Dash Across the Border Tour in the Bitcoin Bus 2018

Would you vote to approve this project?

  • yes

    Votes: 3 30.0%

  • no

    Votes: 5 50.0%

  • maybe, if..... (please leave your "if" in the comments)

    Votes: 2 20.0%
  • Total voters
    10
I might vote to fund this again but with some changes. More Dash branding would be mandatory. The Dash.org on the back is ok but gets totally covered up when y'all load it up with luggage. A giant Dash.org and Dash = Digital Cash down both sides running the whole length of the bus. No need to repaint the stripes IMO if you did that.

Also, I would add a $1000 to the giveaway, $1400. Give $5 to people who set up a wallet and be sure to document every transaction with a selfie photo posted on twitter and facebook etc. Marketing 101.
Dash to give away = 400

I would take the $1000 from the Petty “Cash” fund and make that $1000 instead of $2000....
Petty “Cash” = $2,000


But first i would like an update on your last proposal that was not completed. What is the plan to complete this?

Dash to Adoption - 100 Businesses in 100 Days
https://www.dashcentral.org/p/Dash-to-Adoption#comments
 
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I'm not generally inclined to look favorably at a new proposal seeing the results of the last one, the Dash to Adoption push, which spent 1,000 Dash over 3 months, acquiring only 24 acquisitions, many of which were very small nonprofits run by the same few individuals that already accepted just about every crypto under the sun. There is no more record of any of these acquisitions anywhere, meaning that, effectively, this was 1,000 Dash for very sparse returns. John mentioned before that he would continue to work on the remaining 100 businesses. Where is there any record or evidence of this? Is Dash to Adoption still ongoing?

In short, I would discourage the community from supporting another proposal from the same contractor until there has been a full accounting for the results of the last one.
 
On Dash to Adoption.....

Joel, Mastermind, any other community members curious about Dash to Adoption, here is an update.

As a serial entrepreneur and activist, I've started and managed many businesses, campaigns, ventures, and organizations. Some of the endeavors have been very successful, some have come up short, and some have failed. When it comes to Dash to Adoption, it's safe to say I came up short. I started with the ambitious goal of getting 100 new businesses to adopt Dash within 100 days. By the end of the 100 days I had reached 24% of my goal. Many in the pre-proposal discussion said the goal was too ambitious and it was too early for the Dash eco-system as we lacked sufficient point of sale applications. These concerns and predictions proved true. Also, I began to lose steam towards the end of the 100 days as we had a massive drop in revenue at the bookstore/health shop I operated and some of my time shifted towards keeping that business above water.

My main strategy consisted of compiling a massive list of businesses that already accept bitcoin and encouraging them to accept Dash. I also contacted lots of VPN services. I paid a virtual assistant around $2000 USD to compile a list comprised of businesses from Bitcoin business listings and the Bitcoin Black Friday website. That list ended up having over 4,000 businesses on it. Out of those 4,000 businesses, I focused on what I saw to the low-hanging fruit and ended up contacting over 700 businesses. I figured if I at least had a 10% closing ratio I could make something happen. I followed up many times with any business that expressed the slightest bit of interest but many leads came up short of getting setup to accept Dash.

I was tracking my progress at DashtoAdoption.com which forwarded to a landing page at SpendDash.com, where I was also posting the new businesses, but the site operator called it quits I guess and the site disappeared. I also sent out 49 surveys to existing Dash businesses and got very few responses.

I have not given up on this project. At the moment, my main source of income is my kratom and CBD operation which consumes far less time than operating a retail store front that was open 7 days a week. I have more time these days for activism and my passions which are crypto-currency and self improvement. It is my intent to focus on this project while we are down in Acapulco in between conferences and meetups. I am close with the kratom community which routinely gets their credit card processing shut down and would like to encourage vendors and Indonesian farmers to accept Dash. My friend and I already converted one vendor.

There is an excellent crypto payment processor called GoURL which integrates with many different point of sale applications. This will make things easier. Also, when Dash Evolution is released, this will make adoption far easier as well.

As I said before, I have launched and led many businesses, campaigns, and organizations. For this particular effort, my ambitions exceeded what I was capable of accomplishing and what the market would bear at the time. I have not given up and intend to carry this project forward. Not sure how long it will take, but crypto is my life and I have believed in Dash for years now and want to help build Dash's network.

Dash to Adoption was one of three budget proposals myself and Cat have had approved. The other two, Dash Across America and the Dash Stage at Brave New Books, were extremely successful, reaching hundreds if not thousands of people across the country and in Austin. The Dash Across the Border Tour will be much like Dash Across America, only bigger and international!

I learned a lot from this effort about my abilities and weaknesses, namely my tendency to bite off more than I could chew. I have matured immensely as an entrepreneur and am ready to continue to spread the word about this leading cryptocurrency. I believe our tour down to Mexico will be a great success for Dash and hope Masternodes will give us the opportunity to make this happen.

I want to thank you Joel and mastermind for your diligence. If you have any other questions I'm an open book and will be sure to answer.

John Bush

Here are the 24 businesses and organizations I managed to recruit.

