
We know there are countless Discord servers out there. Ours aims to be different. From the start, we designed it as a space *for developers*, prioritizing genuine connection and knowledge sharing over corporate speak. We operate it as a blend of company and community because we believe that's the most valuable approach.

So, what actually happens here?

* **We share knowledge:** We discuss software insights through seminars, casual channel chats, and tech talks. If it's about development, it's welcome.
* **We connect with people:** This is our virtual space to hang out with friends, alumni, and like-minded developers. No forced networking.
* **We build in the open:** We're creating a software network people genuinely want to join. Discord is central to that effort.

We recently reorganized the channels to hopefully make navigation and connection easier. Here's a breakdown:

## Where stuff happens: the channels

Channels fall into two main categories: common areas for everyone and spaces more focused on our internal consulting work.

### Community hangouts (everyone welcome)

* **off-topic:** For general, non-work conversations.
  * `⛺・random`: The place for memes, weekend stories, pet pictures, and anything else off-topic.
  * `📈・trading-cafe`: Discussions about markets, crypto, and trading.
* **research:** The hub for technical discussions.
  * `🌟・starboard`: Notable messages highlighted by the community land here.
  * `💡・til`: Share your "today I learned" moments, big or small.
  * `💻・tech`: General technology discussions, news, and questions.
  * `🎒・topics`: Focused discussions on specific technical subjects.

### Internal & ops channels (mostly for staff & mods)

* **project:** Discussions related to active client projects (primarily for our consulting team).
* **consulting:** The main area for internal team communication.
  * `🏢・lobby`: General company-wide announcements and discussions.
  * `🦄・pink-alert`: For urgent matters needing immediate attention.
* **moderation:** Keeping the community running smoothly.
  * `🗣・community`: Coordination for community initiatives.
  * `🎗️・operation`: Server management and administrative tasks.
* **misc & log:** Essential background channels.
  * `🤖・bot-commands`: Interacting with server bots.
  * `🧊・icy-log`: Automated server activity logs.

## Who's who: Discord roles

We needed a role system that reflects contribution and expertise as we grow, not just arbitrary labels. Our system combines ladder-based roles (earned through participation) and function-based roles (based on responsibilities).

Why this structure? We want to recognize engagement and skill, eventually linking roles to tangible benefits like NFTs and `$icy` staking (more details soon). It's about creating a system that rewards active participation.

![Dwarves Network Discord Role Structure](assets/discord-role-structure.webp)

### The core MMA roles (mastery, meaning, autonomy)

This system recognizes different types of impact:

* **@labs (mastery):** Your technical skill is recognized and valued by the community.
* **@sers (meaning):** You make meaningful contributions, through quality work or positive community involvement.
* **@chad (autonomy):** You consistently deliver high-quality work effectively and reliably.

### Keeping the lights on (moderation)

* **supporter:** Welcomes new members and helps with daily questions.
* **moderator:** Organizes events, facilitates discussions, and may host talks.
* **smod:** Oversees major community and operational functions.

### Community crew

* **guest:** The starting role for everyone.
* **newbie:** Granted after basic introductions. Welcome aboard!
* **frens:** Actively participates in public channels.
* **contributor:** Helps bring new, valuable members into the community.
* **trustee:** A recognized and trusted voice within the community.

### Consulting staff (our internal team structure)

* **apprentice:** Team members new to Dwarves.
* **baby dwarf:** Developing their focus within the team.
* **dwarf:** Actively participates in R&D and learning.
* **crafter:** Consistently delivers quality software.
* **specialist:** Possesses deep expertise in a specific domain.
* **principle:** Helps maintain and elevate the team's standards.
* **elite:** Guides the team's technical direction.

### Functional roles (what people focus on)

These roles represent key operational areas:

* **engagement:** Aligns the team around vision and values.
* **learning:** Promotes continuous skill development.
* **partnership:** Focuses on client relationships and project acquisition.
* **communication:** Ensures transparent information flow.
* **delivery:** Oversees the quality and shipment of work.

