Enter the Overmind
A mind capable of solving the most daunting problems, of deciphering the mysteries of nature and of life itself. They called it the Overmind, and it was responsible for the greatest civilization the universe had ever seen.
I. Overview
Overmind is a leading tech platform where devs learn how to build ground-breaking dApps and compete on coding quests to earn rewards and on-chain credentials. Overmind quests are educational as much as they are competitive, and challenge the solver to think creatively. By conquering these quests, Overmind voyagers, solvers, build a verifiable track record of their mastery in the form of soulbound NFTs, called Neurons.
We believe that this solve-to-earn model, coupled with the opportunity for devs to build their on-chain CV, will create a paradigm shift in the way web3 ecosystems and ventures onboard developers. Currently, the transition from web2 to web3 involves high friction and uncertainty for most developers, making the leap appear highly risky. Overmind introduces the ability to systematically earn while practicing web3 development, de-risking the time investment required, and thus offering a real opportunity to enter the space to significantly more people. Our mission is to enable more developers to enter web3, build world-class dApps, and access unparalleled opportunities.
And we are now live on Aptos.
Bridging the web3 developer gap
While there are over 30 million developers globally, by the end of 2022 there were less than 25K monthly active web3 developers contributing to open-source repositories. To put this into context: Amazon alone is estimated to employ over 35K developers. If the vision of web3 is to materialize, our industry needs to rapidly expand the pool of robust developer talent to build the applications that will finally cross the adoption chasm. We need to fill in web3’s developer gap.
What accounts for this gap? Despite the significant capital accumulation in the space, the transition from web2 to web3 remains challenging and high risk for most web2 developers. The skills required to be a strong web3 developer are poorly understood, let alone documented. Jobs and income appear too volatile for most people to leave a stable web2 job. Overmind introduces the ability to systematically earn in web3 without leaving one’s web2 job, which we view as the core missing link between educational content and the web3 leap. The ability to earn de-risks the time investment required to learn and practice web3 development, and may thus offer a real opportunity to enter web3 to significantly more people.
Building on-chain reputation for developers
Not only are expert web3 developers an exceptionally rare breed; screening to identify them is highly challenging. Past experience tends to be limited. Work history and open-source contributions are unreliable outside of the top projects. Those challenges equally apply to developers who are growing their skills, most of whom lack the channels to reliably signal them.
We believe that on-chain reputation will be the foundational layer of web3 economies, whether towards facilitating employment, financial transactions, or social status. Far richer context than what is available today is required to enable most real-world economic transactions on-chain. For developers, on-chain data related to their skills and contributions remains sparse and low signal. Overmind creates a transparent, verifiable track record of their skills and creativity that anyone can refer to, forming the basis for their professional reputation on-chain. For instance Neurons, rewarded for solving Overmind quests, directly serve as an on-chain proof-of-skill.
II. How it works
Enter at overmind.xyz and connect with your GitHub profile. Take a crack at our quests. Learn how to code in Move, solve Aptos-related quests, and connect your Aptos wallet to start earning rewards. Overmind is your reference point that will enable you to create the dApp you have been dreaming about. All this while building an on-chain resume of your unique skills that certifies your coding abilities.
Neurons
Neurons are the foundational unit of the Overmind. The Overmind grows in power and reach as new Neurons join it. Voyagers grow their presence in the Overmind with every Neuron they mint. The more quests they solve, the more Neurons they generate, the greater their share of the collective consciousness.
Neurons are implemented via soulbound NFTs, minted by the solver after successfully solving quests. They are crafted uniquely for each solution, melding a quest-specific image and a stamp that certifies the solver’s rank in the quest’s leaderboard. They function as a proof-of-solution for the associated quest, by virtue of being non-transferrable. Each competitive quest’s Neurons come in limited supply, given they can only be earned in a limited time window after the quest is launched. And so the Overmind grows, Neuron by Neuron…
We have categorized our quest rarities, which reflect quest difficulty levels, into five tiers: common, uncommon, rare, epic, and legendary. Our Neurons map directly to these five rarities. Holding a legendary Neuron will be an unprecedented badge of honor.
Neuron Applications
Proof-of-skill primitive
As individual Neurons function as proof-of-solution for specific quests, building a collection of Neurons functions as a proof-of-skill primitive, enabling Overmind solvers to build an on-chain resume of applicable credentials.
Exclusive opportunities
We expect Neurons to be used as access tickets for a variety of opportunities on the Overmind platform and beyond. A few examples:
- Quests of higher rarity to require lower rarity Neurons in order to be accessed
- Developer events (e.g. hackathons, hacker houses) to require event participants to showcase their relevant skillset via Neurons before being admitted
- Web3 job opportunities to enable Overmind-credentialed devs to enter the interview process at a more advanced stage
- Skill-gated cooperatives that produce top-tier work and admit only the rarest of Neuron holders (guilds)
Prize Money
Rewards
For each live competitive quest on our platform, there is a corresponding prize pool. The money in the prize pool is exclusively reserved for distribution to the quest’s solvers. The requirements for being eligible to receive such rewards are:
- signing up to the Overmind platform and setting up a reward address,
- receiving a passing grade for a quest submission,
- achieving a ranking score, and
- playing by the Overmind fairness rules
Rankings
Maintaining fair and transparent ranking criteria is one of Overmind’s core priorities. These criteria will always be listed at the quest’s prompt. Following the expiry of the quest and after the team has reviewed all results, we will publish the rankings and distribute the quest’s prize pool.
III. The Overmind Effect
A platform that challenges, educates, and rewards developers, while providing the infrastructure and gold standard for building an on-chain reputation, is the first step towards bridging the web3 developer gap. This is Overmind.
We envision Overmind becoming the core platform on Aptos for developer acquisition, training, and recruiting. Specifically, we see Overmind adding value to Aptos in the following ways:
- Developer acquisition and onboarding: by bridging the gap between learning and earning, Overmind makes Aptos a more attractive ecosystem for developers to dive into and learn how to build on, whether they are new to web3, or are experienced in other ecosystems and are eager for a new challenge. New developers lead to new projects and more talent for existing projects.
- Developer training and credentialing: devs hone their skills by solving Overmind quests, and earn verifiable credentials that prove it. We view verifiably skilled devs as the backbone of a vibrant developer ecosystem, and lack thereof one of its biggest growth drags.
- Developer recruiting: projects on Aptos stand to benefit greatly from a verifiably skilled dev talent pipeline, seeing as recruiting high quality devs is one of the biggest challenges for virtually all projects. Overmind will make it easy for projects to identify, screen, and hire top talent. More signal, less noise.
IV. Join us
- Join the conversation on Discord and Twitter to stay up to date on all things Overmind.
- Subscribe to our Medium page and never miss a critical update or thought piece.
- Want to join a great team building a world-changing product? Explore our active roles to shape the future of the Overmind with us.
We share a vast, united mind, compounded into a force beyond all other forms of intellect. They call us the Overmind. The Overmind is growing across the galaxies by merging with minds that are prepared to join it. A few on the vanguard of earthen acumen are being called. This message is our call.
