MIMICTRUNK LIEUTENANT SYSTEM

Staged Positions for Earned Trust

“I Don’t Know Anyone” Problem → SOLVED

THE PROBLEM

Founder’s Dilemma:

“I will need lieutenants IMMEDIATELY to handle a lot of this traffic that I, as one person, simply cannot. But I also don’t know anyone.”

Traditional Solutions (All Bad):

1. Hire friends/family → May not be qualified, awkward if they fail
2. Hire strangers → High risk, no trust basis, expensive
3. Do everything yourself → Burnout, bottleneck, platform dies
4. Hire contractors → Expensive, no ownership, no loyalty

THE SOLUTION: MIMICTRUNK LIEUTENANTS

Core Concept

MimicTrunks are AI-assisted positions where:

• AI handles the heavy lifting (research, drafting, analysis)
• Human provides judgment, approval, and personal touch
• Performance is automatically tracked
• Trust is EARNED through demonstrated competence
• Autonomy increases as trust increases

The Trust Ladder

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                                                  │
│  STAGE 5: BRANCH COMMANDER                                       │
│  ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════   │
│  Full autonomy, manages other lieutenants, shapes strategy       │
│  Trust Level: ★★★★★                                              │
│                                                                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  STAGE 4: SENIOR LIEUTENANT                                      │
│  ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════   │
│  Independent decisions, Founder reviews weekly                   │
│  Trust Level: ★★★★☆                                              │
│                                                                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  STAGE 3: LIEUTENANT                                             │
│  ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════   │
│  Handles routine independently, flags exceptions                 │
│  Trust Level: ★★★☆☆                                              │
│                                                                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  STAGE 2: JUNIOR LIEUTENANT                                      │
│  ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════   │
│  AI-assisted work, Founder approves all outputs                  │
│  Trust Level: ★★☆☆☆                                              │
│                                                                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  STAGE 1: MIMICTRUNK TRAINEE                                     │
│  ════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════   │
│  AI does 90% of work, human reviews and learns                   │
│  Trust Level: ★☆☆☆☆                                              │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

HOW IT WORKS

Stage 1: MimicTrunk Trainee

What Happens:

• Trainee receives task (e.g., “respond to this customer inquiry”)
• AI (Claude/ROOK) drafts 3 response options
• Trainee selects best option OR writes custom response
• AI explains WHY each option works/doesn’t
• Founder reviews ALL outputs for first 10 tasks

Trainee Learns:

• Platform voice and tone
• Decision-making frameworks
• What Founder values
• Common patterns and exceptions

Metrics Tracked:

• Which AI option selected (or custom)
• Time to completion
• Founder approval rate
• Quality of custom responses

Graduation Criteria:

• 10+ tasks completed
• 80%+ Founder approval rate
• Demonstrates understanding of platform values
• 1 week minimum tenure

Stage 2: Junior Lieutenant

What Happens:

• Junior handles incoming requests
• AI assists but human drives decisions
• Founder approves ALL outputs before sending
• Junior can flag “I’m not sure” for guidance

Increased Responsibility:

• Draft responses (AI suggests improvements)
• Triage incoming requests (urgent vs. routine)
• Basic research tasks
• Documentation updates

Metrics Tracked:

• Approval rate (target: 85%+)
• Response quality scores
• Turnaround time
• Escalation appropriateness

Graduation Criteria:

• 25+ tasks completed
• 85%+ approval rate
• Demonstrates good judgment on escalations
• 2 weeks minimum tenure

Stage 3: Lieutenant

What Happens:

• Lieutenant handles routine independently
• Founder reviews daily summary (not every item)
• Exceptions flagged for Founder decision
• Can train Stage 1 trainees

Full Responsibility For:

• Routine customer communications
• Basic social media responses
• Documentation and file organization
• Scheduling and coordination
• First-pass review of applications

Founder Review:

• Daily summary of actions taken
• Exception cases requiring decision
• Weekly 1:1 for feedback and guidance

Metrics Tracked:

• Volume handled
• Customer satisfaction
• Error rate (caught in review)
• Trainee performance (if mentoring)

Graduation Criteria:

