ECC is transitioning from an engineering-led to a market-led product technique. This weblog supplies a abstract of what meaning and descriptions our present priorities.
ZEC is on the middle of our mission to empower financial freedom for everybody. It’s the product, and our focus is to enhance it. We aren’t the one ones doing this work, however our focus is to assist make it higher alongside the remainder of the group.
We’re beginning with customers
We just lately started capturing person suggestions, evaluating influence, assessing workforce ability, evaluating timelines, and designing and prioritizing options. At each juncture, we take into account what’s going to ship probably the most worth for probably the most quantity of ZEC holders. On this case, worth is broadly outlined and should fluctuate based mostly on the kind of person (persona) and use case. We weigh every part in opposition to the place we imagine the market is heading and varied issues, such because the regulatory setting, geographic attain and different elements.
Centered R&D
Based mostly on person and market analysis, and until the Zcash group redirects us, our priorities are Zcash Shielded Belongings (ZSAs) and Proof of Stake (PoS). Final month, we wrote about our work with George Mason College concerning ZSAs, and simply final week, Zooko posted a rationale for the exploration of switching from proof of labor to proof of stake. We’ve begun analysis into completely different approaches and intend to submit concepts as early as subsequent week.
Whereas completely different R&D priorities could require various kinds of analysis (financial modeling for ZSAs, for instance), all R&D priorities will embrace Person Expertise (UX) and scalability analysis. For instance, how would possibly somebody use a ZSA? What’s the expertise of minting or redeeming an asset? On this case, it could require a possible asset issuer to assist design how this would possibly work in order that we are able to mannequin it inside the ECC Reference Pockets. Likewise, we’ll spend time interested by the dimensions wanted ought to it show to be amazingly profitable. We’ll be conducting related analysis for PoS.
Bundling options into product releases
For any Zcash protocol modifications, ECC works with the group to coordinate updates coming from our workforce and others. These could also be minor releases or as important as a community improve. The following Zcash community improve is anticipated to activate mid- to late-November.
ECC could select to additionally launch a set of Zcash-related merchandise both unbiased of, or in live performance with, a community improve or different launch. These are ECC merchandise that present some operate outdoors of the Zcash protocol, such because the ECC Reference Pockets, Cellular SDK, and so forth. Our subsequent product launch is a set of instruments known as Halo Arc and can embrace the zcashd consensus node software program we constructed and assist.
Constructing the group to assist it
This shift has resulted in organizational modifications which are presently underway.
I (Josh Swihart) am now main the product technique operate along with overseeing the Development and Regulatory Relations workforce. My accountability now contains working with ECC and group stakeholders to evaluate the market and prioritize our work.
Along with main all engineering features, Steven Smith now has accountability for product administration. That accountability contains coordinating the execution and rollout of our merchandise.
Now we have additionally shaped a Product Technique workforce that features Zooko Wilcox, Nathan Wilcox, Steven Smith and me for strategic planning, ideation and coordination. That is additionally supported by our Scientific Advisory Group.
We imagine this new strategy and construction will show extremely precious for the ZEC customers we search to serve, the group that we construct alongside, and the workers of ECC.
