Nick Nick 16.03.2022

Our Logo is a Bull, Representative of Our View on The Solana Ecosystem (‘Bullish’) — Founder's Interview

My guest today is Benjamin Duncanson (Twitter / Discord = ‘Goodduncs’), Co-founder / CFO / Operations Director of Solana Sports Club NFT. 

Professional Background: Accounting and Business background (BCom / MBus), now a Commissioned Officer in the Australian Army specialising in Petrochemical Engineering after studying at Cranfield University in the UK.

Chris: The Solana Sports Club is a trading card game NFT. What is the sport represented through the card game? What was your story behind the name picked for the NFT?

The trading cards are made up of multiple sports – the 10,000 collection is effectively 10 sub collections of 1,000 [American Football, Football, Baseball, Basketball, Ice Hockey, ‘Combat’, Cycling, Tennis, Golf and Cricket]. The characters are inspired by cartoon style mascots and team logos of some of the big global sports teams; for example, a lion that draws it’s name from the Brisbane Lions in AFL (AUS) or the English Cricket and Football Teams.

The Solana Sports Club name is representative of an exclusive member’s only club – such as a golf or racing club. It has a high class feel, however, we welcome all. Our logo is a bull, and we refer to our collective membership as the ‘Solana Bulls’, representative of our view on the Solana ecosystem (‘bullish’).

We have also laid claim ‘the #sportsNFT’.

Chris: Additionally, the cards are deflationary. What would be your criteria for picking up the NFTs that would be burnt?

The founders would primarily sweep the floor utilising the royalties; similar to the Pesky Penguins project. We would target cards that have no unique element (I.e. not ‘autographed’ or a ‘limited edition’), however, would try to balance this across all sport categories.

Chris: We also observed that the raffles are organized in tiers. How are these tiers organized? What is the basis for the distinction between these three tiers?

A Tier One raffle is the most lucrative of the raffles and focusses on physical/in-person experiences. Tier One is all about getting you to a major sporting even to witness history being made. This comes as a package, including tickets, accommodation, transfers and domestic flights; our vision is to progress this to include international transfers as well. Think of this as physical.

A Tier Two raffle focusses on our community in competition with each other – the best example being a fantasy league. The league would be made up of members, and funded by the Club. The sports and amount of leagues running would be dependant on both the membership and funding available. These would be conducted via third party provided (I.e. Draftkings). Think of this as virtual/fantasy.

A Tier Three raffle focusses on the community and engagement within Discord. This includes giveaways, prizes and sweepstakes. We have a ‘server economy’ set up whereby members earn fake coins through talking and being involved in activities. This will indicate our most active and loyal members. Think of this as Discord centric.

Chris: Moreover, is it possible for the investors to subscribe to a specific tier through targeted NFT purchases?

Not exactly. We will have the option to opt out of certain raffles if there is no interest; this will in turn increase the chances for others. It will also pay to own (and/or trade for) the sports that you prefer, as we may make some raffles sport specific (I.e. only a baseball card is eligible for the World Series). In any case, members would be made aware in advance, so that they have time to trade and/or are not caught off guard by raffle criteria.

Chris: Following from the previous question, what are the different traits and features of the Solana Sports Club NFT?

The Solana Sports Club NFTs will all have equal value in the beginning as the default raffle will be for all 10,000. That said, we will likely move towards a model that makes raffles eligible for the sports that correspond with the card. We may also make raffles that are only eligible for special edition cards or autographed cards. Note, these are not decisions that have been made as yet, as we want input from the community.

As for the traits/features. The card has two colours, the background and frame; these come in 10 colours each. Then we have the sporting uniform, again, there are 10 (as above). Finally, we have the characters which are inspired by sporting teams from around the world – we have a lion, tiger, elephant, bull, elk, bulldog, bear, gorilla, wolf and leopard.

There is also an element of rarity, with some cards being ‘autographed’ and some coming with special edition backgrounds (platinum, gold, silver or bronze).

Chris: More importantly, what would be the cost of each NFT? What percentage of the expenses would account for the gas fee?

Given that this project breaks from the norm (stake and breed model), there is considerably more upfront capital to be raised. Through a number of finance models, we would anticipate that 4 SOL would be the safe figure – we’re also pragmatic, and understand that despite the current dollar value, 4 SOL isn’t workable. Instead we have created a model that is sustainable and values mint at 2-2.5 SOL (~USD$160-200). As SOL fees are low, gas would not be factored into our price.

Chris: In the end, we read that your team members are fully doxxed. Please help us know the team and their contributions to Solana Sports Club NFT.

Firstly, we have myself, Ben. I am an Australian Army Officer who has worked at the executive level for 12 years. I have controlled resources of up to $3.5m and up to 100 people. At present, I work in a position that is similar to a Company Secretary and have a specialist background in accounting, business and petrochemical engineering. With my background working at the Executive level, I am well positioned for the CFO and Business Operations roles.

Secondly, there is Jackson Payne. Jackson specialises in marketing and business and holds a double degree. He works full time for a firm in Melbourne (AUS), runs his own marketing company, recently led the marketing for a successful political campaign for Mayorship and sits on the board of an Australian football team. Jackson fulfils the roles of CMO and community engagement. Given his breadth of knowledge and capacity for work, he too is well positioned to flourish in his positions.