DAOs Desperately Need Storytellers, and You Could be One of Them
The Challenge: Make the Complex Relatable
Blockchain Programming + Decentralized Finance
Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a tech-y article…in fact, we’re making the case for just the opposite.
DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) are a new blockchain-powered platform for human organization. They have no centralized leaders and no centralized location. Many DAOs are playing exactly where blockchain and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) intersect.
Not all DAOs are in this category. For example, some are more socially oriented.
However, many of them have economic value incentives for the community and that can involve head-scratching topics such as: initial DEX offerings (IDO’s), liquidity pools, staking, and more. The super-geniuses running these projects are required to be versed in some pretty next-level programming (blockchain), behavioral economics (incentives), and all while figuring out the rules and protocols of DAOs (governance).
Because DAOs are a new organizational paradigm, it’s early days yet. Many of the day-to-day operations are being figured out in real-time, kind of like working on the engine of a flying plane.
Storytellers Help Speed DAO Participation and Adoption
What kind of storytellers do DAOs need so urgently?
- Verbal translators: People who have a gift for understanding complex topics and concepts and making them relatable using common parlance, analogies, and examples.
- Visual maestros: We need graphics, charts, infographics, and enough stick figures to help our non-genius brains make sense of some pretty cutting-edge ideas.
- Video storytellers: Ideally video creators who can combine verbal storytelling with poignant graphics that helps connect the more complex DAO topics for the rest of us mere mortals.
Because many of the DAO’s are powered by blockchain-based cryptoasset economic incentives, many early adopters tend to be the smartest people in class: the natural-born engineers, the programming code-wizards, finance nerds, and tech enthusiasts. As such, much of the language and storytelling that currently exists tends to skew for these super-smarty-pants community members. This will evolve in time as more and more people come into the space.
But for now, nearing the end of 2021 — we are at that juncture where effective storytellers can help propel the next leg of participation. Might you be one of them? If you have a knack for storytelling and are interest in blockchain, web3, finance, and/or cryptoassets, you could be an ideal match.
How to Become a DAO Storyteller
In the future, I’m sure you’ll be able to type that phrase into a search engine and be presented with dozens of turnkey options matching your skillset to just the right DAO.
But today is early in the much larger DAO adventure, and your quickest path to contribution is participation. If you are genuinely interested in this exciting new space and have a few hours to spare, you’ll want to join Discord.
What is Discord? Discord started as a chat-space for gamers, and it’s grown into the platform where all the young cool kids are hanging out. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to get started.
- Set up a Discord account. Pro tip: Don’t use your real name. 😉 See the how-to video tutorials at the end of this page!
- Use the search function (bottom left hand green compass) and simply type in “DAO.” You’ll be presented with various options. Note there are broad categories at the top of the window to help narrow down your options a bit. Pick a few that seem interesting and maybe look them up in a search engine to find more information that clues you into what the organization is about. Screencap below this list.
- After you’ve narrowed your list to 1–3 DAOs, pick a few to join on Discord. Pro tip: Because there’s so much Discord spam, you’ll be asked to verify yourself as a real human and wait 10 minutes before you can post anything. Make sure to check the pinned post to follow any specific verification instructions.
- Spend some time looking at the different Discord categories and reading the types of conversations that are happening.
- If this is an organization that you are interested in contributing to with your storytelling capabilities, scan the channels on the left-hand side for topics such as: #contribute, #officehours, #questions, or anything else that looks like the right place to ask about whether you can contribute. (Covered in the how-to video at the end of the page.)
- Bonus: If this is something that you can do regularly for the benefit of the community, you might even receive compensation in the DAO’s cryptoasset of choice!
Reasons to Participate in a DAO
We’re starting to sound like a broken record, but we really are very early in the web3 journey, and DAOs are just starting to learn to crawl. If being early to exciting new technology, social, and cultural phenomena appeals to you, you may want to start learning more about them. Lurking is always an option, but if you’re ready to get more involved, here are the benefits you might reap.
- You will learn something, hopefully about a topic you are interested in.
- You will learn something about how DAOs work. SPOILER ALERT: Many, many more are on the way.
- You may have the chance to network with others who share your interest, and possibly even collaborate with some of them.
- You will be afforded the opportunity to contribute based on merit — a great way to match your skillset to the community.
- You might be surprised by some new opportunities that arise in this rapidly-growing space. After all, way leads unto way…
How-To Video Resources
If you’ll pardon the rave music, here’s a short, 2-minute step-by-step overview of how to set up a Discord account:
Here is a 7-minute overview of Discord basics:
Conclusion
While it may take a bit of research and dipping your toes into a new pool, rest assured that DAOs are emerging faster than we can keep track of them. Whether you’re a writer, marketer, designer or content creator — they need you now more than ever, so happy exploring!
Originally published at https://www.straticlear.com on October 27, 2021.
