To get people to build on Deso, developers need to know that there is the potential for funding.

To get people to build on Deso, developers need to know that there is the potential for funding.  

With that said, VCs are hesitant right now to invest in Deso-centric projects because instead of betting on the team and project at hand, they have to double-down and bet on the team/project as well as the blockchain. If Deso fails, every project on DeSo will likely fail as well. Why invest in a project built on DeSo, when you can invest in one on Ethereum, where you are almost certain Ethereum will succeed?

Deso needs a thriving ecosystem in order to attract additional VC money. But how do you get a thriving app ecosystem if VCs are waiting for it to happen before funding Deso-centric projects -- not to mention the crypto winter has dried up most free capital that VCs are willing to invest.  

Our opinion is that the Octane Fund needs to step up and fund them. The Octane Fund was formed with $50M. $10M of those funds were spent. Depending on what currency the reserves were held in, there should be a significant amount remaining.

This is also a win-win for the DeSo Foundation. They boost projects, plus get equity in those projects that they can sell later on for a profit.  

In my opinion, unlike last time, it's important to have a better understanding of the projects they are funding and a tighter leash on them. How will the capital be utilized? What kind of runway will the capital provide? Is the project differentiated enough from other projects already built? Is the team motivated and proven to have what it takes? Is the team trustworthy and won't run off with the capital like some did in the first funding round? Does the project actually have potential? Can the project provide monthly P&L statements and updates to the foundation?

It's time that those developing on this chain get excited again. It's time to make investing into the DeSo ecosystem something VCs prefer, rather than shy away from. DAOs are exciting and have a lot of potential, but just thinking of funding a round with a DAO and having to provide updates, revenue share and financial details to hundreds of users regularly would give most CEOs nightmares. Not to mention the problems and questions that could arise should a Series A or B follow a DAO fundraise.

No one could have predicted the crypto Winter would have been so frigid, or that FTX would catastrophically fail, but what we can predict is that those able to build today, and raise a little bit of capital, will emerge incredibly strong when things turn around later next year or in early 2024. Let's get some of these projects funded, but in a responsible way with oversight and attention.