Interview with Andreas Schemm, Head of Ecosystem Development & Operations at HUMAN Protocol

We sat down with Andreas Schemm and discussed his role as Head of Ecosystem at HUMAN Protocol, thoughts on the project, and vision for the future.

1. Tell us about your background, and your role at HUMAN Protocol. 

I have held various executive functions in high-tech companies for over fifteen years, mainly focusing on organizing and growing teams and companies. At HUMAN, I am working with many amazing people to structure, organize, strategize, and grow our ecosystem to reach its full potential.

2. 2021 was a year of foundations. 2022 is the year for HUMAN to scale – how do you think HUMAN can scale effectively this year?

There are multiple factors to consider – our community, our products, our ecosystem and our extended team, which each play an important role in the success of HUMAN. The key is growing the ecosystem, which entails onboarding more and more partners and clients. It is a team effort and a challenge we relish.

3. Why is the community important to the future of HUMAN? 

We welcome all contributions to HUMAN, whether they are technical, or in the vein of marketing or education. Spreading the word about our great techstack is as important as improving it. To see the vision come to life, we are reliant on great minds working together – openness isn’t to say that more people produce better work, but simply that by welcoming a broader field of potential contributors, with fewer arbitrary barriers, the better the chances of meritocratic results. That’s a philosophy that runs through our foundation.

4. HUMAN announced it is making all its software open-source. Can you update us about the progress on Gitcoin?

We are currently rebuilding our approach to our DevBounty, including the role Gitcoin plays. We did have successes, such as Proof of HUMANity or the port to Polygon, but our efforts cannot end there. From March onwards, we will release many new issues, raised by us, and eventually by the community itself. We will also provide a place for our technical community to discuss, brainstorm, and develop.

5. How has the grants program progressed? Are there any successful applicants?

We are very happy to announce that two grants have been awarded to amazing projects that we will announce in the upcoming weeks. Four more promising projects are in the pipeline as well. Those will be presented to the grants committee as soon as the use cases are crystal clear and vetted by our tech team.

6. What kinds of applicants are you receiving for the grants program?

Amazingly enough, we have received proposals from all corners of the world, spanning vastly different industries. Some areas include news, reviews, community, social media, sustainability, machine learning, and many more. We have received applications from both tech and non-tech minded people and are going out of our way to bring people and teams together. We are contemplating furthering these efforts, as we have seen it go very well.

7. The ambassador program’s aim was to support the community in contributing to the project. Can you update us on its progress? 

The ambassador program was released with the aim of offering a program especially to non-technical people to contribute to HUMAN. As it was released not long ago, we are still learning and growing the program, constantly onboarding new participants. We have already realized that certain aspects of the program are better suited to be opened up to the whole community instead of a select few, and have undertaken efforts to do so. In the near future, you will see us regularly releasing contests and challenges that are available for all our community to take part in. 

8. What do you see as the future projects that can use HUMAN Protocol?

The future is difficult to predict, especially given the incredibly different projects that could make use of HUMAN Protocol. Machine learning/data labeling would be an easy answer, as it is where we have begun, but I am also eager to see what HUMAN can offer for the rising challenge of climate change and sustainability. 

Our grants program is open for everyone; open-source means communal thinking, not just us determining the best use case of our technology. That's why I can’t wait to see what people come up with over the next months and years in other areas.

For the latest updates on HUMAN Protocol, follow us on Twitter or join our Discord. Alternatively, to enquire about integrations, usage, or to learn more about HUMAN Protocol, get in contact with the HUMAN team.

Legal Disclaimer

The HUMAN Protocol Foundation makes no representation, warranty, or undertaking, express or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or reasonableness of the information contained here. Any assumptions, opinions, and estimations expressed constitute the HUMAN Protocol Foundation’s judgment as of the time of publishing and are subject to change without notice. Any projection contained within the information presented here is based on a number of assumptions, and there can be no guarantee that any projected outcomes will be achieved.