The all-new Aragon is here. So proud of the team.
This is a very emotional thread on Aragon's beginnings, hard moments, and where it's headed 👇
This is a very emotional thread on Aragon's beginnings, hard moments, and where it's headed 👇
https://twitter.com/AragonProject/status/1631696487301406720
1/ @izqui9 and started Aragon in 2016 — we were 19 and 21, equal amounts energetic, idealistic and naive.
Without that touch of naiveté, who would start something like Aragon the same year The DAO was hacked?
Without that touch of naiveté, who would start something like Aragon the same year The DAO was hacked?
2/ We were doing a different startup back then, trying to fight patent trolls — companies who don't build anything, just grab patents and sue builders.
I had put all my savings into it, and we were almost bankrupt. We ate cheap pasta and nachos for months.
@BoostVC saved us.
I had put all my savings into it, and we were almost bankrupt. We ate cheap pasta and nachos for months.
@BoostVC saved us.
3/ As we unpacked the problem, we realized the core issues originated from a mix of incompetence and corruption from governments. Not fixable by a startup — the issue went deeper.
4/ Then a few weeks went by that made us see a truth hidden in plain sight: decentralized organizations would redefine the fabric of society.
I say weeks, but could have been days, or months. I just remember I didn't get much sleep and had a weird feeling in my stomach.
I say weeks, but could have been days, or months. I just remember I didn't get much sleep and had a weird feeling in my stomach.
5/ Around that time we were playing around with Ethereum for crowdfunding court cases against patent trolls, instead of settling (which everyone does).
The tech was early, but exciting.
The tech was early, but exciting.
6/ Also around that time Zcash launched — we wanted to mine and had computing power, but we didn't have a good GPU miner program.
We met someone that did, but there was no trust. If only we had a DAO to close a profit-sharing deal, we thought!
We met someone that did, but there was no trust. If only we had a DAO to close a profit-sharing deal, we thought!
7/ Then Donald Trump won the elections. It became clear that the decline of governments, the very fabric of society, was inevitable.
We realized decentralized organizations could solve the world’s worst problems.
medium.com/aragondec/dece…
We realized decentralized organizations could solve the world’s worst problems.
medium.com/aragondec/dece…
8/ We started Aragon.
In little time, we had a fully working prototype. Notice we were focused on on-chain organizations and not only DAOs back then — that came a bit later.
In little time, we had a fully working prototype. Notice we were focused on on-chain organizations and not only DAOs back then — that came a bit later.
9/ We raised 275,000 ETH in what was, at the time, the largest crowdfunding campaign in history.
medium.com/aragondec/the-…
medium.com/aragondec/the-…
10/ We had the vision. We had the product. We had the funding.
We were unstoppable.
This interview (in which I learned you cannot swear in TV in the US) sums up that moment in time.
We were unstoppable.
This interview (in which I learned you cannot swear in TV in the US) sums up that moment in time.
11/ The years that followed weren't easy.
We had discovered the truth hidden in plain sight. We had the vision. We had the funding.
We hired the best. We built a great product. Those two were fucking hard, and Aragon was everything to us.
We had discovered the truth hidden in plain sight. We had the vision. We had the funding.
We hired the best. We built a great product. Those two were fucking hard, and Aragon was everything to us.
12/ We built the most horizontal, extendable, powerful framework for running on-chain organizations: aragonOS.
Today, aragonOS powers heavyweights like Curve and Lido, and secures billions of $$ in AUM.
But 2018-2021 was tough...
medium.com/aragondec/intr…
Today, aragonOS powers heavyweights like Curve and Lido, and secures billions of $$ in AUM.
But 2018-2021 was tough...
medium.com/aragondec/intr…
13/ No one else seemed to need what we were building...
Product-market fit was nowhere to be found. There were no users we could talk to and perform user research. This was a 0 to 1, with its drawbacks.
Product-market fit was nowhere to be found. There were no users we could talk to and perform user research. This was a 0 to 1, with its drawbacks.
14/ We tried with amazing UX. We tried with incredible product videos. We tried and we tried. Nada.
Even with a world-saving vision, plenty of funding, talented people and a powerful brand... no team likes to build something that no one uses.
Even with a world-saving vision, plenty of funding, talented people and a powerful brand... no team likes to build something that no one uses.
15/ 2019 finally seemed like the year of the DAO, but it was more like the year of the guild.
Moloch launched a very opinionated framework tailored toward small orgs of semi-trusted individuals. We suffered as we saw a kind of DAO get some traction, but not on Aragon.
Moloch launched a very opinionated framework tailored toward small orgs of semi-trusted individuals. We suffered as we saw a kind of DAO get some traction, but not on Aragon.
16/ 2020 came by, and with it, the DeFi summer.
DeFi protocols became extremely valuable. And what's valuable, it's worth governing. Finally demand started going up. Team did a great job onboarding DAOs, and AUM grew and grew.
DeFi protocols became extremely valuable. And what's valuable, it's worth governing. Finally demand started going up. Team did a great job onboarding DAOs, and AUM grew and grew.
17/ Unfortunately we were already quite burned out from years sailing against the current... and we did have some significant internal issues, slowing down Aragon's progress.
18/ 2021 and 2022 were years of healing. Getting our ducks in a row. All while the market woke up to DAOs.
@charlesworthjc and @Joan_Arus did a great job reigniting the flame.
Aragon's logo is an eagle, but it should be a phoenix — always raising from its ashes.
@charlesworthjc and @Joan_Arus did a great job reigniting the flame.
Aragon's logo is an eagle, but it should be a phoenix — always raising from its ashes.
19/ 2023 will be quite the year for Aragon.
Aragon is finally moving its massive treasury to a DAO.
Today, Aragon launched v2.
And there's much more coming.
Aragon is finally moving its massive treasury to a DAO.
Today, Aragon launched v2.
And there's much more coming.
20/ Aragon has assembled a team working on zk tech.
The Holy Grial of voting, anonymous + off-chain + cross-chain enactment, is coming. And Aragon is leading the way.
research.aragon.org
The Holy Grial of voting, anonymous + off-chain + cross-chain enactment, is coming. And Aragon is leading the way.
research.aragon.org
21/ Aragon finally has everything it needs to help humankind reinvent the very fabric of our society: our organizations.
Aragon has the vision. Aragon has the funding. Aragon hired the best. Aragon built a great product.
Aragon has the vision. Aragon has the funding. Aragon hired the best. Aragon built a great product.
22/ And last but not least: what was a truth hidden in plain sight 6 years ago, it's not anymore.
The crypto space has understood the power of DAOs, and Aragon will help these builders redefine society.
The crypto space has understood the power of DAOs, and Aragon will help these builders redefine society.
23/ Thanks to everyone who has made Aragon what it is today.
I'm missing #ETHDenver this year, but you cannot even imagine how proud I feel when I see this.
I'm missing #ETHDenver this year, but you cannot even imagine how proud I feel when I see this.
https://twitter.com/izqui9/status/1631409241910136832
24/ The Fight for Freedom continues.
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