Table of Contents
Researcher
"Every beginning has its inception, and most beginnings are modest." Many inventions often go unnoticed initially, only to gradually garner public attention and transform the world. In 2012, a Russian-Canadian announced his white paper on creating an alternative to Bitcoin and other distributed ledger systems. Few took notice then, but it would later become one of the most famous blockchains in the world, Ethereum. Similarly, when an American introduced the relatively unknown consensus algorithm called Proof of History (PoH), many scoffed. Yet, it now stands as 'Solana,' one of the most renowned blockchains.
Thus, everything has its genesis, and these beginnings are often understated. Imagine if you had recognized the potential of Ethereum and Solana in their early stages? Some might have profited immensely from merely investing, while others could have built their legacy atop it. Do you regret missing out? There's still hope. History tends to repeat itself. At this very moment, projects with the potential to rival Ethereum and Solana might be emerging somewhere. Perhaps, such groundbreaking projects are what we aim to discover and bring to the forefront.
1. This content came out of the question "Why Four Pillars?"
There are numerous blockchain research firms, all producing remarkable content. So, why launch a new blockchain research company? Even if there's nothing that other research firms "can't do," there are things they "haven't yet addressed." For a company where content is the product, if they can't differentiate through their content, they can't compete. However, simply addressing what existing blockchain research companies haven't covered doesn't necessarily equate to being productive. The crux lies in producing content that, while not yet tackled by current firms, can be compelling to readers.
1.1 Who are our customers?
Ultimately, our readers, those who consume our content, are our customers. Although Four Pillars hasn't been around long enough to precisely define our customer persona or amass a significant amount of customer data, existing blockchain research firms likely cater to 1) groups or individuals who want to utilize blockchain and 2) groups or individuals who are investing in or wish to invest in crypto assets. Here, "use" encompasses everything from initiating transactions on the blockchain to designing it or implementing applications atop it. When determining content, it's vital to cater to at least one of these customer groups. Introducing new and interesting projects can pique the interest of both groups. This is because those utilizing blockchain cannot help but be intrigued by innovative projects with fresh approaches, and for investors, few opportunities are as captivating as new projects.
From our perspective, the content that can satisfy all our customers is the Scout Report.
2. What is Scout?
The Legendary Napkin Contract That Brought Lionel Messi to Barcelona
Source: sportsbrief
Scouts play a pivotal role in professional sports clubs. Essentially, whenever there's buzz about a talented amateur player, scouts are the first to make contact with these players, assess their potential, and further aim to recruit them into the club's roster. The core competency of a scout lies in identifying promising players faster than anyone else. But is the sports industry the only field where the talent of scouts is needed? In reality, this skill is essential across various domains. Wouldn't such ability also be required in the blockchain market?
2.1 Our Methodology
The strength of Four Pillars lies in the fact that each of researchers is focusing on different sectors and fields. Therefore, we can continually monitor which projects are emerging and disappearing in each field, enabling us to find interesting and exciting projects in each area before anyone else. Of course, the ways in which Four Pillars acquires information will diversify as we continue our activities. Now, we are researching and investigating directly, but later, new projects may introduce themselves to us, allowing us to spotlight interesting ones among them.
2.2 Selection Criteria
The selection criteria are simple. Firstly, the project should be one that other research companies have not covered. It should be undertaking new endeavors, and although not yet widely known in the market, its methodology should be interesting, and above all, the author must have a positive outlook on the project. Additionally, Scout Reports must not become sponsored or advertisement research and must necessarily be projects discovered by the researcher themselves. Ideally, the project should be pre-VC investment, but if it's innovative and intriguing even after receiving VC investment, it can be considered.
Of course, not every project unearthed by researchers can automatically be included in the Scout Report. There’s a kind of internal review within Four Pillars, and the process is as follows:
Each researcher records promising projects they come across in real-time.
At the beginning of each month, researchers propose projects they have recorded that are suitable for inclusion in the Scout Report.
An internal vote is conducted among researchers, and the projects selected through this process are introduced as the main projects in the Scout Report, while the others are introduced as sub-projects.
2.3 Example of Scout Report
Until now, researchers at Four Pillars have written articles in a format similar to the Scout Report, whether on personal blogs, at their previous jobs, or within Four Pillars. Notable examples include the article on EigenLayer written by 100y during his time at a41, the introduction to BeraChain written by Moyed also at a41, and the introduction to Hourglass that I wrote in the early days of Four Pillars. In this manner, Four Pillars' researchers have consistently shown interest in new projects, often even without realizing it. Therefore, we hope for continued attention to the Scout Reports that will be published under the name of Four Pillars in the future.
3. Wen Start?
This article serves as an introductory piece for the Scout Report, which will begin official publication in October. The Scout Report will only be accessible to paid subscribers, as it is not free content. I am eager to discover which project Four Pillars will feature in October.
Thanks to Kate for designing the graphics for this article.
