DAO Essentials: 6 Key Onboarding Practices

As these DAOs grow in size, they’re taking different approaches to scale these 1:1 conversations:Mentor/buddy system: Each new member is paired with a currently active member of the communityCohort-based onboarding: Each new cohort is a part of a “class” and accomplishes projects or tasks together as a form of bonding

Being intentional with the details here is key: what kind of language and terminology is used to introduce new members to the DAO? How many steps are there to the onboarding process, and do they involve Discord bots or wallet transactions? How does the onboarding process hold up against someone who doesn’t have a lot of time or prior interest, vers... See more

Design new member onboarding with contributors in mind

Joining a DAO can be overwhelming; a constant struggle for DAOs bringing on new members is providing context around who is doing what. A direct 1:1 conversation with a current team member provides a space for new members to ask questions, share their interests, and discuss what it would mean to get involved. This tailored onboarding is especially h... See more

Facilitate 1:1 connections, especially early onInvest in education and resourcesAccommodate for different levels of knowledge and experiencePreempt scalability challenges, especially pertaining to quality of work and “offboarding” 

Communicating a shared purpose helps to set expectations for participation and fosters organizational health. As opposed to being everything to everyone, a DAO needs to understand what drives its community and serve that community well in accordance with its mission. This first step lays the foundation for a strong community ethos, which facilitate... See more

Each person who onboards to a DAO will have different levels of web3 knowledge, contributing experience, and comfort levels. A clear mission and vision can help to attract people at similar levels, but ultimately, onboarding processes should accommodate for differences among these new members (to the extent of the DAO’s intended target audience).

Task checklists: Each new member must complete a small list of tasks (eg. introducing themselves, joining a community call, completing a bounty, and/or messaging a core contributor)

Structure is especially important in instances when members don’t follow community guidelines or aren’t aligned with the DAO’s mission and operations. Core contributors rely on guardrails to “offboard” members in these instances, and they’ve shared that it’s easier to do when guardrails are created and implemented early on. Without them, offboardin... See more

Establish a clear mission & vision for the DAO