DAOs as Playgrounds for Growth and Development

You may be familiar with MMORPGs, or massively multi-player online role-playing games, like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy. These games usually involve groups of people working together to complete a quest, which often requires leveling up their skills, collaborating with teams to build trust, and coordinating with others to accomplish their mi... See more

Lessons from MMORPGS: You define your role. You are responsible for creating your own adventure and customizing your role. In these games, players assume an identity, which in DAOs means carving out and defining your role and its responsibilities.

DAOs can play a key role in writing the story of a new economy, one built around well-being and human flourishing. Building cohort-based learning courses and facilitating project-based learning can amplify leadership skills and create a space for ideas to be explored in a community of builders. As we see more success stories in DAOs, there will be ... See more

There is power in sending people on quests, learning in groups, and developing a body of people that moves together. This is how you create a regenerative community that amplifies human potential and creates a path towards solving our most challenging problems.

Create rewards and incentives. All games have rewards and incentives. In DAOs these are not only financial incentives, but also social, cultural, intellectual, and even spiritual incentives.

Culture is important. Culture is built on values. It shapes beliefs and actions. You need language, symbols, and social dynamics for the community to thrive. Culture can shift our posture, the way we greet each other and the way we work together. Without having to be spoken, culture says, "This is what we do around here."

Games with Positive Externality: There are certain games we can play that result in a positive externality where both the individual and an increasingly wider set of people benefit from the outcome. An example of positive externalities is when a gardener produces a bountiful harvest that can support themselves and feed their community, while also p... See more

Infinite vs. Finite: Are you playing to win or playing so that you can keep on playing? Finite games are games that come to an end; these are the everyday games we play with the goal of winning. Infinite games are played with the goal of continuing play, requiring players to invite others, explore the boundaries of what’s possible, and when necessa... See more

Focus on social coordination. You need to focus on building trust and team dynamics. Collaboration and mentoring opportunities provide fertile ground for developing leadership skills and domain knowledge.