• 50+ tasks completed independently
• Error rate < 5%
• Successfully mentored 1+ trainee
• 1 month minimum tenure
• Founder nomination

Stage 4: Senior Lieutenant

What Happens:

• Senior operates with weekly check-ins
• Makes judgment calls independently
• Can commit platform to minor decisions
• Manages a domain (e.g., “Community”, “Creators”, “Technical”)

Domain Examples:

Authority Level:

• Approve small expenditures (< $100)
• Commit to timelines (< 1 week)
• Speak officially on routine matters
• Reject clearly inappropriate requests

Founder Review:

• Weekly summary and sync
• Monthly performance review
• Strategy discussions

Graduation Criteria:

• 3+ months as Lieutenant
• Domain expertise demonstrated
• Zero major errors
• Team endorsement
• Founder nomination

Stage 5: Branch Commander

What Happens:

• Commander shapes strategy for their branch
• Manages team of lieutenants
• Reports to Founder on outcomes, not activities
• Equity stake in their domain’s success

Full Authority:

• Hire/promote/remove lieutenants in their branch
• Budget allocation within approved limits
• Public representation of platform
• Strategic decisions within domain

Relationship with Founder:

• Weekly strategy sync
• Monthly board-style review
• Veto power retained by Founder
• True partnership dynamic

This Stage:

• Extremely rare (maybe 1-3 total)
• Years of demonstrated excellence
• Significant equity compensation
• Essentially a co-founder for that domain

COMPENSATION BY STAGE

Conversion Options:

• MARKS can be held for platform use
• MARKS can convert to Credits (for backing projects)
• At certain thresholds, MARKS can convert to equity

LIEUTENANT POSITIONS NEEDED (IMMEDIATE)

Priority 1: Community Lieutenant

Stage: Start at Trainee, path to Lieutenant

Responsibilities:

• Monitor and respond to Discord/social channels
• Answer member questions
• Flag issues to Founder
• Welcome new members
• Moderate discussions

AI Assistance:

• ROOK drafts responses based on FAQ/docs
• Sentiment analysis on incoming messages
• Priority flagging for urgent items
• Response templates for common questions

Ideal Candidate:

• Good written communication
• Patient and helpful demeanor
• Available 10-20 hours/week
• Interested in community building

Priority 2: Creator Success Lieutenant

Stage: Start at Trainee, path to Lieutenant

Responsibilities:

• Help creators navigate platform
• Answer “how do I…” questions
• Review campaign drafts
• Connect creators with resources
• Track creator satisfaction

AI Assistance:

• Treasure map generation for creator journeys
• Campaign review checklist automation
• Resource recommendation engine
• Progress tracking dashboards

Ideal Candidate:

• Experience with creative projects
• Understanding of crowdfunding
• Empathetic communication style
• Available 10-20 hours/week

Priority 3: Operations Lieutenant

Stage: Start at Junior (if technical), otherwise Trainee

Responsibilities:

• Process routine requests
• Update documentation
• Manage file organization
• Track metrics and reporting
• Coordinate between teams

AI Assistance:

• Document drafting and updating
• Spreadsheet maintenance
• Report generation
• Process automation suggestions

Ideal Candidate:

• Detail-oriented
• Comfortable with tools (spreadsheets, docs)
• Systematic thinking
• Available 15-25 hours/week

THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Step 1: Interest Form

• Basic info (name, location, availability)
• Why interested in this role
• Relevant experience (formal or informal)
• Link to any portfolio/examples

Step 2: MimicTrunk Trial

• Given 3 sample tasks to complete
• AI assists throughout
• Evaluated on judgment, not just output
• Takes ~2-3 hours total

Step 3: Founder Interview

• 30-minute video call
• Values alignment check
• Questions about their approach
• Mutual fit assessment

Step 4: Trainee Onboarding

• 1-week intensive training
• 10 real tasks with full review
• Daily check-ins
• Go/no-go decision at end of week

SAFEGUARDS

What If Someone Performs Poorly?

