Proposal - VESS - Portable Self-Sovereign Work Identity Protocol

Grants Origins Round
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1

Grant/Project Name:
VESS (ex C-Voxel)

Proposer’s contact info (please provide a reliable point of contact for the project):
Kantaro ( kantaro@vess.id )

Grant Category: [Apps, Tooling/Analytics, Community/Education]
Apps

ELI5 Project Summary:
VESS, in short, is the Web3 version of LinkedIn+Upwork, and with VESS, everyone can own their work identity as collections of verifiable data and carry them everywhere through VESS’s SDK.
It enables users to present their work identities and helps to find new jobs easily in social media and other digital platforms without lying.

Project Description:
VESS is a product built on top of Ceramic to build and visualize an individual’s work identity.
Users can own credentials about their background, learning history, organization, job title, work performance, Event Attendance Credentials, reputation and so on. The collection of these credentials represents a user’s work identity.

There are 3 different formats for VESS credential data with different levels of reliability.
1.Verifiable Credential(VC): Credentials issued by web3 projects, DAOs, other companies, or public organizations.
2.Bottom-up Credential: VESS’s original credential format that ensure trustworthiness of the credential for P2P works for which no official issuer exists, by including evidence data.

3.Self-claimed: Self-reported data with no evidence
With those credential formats, users can visualize their work identities with graduated levels of trust.

Currently, Users can issue the following types of credentials

  • Membership Credential (VC)
  • Event Attendance Credential (VC)
  • Work Credential (VC / Bottom up Credential / Self-claimed)
  • Learning Credential (VC)

We will also be adding the following types of credentials

  • Peer to Peer Reputation Credential (Bottom up Credential)

These credentials will allow anyone in the world to easily represent their work identity digitally.

And through the VESS SDK, any HR Tech service (recruiting platforms, talent management tools, etc.) will be able to use the credentials stored in Ceramic easily.

We are also working on a web3 talent-focused job marketplace ( SYNAPSS ) as an initial use case for VESS.

VESS will bring innovation to the current HR industry based on self-reported resumes, and create a global work Identity data network on Ceramic.

<VESS current ecosystem’s product>

  • VESS web app: a web3 version LinkedIn app that allows users to visualize their own work identity.
  • VESS for Org : Verifiable credential issuing/management app for organizations. The app will be released by the end of this year.
  • SYNAPSS: a job marketplace focused on web3 talent, which is an early use case for VESS. Pre-registration will open in December, and a closed beta version will be released in February 2023.
  • VESS SDK: SDK to make it easy to integrate work identity data. It is scheduled to be released by the end of this year.

The following projects have already decided to adopt the SDK, and we will actively support their implementation.

Web3-focused online education service
Task management tool for DAO
Hackathon Organizing Platform
Global DID game launchpad service

< Technology stack >

  • Frontend: Next.js / web3Auth / ethers.js / Vercel / Lit protocol
  • Data Store: Ceramic / web3.Storage( as storage of static evidence data)
  • Ceramic / IPFS Node: AWS
  • Backend: Node.js / GCP / ComposeDB ( Currently running server for search queries in Node.js / GCP but we planning to migrate to ComposeDB ASAP)
  • Social / Chat: Orbis.club

For more detailed product information: vess_labs_pitch.pdf - Google Drive

Relevant links:

Ceramic Ecosystem Value Proposition:

- What is the problem statement this proposal hopes to solve for the Ceramic ecosystem?

We are very empathetic to the DataVerse concept. On the other hand, DataVerse is a new concept, and its benefits have not yet spread throughout society. Our goal is to create use cases for DataVerse with VESS, to further popularize Ceramic, and to make it an infrastructure for society.

- How does your proposal offer a value proposition solving the above problem?

In today’s world, the data that builds a user’s work identity (education, background, experience, achievements, and other activity history) is siloed in various services like recruiting platforms and talent management tools. This results in a lot of unnecessary costs associated with data handling in the HR domain. Also, web2 resume/CV services often suffer from background fraud.
Even In web3, although there are many services that distribute NFT/SBTs to prove the completion of small tasks, services that use DID/VC to certify a very small portion of digital identities, and web2-like recruitment platforms with a web3 skin, they do not solve the essential issues. This will become a more serious problem as DAOs and web3 become more prominent and global talent liquidity increases.

VESS offers a solution to this global HR challenge: the work identity built on top of Ceramic. If everyone can leverage Ceramic and decentralized identities to carry their work identity anywhere in a verifiable format, this will be one of the use cases for DataVerse that will be widely welcomed by society.

- Why will this solution be a source of growth for the Ceramic ecosystem?

We believe that Dataverse and the HR domain are a great fit, and as VESS demonstrates the use cases for Dataverse in the HR domain, not only the Web3 industry, but society as a whole will recognize the potential of Dataverse.
Also, as VESS spreads, the number of Ceramic transactions (the number of credentials) will increase significantly. We expect 1,000 users and 30 companies to participate in the initial marketplace, generating a total of over 50,000 credentials by summer 2023. We also aim to create 300,000 work identities by 2024, creating more than 3 million credentials.

Funding requested (DAI/USDC): [$21,800]

Milestones:

  • Milestone #1: Development of VESS for Org (56h) - [$2,800]
    Development and release of a VC issuing application for organizations, allowing web3 projects and DAOs to issue VCs for memberships, event attendance credentials, job performance, etc. It’ll be released by the end of this year.

