About Protocol Labs

Protocol Labs is an innovation network of 750+ teams, projects, and movements with a common mission: To drive breakthroughs in computing to push humanity forward. For us, decentralization is more than just a rallying cry; it’s an operational ethos and a belief system baked into the products we develop. Protocol Labs operates as an innovation network built to help breakthrough technologies move from bold R&D into real-world adoption. Through funding, mentorship, and deep network support, PL has enabled pioneering teams to cross the critical “R&D chasm” and bring transformative products to market. Our network has supported projects like IPFS, Filecoin, and libp2p, alongside emerging efforts in neurotech, AI, and digital rights, demonstrating the breadth of impact possible when world-class founders and investors connect through Protocol Labs. Our key focus areas include digital human rights, upgrading economies and governance systems, safe AI, and neurotech. For more information on Protocol Labs and our focus areas, please watch Juan Benet’s talk from PL Summit 2023 and the 2024 PL Summit Video (Remote Update).

About Polaris

As an innovation network rooted in a culture of collaboration, Protocol Labs requires a fresh approach to advancing emerging technologies. Polaris builds the infrastructure that enables Protocol Labs teams, projects, and movements, and members to flourish. We create the programs, tools, and events that connect, strengthen, and build the teams that drive breakthroughs in computing to push humanity forward. We manage network membership and track network data to continuously gauge the growth and state of maturity of Protocol Labs across a number of critical pillars, and manage the Protocol Labs brand and strategic marketing initiatives. At the core of everything Polaris does, is the Protocol Labs mission and the desire to progress innovation.

About the Role

We are looking for a short term contractor to help rewrite and operationalize PL’s network levels model. This is the framework we use to measure, track, and grow the Protocol Labs Network over time.

This person will take existing materials, including network level spreadsheets, layer definitions, historical metrics, and recorded discussions, and work closely with PL Infra leads to define terminal targets for what “top ten innovation network” status looks like across layers such as teams, capital, people, and talent.

They will identify and correct undershooting estimates in the current levels, for example angels and investors. They will build a structured, computable version of the network levels model that links to dashboards, KPIs, and external data sources, making it easier to track progress and run interventions over time.

This is an ideal role for a strategic and analytical operator who enjoys turning complex conceptual frameworks into structured, data backed models that drive decision making.

Key Responsibilities

• Rewrite and formalize the network levels framework: Synthesize existing models and working sessions into a coherent structure, defining clear levels and metrics across layers such as capital, talent, teams, and projects.
• Set terminal targets: Work with PL Infra leads to define top end targets, for example what “top ten innovation network” status looks like numerically for each pillar, using benchmarking, public data, and reasonable projections.
• Correct undershooting estimates: Identify where current numbers, for example angel investors or teams, are too low relative to global benchmarks and adjust accordingly, using quantitative reasoning and research.
• Model interpolation between levels: Define meaningful rungs between the current state and terminal targets, ensuring that intermediate levels reflect realistic growth steps rather than arbitrary thresholds.
• Connect the model to dashboards and data sources: Work with Diego and the data team to link model variables to existing KPI dashboards, enabling automatic color coding and progress tracking.
• Document and communicate clearly: Produce clean, well structured artifacts such as spreadsheets, structured documents, or lightweight code that others can pick up and continue using beyond the contract period.

Qualifications

• Strong analytical skills and experience building quantitative models, for example in strategy consulting, data analysis, economics, or similar fields.
• Experience working with spreadsheets, dashboards, and large datasets.
• Ability to synthesize ambiguous discussions and frameworks into structured outputs.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate closely with senior stakeholders and translate conceptual ideas into concrete deliverables.
• Familiarity with innovation networks, venture ecosystems, or community growth models.
• Prior experience working with benchmarking or forecasting exercises at scale.
• Comfort working in fast moving, fluid environments with minimal oversight.
• Exposure to PL’s ecosystem or similar decentralized networks is a plus.

Contract Details

• Duration: Approximately 1-2 months
• Time commitment: 20-40 hours per week
• Compensation: Competitive project-based rate

Why This Role Matters

The network levels framework is foundational for understanding how PL grows, from a mid-sized network to one of the world’s leading innovation ecosystems. By rewriting this framework and linking it to real data, you will give teams across PL a powerful tool for strategic planning, benchmarking, and intervention design.