Now you think: "edje is crazy"
Maybe I am, but I am pretty sure we can achieve massive exposure to people in and foremost outside the crypto space without the need to use the marketing instrument. Through that massive exposure, we will - likely - gain substantial amounts of new active users.
In the comment section of this blog post, I touched on a few examples that came to mind when I got into a conversation with the author who voiced the idea of filling LeoGlossary with Film and Music content.
One of these ideas I'll bring forward below. An integrated HIVE comment and token system into a well-established platform in the music industry: DISCOGS.
Interested to learn more?
Keep reading 🙃
First I describe the idea and high-level concept after which I address possible questions you may have. Add yours in the comment section in case I didn't address those.
The IDEA
Integrate the HIVE blogging system into a well-established music platform with a large audience. It may not be an easy task to convince such a platform/company to play ball with blockchains in general and the HIVE blockchain in particular. But what if such a company isn't a regular fiat-based business seeking tons of profit? What if such a company was started in a decentralised fashion way before Bitcoin was invented? What if such a platform allows most of their content to be used by others, for free? And what if such a service already has a social element?
DISCOGS x HIVE
I believe, for DISCOGS (website), the answer is YES to all questions I put forward in the previous paragraph above. The 'about' page tells us the content is "A user-generated database: Open source and crowdsourced". The same page tells us they have 602k community contributors and have been around since 2000. I remember very well when they launched. Discovered them just a few weeks (or was it months?) after they went live.
Discogs is a platform that has the most extensive database of artists and their works. It also facilitates a (second hand p2p) marketplace for music media, from vinyl to CDs and whatnot. Last but not least, a Forum is part of the platform as well.
Both sides of Discogs, the artist and their discography as well as the marketplace already have a comment section. The marketplace allows for different currencies.
Are you connecting the dots already?
The CONCEPT
It is plain and simple.
- Add the HIVE comment system to Discogs (for direct monetisation by Discogs user)
- Optionally: Add crypto tokens and the HIVE/HBD token to the marketplace payment section
The concept includes the usage of Discogs as it is today. With that I mean, any Discogs user commenting to albums, artists and whatnot, can continue to do so in exactly the same way, with the same tools, with the same accounts, as the user is using today.
Basically, the concept of adding the HIVE commenting system to the Discogs one is that it adds, but doesn't replace.
Obviously, we shall be open to replacing the existing commenting system with a 100% HIVE-based one, but this isn't the pitch to them. The goal is to lower the barriers for Discogs to play ball, as much as possible.
Essentially I see in front of me a comment section (see also the image below for an impression of what I visualise) in which the HIVE-based comments are within the Disocgs comment section. The HIVE-based comments may show slightly different to the current Discogs comments, preferably by an additional icon, or perhaps the HIVE brand. The monetary rewards may not be visible at Discogs, but if Discogs allows, why not show the monetary item? This could simply be the HIVE token, or LEO, or both. Orrrrr a new Discogs token. Albeit the latter isn't required.
Clicking the HIVE logo can do many things, one of which would be to open a page in which the HIVE side of Discogs is explained with actional items, like subscribing to the HIVE side of things.
Sooo ... What is in it for Discogs?
That's a good question. And not too difficult to answer.
With the HIVE commenting system integration, Discogs not only provides something new to their audience but also a possibility for all these 600k+ contributors and 700k+ daily visitors to earn extra, whether this be in a direct currency with a dollar value or points that may bring them some extra benefits (eg Discogs tokens for some kind of loyalty program).
In addition, integrating HIVE commenting system may also provide an additional revenue stream for Discogs. More about this further down this article.
What when Discogs isn't Interested?
Obviously, I have a plan B in mind. Well I even have a plan A2 in mind as well.
Plan A2
When Discogs is interested in integrating HIVE in one or the other way (eg the commenting system) but doesn't have time to make this happen, the HIVE community can step up and fill the gaps, whatever those gaps are.
Note: in Plan A Discogs does the work, we at HIVE sell the idea to Discogs, help them to understand HIVE, train their developers, show them what they need to know, answer their questions and all that. But essentially HIVE isn't developing major parts of the integration, this is handled by Discogs development team(s).
Preferably our contributions we do free-of-charge with direct out-of-pocket costs paid for by Discogs, or by the proposal system. In the end, we do this for the benefit of HIVE, which will be reflected in increased HIVE token value 😉 in case Discogs is willing to pay, obviously, that is allowed. Such income will be somehow distributed to those contributing.
Plan B
Create and launch the next generation of Discogs using all the information from Discogs but with its own branding. This could just be the discography side of Discogs, but could also be extended with the marketplace including the crypto payment side of things. My suggestion for such Discogs 2.0 service is to also allow a full end2end web2 experience to not be limited to the tech-savvy crypto users and - mostly - money-hunting bloggers. Making use of web2 - and its user experience (UX) - is the name of the game here.
Plan B is far from optimal though and requires a lot of time, effort and money to create, establish and gain traction. Though the core of the service is free of charge, the service itself needs to be architected, developed, coded, marketed and operated through B2B and B2C approaches and channels.
the OPPORTUNITY
To me, the opportunity for HIVE is clear since I truly believe we can find solid web2 platforms that can be convinced to add the HIVE commenting system in one or the other way. Through such integration, HIVE is suddenly exposed to a much larger audience (700k daily visitors source), whilst the UX for the existing user base isn't changed one bit. At the same time, the collaboration of Discogs with the HIVE blockchain can be used as a reference towards other platforms and the entire market. And when Discogs doesn't want to play ball, we can try a gazillion other services, networks, and platforms.