## Our helpful bots

Being developers, we've built bots to automate tasks and add useful features:

* **Mochi:** A tipping bot using `$MOCHI`. Use `!tip` to give a virtual high-five for helpful answers or contributions.
* **Tono:** Our primary server management bot, handling roles and background tasks.
* **Fortress:** An internal tool for tracking performance and issues (less community-facing).

## How do I level up? (the `$icy` system)

We use our custom token, [`$icy`](icy.md), as the server's primary internal currency – think of it as community points.

You earn `$icy` through activity and contributions. Higher engagement leads to more `$icy`, which helps you climb the role ladder.

Achieving certain roles will also eventually grant a boosting NFT, providing tangible value back to our most active members.

That covers the basics! Feel free to jump into a channel and introduce yourself.

See you [on the server!](http://discord.gg/dwarvesv)

---

> Next: [Earn](earn.md)


Our Discord isn't just another company server; it's a place for both our team and the wider developer community. This guide explains how it works and where you fit in.

Discord

Dwarves Network Discord


Our [Dwarves Discord network](discord.md) is the space where we connect with friends, alumni, and other like-minded developers.

One way we encourage collaboration and skill growth is through **bounties**. These are tasks that reward community members with our token, **$ICY**, for contributions. Bounties often involve work outside a developer's primary skillset, offering a chance to learn and contribute in new ways.

### Who can participate?

Our bounty program provides opportunities for developers looking for interesting challenges and a way to connect with others.

* The program is open to anyone with the necessary skills for a specific bounty.
* Common skills needed include writing, design, research, development, and finance analysis.

### How it works

First, join our Discord server. If you haven't already, say hello in the `😀・arrival` channel.

1. **Check the bounty board:** Visit <earn.d.foundation> to see available tasks.
2. **Claim a bounty:** Select a bounty you want to work on and claim it by opening a ticket in the `⁠🎫・support-ticket` channel on Discord.
3. **Deliver the work & get paid:** Complete the bounty requirements. Once your contribution (usually a Pull Request on GitHub) is approved and merged, you'll receive your $ICY reward.

### Rewards

We allocate a monthly pool of **1700 $ICY** (roughly equivalent to $2,500 USD, though the value fluctuates) for the bounty system.

You can use your earned **$ICY** to redeem exclusive Dwarves swag or swap it for USDC.

Please note: Rewards are paid out *after* the corresponding Pull Request (PR) is accepted and merged into the relevant Dwarves GitHub repository. We aim to create a welcoming environment for contributors, and bounties are a key part of that.

![Dwarves Foundation Community Bounty Program](assets/community-bounty-program.webp)

---

> Next: [Sharing](sharing.md)


Bounties reward community members with $ICY for contributing work that helps developers expand their skills beyond their usual focus.

Earn

Earning with sidegig


Ready to convert your ICY to Bitcoin? We've made the process simple and secure. Let's walk through it together.

## Getting started

Before you begin, you'll need two things: a Bitcoin (BTC) wallet to receive your funds and some ETH on the Base network for gas fees. Don't have a BTC wallet? No problem! You can set one up using trusted providers like Electrum, Trust Wallet, or UniSat. If you need help with ETH for gas fees, just reach out to our team on the Dwarves Foundation Discord—we're here to help!

## Step 1: Connect to icy.so

First, visit [icy.so](https://icy.so) and click "Connect Wallet" to select your preferred wallet (MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, etc.). Follow the connection prompts, and make sure you're on the **Base network**.

![Connect wallet interface showing the wallet connection button and network selection](assets/icy-swap-connect-wallet.png)

## Step 2: Make the swap

Once connected, you'll need to select **ICY** as your source token and **BTC** as your destination token. Enter the amount you want to swap (remember, the minimum is `20 ICY`), input your **BTC wallet address**, and click "Swap". You'll need to confirm the transaction in your wallet.

![Animated demonstration of the swap process on icy.so](assets/icy-swap-process.gif)

## Step 3: Track your transaction

After confirming, you can watch your transaction in the "Recent Transactions" section. Hover over the transaction to see details, including the service fee. Wait for the "Pending" status to complete.

