A lot of teams across Kik are working on IPLv2, a project that will let a group of Kik power users experiment with real Kin tokens inside of Kik. The goal of IPLv2 is to go fully on-chain with an Ethereum based solution for all transactions, where we will provide three ways to earn and one way to spend Kin before the holiday season.

A project like this has many considerations. Technical considerations include infrastructure SDKs, web and bots platform updates, and our native Kik client, which all require development effort along with the points of integration. There are also many non-engineering considerations that are critical to the success of this project.

It sometimes can be difficult for engineering and non-engineering teams to communicate dependencies in a way that each party understands exactly what is required of them and when. As the project owner, one of my main jobs is to coordinate all teams in order to meet our deadline.

Here are a few examples of deliverables that different functions are responsible for:

Legal:

We have a few considerations to make sure our users and Kik are protected from a legal perspective. Much of the legal work has already been completed as part of this project, which is great as this is an area that can take a lot of time to get right. Things that were reviewed as part of this project include:

Software licences: There are many types of software licences that could be applicable as an open source project. We worked with both internal and external legal teams to identify the best licenses to be used for this purpose. This had to be done before we could open source the software.

Contracts with partners: As part of this project, we are working with content partners on earning and spending experiences. Contract are necessary to ensure both sides know what is expected of them.

Terms of service (TOS) and privacy policy : All digital apps have terms of service, outlining rules by which one must agree to abide in order to use a service. Notable product launches or updates require a review and potential update of the TOS and privacy policy.

User support

User support is a big consideration for IPLv2. Kik users are typically not cryptocurrency users. There will be a lot of questions about what is a cryptocurrency, what Kin is all about, and how to use the crypto wallet, so we are creating ways Kik users can find out more about Kin.There will be an “about Kin” section within the Kik app. If there are questions that are not covered we also have an email address where Kik users can reach out to us directly. This involved resourcing the team as well as preparing training materials so that they know how to answer the questions or who to ask to get the answers required. Preparing for user support is happening in parallel to the technical efforts.

Economy and pricing

Building a two-sided economy where there are earning and spending opportunities is one of the main drivers for this project and is a key consideration for any Kin-related project. Pricing is a deliverable for all of the earn and spend opportunities (e.g., how much Kin for a sticker?), which needs to be finalized prior to launch.

Content:

One of the earning and spending experiences will revolve around content. Some of the content is being created by Kik, and some of it is being created by partners (e.g., designers, artists, etc.). This content needs to be formatted for Kik, and we’re working with our content providers to make sure the content will be best suited for Kik users.

Functional reviews:

Lastly, Kik employees who are subject matter experts will conduct a review, focusing on user experience (and making sure we’re not breaking existing experiences). Three focus areas for IPLv2 are anti-spam, safety, and security.

It’s been awesome to see many teams, both technical and non-technical, all work together for IPLv2. Its also given me a chance to be a touch point for every part of the organization and for every site working on the project which makes it exciting to come into work everyday.