[DAC Proposal] Future Tech Farm

[G1ng3rBr34dM4n]

Just a quick update to all those who are following this venture's adventure:

• We are working on bringing on two additional team members for an equity stake: 1 designer, 1 software engineer (who frequents this forum...)
• We will be submitting our application for Y Combinator today (San Francisco-based accelerator program)

[pgbit]

Amazing project. Any timelines set as yet? By the way, you might be interested in the links below. The idea is that desalination takes place in the greenhouse, its used to control humidity and for pest control - enables food production in very dry areas e.g. Somalia
http://www.seawaterg reenhouse.com/news.html
http://www.slideee.com/slide/c-paton-seawater-greenhouse-somalia-uk

Still working on timelines.

Thanks for the links!  These are super interesting - pgbit, do you have any affiliation with the project?

No I have no connection. I heard it about it on the radio, and looked it up! There was some mention of using a wind turbine to help control humidity / desalination process.

[G1ng3rBr34dM4n]

Amazing project. Any timelines set as yet? By the way, you might be interested in the links below. The idea is that desalination takes place in the greenhouse, its used to control humidity and for pest control - enables food production in very dry areas e.g. Somalia
http://www.seawaterg reenhouse.com/news.html
http://www.slideee.com/slide/c-paton-seawater-greenhouse-somalia-uk

Still working on timelines.

Thanks for the links!  These are super interesting - pgbit, do you have any affiliation with the project?

[pgbit]

Amazing project. Any timelines set as yet? By the way, you might be interested in the links below. The idea is that desalination takes place in the greenhouse, its used to control humidity and for pest control - enables food production in very dry areas e.g. Somalia
http://www.seawaterg reenhouse.com/news.html
http://www.slideee.com/slide/c-paton-seawater-greenhouse-somalia-uk

[Akado]

I find this AMAZING! Already signed in to receive any news and updates! One question just out of curiosity, will you be selling the hardware you show on your page so you can fund your DAC?

At some point - yes.  Right now our main focus is to get our team together by late February, initiate fundraising by mid spring, and begin development of the network and hardware by the summer of next year.

Okay. Im really excited about this! Wish you luck

[G1ng3rBr34dM4n]

I find this AMAZING! Already signed in to receive any news and updates! One question just out of curiosity, will you be selling the hardware you show on your page so you can fund your DAC?

At some point - yes.  Right now our main focus is to get our team together by late February, initiate fundraising by mid spring, and begin development of the network and hardware by the summer of next year.

[Akado]

I find this AMAZING! Already signed in to receive any news and updates! One question just out of curiosity, will you be selling the hardware you show on your page so you can fund your DAC?

[G1ng3rBr34dM4n]

A fascinating article that applies to the operation of FTF (much thanks to Robrigo for pointing this one out to me):

When Your Sensor Earns Money: Exchanging Data for Cash with Bitcoin

This whitepaper is interesting to me in that it proposes "sensing-as-a-service".  This is in effect exactly what we're working on with FTF: sensing that increases the efficiency of food production and distribution in order to lower the cost [of food] to the consumer, decrease losses in food waste, decrease resource utilization, increase water utilization efficiency, decrease runoff/harmful environmental effects of traditional farming and much more.

[G1ng3rBr34dM4n]

Our website is updated as well, would love some feedback, especially the negative kind.

What can we do better?

http://futuretechfarm.com

[G1ng3rBr34dM4n]

Designing Company Culture

One of the things I've been adamant about since day 1 of founding this project, is designing a company culture - from the ground up - that empowers the team members to learn and achieve excellence in everything they do, inside and outside of work.

Below is a living document of ideas I've been scribbling down over the past few years for the culture we're striving to develop.  As we now begin our recruitment stage, I think it's important in publishing for feedback from potential team members (...could be you!)

[In no particular order, guiding principles and benefits]

• The mission of Future Tech Farm: Re-associating the public consciousness of what farming SHOULD be.
• Personal projects will be encouraged
• Standard working hours do not apply - work when you want for however long you need.
• Financials will be crypto-based for public audit-ability
• Salaries will be paid in crypto
• Interviews will occur at bars or on walks (or a combination of those options and more)
• Opportunities will be abundant for learning & personal development (i.e. conference, seminars, etc... also applicable to personal projects)
• Capitalistic and free market inter-office solutions will be encouraged (i.e. I'm designing a hammock rental "vending machine" in which I will design and install with a team of my own development; in doing do - I will have the ability to charge (for my personal profit) and control pricing unless consensus of the office determines otherwise)
• Decisions will be made according to consensus whenever possible.
• A leader-leader empowerment structure will be implemented (vs. a manager-follower power structure)
• We're not Silicon Valley
• "Peter's Laws" will be the creed of default decision-making unless an improved creed is developed by consensus
• Fitness & Mental Health programs will be
• Free Swag for instantaneous rewards and recognition.
• Vacation when you need it - no approval necessary
• Health Insurance
• Investment Matching Program (NOT be confused with a "retirement plan" or 401k; this program will match investments on a 100% vesting implementation (matching percentage to be determined) to initiate after 1 year of service to the venture; can be paid in crypto, stocks, cash - whatever the team member would like for utilization in investing - even each other's personal projects!)
• Open [front] door policy - family members always allowed.
• Open and unrestricted work space
• Preferred parking locations with complementary charging stations for EVs
• Stock pantry with snacks / potential for chef
• No drug testing - you will be evaluated by consensus on your work excellence and attitude alone
• Anyone who enters the premises who is not employed by FTF will be greeted by an FTF team member with a large smile and a "Welcome to Future Tech Farm!"
• Each team member will be responsible for sourcing their own business cards - to be reimbursed by FTF
• FTF will provide a stipend for your workstation to cover the expenses of your computer of choice, monitor setup of choice and chair of choice.