![Transaction tracking interface showing pending status and service fee details](assets/icy-swap-transaction-status.png)

Processing time varies based on network conditions, gas fees paid, and system load. Don't worry if it takes some time—we ensure 100% of transactions are processed.

## Important details to remember

Keep these key points in mind when swapping your ICY:

- The minimum swap amount is `20 ICY`
- Each transaction has a service fee of `3,000 units`
- Gas fees are paid in ETH on the Base network
- Processing may be delayed during high network activity

Need help? Our team is always ready to assist on the Dwarves Foundation Discord. We're here to make your ICY swap experience smooth and successful!


A friendly guide to converting your ICY tokens to Bitcoin (BTC) using our platform. We'll walk you through the process step by step, from wallet setup to transaction monitoring.

How to swap ICY to BTC


We're excited to share a significant update about ICY's value model. We've moved from a fixed USDC-backed system to a dynamic Bitcoin-backed model. This change brings new opportunities and considerations for ICY holders. Let's break down what this means for you.

![How much icy worth](assets/how-much-is-your-icy-worth.png)

## The old model: Simple and stable

Previously, ICY had a straightforward value proposition. Each ICY was worth exactly `1.5 USDC`, and this value remained constant regardless of market conditions. This made it easy to understand and trade, providing stability and predictability for our community.

## The new model: Dynamic and Bitcoin-backed

Now, ICY's value is tied to Bitcoin (BTC) through our liquidity pools. We manage two separate pools—one for ICY and one for BTC—and the interaction between these pools determines ICY's value. The initial conversion rate is set at a predetermined ratio, but the value will fluctuate based on BTC's price and pool dynamics.

### What this means for you

Your ICY's value now depends on three main factors:

- Bitcoin's current market price
- Liquidity pool conditions
- Overall market demand for ICY

Let's look at how these factors work together.

When we add BTC to the pool, it makes ICY more valuable because each ICY is backed by more Bitcoin. Conversely, when we add more ICY to the pool, it reduces the value because each ICY is backed by less Bitcoin.

### Real-world examples

Let's look at how this plays out in practice.
Let's say we start with `1 ICY` being worth `0.00003 BTC`. If Bitcoin is trading at `$50,000`, your ICY would be worth `$1.50`. If Bitcoin's price rises to `$60,000`, your ICY would increase in value to `$1.80`.

Now, let's see how liquidity affects the value. Starting with the same setup (`1 ICY = 0.00003 BTC` at `$50,000`), if we add more BTC to the pool, the ratio might shift to `1 ICY = 0.000035 BTC`, increasing your ICY's value to `$1.75`. On the other hand, if we add more ICY to the pool, the ratio might shift to `1 ICY = 0.000025 BTC`, decreasing your ICY's value to `$1.25`.

### How we manage liquidity

We follow a structured approach to maintain the pools. We add Bitcoin monthly at market prices, and we mint ICY weekly for company activities and rewards. This regular management helps ensure stability while allowing for market-driven value changes.

## Why we made this change

While the USDC model was simple and effective, we believe in evolving with the crypto ecosystem. This new model offers several advantages: it provides growth potential tied to Bitcoin's performance, reduces our dependency on stablecoins, creates a more dynamic and market-driven system, and better reflects real-world trading conditions.

The value of your ICY will now fluctuate based on market conditions. We recommend staying informed about Bitcoin's performance and liquidity pool dynamics to make informed decisions about your ICY holdings.


Learn how ICY's value has evolved from a fixed USDC-backed model to a dynamic Bitcoin-backed system. We'll explain what this means for your holdings and how to track your ICY's value.

How much is your ICY worth


## What is ICY? 🧊

ICY is our way of building a borderless software company through web3 technology. Since 2020, we've used ICY to create a culture where every contribution matters. As a community of software engineers, thinkers, and tech enthusiasts, we're constantly exploring and mastering the latest technology together.

Think of ICY as more than just a token, it's your stake in our community's growth. The more you contribute, the more you can earn and benefit from our collective success.

