tl;dr - This proposal aims to make the Ambassador Program effective. We propose to lower the number of Head Ambassadors to 10 and move some of them to Senior roles (if they accept this solution). The proposing 10 Head Ambassadors have agreed on a 100-day plan to kickstart the program.

Background

The Polkadot Ambassador Collective is a Web3 first. It is the first time an ecosystem has an on-chain body of elected representatives of the network. The ambassador program has to reflect the values, vision, and ambition of the Polkadot DAO. It is vital that the program becomes a success and an example to be followed.

After observing the very slow start of the Ambassador Program for several weeks and after some serious consideration, we have come to the difficult conclusion that the group of Head Ambassadors needs to be downsized to get the program finally started. In addition, we propose a 100-day plan to be executed immediately to start the recruitment of Ambassadors, event organization, BD efforts, and more.

We think this cut is necessary because of three reasons:

1. A group of 21 Head Ambassadors is too big to bootstrap the program. Too many cooks in the kitchen significantly slow down the bootstrapping phase. So far, no real initiative has seen the light of the day.
2. The primary responsibility of Head Ambassadors is to be leaders. Not everyone in the group has grown to the challenge. Some primarily focus on certain areas only, such as BD. This qualifies one as Senior Ambassador, but not Head Ambassador.
3. The cost structure of the Ambassador program should be lean. Voters need to trust that the Ambassador program can achieve results at a cost-efficient rate. As long as the program is not fully operational, costs should be minimized.

Removal of Head Ambassadors

We understand that it will not be easy for affected former Head Ambassadors to accept this change. We want to make it clear that we value what all of you bring to the table. Each of you has qualities that we want to see in the Ambassador program. We have agreed to fast-track applications for Senior Ambassadors for you to give the ones who want to stay in the program and contribute a chance.

Given those considerations, we propose to remove the following Head Ambassadors from the group and accept some of them to Senior Ambassador roles later (if they choose to apply).

• EzioRed
• Georgi
• CrisNguyen
• Mario Schraepen
• Mexican Collective
• Max_HIC
• Albert - I Love Cripto
• Mario
• Irina Karagyaur
• William

This is not an easy step and we understand that it will create a lot of discussion. We see this change as necessary to get the program off the ground. We want to create a program that works effectively and it is just not possible with 21 Head Ambassadors. Working effectively and making quick decisions is necessary in this first phase. We see it as our responsibility to rise to this challenge and make the program a success.

A 100-day plan to kickstart the program

We, the remaining Head Ambassadors (Lucy, Lorena Blockya, Alice und Bob, Dot Play Angie, DonDiegoSanchez, Abdulbee, zoemc, Leemo, Rish, six) have agreed on the following 100-day plan, which we will bring into execution immediately.

Overview

During Q4 2024, we will have 3 HAs focused on developing the Ambassador program and 7 HAs working on the ground on community growth and business development-related activities.

By Q1 2025, the program will run at full speed and all 10 HAs will fully commit their time to community / BD activities.

We will set up five teams to organize the Polkadot Embassy:

Internal Operations (30% overall commitment)

• Onboarding & Education (internal operations)

External Operations (70% overall commitment)

• Community Growth
• Business Development
• Investor Relations
• Customer Success / DevRel

Please note that we will submit a separate proposal for funding on Friday 7 October.

Onboarding & Education

Goals

• Create a process to onboard new Ambassadors
• Supporting Ambassadors and the broader community in key areas

Agenda Q4 2024

Onboarding

• Set up the application & selection process
• Define criteria for rising the ranks
• Run a recruitment campaign to drive applications
• Select 10 Senior Ambassadors and 10 Ambassadors from the set of past Ambassadors in Q4
• Q1 2025 onwards:
  • Continuous onboarding of Ambassador Candidates
  • 10% of HA time committed to the program

Education

• Events hosting
• Representation (presentations, interviews)
• Relationship management
• BD / IR
• Set up a learning portal that provides educational materials for the key areas
• Q1 2025:
  • Organize Ambassador meetups (as side events to conferences where lots of Polkadot folks are) to get them upskilled
  • Work with the PBA, hackathon organizers, and Polkadot media to integrate educational activities

Community Growth

Goals

• Regional community building: hosting events, attending meetups
• Engage the crypto world: representation at key conferences, engage with other ecosystems

Agenda Q4

• Build a regional map of Polkadot Ambassadors
• Develop an event hosting guide and work with the events bounty to set up a common agenda
• Develop an event calendar and make sure Ambassadors are sent to key events
• Develop a prioritized list of crypto projects to engage with

Business Development & Investor Relations

Goal: Bring new business to Polkadot

• Attend Web2, Tech, and business conferences
• engage with governments and regulators
• Investor Relations

Agenda Q4

• Develop materials for Ambassadors to get them briefed on products available in Polkadot
• Pap out the BD space and prioritize projects
• Find SAs that take responsibility for specific BD projects
• By Q1 2025:
  • Full global coverage of Ambassador representation, hosting events, and attending local meetups
  • Representation at all major conferences
  • Organizing/coordinating major events

Customer Success / DevRel

Goal: Improve overall experiences of onboarding Polkadot.

• Unify content and resources
• Create a customer success desk
• Create a DevRel desk

Agenda Q4

• Improve the Wiki
• Sync with the Parity Data team to create a feedback funnel
• Sync with BizDev Team, and support onboarding