FWB H1 (Q1+Q2) 2026 Proposal

Full H1 proposal available here. Language adjusted below to fit 10,000 Snapshot character limit.!

Q4 2025 Recap

• World Build 2 completing January 2026
• FEST licensing deal secured (FWB retains IP, 15% profit share, no production risk)
• Returned to profitability in FY2025 after significant losses in prior years
• Reduced opex to ~$46K/month by end of Q4

Several strategic options were explored in Q4, including protocol partnerships and knowledge commercialization. These were not pursued as part of the leadership transition.

Directional Thoughts

Membership	FWB works best as infrastructure for creative people to find each other and make things together.
Leadership	Operating Lead role is to steward, coordinate, and build systems—not be the center of gravity. Ideally transitional because the model becomes self-sustaining.
Sustainability	Lasting memberships have clear value exchange. We rebuild that through tangible value: content worth consuming, events worth attending, an accessible network.
Opportunity	Context shifting in our favor (experiential, IRL, "taste"). FWB has assets most communities don't: festival with multi-year licensing, distribution, token holder network, institutional relationships.

Strategic Options

This proposal seeks directional approval. Specifics—tiers, pricing, timing—will be determined through follow-up once we have signal on what resonates and what members would pay for.

Potential membership implementation: March or April 2026

How a Membership Model Could Work

Component	Description
Tiered Membership	$10–$100+/month with varying access and benefits
90% to Treasury	Membership revenue flows to treasury for funding projects
Governance Allocates	Token holders direct treasury to member-proposed projects
Projects Deliver Value	Outputs benefit members and build brand equity
Revenue → Buybacks	Project revenue reinforces the ecosystem

Creates a flywheel: membership funds projects → projects create value → value attracts members → revenue strengthens token → repeat.

Token Holders, Members, and Governance

Token holders and members aren't necessarily the same. Governance rights flow from token ownership via Snapshot for treasury and directional decisions. Lighter-weight Discord consensus for temperature checks and early vetting is worth exploring.

Strategic Options Overview

Option	What It Is	View
A: Rebuild → Membership	Ship outputs Q1-Q2, rebuild brand equity, convert to paid membership by Mar/Apr	Primary path. Risk: revenue takes longer. Betting outputs → brand equity → conversion.
B: Cultural Intelligence	Package expertise for brands/partners	Q2 play. Risk of recreating agency dynamic.
C: Talent Network	Facilitate paid member opportunities	Q2. Requires brand equity first.
D: Ecosystem Grants	Apply for protocol/foundation grants	Worth exploring in parallel.

How We Achieve Option A

6-Month Roadmap

Phase	Timing	Focus	Key Milestones
Discovery	Jan 1-13	Listen & setup	Member interviews, survey, office hours, Town Hall #1
Build	Jan-Mar	Output + infrastructure	Weekly TLDR, events, audio, directory beta, membership proposal
Q1 Check-in	End of Mar	Assess & adjust	Formal progress update before Q2
Scale	Apr-Jun	Membership + FEST prep	Implementation, continued outputs, grant applications

Success by End of Q2

Area	Indicators
Content	Regular cadence (weekly TLDR, 8+ audio pieces, 8+ events)
Infrastructure	Directory/classifieds MVP live
Membership	Proposal approved; infrastructure live
Engagement	Baseline metrics defined with member input
Sustainability	5 grant applications; 3-5 partnership conversations

Content & Creative Engine

The only way to rebuild brand equity is to make things worth paying attention to. Every output should speak to members and build toward FEST. Builds on the approved FWB Radio proposal.

Output	Description	Cadence
TLDR Newsletter	Cultural digest: curated links, spotlights, events, classifieds	Weekly
Podcast	Guests at intersection of culture, technology, creativity	Monthly
Mix Series	Curated audio mixes. "Radio as magazine."	1-2x/month
Events	Dinners, salons, listening sessions, parties, workshops	2-3x/month
Artist Spotlights	Featuring artists across channels	As available
Editorial	Written pieces, roundups, project highlights	1-2x/month
Social	Short-form content across Twitter, TikTok, Instagram	Ongoing

Member Infrastructure

Priority	Description	Timeline
Directory	Searchable opt-in profiles: skills, interests, location, availability	Beta Q1, launch Q2
Classifieds	Improve visibility and utility for posting/finding opportunities	Q1

Q1 + Q2 2026 Budget

Monthly Operational Costs: $26,166

Category	Monthly	Notes
Operating Lead	$8,333
Contractors/Support	$6,000	Content, social, ops
Content & Creative	$5,000	Audio, events, editorial, artist payments
Buffer	$1,000
Dues & Subscriptions	$1,500
Accounting	$3,500	Exploring reduction
Taxes	$833	~$10K annual, amortized

43% reduction from Q4 2025 ($46,242/month). Flexibility between Contractors and Content budgets as needed.

Member Proposals (Variable)

~$15,000/quarter factored for member proposals through governance.

Q1+Q2 Budget Total

Item	Amount
Operational (6 months)	~$157,000
Member Proposals Reserve	~$30,000
Total Expenses	~$187,000

Resources & Runway

Source	Amount
Treasury	$251,000*
Projected Partner Revenue	$80,000
Total Available	$331,000

Conservative estimate given crypto volatility

Metric	Value
Starting Runway	~11 months
Remaining After Q2	~$144,000
Projected Runway After Q2	~5-6 months (OpEx only)

Does not factor in Q3+Q4 proposals, savings, or new revenue from membership/grants/partnerships.

Why 6 Months

Reason	Explanation
Planning stability	Especially around FEST 2026
Contractor commitment	Sustained engagement enables commitment
Reduced overhead	Less admin, more execution
Realistic timeline	Brand equity rebuild takes more than one quarter

Formal Q1 check-in at end of March: written update on progress, spend, and adjustments before Q2.

Operations Optimizations

Decision	Action	Rationale
End Migration Period	Formalize end/pause Q1 (~$650/mo)	Should have defined endpoint
Pause $Benefits	Pause until core priorities addressed	Focus on membership/content first
Consolidate Multisigs	Consolidate for efficiency	Streamline treasury management