal's practical testing
• Pioneered community-driven topic selection and strategic planning processes
• Created educational framework for implementing fractal governance in various contexts

Strategic Value to Collective

• Enables Citizens House and Token House to scale through educational foundation
• Provides critical research and development for governance experimentation
• Builds bridges between blockchain communities through governance education
• Creates pathways for exporting proven governance processes beyond Optimism

Learn more about why Eden Fractal Events are crucial for Optimism's future here and in the Eden Fractal Blog.

Looking Forward

I hope this clarifies why Eden Fractal Events is a distinct project worthy of consideration for RetroFunding Round 6. The impact we've created through governance education and facilitation has helped lay critical groundwork for scaling Optimism's governance systems.

Treating these entirely different projects as duplicates would mean overlooking the unique contributions of multiple contributors who have dedicated countless hours over the past year to developing and facilitating these critical governance processes.

I welcome any questions and am happy to provide additional clarification. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Dan Singjoy

Supporting materials:

• Event recordings: EdenFractal.com/videos
• Impact metrics and measures: EdenFractal.com/impact