Preface

The great resignation helped DAOs have substantial adoption, hopeful that DAOs create a new way to exist and work. However, DAOs are, in their emergence, still not the soft landing for tired hearts and minds.

Things were easier when we had more straightforward definitions of an organization and a few ways to relate too: employer and employed, LP and partner, and organization and associates. When one thinks very limitedly, the solution space is easy. When DAOs came in, we said that we are all and more. You are a contributor, a member, a mercenary, a worker, a researcher, a vibes officer, a client, a shareholder, a steward, a supporter and an enthusiast. We aspired to value everything. All the streams of value creation that were dismissed were niche and uncounted. Healthy to go beyond to forge new ways, yet we confuse ourselves by not having a language or map.

And a reward that is expected and not met is a punishment

As an ecosystem, we do not yet provide a clear and sure way to communicate and set expectations on what individuals might take back when they create value. The risk is that if we do not correct the course on DAO compensation and rewards practices, we will end up with “the great disappointment” - A more disruptive event. With this guidebook we are set to gather and provide the ecosystem with a deeper understanding of the topic, a shared language mapping the territory, a precise framing of the existing challenges for contributors and DAO leaders alike, and a mental model to define compensation and reward mechanisms.