Please describe your proposed solution.
<u>Why DAOs and other suitable Cardano Dapps?</u>
Informality is a common denominator among industries. Business are done outside legal regulations, there is a lack of affordable management tools and networking spaces are limited. Therefore, the life of projects are extremely short as their internal disorder increases. If even with an organized and efficient internal environment, projects become difficult, under the conditions already mentioned, they are practically impossible. The informality of the organizations is the main cause of the dropout rate of its workers. This huge dropout rate remains unsolved, without any clear evidence to decrease. In fact, the evidence shows a clear growth trend.
The problem does not only concerns to workers and their closest environment, such as family, friends and business partners. Economies as a whole are less wealthy without a well established creative industry; capital is irreversibly lost, negatively affecting the intangible heritage of younger generations; and at the core of coexistence, community bonds struggle without symbolic and material products from which to identify with each other.
For over two years we have worked together with more than 200 agents in Chile and Latin America. During this periodo of time, we have thoroughly investigated the causes and consequences of informality in the cultural industry, paying special attention to the hopes and pains of its workers. Our research has resulted in different Web3 prototype solutions, which we have been iterating on the basis of the new research we continue to carry out.
On one hand, we found that, in order to overcome informality, workers associate with others, establishing cultural organizations. These associations aim to encourage collaboration and increase opportunities for creation, promotion and sales for their members. But, when informality strikes again, the vast majority of these organizations fall by the wayside.
Partnering with other workers, and operating as an organization, is the first step. But it is not enough. They face obstacles in organizing tasks and coordinating actions, and lack the tools necessary to implement an efficient governance and compensation system. The next step is never reached. Members are not fairly compensated for their efforts, the organization wears down and ends up scaling back its operations to the point of demise. In short, economic, social and symbolic value is lost.
On the other hand, we found out that autonomy is strongly present in the intentions and discourses of organizations. The State and dominant corporations are seen as potential partners, at best, or as hostile market agents, in most cases. Autonomy is an ethical, economic and commercial premise. Given the spontaneous way in which cultural organizations operate, decentralization is something inherent to them.
Based on our work in the field, we strongly believe that DAOs are a necessary step and the best current solution. They provide features and tools that organizations have long needed, as governance and compensation systems, and they are consistent with the principles of autonomy and decentralization shown by this organizations.
<u>Why DAO Incubator?</u>
One of our main findings has to do with the manifest willingness by organizations to adopt new technologies to achieve sustainable autonomy, especially Web3 technologies. The next main finding has to do with the difficulties in implementing them satisfactorily in their actions and activities. Several proposals focus on developing tools for DAOs already in operation, but we have not seen a concrete proposal to increase the adoption rate of new DAOs. We see this as a potentially larger market with greater impact.
Our proposal differs from the existing ones because it considers and combines the following elements:
- Currently, most ways to create a DAO rely on personal exploration, self-directed processes, and an optimal understanding of the English language. These requirements exclude a significant number of agents interested in starting their own DAOs. We offer extensive support, especially in the early stages, where the bottleneck is found.
- Creating a DAO is not a once-and-for-all process. DAOs are a vital way of working together, every day a greater improvement in their performance can be achieved. Therefore, our proposal considers different levels of training at critical stages.
- Our implementation will start in Latin America, a market with low levels of adoption and a significant number of organizations seeking for solutions to their internal difficulties. It is a region that we believe is valuable to gather more information, learned insights and continue the iteration. In this way, we will export a strong model to other regions and worldwide.
- We understand a organization as a work space made up of agents from different disciplines who bring complementary perspectives. Our purpose is to promote the exchange of expertise.
- Understanding the particular context of a organization is the key to apply the right DAO adoption model. This means it's essential to research each DAO individually to understand their technological nuances better. Our previous experience and ongoing research will enable us to accomplish this task.
- The future of Web3 is CrossChain. Since our proposals in F6 and F8, we have worked side by side with others Blockchain, aiming at the synergies that can be built with Cardano.
- Cardano and its community will be positioned as one of the main poles of attraction in terms of creation, construction and improvement of DAOs.
The first Cardano DAO Incubator provided by Cooperativa Local is the fastest and best path to help organizations, reduce the DAO gap, increase adoption rate and onboard them to the Cardano community.
<u>Cardano first DAO Incubator</u>
Cardano first DAO Incubator will provide a supportive environment and resources to enable the successful design, launch, development and operation of organizations that decide to become a DAO.
Our proposed phases, goals and steps are as follows.
<u>First Phase: Adoption</u>
Goal: Launch Service, Insights and Improvements
Step 1: Guidance and consultation: The incubator would provide expert advice and consultation on setting up and structuring a DAO, including legal, technical, and governance aspects.
- Identify the Purpose: The DAO's purpose should be identified, which can range from financing NFTs, administering grants, building a community, or investing. In the case of an artistic community, the DAO's purpose could be to fund artist projects, distribute resources, or foster a community of artists.
- Articulation: The mission, vision, and values of the DAO need to be clearly articulated. This provides a foundational understanding of the DAO's purpose and direction.
Step 2: Collaborative Education and training: The incubator would offer programs and workshops to educate individuals and teams on the concept of DAOs, smart contracts, decentralized governance, and other relevant topics. All these, in jointly efforts with Cardano Dapps that are already operating and looking for users.