AgoristHosting.com
Apollo Genesis
Center for Natural Living
TheHomestead.guru
Liberty Radio Network
Free Talk Live
Envision Landscape
Praxeum Taekwondo
Kinsie Mind Body
BoylesBrewingCompany
Empirico Water Treatment Systems
La Neye Ferme
Liberty LLC
Rock Barcellos Graphics
Stephanie Murphy
Michael Germanow Ridesharing
Emilio Chronis Ridesharing
Beyond Organix
Stephen Jones Ridesharing
Denarium
David Cole Comedy
Kazi Arshad
ProPhase Bio Studios
Nova Om Soul Alignment
 
Before I consider anything else, I would require you drop all bitcoin branding, including the "Bitcoin Bus" thing.
 
I would wish to have you settle on more places in Mexico, Mexico City and Acapulco are not really a good representation of what Mexico is. Is like saying Boston and New York City. I would recomend you to go to Chiapas, Veracruz, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.

As for the organization of it all, I recommend to break this proposal in half and do 2 proposal of 3/2 month each. With a very volatile DASH Idont think a 5 month proposal will sit well with many masternodes.
 
My guess is that Bitcoin.com and others are chipping in as well which in this case maybe a full disclosure of who is paying for what, would be preffered.
 
GrandMasterDash said:
Before I consider anything else, I would require you drop all bitcoin branding, including the "Bitcoin Bus" thing.
Click to expand...
That would be an entirely different budget proposal IMO. We did re-brand as bitcoin.com bus for our last tour and I am willing to consider something like that, but its going to take convincing that its worth leaving 2.5 years of branding behind, its also the name my kids know their home to by, ya know? Last time it was as easy as adding a .com....... I am not sure, but open to it. Other than the "Bitcoin Bus", my answer is of course, yes, we would focus on dash branding..

As for the name of the bus... it seems to me that in many ways having the support of such a strong bitcoin fan looks good for dash, and gives people who have never head of dash a frame of reference that its a crypto currency and how it works. I think leaving the name is an excellent way to bridge that gap between the coin that has way more name recognition and people we are introducing it to.
 
CatherineBleish said:
That would be an entirely different budget proposal IMO. We did re-brand as bitcoin.com bus for our last tour and I am willing to consider something like that, but its going to take convincing that its worth leaving 2.5 years of branding behind, its also the name my kids know their home to by, ya know? Last time it was as easy as adding a .com....... I am not sure, but open to it. Other than the "Bitcoin Bus", my answer is of course, yes, we would focus on dash branding..

As for the name of the bus... it seems to me that in many ways having the support of such a strong bitcoin fan looks good for dash, and gives people who have never head of dash a frame of reference that its a crypto currency and how it works. I think leaving the name is an excellent way to bridge that gap between the coin that has way more name recognition and people we are introducing it to.
Click to expand...

You don't think $10+ transaction fees is not a good incentive to drop unpaid bitcoin support?
 
JZA said:
My guess is that Bitcoin.com and others are chipping in as well which in this case maybe a full disclosure of who is paying for what, would be preffered.
Click to expand...

Nope, we want to focus this time on dash. Obviously we cannot do a "bitcoin only" road trip like we have in the past with transaction fees and time..... the time is PERFECT to focus on dash for so many reasons. The bitcoin community needs a solution like this and FAST! I will obviously reach out to all of our previous sponsors if dash does not plan to be the exclusive sponsor, and that's OK, we have sponsors that have been with us on each tour and who will continue to sponsor us. I just feel VERY PASSIONATELY about dash right now and would like to focus.

For full disclosure, during the process of securing speaking spots I was in talks with Anarcapulco to sponsor as a promotional tour for their event, but it doesn't make since for them financially because we depart so short before their event and so many weeks after.

We want dash to be our sole sponsor. We love dash. We love our other sponsors, too, but the time is NOW for dash IMO.
 
GrandMasterDash said:
You don't think $10+ transaction fees is not a good incentive to drop unpaid bitcoin support?
Click to expand...
We didn't name the bus "Bitcoin Bus" because it was funded.

We are absolutely dropping "Bitcoin.com Bus" with a full dash sponsorship, that's a matter of taking the sticker off the top window and replacing it.

Bitcoin has been a huge part of my family's lifestyle. It has allowed us to survive as entrepreneurs when we otherwise probably would not have managed to stay alive during the start up phase. Its the name of our home. Not because anyone funded us to name it that way, but because nearly 3 years ago when we got it, Bitcoin and ether and ripple were all I knew, and bitcoin is what I used to travel and live. We did 4 really long bitcoin only road trips and tested the bitcoin infrastructure in ways no one else has. We can do that for dash, too, and I think branding the tour Dash Across the Border Tour makes the point.

I am, as always, open to be convinced, but right now, I feel strongly its the name of my home and it would take more than a tour sponsorship to buy me out of that lol
 
IronVape said:
I tend to agree. Let Blockstream and Bitcoin.com fund their own tours.
Click to expand...
The only branding on the bus will be dash, the NAME of the bus is bitcoin bus - the photo is from previous tours not what we are proposing.

I am open to paint the strips on the bus dash blue and sticker or paint dash branding down the row where the logos are, that whole strip could be blue with white lettering.

