Jenkins the Valet, Explained: A Web3 Media Company
by corporate trash
7/12/2022
Jenkins the Valet is one of the most ambitious Web3 projects, taking full advantage of IP rights and community creation. A “floor ape” in the Bored Ape Yacht Club has brought people together to crowdsource a book by bestselling author Neil Strauss. Tally Labs — the creators of Jenkins — have become a forward-thinking innovator in the NFT space.
The next chapter for Tally Labs is opening up even more exciting mechanics, storylines, and creative opportunities for NFT avatar holders in their Azurbala universe. With the team of powerful investors in entertainment, athletics, and Web3 behind them, the Bored & Dangerous book launch is just the beginning.
What is Jenkins the Valet?
Jenkins the Valet is an ecosystem based off of a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT #1798, a project in which holders have full commercial rights to the IP of the NFT they own. Jenkins was purchased by the Tally Labs founders on May 22, 2021 for .4652 ETH.
The character “Jenkins” looks like a valet, wearing an Irish boho hat that matches the work vest. His name and character backstory are based off of that. “Jenkins the Mutant” is also another character in the universe, in which he plays the evil twin of Jenkins.
“The Writer’s Room” was the first NFT drop from Jenkins. It created a community collective where ape and mutant holders could vote on creative direction to write a book, centered around Jenkins the Valet.
Jenkins the Valet Founders and Investors
The co-founders and co-CEOs of the project are SAFA and Valet Jones. They have known each other for many years prior to launching the project. The team and investors have expanded massively since the project’s launch.
Tally Labs was created as the company to house the Jenkins ecosystem. In May 2022, the company announced a $12m seed round in May 2022 with powerhouses in the Web3 space, including a16z and Dapper Labs. Tally Labs‘ mission is: “Tally Labs dreams up worlds, characters, and tools to make the Metaverse a better place.”
On September 23, 2021, it was announced that Creative Artist’s Agency (CAA) signed the likeness of Jenkins for use in books, film, TV, podcasts, music and other creative endeavors. This was major news in the NFT space, as it was one of the first times that an NFT avatar was signed by a major talent agency.
Jenkins the Valet Genesis Writer’s Room NFTs
The project sold out 6,942 Writer’s Room NFTs in August 2021, with various levels of voting rights and features in the story. For example, a WAGMI Yacht gives holders the rights to have their NFT in the book by name.
Holders don’t have to own an ape or mutant to have a Writer’s Room NFT. They can partner with ape holders who aren’t Writer’s Room NFT holders — an innovative way of NFT licensing created by Tally Labs.
Writer’s Room holders can take part in the profit sharing of the book and vote on various aspects of the story. There will never be any more sales of Genesis Writer’s Room NFTs.
Jenkins the Valet Mint
Minting took place on August 3, 2021 for 0.06942 each (because, memes). The four tiers of NFTs are a valet ticket (5,205), yacht key (1,371), valet stand (297), and WAGMI yacht (69). Minters got the luck of the draw on which tier they received. Yacht holders get to have their ape featured as a character in the main story.
However, regardless of NFT tier, each receive the same amount of the split profits from the book sales. The floor is currently 1.47 Ethereum for a ticket (the lowest membership tier), and Yachts have sold for as much as 36 Ethereum.
A sophisticated voting portal web app opened up on the website after the mint. This allowed Writer’s Room NFT holders to vote on many aspects about the story. It was later revealed that the book — which will be an NFT — would be called “Bored & Dangerous,” and written by 10-time New York Times best seller Neil Strauss.
An art piece called “Where’s Jenkins?” was hand-drawn by an artist, which featured many of the apes and mutants who are licensed through Writer’s Room NFTs — a look into the Jenkins community.
Bored & Dangerous NFT Book
The Bored & Dangerous book mint took place over several phases, starting on July 11, 2022. The Public mint was a Dutch auction of 2,367 NFTs starting at 0.8 Ethereum, selling out at 0.2 Ethereum.
The Writelist (11,517 Bored & Dangerous NFTs) was for Writer’s Room NFT holders, licensed Apes/Mutants, and other giveaway winners. Finally, the free Writer’s Room NFT holder mint will be the final phase, where all the original holders (6,942) can mint a book.
There are three different book rarities available, but the music is the only difference. The Jenkins Discord confirmed that rarity will have no impact on burning or staking based on rarity level.
The book can be read with a unique Web3 reader tool that was built by Tally Labs on the Jenkins website. SuperRare artist MBSJQ designed the book cover, Grammy-nominated producer Murda Beatz produced the music for the NFT, and well-known artist from Barcelona Loor Nicholas completed all the book illustrations.
There is also a physical book that will be sent to all holders of the book NFT, as well as a public sale.
Bored & Dangerous NFT Utility: How it Works
The introduction of the Bored & Dangerous book also is the launching point for game theory and other parts of the Jenkins and greater Tally Labs ecosystem. Book holders can choose to burn, stake, or keep their book NFTs to participate in some new worlds.
Azurbala is a brand new part of the Jenkins project. Burning a book for an Azur Root mint pass NFT (cost: 0.08 Ethereum) will allow the holder to redeem it for a Citizen of Azurbala PFP NFT. Staking a book will allow membership into the new Hawthorn DAO, which acts as the governance board for Jenkins IP, and building out more worlds, characters, and franchises.
There are other points to consider with an Azur Root NFT, as some may choose to hold onto their Roots rather than redeem them for citizen NFTs. Some considerations of this choice were tweeted out by the Azurbala account (below).
The World of Azurbala
The team has been working with Tally Labs Head of Story (Emma Needell) on Azurbala for many months. Azurbala is described on the website as “a jungle capital all the way on the other side of the metaverse.” There is a dedicated website (a very impressive one) and Discord server in order to immerse the community into this new mysterious place.
Azurbala has its own map, lore, characters, and languages — this is the building blocks that the stories of Azurians can be born from. Its Twitter and Discord reveals clues to what the world will become. Azurians (PFP NFTs) are the citizens of Azurbala, and there will be no more than 20,000 of them.
Jenkins the Valet Audio Experience
According to the website, every new project from Jenkins will have a new set of avatars that can be licensed to it. The first was Bored & Dangerous with Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs. Later, Azurian PFP NFTs will be able to be featured. The next opportunity for licensing will be the Jenkins Audio Experience.
This will be a podcast series from SALT Audio which features Jenkins going on an adventure throughout the metaverse. There will also be a way for Jenkins NFT holders to play along with the story in an interactive way.
This podcast will further connect Web2 experiences to Web3. More details will be announced in the coming months from Tally Labs.
TL;DR — Jenkins the Valet & Tally Labs
In less than a year, Jenkins the Valet has gone from an idea between two friends to an entire media production company, backed by some of the world’s largest VCs. Those who minted the Writer’s Room at 0.06942 have been on an incredible ride ever since. The seed round and backing of massive investors and CAA is setting up Tally Labs for further success.
Bored & Dangerous is the first and only book NFT that the Jenkins project will ever have, and the Writer’s Room NFTs have morphed into “genesis” NFTs for Tally Labs. Adding the expansive world of Azurbala into this enables holders to license their avatars in new ways.
Many own NFTs that enable full commercial usage, but nobody has taken it and ran with it the way that Jenkins the Valet has. As SAFA, Valet Jones and their team continue building, the Web2 and Web3 communities will be watching.