Zero to Hero

In the rapidly evolving gig economy, the freelance market is plagued by inefficiencies like fraudulent activities and delayed payments, even on leading platforms such as UpWork and Fiverr. We present "Zero to Hero," a groundbreaking, privacy-centric freelance platform leveraging the unparalleled capabilities of Web3 to offer secure, anonymous transactions and decentralized finance (DeFi), thus redefining trust and efficiency in the freelance marketplace.

"Zero to Hero" introduces a pioneering peer-to-peer review system, ensuring a seamless, trustworthy experience for employers and freelancers alike. By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as Zero Knowledge proofs for anonymity and smart contracts for secure transactions, we are poised to overcome the shortcomings of traditional Web2 hiring platforms.

What sets "Zero to Hero" apart is our unique three-role ecosystem:

• Employers post jobs and select from a pool of applicants.
• Freelancers deliver on specified tasks, ensuring quality and timeliness.
• Reviewers, experts in their fields, validate the work, ensuring all employer criteria are met.

This model not only guarantees fairness and transparency but also incentivizes high-quality work through a decentralized review process.

Operational Framework:

1. User Onboarding: Individuals join "Zero to Hero" by selecting their desired role—Employer, Freelancer, or Reviewer—and are granted an anonymous identity. This process includes a unique verification step for Freelancers and Reviewers, utilizing GitHub Commits to establish credibility and expertise.

2. Job Creation and Specification: Employers initiate the collaboration process by outlining a project, detailing required tasks, setting timelines for delivery and review, and securely escrowing the project's budget. This escrow is managed to accrue interest via AAVE.

3. Application and Selection: Freelancers express interest in available projects by joining a pool of candidates. Employers then select the most suitable freelancer from this pool, then get facilitated an anonymous communication channel designed to monitor progress and ensure alignment on deliverables.

4. Execution and Delivery: The chosen Freelancer executes the project according to the predefined specifications and submits their work within the agreed timeframe, adhering to the highest standards of quality and professionalism.

5. Review and Assessment: Upon project completion, a panel of Reviewers, steps in to evaluate the work against the Employer's criteria. This phase is critical, as it ensures that all requirements are met to the Employer's satisfaction. The outcome of this review process leads to one of two scenarios:

**A. Successful Completion:** If the Freelancer's submission meets all specified criteria, the escrowed funds are released to the Freelancer.
**B. Non-Compliance:** Should the Freelancer fail to meet the outlined requirements, the escrowed funds are returned to the Employer.

Regardless of the outcome, Reviewers are compensated for their expertise and time with the interest generated from the escrowed budget, ensuring their impartiality and dedication to maintaining high standards.

"Zero to Hero" addresses and resolves the prevailing challenges faced by traditional Web2 hiring platforms. By integrating a Reviewer's role, employing DeFi tools for financial management, utilizing smart contracts for guaranteed payment, and adopting Zero Knowledge proofs for anonymity, we offer a trustless, secure, and exceptionally fair platform for the freelance economy.

How does Zero to Hero ensure fairness for all participants? Here is the most detailed technical description of its construction.

Scroll:

• ZK for Privacy: Ensures the employer's budget accrues interest on AAVE throughout the specified delivery and review timeline. This mechanism is designed to compensate reviewers for their unbiased participation.

PSE:

• Establishes anonymous identities for every user, enhancing privacy and security across the platform.

Semaphore:

• Facilitates the private verification of GitHub commits for freelancers and reviewers, ensuring authenticity and expertise without compromising identity.

Bandana:

• Enables the creation of anonymous groups for:
  1. Reviewers: Forms a collective of interested reviewers to assess a job within the designated timeline.
  2. Freelancer and Employer: Facilitates discussions and tracks the progress of the project, ensuring clear communication while maintaining anonymity.
  3. Global Group for All Roles: Allows for broad participation, where employers can announce new offerings, freelancers can express interest in work, and reviewers can indicate their availability for project assessments.

MACI:

• Initiates voting through MACI, using zk-SNARK proof to generate and verify the accuracy of the vote count. It then submits the proof to the blockchain, attaching the commitment of the state tree and vote tree for thorough verification.