Lil Nouns DAO

Speedcubing is the practice of solving Rubik’s cubes as quickly as possible across various categories. This competitive activity has gained worldwide popularity, taking root even in Central American youths who find in it a way to better themselves and share with others.

Since the purpose is to gather as many young people as possible and to include them into the community, all the competitions are non-profit. This means that the budget for each event is collected through competitor entry fees and the sale of cubes and equipment through BeKubes, the official speedcubing body in Costa Rica.

The whole community took a major hit during the 2020 pandemic. Finding fitting and secure venues was increasingly difficult, practically all events had to be cancelled, there was not as much money for people to buy cubes or equipment, and manufacturers had to face more and more setbacks to deliver products to the community.

This proposal seeks 10 ETH from the Lil Nouns treasury to organize a large scale event that revitalizes the existing speed cubing community and sparks the interest of new kids to join. The equipment acquired will simultaneously increase the quality of all future competitions while also dramatically decreasing the cost of execution. You can skip to the bottom of the prop to look at the timeline and budget breakdown.

Moving forward, we will employ Lil Nouns as a branding cornerstone for speedcubing activities, products, and merchandise in the country, and we will form a team of high performing competitors called Lil Kubes, who will represent Lil Nouns in local and international competitions. This will serve as a friendly and wholesome introduction to the web3 in the country that focuses on core Lil Nounish values: culture, art, creativity, and community.

“Our spirit is that people from all over the world have fun together in a friendly atmosphere, help each other and behave sportsmanlike.” - Spirit of the WCA

For almost 10 years, BeKubes has been the community hub that supports and sponsors all official speedcubing events in Costa Rica. The community aims to steer youths away from unhealthy habits by providing a space for socializing and self-improvement. Since the beginning, a pedagogy professional was brought in to support neurodivergent participants (ADHD, ADD, ASD) and their families, with many of them making it to the highest ranks.

The welcoming spirit of the events attracted children from less well-off areas of the country who couldn’t afford to attend. To include them, the community began covering their expenses, ensuring they could compete alongside everyone else. This traditional supportiveness has continued to draw participants from across Costa Rica and even from Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, and the USA.

Proof-of-Work: Official Tournaments Executed in Costa Rica and Central America

Lil Kubes will be the first local speedcubing team that aims to bring together the most talented and passionate cubers, providing them with a platform to showcase their skills and embody the values of our community. Their goal won’t be only to excel in competitions but also to spread the lighthearted and fun spirit of Lil Nouns.

To make a strong impression, the Lil Kubes team will be provided with customized uniforms, featuring unique Lil Nouns branding to foster a sense of unity and pride in their accomplishments. Additionally, BeKubes will commission custom-designed cubes and merchandise so that families and attendants can rep Lil Nouns all around the country. Through official events, social media, and collaborations, we want to build a loyal following and inspire a new generation of cubers. By supporting and celebrating the achievements of the Lil Kubes team, we can further extend the reach and influence of Lil Nouns.

Formally, BeKubes will be the sponsor for the team, which means it will take care of managing and supporting the participants throughout the competitions, whereas Lil Nouns will be the brand that represents the spirit of the team in media and attire. The ultimate goal is to be completely self-sustained through sales and fees while still proliferating Lil Nouns.

Our initial plan is to secure funding for the first major event, providing all the necessary resources to launch the Lil Kubes speed cubing team in a big way. This funding will cover expenses such as customized uniforms, travel costs, competition fees, and the creation of branded cubes and merchandise. By starting strong, we set up ourselves for success.

However, our long-term vision is to achieve self-sustainability. As the Lil Kubes team gains recognition and popularity, we plan to rely solely on entry fees, cube sales, and merchandise sales to keep the events running independently. By creating high-quality products and experiences that appeal to a loyal and constantly renewed customer base, we can generate a steady stream of revenue that will support the team’s ongoing activities as well as competitions for the general public, without the need for continuous external funding.

After achieving this goal, we would not drop the Lil Nouns branding but rather double down on it, since it would have become a core part of the community’s identity and it would have proven to be an attractive brand for speedcubing consumer products and merchandise.

This approach not only would ensure the longevity of the Lil Kubes team but it would also serve as an example of long-term self-sustainability for a Lil Nouns project.

Objectives:

1. Securing the essential professional equipmet to carry out large scale events.
2. Booking an attractive and easily-accessible venue for the first event.
3. Keeping funds to cover the expenses of participants who cannot afford fees or travel.
4. Commissioning cubes, trophies, and medals with bespoke Lil Nouns branding.
5. Distributing Lil Nouns merchandise before, during, and after the event.
6. Executing the biggest speecubing event in Costa Rica in November 2024.
7. Recruiting the first Lil Kubers based on the event’s final results.

Expected Impact • A substantial increase in the number of participants in speedcubing events. • More professionalism and full compliance with regulations in all competitions. • Community enabling the most talented competitors to compete internationally. • Solidifying and expanding Lil Kubes as a recognizable team for top-tier talent. • Turning Lil Nouns into a recognizable brand in and out the speedcubing community.

Success Metrics: • Amount of competitors/attendees compared to previous local events. • Engagement with event and team content in local news and off/onchain social media. • Feasibility of executing a second event significantly less funding from Lil Nouns.

Timeline: • August: Venue selection, furniture distribution, designing materials • September: Registrations, media campaign, customized cubes and merch • October: Verifying equipment, furniture, graphical materials, staff • November: Event execution, photographic and video documentation • December: Final success metrics report and feedback from the community

Support from Lil Nouns will be essential to professionalize speedcubing in Costa Rica. We will be able to organize high-quality competitions and ensure that competitors have access to the best equipment and technology. Prizes and medals will incentivize participants, and sponsorships will allow local talents to represent Lil Nouns.

Budget Breakdown (Total: 10 ETH):

1. Competition Organization: o Venue rental and logistics: 0.48 ETH o Competition furniture (8 folding tables, 30 chairs, 10 tablecloths): 0.4 ETH o (2) Wireless microphones, (1) sound equipment with mixer, (1) badge printer, among others: 1.2 ETH
2. Equipment and Technology: o Acquisition of additional competition equipment such as stackmats, official speedstacks displays for competition, including shipping to Costa Rica (approximately 15 sets): 1.5 ETH o (2) laptops, (1) projector, (1) screen, (1) camera, (1) printer: 1.5 ETH
3. Prizes and Medals: o Manufacturing of medals and trophies with Nouns logos: 0.6 ETH o Prizes for winners: 0.6 ETH
4. Sponsorships: o Support for low-income competitors: 0.24 ETH
5. Lil Nouns Brand Promotion: o Creation of t-shirts, hoodies, hats for the competition: 0.8 ETH o Customized Rubik’s cubes with Lil Nouns designs: 0.6 ETH o Event branding and community social media: 0.6 ETH o Media strategy and event documentation: 0.6 ETH
6. Staff and Operational Personnel: o Payment for 10 to 12 people during more than 12 hours of work before, during, and after the competition: 0.88 ETH
7. Total: 10 ETH

Team Lil Noun 3199 (BeKubes Hub): Event execution Lil Noun 4093 (Discord: fabian.bz): English Point of Contact Lil Noun 4035 (Discord: ferrandino95): Spanish Point of Contact Lil Noun 5769 (Farcaster: valesol01): Social Media & Reporting *These Lil Nouns along with 5 others were recently bought off the secondary market and they have low historical participation in governance, we are changing that by assigning them to active builders and voters.