# \*\*Updated\*\* Request for Feedback: New Product Onboarding Process

**URL:** <https://gov.indexcoop.com/t/updated-request-for-feedback-new-product-onboarding-process/2624>\
**Category:** Products\
**Created:** [10 September 2021 19:32 UTC](https://gov.indexcoop.com/t/updated-request-for-feedback-new-product-onboarding-process/2624 "2021-09-10T19:32:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 16

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**Author:** ![Thomas\_Hepner](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex027/user_avatar/gov.indexcoop.com/thomas_hepner/32/111_2.png) [@Thomas\_Hepner](https://gov.indexcoop.com/u/Thomas_Hepner)\
**Post date:** [21 September 2021 19:38 UTC](https://gov.indexcoop.com/t/updated-request-for-feedback-new-product-onboarding-process/2624/16 "2021-09-21T19:38:20Z")

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@catjam I do not think my point of view on negotiating fee splits was accurately captured so I’ll clarify here.

**I don’t believe that the existing process for negotiating fee splits works**. @setoshi captures a lot of the problems I see in the incentive dynamics between other Index Coop stakeholders and methodologists in [An Analysis of Methodologist Incentive Dynamics](https://gov.indexcoop.com/t/an-analysis-of-methodologist-incentive-dynamics/2675).

**I am not in support of a shift in responsibility for fee split negotiations from BDWG to PWG.** I do not believe that shifting this responsibility will solve any of the current problems in the process or incentive dynamics.

**I am in support of:**

- increased transparency
- developing objective guidelines for product fee splits ([Methodologist Fee Menu](https://gov.indexcoop.com/t/methodologist-fee-menu/972) as an example of what _could_ be designed or implemented)
- overhauling methodologist incentives

**Determining fee splits is frustrating because:**

1. **Process is slow and inadequate** : No directly responsible individual or working group with community buy-in.

2. **Process is arbitrary and unfair** : Methodologist fee split is 30% for every simple index product despite widely ranging degrees of effort and resources provided by Index Coop and methodologists.

3. **No negotiations are actually taking place:** Fee split offers are being made without anyone being empowered for a give-and-take conversation - hence no actual negotiation is really taking place. The fee split offers for simple indices are always 30%/70% regardless of what the methodologist and Index Coop offer during the process, and as far as I know, there is no process for changing future fee split based on what different parties have brought to the table over time.

4. **New products are at substantial disadvantage in the Methodologist Bounty Program:** This has been discussed ad-nauseum to the point of exhaustion and so I will not go into details here.

cc: @snasps @Jo_K @Mringz @fallow8 @oneski22 @TheYoungCrews

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_[View the full topic](https://gov.indexcoop.com/t/updated-request-for-feedback-new-product-onboarding-process/2624)._