## How ICY works

We believe in recognizing and rewarding valuable contributions. ICY connects community activities with tangible rewards. You can earn ICY through various activities and use it for benefits, including the opportunity to exchange it for Dwarves stock. This system helps us maintain a culture of collaboration and continuous learning.

## Understanding ICY's value

ICY's value is backed by Bitcoin (BTC) in our treasury. This means your ICY's worth moves with Bitcoin's market value. Here's what affects your ICY's value:

- The Bitcoin we hold in our treasury
- How many ICY tokens are in circulation
- Market demand and liquidity

We maintain two liquidity pools, one for ICY and one for BTC. We add Bitcoin monthly at market prices and mint ICY weekly to reward activities. This setup ensures your ICY maintains real value backed by Bitcoin.

![ICY tipping feature in Discord](assets/icy-tipping.png)

## Ways to earn ICY

### Easy ways to get started

Share your knowledge and engage with our community:

- Share and discuss interesting links in our tech and TIL channels
- Get recognized by community members for your posts
- Suggest research topics
- Invite friends to join our community

### Medium-level contributions

Help build our knowledge base and events:

- Give talks or share your expertise
- Contribute to our brainery with fleeting notes
- Help produce research topics
- Create implementation examples

### Advanced contributions

For those ready to take on more responsibility, we offer opportunities to take on leadership roles and build tools. You can help develop Dwarves community tooling, creating solutions that enhance our collective experience. You can also lead research topics on your own initiative, guiding others through complex technical explorations.

### Special moments we celebrate

We love celebrating life events and achievements within our community. These special moments include birthdays, welcoming new family members, earning certificates, hosting community events, providing actionable feedback, and proposing new initiatives. Each of these milestones represents growth and connection within our ecosystem.

## Research and development opportunities

You can contribute to our knowledge base through various activities that help us all learn and grow. This includes sharing valuable links in tech channels, creating fleeting notes to capture initial ideas, writing permanent notes that solidify concepts, completing full topic research that dives deep into subjects, and participating in OGIF (Open Garage Innovation Friday) sessions where we explore new technologies together.

![ICY intro](assets/icy-intro.webp)

## Using your ICY

Visit [icy.so](https://icy.so) to redeem your ICY. You can:

- Exchange it for USDC or Bitcoin
- Withdraw it to your wallet
- Use it in our upcoming ICY store

## Technical details

ICY runs on the Base chain. You can find our contract at `0xf289e3b222dd42b185b7e335fa3c5bd6d132441d` via [basescan](https://basescan.org/token/0xf289e3b222dd42b185b7e335fa3c5bd6d132441d).

## What's next for ICY?

We're working on exciting new features for ICY's future development. Our roadmap includes salary advances for full-time team members, enhanced Discord integration for seamless community interaction, direct bank withdrawals to simplify the conversion process, ICY staking opportunities to reward long-term holders, and NFT integration possibilities to expand the ecosystem's utility and creative potential.

---

> Next: [Discord](discord.md)


Discover how ICY, our community token, rewards contributions and builds engagement within the Dwarves ecosystem. Learn how you can earn, use, and benefit from this innovative web3 experiment.

🧊 ICY Token


Every company has stories. We just happen to have *lots* of them – tales of building teams, surviving milestones, how we live, how we work. We share these stories, our learnings, and pretty much everything else on [Dwarves Memo](https://memo.d.foundation). Think of it as pulling back the curtain so you can understand us better.

## What's memo all about?

Fundamentally, Memo is our **public learning engine**. It's where we capture the 1% improvements, the experiments, the hard-won lessons. Written by Dwarves, for product craftsmen (and anyone curious).

You'll find:

* **Team research & deep dives:** Notes on new tech, case studies, technical blogs.
* **Company stuff:** Updates, year-end recaps, how we operate.
* **Culture bits:** Our values, facts, figures, what makes us tick.
* **Podcast transcripts:** Notes from webinars and interviews.
* **Playbooks & handbooks:** Like this very page!

Basically, if it's documented and worth sharing, it probably lives on Memo.