I'd also like to but a huge dash logo on the hood....

Now, with that being said, the name of the bus is the bitcoin bus (not bitcoin.com bus), it doens't mean we can't put something else in that spot above the windshield. I don't have to change the name of the bus to not show any bitcoin verbage or branding... although I will still refer to it as the Bitcoin Bus as that is the name of the bus, I responded more on that subject in my previous comment if you want to read it....
 
JZA said:
I would wish to have you settle on more places in Mexico, Mexico City and Acapulco are not really a good representation of what Mexico is. Is like saying Boston and New York City. I would recomend you to go to Chiapas, Veracruz, Monterrey, and Guadalajara.

As for the organization of it all, I recommend to break this proposal in half and do 2 proposal of 3/2 month each. With a very volatile DASH Idont think a 5 month proposal will sit well with many masternodes.
Click to expand...

I am looking for other cities in Mexico, the issue after talking to the Mexico City Bitcoin Meetup organizers is that they dont' know other bitcoin communities. I am open to visiting any Mexican City (that isn't in crazy mountains / terrain / the bus can get there) that has a bitcoin or crypto meetup, as of right now this is all we have found. Please help if you have any leads, I completely agree with you and have been seeking out other places to no avail.

I am open to any timeframe for the proposals that the community here feels is best... in the past we have always had sponsors pay us up front, and it really allows us to focus on the project at hand. Its a lot of work and we are usually so focused on logistics that filling a second time would definitely add an extra layer of stress. That is not to say I am opposed to it necessarily, just understand its hard finding internet sometimes on the road, and we are constantly either travelling/moving or communicating with small groups or large groups of people, even stopping at gas stations gets a lot of attention from people (we have set ups SO MANY WALLETS at gas stations from people coming up to talk to us). We will be in a driving billboard and it gets a lot of attention. My ideal would be to fund it and focus on execution, but again, I am open to how the community feels is most appropriate.
 
thedesertlynx said:
I'm not generally inclined to look favorably at a new proposal seeing the results of the last one, the Dash to Adoption push, which spent 1,000 Dash over 3 months, acquiring only 24 acquisitions, many of which were very small nonprofits run by the same few individuals that already accepted just about every crypto under the sun. There is no more record of any of these acquisitions anywhere, meaning that, effectively, this was 1,000 Dash for very sparse returns. John mentioned before that he would continue to work on the remaining 100 businesses. Where is there any record or evidence of this? Is Dash to Adoption still ongoing?

In short, I would discourage the community from supporting another proposal from the same contractor until there has been a full accounting for the results of the last one.
Click to expand...

Hey I hope John's response satisfies you?

I will add a few things.
1. Dash to Adoption was John working by himself, these tours are all planned by me logistically while John drives and produces media. I just want to make sure its clear that this is a Blush Family project and this is our 5th such roadtrip/tour. We have not dropped the ball on a tour yet, and don't intend to start now!
2. I know he did not reach his goal for the number of businesses adopted, but as someone who watched him work tirelessly week after week after week on this project, I just want to validate his efforts and publicly support the huge effort he put into the project. We don't always reach our goals, and most people didn't think John would actually get the 100... he shot for the moon and landed amongst the stars. I am not saying he did a great job communicating about all the effort he put in, there is obviously a disconnect that took place, but I am saying he busted his ass and in my opinion moved a small mountain!
 
mastermined said:
I might vote to fund this again but with some changes. More Dash branding would be mandatory. The Dash.org on the back is ok but gets totally covered up when y'all load it up with luggage. A giant Dash.org and Dash = Digital Cash down both sides running the whole length of the bus. No need to repaint the stripes IMO if you did that.

Also, I would add a $1000 to the giveaway, $1400. Give $5 to people who set up a wallet and be sure to document every transaction with a selfie photo posted on twitter and facebook etc. Marketing 101.
Dash to give away = 400

I would take the $1000 from the Petty “Cash” fund and make that $1000 instead of $2000....
Petty “Cash” = $2,000


But first i would like an update on your last proposal that was not completed. What is the plan to complete this?

Dash to Adoption - 100 Businesses in 100 Days
https://www.dashcentral.org/p/Dash-to-Adoption#comments
Click to expand...


I agree, lets go all out on the branding! I do think it would look better if the stripes are dash colored, I don't think it would require much to just change the stripes in terms of paint..

I love increasing the give away dash, we gave away hundreds of dash last summer. We did not document EVERY ONE, but we did take photos and videos of many.

We have had $2k petty cash on all 4 previous tours, which were shorter. This allows our kids to have special experiences while we are working so hard (its 24/7 when we are on tour), and allows us to handle things like brake fluid or buying thank you dinner for the hosts of our meetups. or an emergency hotel if there is snow and our route to our destination is blocked... those sorts of things. Its not really something I am open to change on the budget, this has never been an issue with previous tours and I don't feel it is unreasonable.
 
Here is some initial art for the tour - still in progress, but I think SUPER BEAUTIFUL!

25550407_1514621355293750_924762530436368213_n.jpg

25498181_1514622911960261_1682657072976178501_n.jpg
 
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