Tokens Are Products – Variant

Networks like Dimo and Brainstrust allow owners to capture value from their contribution to the network’s marketplace. This is ownership satisfying a need for financial security via economic alignment.

When setting out to design a token a question worth asking is: What is the core user problem, and how does the token address it?

Ownership is a design space for new experiences that address core human needs:The need for financial securityThe need to be heard and participateThe need for social belonging and communityThe need to have control over how we work

Put yourself in the user’s shoes. What problem does your ownership experience solve?

Many tokens in the wild today were launched without considering the user. Other tokens bundle too many “jobs to be done” into a single asset, muddying the value proposition like a feature-packed product that tries to be everything to everyone.

Communities like Friends with Benefits allow owners to access exclusive social communities and cultural events. A core premise here is ownership satisfying a need for social belonging and community.

For example, projects like Nouns or Shibuya allow owners to dictate the course of the project or plot. These projects are premised on ownership satisfying a need to be heard.