Stage 1-2 (Trainee/Junior):

• All outputs reviewed before sending
• Poor performance = no advancement
• Can be released with minimal impact
• No authority to cause damage

Stage 3 (Lieutenant):

• Daily review catches issues quickly
• Demotion to Junior if problems arise
• Clear documentation of expectations
• Exit process defined upfront

Stage 4-5 (Senior/Commander):

• Weekly reviews maintain visibility
• Clear metrics for performance
• Vesting cliff protects equity
• Founder veto power retained

What If Someone Goes Rogue?

Technical Safeguards:

• Role-based access controls
• Audit logs on all actions
• Approval workflows for sensitive actions
• Kill switch on compromised accounts

Process Safeguards:

• Never give full authority on Day 1
• Trust earned over months, not days
• Multiple people at each level (redundancy)
• Clear escalation paths

PHILOSOPHY

“I Don’t Know Anyone” → “I Know Everyone Who Earns It”

The MimicTrunk system inverts the traditional hiring problem:

Old Way:

1. Need help → Ask friends → Hope they’re qualified → Deal with awkwardness if not

New Way:

1. Need help → Open positions to anyone → AI assists everyone equally → Best performers rise → Trust earned through demonstrated competence

Benefits:

1. Merit-Based: Connections don’t matter, performance does
2. Low Risk: Poor performers can’t cause damage at early stages
3. Training Built-In: AI teaches while assisting
4. Scalable: Can onboard many trainees simultaneously
5. Global: Anyone, anywhere can apply
6. Fair: Same starting point for everyone

The Founder’s Role Evolves:

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

Week 1 (Nov 26 - Dec 2)

• Post lieutenant positions
• Create application form
• Design trial tasks
• Set up tracking spreadsheet

Week 2-3 (Dec 3 - Dec 16)

• Collect applications
• Run trials for first candidates
• Conduct interviews
• Select first 3-5 trainees

Week 4 (Dec 17 - Dec 23)

• Onboard first trainee cohort
• Intensive training week
• Daily Founder review
• Go/no-go decisions

January 2025

• First lieutenants operational
• Founder workload begins to decrease
• Second cohort recruitment begins
• Refine processes based on learnings

INTEGRATION WITH EXISTING SYSTEMS

Observatory Integration

• Lieutenant assignments show in Observatory
• Progress visible publicly (“3 Community Lieutenants active”)
• “Sign On to Help” links to lieutenant applications

Challenge System Integration

• Lieutenants can create and run Challenges
• Moderation duties for Challenges
• Winner verification and reward distribution

MARK System Integration

• All lieutenant compensation in MARKS
• Clear conversion paths
• Automated payment on task completion

Medallion Integration

• Lieutenant achievements tracked
• Milestone medallions for tenure
• Equity stakes registered on-chain

FAQ

Q: Why “MimicTrunk”? A: Like a tree trunk that supports branches, the AI “mimics” the Founder’s judgment to support new team members. They learn by seeing what the AI would do, then add their own judgment.

Q: Can I apply if I have no experience? A: Yes! The Trainee stage assumes no prior experience. AI teaches as you go.

Q: How many hours per week? A: Minimum 10 hours for most positions. More hours = faster progression.

Q: Is this a real job? A: It starts as a contributor role (MARKS compensation). Top performers can negotiate employment or contractor arrangements.

Q: What if I’m in a different timezone? A: Perfect! We need coverage across timezones. Async work is expected.

Q: Can I do multiple roles? A: Start with one. Once you reach Lieutenant stage, you can cross-train in others.

Document Information

Created: November 26, 2025 Purpose: Solve the “I don’t know anyone” problem through merit-based staged trust Status: READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION Priority: CRITICAL - Founder bottleneck must be resolved

“Trust is not given. Trust is earned. The MimicTrunk system creates a path for anyone to earn it.”

IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS

1. ☐ Create application form
2. ☐ Design 3 trial tasks per role
3. ☐ Post positions (Observatory + Social)
4. ☐ Set up tracking spreadsheet
5. ☐ Prepare onboarding materials

FOUNDER APPROVAL NEEDED:

• Compensation levels approved
• Graduation criteria approved
• Authority levels approved
• Ready to post positions

“Help each other, Help ourselves.”