Step 3: Understand the DAO concept: Comprehend what a DAO is and how it functions. This involves understanding how the blockchain, smart contracts, and community governance work in the context of a DAO.
Step 4: Design the DAO: This step involves designing the DAO according to its purpose. The design should prioritize creating a decentralized community that benefits its members socially and culturally, as seen in the cases of Friends with Benefits and Refraction DAO.
<u>Second Phase: Implementation</u>
Goal: Research and Prototype Building
Step 1: Develop the Operational Mechanisms: The DAO's operational mechanisms need to be developed and documented. These mechanisms should align with the organization's functional model.
- Social Technology
- Web2 Technology
- Web3 Technology
Step 2: Provide Wayfinding Guidance to our DAO and other suitable Cardano Dapps: This step involves helping new members navigate the community and make their first contribution. This could be achieved through the concept of "wayfinding," which includes elements of navigation, activation, and learning. Support should be provided to help navigate the complexities of the DAO and its operation.
- Documentation: Every detail about the DAO, its workings, and its policies should be documented for transparency and ease of understanding.
- AI Bots and Assistants: They can help with tasks such as writing proposals, onboarding new members, making asset trades, reading resumes, selecting new members, and assigning roles.
Step 3: Drive Community Engagement and Retention: Strategies should be implemented to drive engagement and retention within the community, such as incorporating gamification elements. All these, in jointly efforts with Cardano Dapps that are already operating and looking for users.
- Community Building: The incubator would help connect DAO projects with a network of like-minded individuals, Cardano developers, investors, and potential users to foster collaboration and growth.
- Tailored Education: Driving engagement and retention through education and tailored experiences can help keep members interested and involved.
- Gamification: The use of quests and bounties can make the experience more interactive and engaging, encouraging ongoing participation. Such as NFTs and POAPs.
- Events: The community should be engaged through tangible actions and repeatable opportunities. This could include hosting events, organizing gatherings, or offering creative grants.
Step 4: Tools for Establishing Value Systems: These are crucial for understanding changes in networked places and communities. This concept of 'translocality' is important in the context of DAOs, which exist both online and in physical localities.
- Tools for Addressing Disenfranchisement, Class Conflict, and Gender Inequality: Such tools, as used by Artworld DAOs, can help foster a more equitable community.
- Special projects and initiatives: Depending on the specific objectives of the organization, the DAO could facilitate special projects such as art preservation, exhibitions, or events.
Step 5: Community-driven decision-making: Through the DAO structure, decisions would be made collectively by the community, promoting a more democratic organizational structure.
- Community voting: can be handled by Snapshot or Tally, which also allows for proposal creation.
- AI for Community Governance: A Sortition-based DAO can be implemented for AI governance, which makes the governance democratic, inclusive, and representative of diverse perspectives. This aligns with the democratic ideals of a DAO and can be particularly useful for decision-making processes in an artistic community.
Step 6: Collaboration and coordination: The DAO would foster collaboration and coordination among its members, much like Cabin's vision of connecting DAOs to share knowledge and build financial incentives.
- AI Connectors within or between DAOs: AI can help to form a "swarm intelligence" by connecting and coordinating with other DAOs. This could enable collective decision-making and collaboration on larger projects or initiatives.
- AI for Community Management: AI can be used to manage community interactions, identify trending topics, and foster a more engaging community environment.
Step 7: Community Learning: The community should be encouraged to learn from each other, fostering growth and collaboration.
- Foster Community Learning: Community learning should be encouraged to help members better understand the DAO and its benefits.
- Implement Risk Mitigation Plans: Given the operational challenges and security risks that exist in running DAOs, risk mitigation plans should be in place.
<u>Third Phase: Operation</u>
Goal: Research and Prototype Design
Step 1: Legal and Compliance Support: The incubator would provide guidance on navigating legal and compliance requirements specific to DAOs, ensuring adherence to regulations and minimizing risks.
Step 2: Content creation and distribution: Like Cabin's plan to establish a Media Guild, organizations could use DAOs to collaboratively produce and distribute content.
- AI for Content Creation and Distribution: AI can be used to write, create and distribute content.
Step 3: Marketing and Promotion: The incubator would help promote DAO projects and attract attention from the wider blockchain and cryptocurrency community.
- AI for Marketing: AI can also be used to analyze community engagement and provide marketing insights. This can help the community understand what content resonates with their audience and tailor their strategy accordingly.
Step 4: Phygital Infrastructure expansion: DAO services could also include the expansion of both physical and virtual infrastructure to better connect and serve its community.
Step 5: Technical Support & Testing: The incubator would provide technical assistance in developing and implementing the necessary smart contracts and blockchain infrastructure for a DAO.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): Remember, it's crucial that any AI implementation remains aligned with the democratic, transparent, and decentralized nature of DAOs. AI tools should be used to enhance community engagement and creativity, not control or limit
Step 6: Automatization & Assistance: Finally, a DAO could incorporate additional technologies to automate governance and ensure transparency. For instance, it could use smart contracts to automate decision-making processes and blockchain technology to provide a transparent record of all transactions and decisions.
Step 7: DAO Analytics: This tool would help the community understand and evaluate their growth, investments, and overall performance.
- AI at the Edge and Center of the DAO: AI can interact with the core contracts of a DAO, enhancing its decision-making capabilities. It could be used to analyze data and provide insights to guide the direction of the organization.