DAOs are not leaderless organizations, whether they admit it or not.
🧵⬇️
🧵⬇️
1/ DAO idealism promotes flat, egalitarian structures. We seek shared ownership and control in DAO ecosystems to align incentives and drive DAOs forward.
But in reality, DAOs are far from this egalitarian dream.
But in reality, DAOs are far from this egalitarian dream.
2/ The most important mechanism for authority and control—gov tokens—can be disproportionally controlled by a small few (whales).
We’ve repeatedly seen whales outvote community voices in contentious gov proposals.
Hierarchy already exists in DAOs today.
We’ve repeatedly seen whales outvote community voices in contentious gov proposals.
Hierarchy already exists in DAOs today.
3/ We see expressions of hard power (gov tokens) AND soft power (clout, name, history).
Even in distributed communities (ie. Loot, Yearn, SNX, FWB), DAO leaders’ influence still has a disproportionate sway on an ecosystem (ie. @dhof, @AndreCronjeTech, @kaiynne, @Cooopahtroopa).
Even in distributed communities (ie. Loot, Yearn, SNX, FWB), DAO leaders’ influence still has a disproportionate sway on an ecosystem (ie. @dhof, @AndreCronjeTech, @kaiynne, @Cooopahtroopa).
4/ In some ways this leadership is crucial to stimulating driven, focused communities.
In other ways, it thwarts community creativity and the natural evolution of a DAO.
In other ways, it thwarts community creativity and the natural evolution of a DAO.
5/ SNX faced major growing pains without Kain.
“As I took a step back… the core contributors’ coordination failed. We didn’t have a good structure or hierarchy of how those people were organizing themselves. So as soon as I was removed, it was anarchy."
“As I took a step back… the core contributors’ coordination failed. We didn’t have a good structure or hierarchy of how those people were organizing themselves. So as soon as I was removed, it was anarchy."
6/ People naturally function best with structure, direction, intention, order.
A leader’s responsibility within a DAO is to encourage community creativity and contribution. But without setting up the right rails for collaboration, this can be massively misdirected.
A leader’s responsibility within a DAO is to encourage community creativity and contribution. But without setting up the right rails for collaboration, this can be massively misdirected.
7/ So how do DAOs create space for new leaders to emerge?
Allow people to codify (podify ☸️) nuclei of activity in DAOs so community excitement can directly translate into effective and valuable contributions.
Allow people to codify (podify ☸️) nuclei of activity in DAOs so community excitement can directly translate into effective and valuable contributions.
8/ By hardening ecosystem responsibilities, roles, and opportunities, you turn a group of eager token holders into valuable ecosystem developers.
In giving people ownership and autonomy of decision-making, people will rise to the occasion and take pride in their stake of a DAO.
In giving people ownership and autonomy of decision-making, people will rise to the occasion and take pride in their stake of a DAO.
9/ With disproportionate levels of power and control in DAOs today, we must elevate community contributors (via status, funding, access, etc) in order for DAOs to scale properly.
Introducing localized hierarchies will give way to a new wave of DAO leaders.
Introducing localized hierarchies will give way to a new wave of DAO leaders.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
