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# System prepended metadata

title: 'Zuzalu Case Study '

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![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HkEArokK3.png)

Zuzalu maybe different form most of the cases on supernuclear because its relatively huge(200 residents + 600 visitors), relatively short(2 month) and on a relatively surprising location: Montenegro. 


***Date founded:*** Initiated around Jan 202
***Duration:*** 2 Months, 2023/3/25-2023/5/23
***Location:*** Lustica Bay, Monte Negro  [Google Maps](https://goo.gl/maps/EKPgvSBy9wVH6uXeA)

![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/rkVHSsyF3.png)


![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SJ8WHoJFn.png)

![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SJ3TVj1Y2.png)



***Rented or owned:*** Rented from resort. 

***Size:***
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/BJLzwo1Kn.png)

***Space - Caves:***

Zuzalu rented a big part of Lustica bay, a combination of hotel standard rooms and apartments. The apartments comes with different layouts and deco too. Mine was 2b2b with big living room and big balcony. There are bigger ones with 5 bedrooms too.

The apartments are scattered around the bay but with close proximity. Roufly all within 15min walk distance, ensured  effortless and serendipitous meetups. 

![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HJhbloJYh.jpg)


==room tour video==


***Space - Commons: The Dome***

> Within the village, we set up a dome. We needed a central location to host talks, events, and other experiences at. In addition, we hosted about 9 conferences throughout the 2 months we were there. Within each conference, there were scheduled sessions related to the topic - AI, Public Goods Funding, Network States, Coordi-nations, BioTech, Synthetic Biology, Zero Knowledge, Longevity, and more. These events provided educational opportunities and allowed participation and collaboration to cutting-edge research and perspectives from industry leaders. The Dome was home to about 90% of the conference activities. It was temp-controlled, large enough for about 150 people seated, and 200 standing. Without the Dome, we wouldn’t have had a good place to host all of our events. Side note: The weather was not as beautiful as it looks when you google “Montenegro.” It was unseasonably cold, rainy, and even hailing at times. It was critical indoor space to be able to host, no matter what.
(https://ilanaleigh.substack.com/p/zuzalu-workings)
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/r1TSy31Yh.jpg)
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/H13_k3kY2.jpg)
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/Bktyx2JYn.jpg)


***Space - Commons: The Kitchen (Kiki's)***
> One of the key elements was the daily community breakfast at Kiki’s. We rented out the restaurant and had buffet style breakfast from 7-12pm daily, no exceptions. It was impossible to visit during those hours without meeting new people or getting caught up in a widely diverse range of conversations. The longer you sat there, the more remarkable conversations you'd have, covering everything from everyday morning chats, stories from the day before, and mind-blowing discussions about the future of humanity. The individuals encountered were truly inspiring, and the exchange of ideas was endless. Kiki's breakfast became a hub for connection and creative thinking. It was a Schelling point for building deep friendships within the community, and who you sat next to at breakfast could shape your entire day, or more.
 
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HJHoknkFn.jpg)
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/HJ8z1nJY2.jpg)
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/ryIM1hJKh.jpg)



(https://ilanaleigh.substack.com/p/zuzalu-workings)

***Space - Commons: The Telegram Social Hub***
>Telegram won by a landslide at Zuzalu. The structure of the groups are simple, inclusive, efficient, and fun. Anyone can create a new sub-group in any category. This dynamic nature allowed individuals to stay informed about relevant topics, discover new activities, find fitness partners, business partners, and connect with others for shared meals. Telegram hubs became the primary avenue for communication, information sharing, and community building at Zuzalu. We had evergreen chats for video game lovers, pickup football, breath work, bread-making club, Study Groups, Coffee Club, Sauna Philosophers, Climate change Chats, Fundraising support, French Speakers, Karaoke, Matchmaking, Vegans, Fishing… it was truly endless, and you can opt-in/out anytime to anything. This inclusive approach ensured that participants could find like-minded individuals and engage in conversations and activities that sparked their interests.
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/H1T9TiyY2.png)


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**Feature:**
![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/SynuwiJFn.png)

**Events:**
Official Curated program + many many spontaneous interest groups & rituals.
> The community led 8am and 1pm cold plunges in the Adriatic Sea, daily workouts by the lighthouse, weekend hikes, Wednesday trips to the grocery store, Monday farmers markets, Tuesday sports nights, Wednesday group-pod dinners, Thursday 1:1 Muse dinners, and weekend dome parties, these regular experiences brought people together, provided structure, and facilitated connections. All experiences optional, with an overall high level of engagement due to the shared desire to build connection. Over the course of two months, we also hosted four hackathons, awarding $55K worth of grants to participants and winners, plus $25K in follow on grants. The hackathons spanned a wide range of projects, including epic games built on ZK tech, open-source software, community-building playbooks, project registries, social vouching systems, crypto tax software, social networks, polling systems, auction technologies, and countless other fascinating endeavors.

![](https://hackmd.io/_uploads/Bkl6uo1Kn.png)
(Caption: official program)


 
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***Lessons learned:***

* Density & Size: 
    * 200 residents & 100~ visitors (at the same time)  + 2 months + 15min walk proximity
    * It ensured an abundance of social activities, serendipities. We learn something new and get to know someone new each day. 
    * It's a bit tiring too, which is why it's good that it's only 2 monthes, at least for many of us! 

* Secluded location 
    * far from consumer society / strong rigid order
    * Less "distraction" ensured residents be more focus on the community 

* Seminars & Hackathon: provided topics for discuss and create togetger. It is the Petri for intellectual abundance

* Decentralized way of running with good community infra 
    > everyone had the ability to view the schedule of events, and if you had a ZuPass, you could even create and host your own events. The design of the system empowered individuals to take ownership of their ideas and share their unique gifts with the community. It incorporated venue availability management to prevent double bookings of the dome, hotel ballroom, board room, and more, ensuring that if you booked something, you had a designated space. This created a sense of comfort for the hosts, and streamlined the event setup process. Information regarding the event's setup requirements were shared with relevant people, guaranteeing that the right equipment, such as chairs, screens, or microphones, were available and properly arranged.

https://ilanaleigh.substack.com/p/zuzalu-workings
* Cave and Common Design, where the 

    * Cave is comfy enough
    * Big central common area where routines(rituals) organize around (e.g.: breakfast, morning cold plunge in Adraidic Sea )
    * Small common area spread around for more private and spontaeous gathering

* invitation system & high opportunity cost reverse selection, ensured high value alignment.