## Why we do it this way

Memo is central to how we share knowledge and attract like-minded folks. If you want the business jargon, you could call it our "inbound strategy." We're not big on pushy outbound sales or marketing. We prefer being a "calm company," giving our team space to explore, experiment, and figure out the next big thing.

The valuable stuff that comes out of that work? It lands on Memo.

## The content pipeline

How does stuff actually get published? It looks something like this:

![Content Pipeline](assets/content-pipeline.png)

1. **News & curiosity:** We learn something new, work on a project, or just get curious.
2. **Question & answer:** We explore it, document findings, answer the questions that arise.
3. **Content calendar & echo:** The refined "answer" gets scheduled by our comms team and published (echoed!) on Memo and other channels.

Our comms team helps polish and schedule posts, making sure things look good before they go live.

## How to contribute

Please do! Memo is built on Markdown files stored directly in our [GitHub repository](https://github.com/dwarvesf/memo.d.foundation) (the same one that powers the site via GitHub Pages). Getting your thoughts published is pretty straightforward:

1. **Create or edit a markdown file:** Find the right spot within the `vault/` directory structure (e.g., `vault/engineering/`, `vault/culture/`). Create a new `.md` file or edit an existing one.
2. **Add frontmatter:** This YAML metadata at the *very top* of your file is crucial for the site generator. Include at least these fields:
    * `title`: The main title for your post.
    * `description`: A short, tweet-length summary of your post.
    * `tags`: Relevant keywords (e.g., `blog`, `engineering`, `react`, `case-study`). `handbook` and `memo` are good general tags.
    * `author`: Your GitHub username or identifier used in the system (e.g., `tieubao`).
    * `date`: `YYYY-MM-DD`.
3. **Formatting:**
    * Use standard Markdown headings (`#`, `##`, `###`). Keep it simple – `###` should generally be the deepest level. Use **bold** for emphasis if needed, not smaller headings.
    * Keep paragraphs relatively short and focused. Use lists, images, and code blocks where helpful.
4. **Submit a pull request:** Commit your changes and open a PR against the main branch of the repository. Once reviewed and merged, GitHub Pages will automatically rebuild the site, and your post will appear on [memo.d.foundation](https://memo.d.foundation).

## Content elevation

We loosely follow a Zettelkasten-like idea. Quick notes or initial findings might start as simple Markdown files or drafts within the repository (perhaps in a personal fork or a specific drafts area). As ideas mature and become more robust, they get refined, given proper frontmatter, and moved into the main `vault/` structure to become official Memo posts via the PR process.

We genuinely encourage everyone to contribute. Your voice, your experiences – that's what makes Memo valuable. Nothing reveals who we are better than the people living it every day.


Memo is where we share everything we learn, build, and think about product craftsmanship, engineering, and our culture. It's our commitment to learning in public.

Memo

Memo Handbook


## The Dwarves tech radar program

We use a **tech radar** to systematically assess and adopt new technologies. We constantly observe the tech landscape and place promising technologies onto the radar to evaluate their potential.

Our approach is heavily inspired by ThoughtWorks' technology radar, which serves as a visual guide to interesting industry changes and the technologies we've trialed or adopted. The goal is to share our findings and opinions on the technologies relevant to our work.

## How the tech radar works

The radar visually represents our views on various technologies based on their usefulness for our projects. It's structured similarly to the ThoughtWorks radar:

### Quadrants

Technologies are categorized into four areas:

* **Languages & frameworks:** Programming languages, libraries, and frameworks (e.g., Elixir, Svelte, React).
* **Techniques:** Methods and approaches for structuring software or processes (e.g., microservices, Domain-Driven Design).
* **Tools:** Software used in development, deployment, or operations (e.g., Docker, Figma, PostgreSQL).
* **Platforms:** Third-party services or foundations we build upon (e.g., AWS, Kubernetes, Stripe).

### Rings

The rings indicate our adoption stage for a technology, moving from the outer ring inwards:

* **Hold:** Technologies we're watching but aren't actively exploring yet.
* **Assess:** Items worth exploring and researching to understand their potential impact.
* **Trial:** Technologies we consider worth pursuing. We may use these in projects willing to adopt newer tech.
* **Adopt:** Technologies we confidently use in projects when appropriate. We believe these are solid choices for the industry.