    • [Develop web app(UI/frontend)] - [40 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Update Ceramic Data Model] - [8 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Test and deploy ] - [8 Hours @ $50/ Hr]

  • Milestone #2: Development of SYNAPSS (the talent marketplace) (188h) - [$9,400]
    Development and release of a job marketplace focused on web3 talent. Talent CVs, employer/talent chats, and work credentials generated in the marketplace are all stored on Ceramic through VESS. It’ll be released on Feb 2023( before ETHDenver ).

    • [Develop web app(UI/frontend)] - [80 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Develop backend(matching system, DM chat, account management)] - [80 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Update Ceramic Data Model] - [20 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Test and deploy] - [8 Hours @ $50/ Hr]

  • Milestone #3: ComposeDB migration (48h) - [$2,400]
    Development to migrate IDX currently used mainly in VESS to ComposeDB

    • [Design migration] - [20 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Update Ceramic Node on testnet] - [10 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Migrate on testnet] - [10 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Update Ceramic Node on mainnet] - [4 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [Migrate on mainnet] - [4 Hours @ $50/ Hr]

  • Milestone #4: Sales and Marketing of SYNAPSS /VESS for org (144h) - [$7,200]
    This is a sales activity for SYNAPSS /VESS for Org. The primary target are web3 projects/DAOs in Asia and the US from seed to series A phase. The next target are web3 departments within web2 companies. We aim to have 20 pre-registrations before the release of SYNAPSS , and 10 registration by the end of February. We have one BD member based in SF and one based in Japan.

    • [20 pre-registrations for SYNAPSS and VESS for Org before SYNAPSS launch] - [96 Hours @ $50/ Hr]
    • [10 registrations for SYNAPSS and VESS for Org after SYNAPSS launch] - [48 Hours @ $50/ Hr]

I accept the 3Box Labs Grants terms and conditions: Yes
I understand that I will be required to provide additional KYC information to the 3Box Labs to receive this grant: Yes

2 Likes
2

Hi @kantaro.eth, thank you for your proposal! We will be in touch with an update once we have completed our initial review (1-2 weeks).

1 Like
3

Hi, @0x_Sam . Thanks for your comment! As a side note, if the marketing and sales activities are not appropriate for the CGP, please let me know and I will revise the milestones. Also, I would appreciate it if you could let me know if there are any other missing points.

4

Congratulations @kantaro.eth, I’m delighted to inform you that your grant proposal has been accepted! :tada:

We would like to award you a Ceramic Builders Grant.

We will follow up shortly with more details via email.

1 Like
5

Thanks @0x_Sam ! So excited to work with you and Ceramic team, we’ll do our best!

1 Like
6

[Update 01 / 13]
Source code:

Overview

  • Development of VESS for Org is almost complete.
  • SYNAPSS UI is almost complete.
  • Migration of Ceramic ComposeDB has been started.

Description

  • VESS for Org can do the following

    • Create Organization page
    • Issue Membership Verifiable Credentials
    • Issue Event Attendance Verifiable Credentials (so called VC version of POAP)

  • The staging environment is here.

  • Development is almost complete, but the following tasks remain to be completed

    • Social login support: Currently, users need to log in with EOA, but we are working on integrating cloud KMS so that organizations can use our service without private key management.
    • Edit organization pages: Allow users to edit necessary information (e.g., links) on organization pages.
    • Production Launch

  • SYNAPSS UIDesign is about 80% complete and development will be ready to start in January.

  • The UI image of SYNAPSS is as shown in this tweet.
    https://twitter.com/vess_id/status/1612994942460383232?s=20&t=MImcQrNtXpJY2Y_1XLcxqQ

  • Ceramic ComposeDB migration has begun. We have been using IDX+private backend server for query search for now, but we are planning to migrate all of those functions to ComposeDB.

Next steps

  • VESS for Org Launch
  • Development of SYNAPSS (release to staging environment)
  • Migration to ComposeDB

Additional note

  • Pre-registration for SYNAPSS is now open.
  • We have already received more pre-registration companies than our initial target.
  • We will continue to promote further pre-registration by both users and companies.
1 Like
7

[Update 02 / 27]
Overview

Description

  • What user can do on VESS for Org:
    • Social login
    • Create Organization page
    • Issue Membership Verifiable Credentials
    • Issue Event Attendance Verifiable Credentials (so called VC version of POAP)
    • Job Posting on SYNAPSS
    • Edit organization pages: Allow users to edit necessary information (e.g., links) on organization pages.
  • What user can do on VESS:
    • Can display own Verifiable Credentials
    • Self-declare your experience and work history
    • Can issue “Proof of Meeting”.
    • Can link your Orbis club and cyberconnect profiles

Next steps
We are very sorry, but the development of SYNAPSS and the migration of ComposeDB are partially incomplete.(All ramaining tasks will be finished on 13 March)

Additional note
Currently, there are over 60 web3 companies and over 700 web3 talents on the waitlist who would like to use SYNAPSS.

8

Amazing! Love to see the progress here.

Tagging in DevRel for demo potential @Justina

9

Thanks so much! Sounds awesome. I would love to do a demo if any chance!

1 Like
10

Looks great! I’m looking forward to seeing it live on mainnet!

1 Like
11

Thanks so much! we will launch SYNAPSS(the job marketplace) on the mainnet next week!

12

@kantaro.eth I’m missing the role of Lit Protocol in your project, can you elaborate a bit on that? (it’s mentioned as part of the frontend)