Contribute to Optimism

So you want to get involved in the Optimism Collective?? We are so happy to have you! Let’s make sure we are on the same page about what The Collective is all about.

The Optimism Collective believes that building public goods should be rewarded.

This key ingredient to the Optimistic vision (opens in a new tab) is more than just altruism – it’s core to our success. Optimism’s codebase itself is an open-source project, and builds on the shoulders of countless OSS giants which came before it.

This means public goods funding is a critical growth strategy. For Optimism, well-funded public goods means better developer tooling, widespread user education, safer infrastructure, and industry-leading research. It means Optimism can last and thrive.

Once we show that this model can drive a successful economy for the Optimism Collective, we can scale the principle of impact=profit to the world!

RetroPGF is a core part of Optimism’s vision. If done right, it will form the backbone for a new type of economy. As with any complex system, though, this new process can’t be centrally planned or designed all at once. The only way to build it well is to build it together. This journey will require care, open-mindedness, patience, and, of course, optimism!

So, how can you have meaningful impact in The Collective? We recommend following these 3 very easy principles:

1. Do what you love. → Real impact stems from passion, a love for what you do.
2. Fix the problem in front of you, together. → Chances are if you have a problem, someone else has that problem as well. Let’s fix it together! What caused the problem? How do you fix it, and can we work together to fix it for everyone else?
3. Do it with optimism. → Be kind, patient and optimistic in everything you do.

Most importantly, make sure that your contributions align with the Collective Intents (opens in a new tab). This will help ensure that your contribution is working towards a larger goal of the Collective.

Getting Started

You can contribute towards the collective in a million different ways, and there is no way we could make processes for all of these contributions. Nor would we want to! However, getting from 0 to 1 is the hardest step. So we have made a few ways to get you up to speed and contributing in no time!

If you are looking for what is happening right now, add the Optimism Public calender (opens in a new tab) to see upcoming events! We also have a “Get a Grant” page if you already have an idea on how you want to contribute.

🌍 Accessibility

At Optimism, we know that we can never truly decentralize if we do not embrace the diversity of our community. As such, we take translations seriously.

• If you speak more than one language come help translate!
• If you have an eye for documentation you can always help improve the docs (opens in a new tab) themselves!
• For those of you who enjoy connecting with like minded individuals, keep an eye on our Local Optimists Program for events near you!
• If you enjoy helping others then you should check out the support NERD program.

📈 Data & Analytics

Data is an essential ingredient to good decision making. We take our data seriously.

• Check out our existing Dune dashboards (opens in a new tab) to give you an idea of what we are looking at.
• If you have a nack for numbers then you should get involved in the NumbaNERDs program!
• We also have this gov post (opens in a new tab) with resources to get you inspired and informed.

💻 Developers

As a developer you have a few options to get contributing! Build on us, with us, or help move the whole space forward. We are happy to have you ❤️.

• If you are a dapp developer, check out our developer docs to get started (opens in a new tab).
• If you want to get a little deeper into the OP Stack (opens in a new tab), we have great docs for Getting Started with the OP Stack (opens in a new tab).
• If you are looking for inspiration on what to build then check out the Ideas List (opens in a new tab) which has a wide range of ideas from quick builds to mad science innovations. Go poke around!
• If you want to contribute directly to the Optimism codebase please read this doc.
• And last but not least, if you are familiar with the struggles of developing in the blockchain world and have a passion for technical support, you can help out your fellow developers by joining the TechNERD program.
• You can also help make the developer tutorials better (opens in a new tab).

🏛️ Governance

The Optimism Collectives governance is an incredibly collective and exciting space that is growing and evolving. Plenty of opportunities to have impact! All work supported or executed by the Collective should be in pursuit of our Collective Intents (opens in a new tab).

• An easy place to start is to look at the Get a Grant page. This is an easy way to see what governance is looking for.
• Before getting into our governance its highly recommended to understand our unique governance set up.
• If you are serious about getting into governance you can get involved in the Token House by becoming a Delegate. This is a serious responsibility, so make sure you understand what is required of you.
• There is also the Citizens House. You can read more about Citizenship here.
• If you are a delegate already involved and voting, looking for additional ways to help the Collective, reach out to [email protected].

🫡 Marketing

The Optimism Vision is big! And Visions this big need to be amplified by a diverse & aligned group to help make it real.

• The Ambassadors program enables community members to create focused content to bring the Vision closer to reality. If you have a talent for writing, design or visuals, come get involved!
• If your project wants some marketing love, you have options! Get your app in front of the Optimism community with our Demo Day (every Thursday).
• If your app is deployed on the Superchain, you can be added to our our Superchain apps page (opens in a new tab). Simply fill out this form (opens in a new tab) to be included. Inclusion is at our discretion. To amplify your app launch through Superchain marketing channels fill out this form (opens in a new tab)