Explore our current [tech radar board](https://radar.d.foundation/) to see our latest assessments.


Our tech radar helps us assess and adopt new technologies, inspired by ThoughtWorks. Learn about its structure and how we use it.

Radar

Tech Radar


At Dwarves Foundation, sharing is fundamental to our culture. We share frequently through public events, many of which are recorded for wider learning. While sharing extensively might seem unusual, we believe it offers significant benefits.

The primary goal isn't just disseminating information; it's about enhancing the presenter's ability to communicate clearly and deepen their own understanding. Teaching others forces you to solidify your knowledge.

It's common to find skilled programmers who struggle to teach effectively. This often stems from a lack of practice in either teaching or learning from others. When you share, you must articulate your understanding, revealing both strengths and areas needing improvement. Feedback sessions, where others offer constructive criticism, are valuable. They highlight where explanations are unclear and help you strengthen those areas.

This cycle of sharing and feedback is how we collectively learn and grow.

## Sharing guidelines

When preparing to share, keep these guidelines in mind:

* **Scope:** Choose a focused topic rather than something overly broad. This keeps the audience engaged.
* **Time:** Aim for presentations under 60 minutes.
* **Language:** Use English for slides to reach a wider audience.
* **Preparation:** Discuss your topic with a manager or senior team members beforehand. They can offer valuable perspectives.
* **Structure:** A good presentation typically covers:
  * The problem being addressed.
  * How the problem can be solved.
  * The recommended solution or best practice.
  * Key mechanisms, techniques, or relevant code.
  * Pros and cons of the approach.
  * References for further learning.
* **Template:** Please use the official [Dwarves presentation template](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14n3DFDkroCTWx3y3GutLc8Ous3RWgza9_gi784tGmMo) for your slides.

---

> Next: [Showcase](showcase.md)


Sharing knowledge and skills is core to our culture. Learn why it's vital for growth, how it improves communication, and see guidelines for effective sharing.

Sharing knowledge


## Showcase: sharing our work

Every Friday afternoon, we gather on Discord for internal demos, our weekly **showcase**. This is where teams share what they've been building and learning. While it started with engineering, anyone from any team (design, product, etc.) is welcome to present.

Sharing our work is important at Dwarves. Showcases are how we celebrate craftsmanship, share insights, and learn from each other. It's also a great way for those not directly involved in development to see the progress and feel included.

## What makes a good demo?

We aim for demos that are short, interesting, and easy to understand, not lengthy, formal presentations.

Demos should walk the team through recently completed work or work in progress. This can include new features, bug fixes, performance improvements, new tooling, integrations, prototypes, or refactors. Keep demos concise, around **5-10 minutes**, and generally include:

* A brief description: What is it? Why does it matter? Who benefits?
* A working example: Show how it works in practice, not just a code walkthrough.
* Before and after: If it's an improvement, show the difference.
* Next steps: Briefly mention what might come next.

Sharing bug fixes, performance boosts, or internal tooling improvements is highly encouraged. Prototypes and design mocks are also great showcase material. We value seeing all stages of the process.

## Some ground rules

To keep the showcase positive and focused:

* **No shaming:** We encourage sharing, regardless of how polished the work is. This is a supportive space to learn from colleagues.
* **No PowerPoint:** Showcases are for demonstrating builds and progress, not presenting slideshows.
* **No selling:** Demos are for understanding and sharing progress, not sales pitches. What you see is often work in progress and might change.
* **No blaming:** Respect the work that came before. Focus on the progress and learnings, not fault-finding.

## Come and join us

We encourage everyone to participate in the showcase. Coordinating with your team is a good way to prepare. Consider discussing potential demo topics early in the week. If you have something to share, talk to your manager to get scheduled. We look forward to seeing what you create!

---

> Next: [Tech radar](radar.md)


Our weekly internal demo event where teams share their latest projects and insights. Learn about our culture of sharing, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Handbook > Community