**What are some of the best benefits or culture components you've ever had in a job that you don't see on this list?**


(*Note* Inspiration for this post comes directly from an integration of ideas from the following list of books:  Delivering Happiness, Start with Why, Leaders Eat Last, Turn the Ship Around!, & Zero To One)

-Brian

[G1ng3rBr34dM4n]

Right there you solved the fraud problem. Let's say a farmer is faking the results he's tinkering with the sensors(there no way you can prevent that)so it will show that he's farming system is the most efficient. Now every farmer in the network will use that fake information but evidently it will not work. So how about, instead of paying dividends right a way the others farmers should confirm that information is genuine or not. Only if the information was working for say 30% of the farmer then you pay dividends. So in that way  there will be no incentives  to fake the results.

OK, so I register 1000 fake farmers and publish 1000 fake sensor results. Some of these will be successful and collect dividends. Rinse, repeat - my cost is near zero.

I think oco101 is on to something with the VOTE-like consensus. 

In any case - there would undoubtedly be a system in which what you are proposing wouldn't be feasible.  One that comes to mind for me is visual validation through optical sensors.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pc]

Right there you solved the fraud problem. Let's say a farmer is faking the results he's tinkering with the sensors(there no way you can prevent that)so it will show that he's farming system is the most efficient. Now every farmer in the network will use that fake information but evidently it will not work. So how about, instead of paying dividends right a way the others farmers should confirm that information is genuine or not. Only if the information was working for say 30% of the farmer then you pay dividends. So in that way  there will be no incentives  to fake the results.

OK, so I register 1000 fake farmers and publish 1000 fake sensor results. Some of these will be successful and collect dividends. Rinse, repeat - my cost is near zero.

[oco101]

  I believe those who produce most efficiently should be paid dividends at a proportional rate of efficiency with respect to the rest of the network.  Therefore, the farmers who inject more resources into the network (share more information) - will see a greater return proportional to how much of the rest of the network uses that information.  As a whole - the entire autonomous food production platform will always strive in real time to grow as efficiently as physics allow.  Does that make sense?

Right there you solved the fraud problem. Let's say a farmer is faking the results he's tinkering with the sensors(there no way you can prevent that)so it will show that he's farming system is the most efficient. Now every farmer in the network will use that fake information but evidently it will not work. So how about, instead of paying dividends right a way the others farmers should confirm that information is genuine or not. Only if the information was working for say 30% of the farmer then you pay dividends. So in that way  there will be no incentives  to fake the results.
The way to do it in a blockchain probably will be akin to "Follow my vote" the farmers will vote if he sees that the information was useful for his system. I still don't see the need of a two tier approach or POG , what the farmers care is if the information help their systems to be more efficient.

[G1ng3rBr34dM4n]

What kind of fraud are you thinking about?

In my mind - with regards to fraud - who's going to mess with their own food supply?  If the data the nodes is providing is useful, it will help the rest of the network.  If not - the information will not be utilized by very many nodes, or any at all.  The goal is to create an objective platform.

... I believe those who produce most efficiently should be paid dividends at a proportional rate of efficiency with respect to the rest of the network.  ...

There's your potential for fraud. If I can make your system *think* that I'm producing more efficiently (while I'm actually not producing anything at all, or maybe producing food tainted with non-organic and possibly toxic chemicals), I'll be rewarded with higher dividends.

That's a valid point - but what if the network consensus says certain sensors must be in place to validate utilization of nutrient solution makeup? (i.e. chemical detection system)  Perhaps a consensus mechanism can be implemented for auditing efficiency improvement claims.

I guess what we're searching for here is: What would be the mechanism to build in trustless-ness? 

[pc]

What kind of fraud are you thinking about?

In my mind - with regards to fraud - who's going to mess with their own food supply?  If the data the nodes is providing is useful, it will help the rest of the network.  If not - the information will not be utilized by very many nodes, or any at all.  The goal is to create an objective platform.

... I believe those who produce most efficiently should be paid dividends at a proportional rate of efficiency with respect to the rest of the network.  ...

There's your potential for fraud. If I can make your system *think* that I'm producing more efficiently (while I'm actually not producing anything at all, or maybe producing food tainted with non-organic and possibly toxic chemicals), I'll be rewarded with higher dividends.