Cirus Mid-Year Update: That’s a wrap! (for Beta)
NOTE: There’s a TL:DR at the end in case you’re short on time.
Well that was a fun 6 months! Since our Beta release at the end of last year, so much has taken place both internal and external to Cirus (somebody mentioned a bear market?). We’ve learned a ton throughout this phase, thanks in no small part to our awesome community, and 25,000 Beta users, from over 100 countries, who provided an immense amount of honest feedback, helped with bug smashing and were all-around the best we could possibly ask for!
Here are a couple highlights, so you don’t have to go digging through old posts:
UI 👤
Initially we took a fairly conservative approach, for a variety of reasons, but that is definitely going to change going forward.
UX 💻
Being a platform that pays you for your data is fun, but Cirus is about much more than that….being a gateway into Web3 and all….User experience is critical for adoption. It’s not just tied to UI, but goes much deeper in order to drive the most value for the user!
Customer Support ☎️
Is a huge piece of the puzzle, and having the right processes in place is key, though we think we did a pretty good job here….and we had some good times working with users to get issues worked out.
Infrastructure 🏗️
…..is critical. It must be scalable, and architectured very carefully. This calls for a holistic approach to maintain a consistent user experience when the user base is so diverse.
Chip Shortage 💾
This was (and is still) fun, and challenging to deal with. It has delayed our hardware rollout to DVois, though there is some (very) good news on this front.
Bear Market 🐻
Crypto Winter is upon us, and that is a good thing. It gives us time to build, undisturbed by the unrelenting noise from the last couple years.
So, where to from here? 🤔
As we’ve mentioned before, we’re in a pretty intensive build phase, as we create and bolt together the various pieces needed for V1 to come to life. You’ll see the team more active in Discord for regular updates, round table discussions and generally shooting the breeze while we work. Come hang out, it’s a fun, warm place to post up during the cold Crypto Winter.
Wrapping Up Beta 🎁
We’ve squeezed as much as we can learn out of the Beta process, and it’s time to move forward to the next phase. Here’s what you need to know:
For existing users: The Cirus Browser Extension will continue to function, and you’ll continue to earn the same way you always have!
For new users: New downloads & signups will be paused until V1.0 is online. Why? Because we’ve met our objectives, learned all we could, and want new users going forward to have their first experience of the Cirus Ecosystem with the new product UX.
We’ll also make sure to keep new users in the loop through The Scoop for when we’re ready to roll out the red carpet!
For the Absolute Legends who’ve supported us on the ride so far (i.e. our community members), we’ll be showing our appreciation in a very special way. We definitely could not have come this far without you.
You’ll see other community events and prizes along the way as well.
Gearing Up for testing of V1.0
While we have formal, external testing lined up, we’ll also be including the community in the process. We’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth re-stating. There is already a small group of dedicated community members identified for this purpose, but we may need more. If you’re up for it, identify yourself in Discord.
Internally, we’re gearing up to start function-testing of the core components of the extension, running on the new architecture. i.e. All new everything (servers, processes, microservices, wallet functions, custody etc etc) minus the final UI & UX.
Here’s what you can expect to see along the road to release:
Higher Community Presence 🌐
As mentioned, you’ll see a stronger team presence in the community channels. With part of the heavy lifting out of the way we’ll have some more time to hang out, chat and answer questions in discord.
Press Releases 📝
We have some very good news to announce…If Michael doesn’t spoil it first…like he already has…Some of our discord members will know what we’re talking about ;). Either way, we have lots to put out there that we’ve been sitting on for a couple months.
Partnership Announcements 🤝
You can’t be an expert in everything. This is a complicated build, and it can’t be done alone. We’re working with the best in the business in several categories from custody, to UX design to server architecture.
Internal Cirus News 📰
In the past few months, we’ve added some more key people to the team, and will be introducing them soon. You’ll also be getting to know our older team members a bit better, as we’ve recently managed to kidnap and park a few of them in front of a camera for a couple minutes.
With the help of Ryan, we’re putting together some incredible video content! We’re peeling back the curtains, and inviting you behind the scenes to journey with us as we build a tech company that bridges the gap into the Web3 Space!
Further to all of that, there’s been a ton of work happening on the business-side. Everything from an entirely new division being spun up, to updates on the hardware and traditional (non-Web3) business arms of Cirus. Our team has been busy criss-crossing the continent, getting things set up and coordinated.
Again, some of this was already spoiled by Michael in Discord, so it’s probably a good idea to join if you haven’t already. Maybe we shouldn’t let him in there after all……
So, the TL:DR:
- We’re wrapping up the Beta process and pausing new downloads until V1 of the extension is live.
- If you already have the extension, great, it will continue to work, and you’ll continue to earn
- If you don’t, join The Scoop and come hang out in Discord, where Michael will be driving our Media/PR team crazy by accidentally dropping spoilers.
- There will be bonuses for the Legends (community members) who have flown the flag for us thus far.
- The community will be involved in the testing of V1.
- There has been A LOT happening behind the scenes, and the news will be dropping in the leadup to the release of V1.0
