You're reading State of the DAOs, the high-signal low-noise newsletter for understanding DAOs.
Audience: Have made the jump into a DAO or want to make jump, but are looking for help on how to get started. Curating high quality content from prominent DAOs for understanding and getting a handle on the DAO ecosystem. Goal to move reader from newbie to an active, engaged member.
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Contributors: BanklessDAO Writers Guild (authors)
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Author: siddhearta
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/SMm5J0SodlOGDGNLIk2b7N_gGxBu3yqSzc91TAoGsYkRBWIDdRRB44m7uf5AxVvTSTMrZ83hrtOGflghU0upf4ui3X7hGkLaQAO_OwCgSubirxTKuRMgVZNje4l4COyWV4rHm2ia8fKtl9BMUOc
Credit: Dippudo
One of the biggest design challenges for DAOs is to create an active, engaged community around a shared mission or purpose. DAOs without a clear mission or a shared purpose end up experiencing a lack of focus and community coherence. Passive communities, where members are waiting to be told what to do and how to do it, lead to centralized organizations where top-down decision making determines the course of operations.
DAOs are playgrounds for exploring design challenges in areas like governance, organizational structure, community incentives, personal sovereignty, and professional development. But even with an emphasis on exploration, creating engagement is hard; it requires an opt-in system and self-directed members who are accountable and striving to level up.
To facilitate engagement, many DAOs are structured around guilds which serve as professional talent centers for onboarding members and getting members involved in projects. While DAOs often focus on onboarding and contribution, one of the most promising aspects of guilds is their ability to provide opportunities for personal growth and professional development by taking advantage of the natural human instinct to explore our curiosity and engage in play.