Why are you participating for Based Africa?

We’re in this Buildathon because PodX is committed to reshaping virtual engagement, especially for African creators and hosts. Current platforms like X Spaces, Google Meet, Zoom, and podcast platforms don’t offer verifiable engagement or rewarding participation, leaving African creators and hosts with limited ways to grow and earn. PodX changes that by providing transparent, onchain tools that empower them.

By enhancing the credibility of African creators and hosts earning onchain, we’re helping bring the region onchain alongside Base. We’re focused on building platforms that aren’t just about payments but real utility and opportunity.

This isn’t just a competition—it’s our launchpad to empower African creators and hosts with immersive, rewarding virtual experiences.

What challenges are you focusing on?

We are focusing on three main challenges in the African creative community with the help of Base:

Limited Engagement and Credibility: Many existing platforms fail to provide clear metrics on audience participation, leaving creators and hosts in the dark about their impact. This lack of transparency makes it tough for them to build credibility and connect with their audience effectively.
Ineffective Reward Systems: Traditional platforms often miss the mark when it comes to rewarding engagement. Creators and hosts struggle to monetize their contributions in real-time, which limits their income potential and can dampen their motivation to produce high-quality content.
Barriers to Monetization: African creators often face significant hurdles in accessing the tools they need to earn from their work. High fees and complicated processes on existing platforms can discourage participation and stunt financial growth.

How does your submission address this challenge?

Our project, PodX, addresses the challenges faced by African creators and hosts by providing an engaging platform that enhances participation and monetization. Here’s how we do it:

Verifiable Engagement: PodX records interactions onchain, giving creators clear insights into audience participation and helping them build credibility.
Real-Time Rewards: Participants and hosts earn instant rewards for their contributions, motivating engagement and fostering a vibrant community.
Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP): We use POAPs to verify attendance, allowing creators to reward loyal participants and enhance their reputation.
Onchain Monetization: PodX simplifies the monetization process, enabling creators to earn through direct payments, tips, and event fees without traditional barriers.
User-Friendly Interface: Designed to be intuitive and easy to use, PodX welcomes both Web3 and Web2 users, facilitating onboarding into the onchain space.

Challenges I ran into

1. Rigid Privy Documentation: Managing wallets for tipping users with external wallets was difficult. We resolved this by using an external API to streamline wallet management.
   2. Business Model Development: Creating a sustainable business model was a challenge, but we found success by leveraging the low fees from Base, allowing us to benefit both creators and hosts.
   3. Limited Testing Time: With a tight timeline, we conducted closed testing sessions to identify and fix bugs quickly, ensuring a smooth user experience.
   4. Session Optimization: To improve performance, we implemented Dynamic Rendering, which optimized loading times and enhanced user interactions.