new post: introducing waku product

research/2022-08-01-introducing-waku-product.md

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+---
+layout: post
+name:  "Waku Product"
+title:  "Waku Product"
+date:   2022-08-01 00:00:00 +0000
+author: franck
+published: true
+permalink: /waku-product
+categories: product, platform, operator
+summary: Introduce Waku Product, a project to ensure that Waku is usable and used.
+image: /img/black-waku-logo-with-name.png
+discuss: TODO
+---
+
+# Waku for Web DApps
+
+In 2021, we started to push the adoption of Waku by projects other than the Status app.
+
+Waku is the communication component of the Web3 trifecta,
+which originally was Ethereum (contracts), Swarm (storage) and Whisper (communication).
+
+Hence, it makes sense to first target dApps which already uses one of the Web3 pillar: Ethereum. 
+
+As most dApps are web apps, we naturally started the development of js-waku for the browser.
+
+Once ready, we reached out to dApps to integrate Waku, added [prizes to hackathons](todo) and gave [talks](todo).
+
+We also assumed that we would some patterns in the usage of Waku, that we would facilitate with the help of [SDKs](waku connect voting polling sdk).
+
+Finally, we created a number of web apps: [examples](todo) and [PoCs](todo).
+
+We branded this overall web app outreach effort as Waku Connect:
+Waku Connect's goal was to create docs, SDKs, PoCs to promote and facilitate the usage of js-waku.
+
+As we discussed with various projects in the Ethereum and multi-chain ecosystem, we learn few facts:
+
+1. The potential use cases for Waku are varied, complex and numerous,
+2. Many projects are interested in having an embedded decentralized chat feature in their dApp,
+3. There are a number of complex project, which are not a simple web app, that needs a solution like Waku
+
+(1) means that it is not that easy to create SDKs that makes using js-waku easier.
+
+(2) became a candidate for an SDK, however, it demanded a lot of work and functionalities, so Status Web was created to implement the existing Status Chat protocols.
+
+Regarding (3), we learned that complex platforms which include mobile, web, backend and desktops software needed Waku for decentralized and censorship-resistant communications.
+For these projects, js-waku was simply not enough.
+Said projects need to integrate Waku in their Golang or NodeJS backend, in their C# desktop application and React Native mobile app.
+As we tackled the effort to make Waku [multiplatform](link to go-waku), we realized we had to look beyond web dApps.
+
+Because we organically attracted platforms that do not fall in the definition of web dApps,
+we understood that we should see the whole Waku software Suite (js-waku, nwaku, go-waku) as an asset for the success of Waku.
+
+Outreach, marketing, documentation must not be limited to the web, but target all platforms, from mobile to desktop to the cloud to the web.
+
+# Waku Product
+
+The Waku Product project is born from the need of having a consolidated effort to make the various Waku implementations **usable and used**.
+
+We are retiring the _Waku Connect_ branding in favour for the _Waku_ branding.
+When promoting, documenting or discussing Waku with Web3 projects,
+we are able to leverage all Waku implementations to better serve the user's need.
+Running a node for your projects and want to use Waku? Use nwaku.
+Going mobile? Use Waku React Native.
+C++ Desktop Game? Use Waku C-Bindings.
+And of course, web app? Use js-waku.
+
+We are also consolidating the documentation for all implementations on a single website (work in progress)
+so it is easier for a developer to find the right information for their needs.
+
+We call this effort to push Waku to be used by other projects _platform outreach_.
+
+This year, we will also start the _operator outreach_ effort to push for operators to run Waku nodes.
+As nwaku's [documentation](todo), [stability](todo) and [performance](todo) has improved,
+it is now easier for those interested in supporting and using the Waku network to run their own nodes.
+
+We are also [dogfooding Waku RLN](todo), a novel economic spam protection protocol
+and looking at [incentivizating the Waku Store protocol](todo),
+these will be added reasons as for why one might want to participate in the Waku network.
+
+# In Conclusion
+
+We are committed to make Waku, the communication layer of Web3, a success.
+For this endeavour, the Vac program is focusing on inventing and improving the Waku protocols (among other [topics](todo)).
+And now, the Waku Product project is focusing on stabilizing, promoting, documenting Waku Software and supporting Waku users.