At the same time, the HIVE integration could also add to the business model for Discogs. For instance, a percentage of the rewards goes to Discogs, set per comment. Perhaps these rewards do not directly flow into Discogs' own HIVE wallet but into an intermediate wallet. A wallet that pays out to Discogs when certain conditions are met so that some control mechanism is in place for Discogs to continue to support HIVE. Perhaps some bonuses can be given to Discogs when they achieve certain marks like a minimum of new active users onboarded to HIVE and/or other achievements that are good for HIVE.
The marketplace is very interesting as well. Supposedly more than 17 Million items were sold through the Discogs marketplace in 2021. This averages to about 50k items sold per day! Perhaps adding crypto tokens including HIVE/HBD isn't giving a direct monetary reward for the HIVE ecosystem, but for sure it'll bring another opportunity for increased brand awareness of HIVE. Think of: "powered by HIVE" when integrating a set of crypto tokens, including the mother of all tokens, BTC and others. Essentially am thinking of a payment module that is delivered by and branded with HIVE.
Commitment, Skills & Leadership
Plan A doesn't necessarily require a centralised company setup with some solid entrepreneurs taking on the adventure. Within the HIVE community, we must have plenty of peeps with the skills that are required for such a startup adventure. We just need to group these individuals. We need to be willing to commit to the tasks agreed upon. In the worst-case scenario, our time is not being compensated through financial means, directly. But perhaps indirectly by a better-known HIVE token and a higher value of the HIVE token on the exchanges?
Plan A2 may need a legal entity. Well, likely it needs a legal entity since I don't see how software and such can be built for Discogs platform without going through legal hoops. I mean, almost none of the services in the fiat space allows for non-legalised contributions. Though Discogs may be different since they have community contributions at heart.
Plan B: not gonna talk about what is required for Plan B since either Plan A or A2 will work out 🙃 for sure 🙇
the Tech Stuff
From the tech side of things, bringing in the HIVE commenting system requires development. Not only the HIVE commenting integration into the UI of Discogs but also a web2-like UX to get an HIVE account for those Discogs users wanting to start participating in Discogs through the HIVE blockchain. In essence, the user who likes to be onboarded shall not have to install plugins, or software, to sign up and sign in. A wallet needs to be created by the service. And perhaps Discogs requires an inbuild (yes, centralised) wallet for all the users executing actions for which rewards are given, regardless if they already have a HIVE wallet or not. Perhaps the user needs to subscribe to the reward system to receive an HIVE wallet and the ability to claim the tokens already earned in the past. Resource Credits shall be delegated so that a user using the HIVE system through Discogs doesn't have to buy HIVE tokens and stake them. Temporary RC delegation is maybe necessary for this to not run into the situation of too much unused RC delegation.
Much is possible, but in the end, Discogs decides what will be on the table regarding HIVE services. We shall help them to define what this is. Perhaps even drive this when Discogs allows.
I am pretty sure next to a good story on collaboration, demonstrating sound knowledge in every aspect in the sales cycle, we need to show what is possible in terms of a Proof-of-Concept (PoC). Such PoC is more about features than anything else. But also a PoC (including showcasing our expertise) shall take away any concerns from Discogs. This could be anything to do with UX (eg speed of the system accepting a comment, which should be instant if you ask me, not waiting for a few seconds after confirmation of the HIVE blockchain), load on their systems, quality of integration, uptime of HIVE chain and whatnot. I can't tell exactly what they will find important just yet.
We will find out when we start talking with them, but I do know we need to be prepared for a lot. This essentially means we need to identify all the skills required, find the peeps, get commitments from them and be ready for what is coming our way. And all that BEFORE we start reaching out to and talking with Discogs. We don't have time to find all the expertise and willingness of peeps in our community when we progress from the first to the second meeting with Discogs. And am 100% sure we need more expertise than I can provide for the second meeting. Even for the first meeting, I very likely don't have all the expertise myself.
So yah, we need to organise BEFORE we can reach out.
Please check this API Discogs provides, you'll notice I am not telling BS. Plenty of content is available through the API. Plan B can be facilitated through this. However, we go for plan A or when that fails, plan A2 making the API a bit less relevant 😉
certainly NOT the last words
If it was for me - a decade ago I would've considered starting this whole thing up myself in the role of an entrepreneur and would've established a company of some sort. Though my age is tik tak -ing forward. Today I see myself in a place with plenty of ideas, with a lot of passion for those ideas, but not the energy anymore the actually take on the role of an entrepreneur, a manager, or a leader.
Although I am ready to support others who do want to take up such business, aiming to onboard professional companies, with the goal of benefiting HIVE and crypto in general.
Not saying that I won't do any of that myself, but no promises on those fronts 😉 Time will tell. That said, with this blog post I already took some form of leadership, although at this stage just open-sourcing the concept of onboarding Discogs to the HIVE ecosystem. Am more than willing to work with others in the community (or outside for that matter), like-minded peeps, to make something happening that makes much sense for your HIVE ecosystem.
