Like @burrrata, I can’t overstate how much I value this thread and concept. I feel like Champions (specifically technical champions) are exactly what SourceCred needs right now.
I’ll add another idea to the mix, based on a conversation @Beanow and I had over voice chat today. Champions need to credibly commit to the things they say they are going to champion. When someone says they will be a champion, they are taking on responsibility, and (implicitly) inviting the support and help from the rest of the community in achieving their goals. If they don’t follow through, they are harming the community, both by wasting others’ time and energy, and degrading the collective trust in champions.
Personally, I feel I’ve experienced this a lot in my maintainership of SourceCred. A number of times, people have told me they’re interested in getting involved in SourceCred and doing some implementation work. Many times, I’ve then invested a bunch of my energy in ramping them up on the codebase and practices, only to see them disappear without any follow through. It makes me reticent to invest in onboarding new contributors, because I don’t know if they’re really commited, or just “like the idea” of helping out.
Therefore: I propose that when someone becomes champion for an issue or initiative, they need to commit to a timeline, and stake Grain behind their commitment. The exact amount of Grain will depend on the size and scope and rewards/bounty on that particular initiative. If they follow through, they will get back their grain stake, along with extra cred and grain for successfully championing an initiative. However, if they never actually do what they promised, they lose their pledge.
With a system like this, we won’t have “fly by night” or “fair weather” champions. The champion needs to demonstrate their commitment to the issue, by being willing to stake some of their status within the community. I think this will give the community more confidence in rallying around champions, and increase the meaningfulness of the role.