API3 Operations Update: 2021 End
While it has been a while since our last monthly update, the final quarter of 2021 has been rather consistent in the efforts of prior updates. We are continuing to make progress in legal and regulatory compliance, including developing specific accounting processes, and the groundwork has largely been laid to streamline processes across verticals. This leaves much of the Operation team’s efforts to focus on maintaining those processes.
Legal Updates
This quarter, Erich has been key in helping API3 prepare for ETHDenver and the launch of Beacons by diligently drafting services agreements, negotiating with API providers who will provide data to Beacons, and generally aligning third party arrangements and contracts. Aside from these efforts, he’s arranged for the filing of European Union trademark applications for API3 and Airnode in favor of API3 Foundation (the DAO’s full legal entity wrapper) and worked on improving the processes for US contributors to API3.
For additional insight into building the legal structure around API3, Erich has published a DAO and Legal Structure to discuss the year in a concise retrospective.
Marketing and Networking
Our Operations team has had the opportunity to connect with potential new partners and stakeholders twice this quarter. Networking efforts in Portugal for LisCon in October provided an opportunity for the team to get first-hand exposure to how the API3 efforts are being interpreted and valued. Each time API3 makes an appearance for a Marketing or Networking event, our inbound channels become busier. To help ensure efficiency, the Operations team helped to define inbound channels to clarify current processes and ensure all channels connect to the appropriate business development team.
Process Management
Our Salesforce Administrative team built the infrastructure to facilitate several different processes for each team that needed a way to track progress. After each team had a chance to utilize the pipelines, the administrative team spent time to analyse and gauge the success of our current business development tools. This analysis helped to improve process documentation that has been used to improve visibility between verticals.
With increased collaboration between verticals, we have gained a better understanding of each team’s needs and more clearly articulated dependencies. Work will be done in Q1 to facilitate the critical roles and activities between Business Development and Marketing while more greatly considering the day-to-day impact on DAO members doing daily outreach to potential partners.
Account Management
Brandon and Nathan are proving to be very proactive in getting involved in inter-vertical coordination as it comes up. A couple of projects they have taken on are engaging more in business development outreach, helping to test ChainAPI, and ensuring the maintenance of the API Provider catalog. As the Account Managers continue to facilitate other areas of information sharing, they will ensure value will be added in each area they interact with.
The operations team is continuing to build the culture of collaboration between verticals. Moving forward, our team will release shorter monthly updates to simply outline items of change and importance.
