How Opolis Is Changing The Face of Work With Founder John Paller

By: cryptotravelsmichael

March 10, 2022

Episode Transcription

This episode is brought to you by Brave and Brave Wallet are built by a team of privacy focused, performance oriented pioneers of the web. Brave was co-founded by Brendan Eich & Brian Bondy. Brendan Eich is the creator of Javascript, and was a co-founder of Mozilla Firefox. Download the Brave privacy browser at brave.com/newtocrypto

John Paller is a Denver-based blockchain entrepreneur, inventor and futurist, and the Founder and Executive Steward of Opolis, a Digital Employment Cooperative for independent workers. He is also the founder and Executive Steward of ETHDenver, the world’s largest Web3 and Ethereum-based festival.

Prior to discovering Ethereum in 2015, John spent more than 15 years in the talent acquisition, HR Technology, and employment systems, building multiple successful enterprises. John brings a breadth of experience in fundraising, investor relations, community outreach and crypto economies, guiding his vision of democratizing employment and growing decentralized communities. In 2014, John was awarded “40 Under 40” by the Denver Business Journal for his contribution to shaping the future of business.

What is Opolis

Opolis is a member-owned digital employment cooperative offering payroll (fiat and white-listed digital currencies) and high-quality, affordable benefits (health insurance, retirement plans, and more) to independent workers. With Opolis, you don’t have to worry about tax withholding or compliance, we handle that for you. As a member, you are also an owner of the cooperative and share in the future profits of the network. Our members enjoy self-sovereign portable employment and a W2 + paystubs from a Colorado cooperative

We want to create an open employment system that essentially powers commercial activity for the independent worker, and gives them the controls to decide whatever makes sense for them

- John Paller

Here's What We Discussed in Detail in This Interview

[00:01 – 02:34] Opening Segment

Grow, manage, and store your portfolio with Brave Wallet

Get to know more about John and his background
- John’s experience with Bitcoin
- His start in HR Tech and employment systems
- How he’s applying his expertise in employment to Web3 tech

[05:29 – 18:12] How Opolis Is Changing The Face of Work

- John explains what Opolis is and how it works
  - A quick look at the issues of our current employment system
  - The shift in the workforce – there are more independent or self-sovereign workers
  - How Opolis uses Web3 to replicate the feeling of employment
  - Get corporate-feeling benefits without losing independence
- The story behind how the project came about
- John explains DEO (Decentralized Employment Organization)
  - It’s a play on PEO (Professional Employer Organization)
  - DEO has payroll and compliance but done without a 3rd party
  - “Think of it as a digital employment operative”
  - Community-owned and member-driven
- The ideal customer for the Opolis service
  - Anyone working independently
  - Soon to be available worldwide

A quick word from our sponsor

[18:13 – 35:09] The Purpose of Opolis and Its Native Token

John talks about the long term goal of enabling the global workforce
How the system looks for digital nomads as an example
- Simplifying and automating the process of work benefits
John shares his revelation of organizations becoming more decentralized
- The future of work is working flexibly
- A shift away from “the mercenary work culture” into work-life integration
- People are flocking to Web3 to find meaningful work
How the WORK token plays into the Opolis ecosystem
- Driving incentives through coordination
- The process of Payroll Mining
Staking the WORK token
How the membership is paid for
- Only $20 to join and a 1% community sustainability fee

[35:10 – 39:28] Closing Segment

John talks about the value of becoming a Coalition Member
Other features that might interest users
- Check out the Nerd Stuff section on the Opolis website
- Join the community over on Discord

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Interview With Nick Saponaro Co-Founder of Divi

Killer Resources

HOW TO REACH OUT TO JOHN PALLER AND OPOLIS

Final Thoughts

What Are DEOs?

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO), the most recognized instance of a decentralized organization, lack legal standing. From a legal standpoint, this is significant since, without the need for a declared legal status, stakeholders are exposed to personal liability, which is not available to other legal entities.

Furthermore, if DAOs are interpreted as general partnerships, token holders may bear a fiduciary obligation to one another, possibly exposing them to unlimited personal liability.

Decentralized Employment Organizations (DEOs), which integrate established legal and technology frameworks, were invented by Opolis. Verified members will be able to join an unlimited number of DAOs while just needing to be a member of one.

Members will be screened via employment verification criteria and will be permitted to work under a pseudonym for the duration of their job.

Opolis Staking

Each DEO will have customization features, which will allow DEO founders to customize membership rules. Staking can be adjusted to attract specific members and to promote exclusivity or openness.

Given the unclear timing of staking, staking will be conducted in steady denominations to preserve fund stability for members. Based on how the DEO’s founders have set up the organization, staking could also emerge with DEO benefits.

What Is WORK?

WORK is the token native to Opolis. $WORK is a utility token as well as a metric for calculating Member patronage. The bearer of $WORK has only governing and economic rights if they are indeed a Member of the Commons. In other terms, Commons Membership unlocks all $WORK rights and properties, not just the owning of the $WORK token.

Under certain patronage acts that are deemed to provide value to the Commons, members will be awarded with $WORK. $WORK is an ERC20 token built on Ethereum.

Tokenomics Of The WORK Token

There will be no public or private sale of $WORK. As a result, the Commons will not determine the implied price or value of a token. Tokens will only be given out as a thank you for supporting the Commons.

The total number of $WORK that can be minted and distributed has no limit. Furthermore, as the Commons grows, additional $WORK will be distributed less frequently due to the difficulties of meeting greater and higher percent-based growth milestones. When progress goals are achieved, $WORK is minted and distributed. The maximum quantity that can be awarded to any individual Member for patronage is limitless. The Commons will mint and circulate 315,000,000 $WORK to Commons Stakeholders at the start of the project.

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cryptotravelsmichael

Travel is something that Michael has done for decades. He has lived in Hawaii, California, Australia, and in Latin America. He is a serial entrepreneur who has been in the investment industry and tech space for years. Once he discovered the freedom and opportunities that crypto offers and provides, he was hooked.