The Joules Pouch: Seeds for Tomorrow

Johnny Appleseed carried a pouch of seeds. Each seed was small — but plant it in good soil, give it time, and it becomes an orchard.

Keep It Super Simple 3-Tier

Quick Tier (30 seconds)

A Joules Pouch holds seeds (Joules) you haven’t planted (spent) yet. Same value as Credits today, but they grow over time.

Standard Tier (5 minutes)

[Full explanation below]

Deep Tier (Academic)

See Cloth & Bag Analogy

The Johnny Appleseed Metaphor

What Is a Joules Pouch?

A Joules Pouch is a container holding Joules that haven’t been activated yet.

The States of a Joule

Why Hold in Pouch?

1. Preserve optionality — Convert when gap rate is favorable
2. Avoid premature spending — Don’t use Joules when Credits work
3. Capture appreciation — Let the orchard grow before harvesting

The Cloth & Bag Connection

From the Foundation Document:

The pouch is a bag that holds seeds. Same material, but now it has a PURPOSE — to carry potential until it’s ready to plant.

How It Works

Acquisition

SPONSOR CONTRIBUTES 5,000 DOLLARS
            │
            ▼
    ┌───────────────────┐
    │  5,000 Joules     │
    │  Created          │
    └─────────┬─────────┘
              │
              ▼
    ┌───────────────────┐
    │  JOULES POUCH     │
    │  (5,000 seeds)    │
    │  Locked rate: 1:1 │
    └───────────────────┘

Activation

USER DECIDES TO CONVERT
            │
            ▼
    ┌───────────────────┐
    │  Check Gap Rate   │
    │  Today: 1 Joule = │
    │  1.5 Credits      │
    └─────────┬─────────┘
              │
              ▼
    ┌───────────────────┐
    │  Convert 1,000    │
    │  from Pouch       │
    │  = 1,500 Credits  │
    └─────────┬─────────┘
              │
              ▼
    ┌───────────────────┐
    │  POUCH NOW HAS    │
    │  4,000 seeds left │
    └───────────────────┘

Spending

USER SPENDS CREDITS
            │
            ▼
    ┌───────────────────┐
    │  Buy product      │
    │  Pay bounty       │
    │  Vote on project  │
    └───────────────────┘

Why “Pouch” Not “Option”?

The Speckles Connection

Seeds in the pouch are like speckles on a pattern:

• Each speckle is small and identical
• Together they form a larger design
• The pattern only emerges when you step back

Joules in your pouch are speckles waiting to become the pattern of your contribution.

Implementation

Database Schema

CREATE TABLE joules_pouch (
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
  user_id UUID NOT NULL REFERENCES profiles(id),
  joules_amount DECIMAL(12,2) NOT NULL,
  locked_rate DECIMAL(6,4) NOT NULL DEFAULT 1.0000,
  source TEXT NOT NULL, -- 'sponsorship', 'progress_bar', 'reward'
  acquired_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE DEFAULT NOW(),
  activated_amount DECIMAL(12,2) DEFAULT 0,
  activated_at TIMESTAMP WITH TIME ZONE
);

API Endpoints

Little Red Hen Connection

In the Little Red Hen story:

1. Hen plants seeds (sponsors distribute medallions)
2. Seeds grow into wheat (recipients build value)
3. Wheat becomes bread (community benefits)
4. Those who helped share the bread (rewards)

The Joules Pouch is the Hen’s seed bag — where potential is stored before planting.

Related Documents

“Carry your seeds carefully. Plant them in good soil. Wait for the orchard.”