# MIP39c2-SP21: Adding MakerLabs Core Unit ## Preamble ``` MIP39c2-SP#: 21 Author(s): @colrad, @urbanisierung, Tim Schuppener (@ultraschuppi) Contributors: - Tags: core-unit, cu-skunk-001, mandate Status: Rejected Date Proposed: 2021-07-19 Date Ratified: Ratification Poll URL: https://vote.makerdao.com/polling/QmV44i6E?network=mainnet Forum URL: https://forum.makerdao.com/t/mip39c2-sp21-adding-makerlabs-core-unit/9425 ``` ## Sentence Summary MIP39c2-SP21 adds MakerLabs Core Unit for building and validating MVPs. ## Specification ### Motivation Good, new products usually emerge from high-risk endeavours. In the world of traditional software engineering, building a Minimum Viable Product either validates or invalidates your product idea. However, real validation is gained from the market when the MVP is released to the public. Real validation is not the promise to use the product but only the product usage itself. While the current setup of the Maker DAO allows for incremental and low-risk improvement of the existing product, the current framework is not set up for pursuing revolutionary product ideas. Therefore we propose a new _MakerLabs Core Unit_ that implements new product ideas spanning across the full stack of decentralized technologies. Having full technological responsibility inside a single Core Unit would give _MakerLabs_ the autonomy to move fast and ultimately test and validate new ideas early. ### Responsibilities The _MakerLabs Core Unit_ Team responsibilities essentially revolve around the rapid implementation of new product ideas grounded in solid full-stack engineering practices, including iterative product improvements to find Product Market Fit. 1. **Picking up a new product idea and a fast implementation of an MVP.** A wide collection of diverse ideas already exists that can advance the Maker Ecosystem at different levels. The selection for the implementation of the next product lies with the Core Unit in discussion with the Maker Community. 2. **Make the product available and ensure easy entry.** Implementing the MVP is only the first step. A product can only be used if it is accessible to a broad user base. This applies to both technical prerequisites and user experience. Technical barriers for users have to be low, and the product needs to be designed for usage without reading long documentation. 3. **Validation and quick iterations based on user feedback and metrics.** The most important tool to validate a product is measuring and processing feedback. This involves the use of various channels of direct and indirect user interaction to obtain all the necessary information. The result of validation is binary: Product Market Fit achieved or not. ### Team The _MakerLabs Core Unit_ will have a flat management structure led by the facilitator who answers to the community of MKR holders. This Core Unit is being proposed as a single team. Our team has already bootstrapped a couple of products and teams and brought them to market. After solving all the hard problems, we moved over to the next mission. This experience and familiarity with Maker will allow us to be effective from Day 1, with little lead time, no need to recruit heavily and bring an established working process. ### Core Unit ID SKUNK-001 ### Core Unit Name MakerLabs ### Core Unit Mandate #### Product Implementation _Quickly develop new product ideas into usable MVPs._ * Products are focused on increasing the Maker Ecosystems value and usability to end users. * The scope of the products would be strictly separated from the Maker Protocol. We want to build products upon the Maker Ecosystem, not modify or change but instead leverage what other Core Units (e.g., Protocol Engineering or Oracles) are building. #### Deployment _MVPs end up being deployed to test and production environments._ _Move fast and break things_ is usually not something you would want to hear in the Maker Ecosystem. We will apply it on test environments but will switch to risk-capped innovation measures on production environments: * Risk to MKR value will be limited to whatever MKR holders find appropriate * Risk borne by early adopters will be limited to whatever MKR holders find appropriate #### Full Stack Engineering _MakerLabs Core Unit will build all aspects of a product._ * Smart Contracts * User Frontends * Metrics #### Validation * User Feedback * Measure, measure, measure * Quick, small iterations to improve the product based on new insights * If a product idea is successfully validated, _MakerLabs Core Unit_ will propose plans for the next steps The first product we’d like to tackle is **eurDai**. From deploying the eurDai Contracts, to building a eurDai wallet to metrics measuring its success or failure.