When I decided to submit a project to Octant’s Epoch 9, I knew it would be competitive. What I didn’t expect was how much the process itself would reveal, about the Ethereum ecosystem, about the power of storytelling, and about how decentralized funding is evolving. I wasn’t selected this time. But being part of the process gave me a rare, inside perspective on what Octant is trying to build: a model where the community funds culture, education, and impact, not through sponsorships or investo...