Offer Letter

Training and Evaluation

• Official training period runs from August 25, 2018 to September 30, 2018, inclusive
• We will use OSE Linux throughout the program - so you must bring a live USB with it or a permanent install. Ideally, you would have dual boot where you can use OSE Linux normally for learning purposes - but you could also use your own system as backup.
• Workshop training follows program for 6 workshops at OSE_Fellowship_Performance_Development#Training
• Evaluation in the last week of the Program - is running a workshop as a pair with another OSE Fellow In Training. FIT XM Evaluation
• Evaluation includes demonstrating good communication skills by presenting a 15 minute Pitch to the class highlighting the Open Source Microfactory offer, as would be presented to potential XM Workshop participants, teachers, and librarians. See Pitch Evaluation.
• Evaluation includes hands-on running of a Design Jam and a Jamming Evaluation. Fellows are to improve their Jamming skills with time.
• Fellows in Training must achieve 4 of 5 stars on the above evaluations. The evaluation is clear and transparent, and Fellows can ask any questions about any of the evaluation details. A conscientious Fellow should preview and review all the questions until they are confident that they can perform or answer those questions. The Immersion Training is dedicated to making sure that all these questions will be addressed sufficiently.
• In addition to all the performance tests above, there may be a verbal evaluation. Please see some representative questions at Immersion_Evaluation. This gets into the technical details of 3D printers and the OSE paradigm.
• The general curriculum is at OSE_Immersion_Program#Curriculum - but this may shift as needed to make sure that all the content is mastered as related to Satisfactory Performance (defined below) as evaluated by the 3 evaluations above.

Fellowship

• Upon passing of Evulations (FIT XM Evaluation, Pitch Evaluation, and Jamming Evaluation) at the 4 out of 5 star level, Fellows-in-Traiing are inducted into OSE to work with OSE full time, and receive an OSE email at name@opensourceecology.org which is to be used for all OSE-related activity
• Scores will be published on the wiki for tracking and improvement purposes
• Fellows receive $3k/month stipend at 2 week intervals as independent contractors
• Fellow runs 2 workshops per month to attain net revenue goals. Net revenue above is a 50/50 bonus.
• Fellows follow a startup mentality of doing all possible to meet revenue goals.
• Fellows participate in continuing education as at OSE_Fellowship_Performance_Development#Team_Development
• Fellows must have access to a car to travel to workshops and meetings. Fellows cover their transportation costs to workshops and meetings.
• Fellows are required to work with OSE full time, from their home location, and cannot work for other employers at the same time in order to guarantee full attention on the project. The project will demand a high learning curve up front.

Exit

• The rubber hits the road on the Fellowship Start Date as Fellows go to their respective locations to run workshops while engaging in R&D and monthly Design Jams.
• The Fellowship Start Date (October 1, 2018) is distinguished from the Fellowship Training Date (August 25, 2018)
• Satisfactory Performance is defined as meeting XM workshop goals (meeting revenue goals plus minimum 2.5 star reviews from participants), meeting R&D burndown goals (33 percent per month), and running monthly Design Jams in parallel with other Fellows. Not meeting Satisfactory Performance is grounds for termination.
• If something is not working out, a Fellow may be terminated on 2 week's notice. See OSE_Fellowship_Performance_Development#Termination.
• Fellow can likewise provide a 2 week's notice to terminate, at which point they lose access to OSE's continuing training including the next semester of immersion training.
• Fellows are encouraged to continue on the OSE Developer team even in case of termination.
• The ultimate risk sharing strategy for termination is the openness to walk away without any ill feelings upon something just not working out. Of course we try to keep everyone on board - but to account for contingencies we state this. We expect the 'rubber to hit the road' in the first 30 days, in which the Fellow's performance will become apparent in real life. The logic here is that in the worst case event - if a Fellow turns out to not be a fit - we both walk away. The Fellow gets the first $3k of stipend, and OSE offers to buy back their 7 Desktop Microfactory tools for a sum of $3500. At that point - the Fellow has lost nothing - and still walks away with a transformative education from the Immersion program. The goal here is to protect both OSE and the Fellow from ill feelings to each other. If the relationship lasts beyond the first 30 days, then 2 weeks' notice rules apply. OSE still offers to buy back the Fellow's Desktop Microfactory up to 6 months from the Fellowship Start Date.
• In the event of a buyback of the tools - the buyback option assumes that the 7 tools and accessory equipment (cordless drill, welder) are in working order. Working order is defined as the ability of the tools toT produce parts (3D printed parts, CNC circuit milled parts, laser cut parts) and for the plastic shredder/filament maker to produce 3D printing filament. OSE shall inspect the equipment prior to sending money for the buyback. The buyback must be in the entirety of all the tools - not a partial return.

Budget and Financial

• Payment of $6500 in full by Aug 14, 2018
• Acceptance letters will all sent by Aug 10, 2018
• 'Meeting of revenue goals' is defined as generating $6k net revenue per month.
• First $3k of net revenue goes to Fellow's Stipend. OSE receives the net up to $6k, above which the net revenue is divided 50/50 between the Fellow and OSE to provide a bonus.
• The monthly revenue generation period is from the first to the last of the month.
• Revenue generation does not include accounts receivable. Only upon receipt of revenue is the revenue counted
• The Fellow's bonus is disbursed monthly, mid-month
• The Stipend is guaranteed for the Fellow even if net revenue goals are not met in a given month, but depends on net revenue being generated to pay for the stipend on a Fellow-by-Fellow basis. Ie, there is not a common pot - as each Fellow is accounted seprately so that resources are made available to the Fellow accordingly - such as for prototyping materials. In case of revenue goals aren't being met - but a contingency plan must be undertaken.
• OSE budget is dedicated mostly to increasing OSE's public development capacity - namely - prototyping materials, producing rapid learning materials, facility improvement and expansion to accept more OSE Fellows, development of immersion programs towards a 2 year full on-site program, acquisition of new OSE campus sites, development of social technology such as swarm-based design events and builds. The goal is to double every year for the next decade, to achieve 1000 full time developers by 2029. OSE budget allocatio includes marketing, facility construction and improvements, OSE operations and maintenance, and staff.
• A prototyping budget is available when revenue goals are being met.
• Meeting revenue goals allows for various costs related to the Fellow's activity to be covered: the Fellow's quarterly travel to the OSE Headquarters or other conferences, prototyping materials, or other costs of doing business outside of normal car travel to workshops or meetings.
• Net revenue is determined as accounts received only. Typically, payment to OSE is made online or by check prior to build events - so there is normally no accounts receivable.
• Time Management: Fellows are entitled to a total of 30 vacation or sick days from October 1, 2018 to August 23, 2019 that can be taken on an as-needed basis with 2 weeks notice. The vacation does not affect that month's pay if revenue goals are met for that month. If goals are not met, pay may be pro-rated.
• Fellows are responsible for covering shipping of the Desktop Microfactory to their home location after the Immersion Training. OSE will assist in packaging up the Microfactory at the OSE Headquarters.

Agreements

• Fellow agrees to OSE Conflict Resolution Policy
• Do you agree to blog about your progress on the OSE blog once every quarter?
• Do you agree to work openly and publish all results on the wiki - using the wiki and your Work Log as a central repository of all materials?
• Do you agree to keep the best practices of keeping a Work Log - and to continue evolving these best practices?

Links

• OSE Immersion Program