Currently users propose new features on UserVoice (also reddit, surveys and via support). There are problems with each approach, because reddit may not be representative of the true user base, or yearly surveys are too quick and not allow to reflect longer to form a more comprehensive opinion on most important features to have, while UserVoice 3rd party platform is quite limited. As proton cares to listen to the community, it would be great to further improve the process to better reflect needs of all users.

To this goal, Proton could create voting app to solve various issues, where users would post ideas as with current UserVoice app, but:

• have finite number of votes depending on user subscription plan.

• have user interface which empowers users to review and evaluate every idea.

As proton company resources are limited, so does limited number of votes would require each user to prioritize their most desired features and re-prioritize them with changing circumstances in their life or more knowledge gained (as user could re-allocate their vote at any time to change priorities). While paid subscription approach would make votes even more valuable, requiring people to think more what is most important and rethink later reusing those precious votes. When some feature gets completed by Proton, user could use their freed votes to cast them on the next new service development OR feature improvements.

Number of votes would depend on subscription plan:

• Free users could get 3 votes and up to 1 vote per idea.

• Plus users - 10 votes total, and up to 3 votes per idea.

• Unlimited users - 15 votes total, up to 5 votes per idea.

• Duo, family, visionary, business etc. users - vote count could depend on their subscription cost, and up to 5 votes per idea.

Multiple votes per idea would allow to rate the importance of features more accurately for each user and also better evaluate the importance by the Proton team. As this service would be tied to subscription, every proton user would have automatic access to it.

Next, functionality to review and hide non important ideas would help to unclutter the list for each user personally, thus enable to easily discover and review (vote or hide/reject idea, as well as, bookmark ideas for later voting or learning). For example, it would be fun to review all uservoice ideas today and discover cool ones, but current system does not provide a system to review the backlog, and a lot of duplicates does not help either.

Naturally, to keep things simple instead of overwhelming, the feature to merge duplicates must exist. If users (or AI) report idea being a duplicate with another idea, ideas with votes can be grouped together, (and split when ideas gets partly completed). Also AI should provide a list with similar ideas which already exist before a user post a new one. As well as, limit the quantity of new posts per user to keep things tidy.

Voting is interesting, but developing Proton is more complex than most popular opinion, so Proton has to keep making their own decisions taking into consideration all complexities, but make more informed decisions based on improved system and more representative data.

It would be fun and useful for me as a user to review ideas and vote, same as it is fun/important to participate in yearly surveys. Or as Proton grows in importance in every user's life - participate all the time guiding Proton team with these decisions of what technology features next we need the most in our life. As well as, it would be a unique direct democracy feature of Proton company as Switzerland is also uniquely famous for it.

"Proton Voice" value for users:

• ✅ Fun and useful to review, vote and prioritize ideas (* unclear to what percentage of users that would be the case).

• ✅ Longer exposure, reflection and public debates by a lot of users on most important tech to upgrade or create in their life within Proton suite.

• ✅ Influence our technology more, and also in more approachable and transparent way.

Value for Proton company:

• ✅ Get more accurate data about user needs and their priorities.

• ✅ More effective resource allocation empowered by community vote.

• ✅ Clearer community backing when making tough decisions.

• ✅ Providing users more democracy, accountability & transparency long term as Proton grows to big tech size.

• ✅ Merge with some of Proton's internal prioritization system and process.

• ✅ Strengthening community further.

Challenges & some other ideas:

• ❓ There are more critical features to have than this voting platform depending on anyone's experience.

• ❓ Find balance between voter privacy and voting validity (ranging from simplest open system to sophisticated crypto magic).

• ❓ Find balance between popular vote and reality on the ground developing those features. Finite votes may lead to more debates & transparency, which may lead to more accurate vote depending on resources needed to implement it.

• ❓ Find balance between Proton independence and efficiency with direct democracy and transparency.

• ❓ Proton is great company. It would be nice to have more companies like Proton, which focus on community and is funded by community. Maybe this voting platform and proved Proton model can enable more of such non-profit companies.