From: thepipeline_xyz
The announcement of Devnet marked a significant week for every Monad supporter globally [00:00:10]. The content emerging from the community has been notably impressive [00:01:32].
Evolution Over the Past 16 Months
Looking back, Monad’s journey reveals substantial growth [00:08:58]. Approximately 12 months ago, the team comprised about seven heavily engineering-focused individuals [00:09:19]. At that time, efforts were just beginning to focus more on community development [00:09:31], alongside growing the business development team and hiring the first ecosystem development personnel [00:09:35].
Sixteen months ago, Monad operated like a nascent software startup, characterized by extensive whiteboarding, brainstorming, and architecting a complex system while maintaining compatibility with the existing Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) protocol [00:09:44].
Team Development and Physical Presence
Monad began as a remote company in early 2022, embracing the global nature of crypto to find talent wherever it existed [00:10:51]. Approximately 14 months ago, at the start of 2023, the team reached a critical mass of two people in New York, leading to the decision to establish a physical office [00:11:11]. Initially, a small WeWork office was used infrequently [00:11:36]. This space gradually expanded to accommodate 25 people, with more team members flying into New York for on-site weeks [00:11:46].
The in-person presence offered significant benefits, fostering collaboration and bouncing of ideas, which positively impacted the core engineering, ecosystem, and business development teams [00:12:03]. This transition culminated in Monad occupying an entire floor in an office space in the Nomad neighborhood of New York [00:12:36].
Community Growth and Engagement
The development of the team has significantly contributed to the immense growth of the community [00:13:10]. Bill has been instrumental in cultivating the community culture from day one [00:13:18]. The increasing number of people learning about Monad and its mission has propelled the community’s trajectory [00:13:34].
Members demonstrate remarkable creativity through artwork, themed nails, and music [00:14:08]. On the ecosystem development side, Monad has engaged in productive conversations with project teams interested in multi-chain expansion into the Monad ecosystem or building Monad-native applications [00:14:31].
Overall, the growth across all areas has been exhilarating [00:14:55]. Previously, a common question was “Why an L1?” However, now discussions have shifted to “What are your plans for testnet?” indicating a broader understanding of Monad’s vision and the necessity for a high-performing Layer 1 blockchain [00:15:09].
The Year Ahead
The focus for the upcoming year remains consistent: pushing forward to launch a robust mainnet [00:17:35]. The Monad team continues to expand across all areas, particularly in engineering and ecosystem support, to cater to the growing community [00:17:49].
The broader developer and crypto community is crucial, as they will make the core team’s efforts worthwhile [00:18:14]. The Monad blockchain is considered the “skeleton,” while the ecosystem of applications, tooling, and infrastructure are the “muscles and tendons” [00:18:29]. The community, the people, represent the “beating heart of Monad,” bringing it to life [00:18:46].
There will be an increased physical presence at conferences and potentially Monad-hosted events in New York, offering more opportunities for engagement within the broader ecosystem [00:19:01]. Discussions are underway about hosting a hackathon in the future [00:19:28]. The aim is to maintain a continuous presence within the crypto industry [00:19:38]. A year ago, many were unfamiliar with Monad; now, people recognize the brand, even stopping team members on the street [00:19:45].
“The Moni blockchain you can consider that as like a skeleton like if we were think to think about the human like the Moni blockchain is a skeleton the ecosystem of applications of tooling and infra those are like the muscles and the tendons that you know wrap around the skeleton um but the community the people that’s like the Beating Heart of manad it’s like what makes you know the blood flow and what makes a a living breathing body come to life” [00:18:27]
Community Opportunities and Swag
The Monad community is actively seeking ways to acquire Monad merchandise, including new designs and “drip” coming in the following months [00:22:00]. Attendees at conferences are encouraged to find team members, who often carry a small handful of swag to distribute [00:22:07]. For those unable to attend events, continued engagement with the “pipeline” and following updates will reveal opportunities to get new merch [00:22:25].