Thanks for the explanation, @Tudamoon. Is there something specific about the budget you think is unreasonable? Have you done any research into what it would cost you or anyone else to build Virtual Land Manager from scratch if you started today?
Analyzing the cost without any experience in building or delivering software could certainly make it seem like it could be done for less. However, if a legitimately funded company were to hire a software team to build this, it could easily be a 4 person team.
- Project Manager
- UI/UX Designer
- Quality Assurance Tester or Software Engineer in Test
- Senior Software Engineer (Full Stack)
The retroactive amount I’m asking for is less than (or roughly equal to) the average salary of any one of these jobs in the country I live in (USA). If we look at the salaries for these positions worldwide, it’s unlikely that even the full $120k would be enough to cover this project for one year.
Listing just my experience as a Senior Software Engineer alone, I regularly receive opportunities in my LinkedIn inbox offering ranges of 130k-200k. The base compensation at my current position is greater than the total amount of the grant, and I am also given yearly bonuses, 401k match, HSA contributions, tuition reimbursement, and other benefits that increase my overall compensation.
(Note of clarification: I am not employed by Decentraland or any company related to it. This is what’s offered at the multi-national real estate software company I have been working at since 2019. I will happily dox myself and provide proof of my credentials to anyone involved in DAO oversight.)
There’s also the increased value of vastly decreasing risk to the DAO by building this first and then asking for a grant to cover it. I’m not quite sure how you’d quantify that, but it’s generally more expensive to order something pre-built versus ordering something that requires assembly.
If someone can do the job of four or more people, is it unreasonable to pay them what they could make doing at least one of these jobs for any other company?
Lastly, don’t forget that as an American citizen, I will owe roughly 1/4 to 1/3 of this grant to the federal government next April. Thankfully I live in Florida and we have no state income tax, but either way that money comes out of my pocket, not the funds going toward the platform.
All things I would love to discuss with you further if you’d like any assistance with doing an informed cost analysis. Unfortunately based on what I’ve observed of your previous interactions with the DAO and community at large, I have my doubts as to whether you’re leaving this comment in good faith, or just being a troll and contrarian. Either way, thanks for the opportunity to address these points since nobody else presented their objections.
