Iterative Improvement to the DAO Constitution | BanklessDAO Weekly Rollup

Catch Up With What Happened This Week in BanklessDAO

Mar 11

Dear Bankless Nation 🏴,

The adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” doesn’t apply to Rome alone; a global community cannot be built in a day either. BanklessDAO is a community built — and still building — on the dedication, hard work, and contribution of its members. This week’s editorial by Trewkat combines a little English literature with a dose of Roman history to look at the work being done to revamp the DAO’s Constitution.

In other news, the ThriveCoin workstream has been funded, and they’re handing out rewards for subscribing to bDAO’s newsletters. Or, if you’re a merch lover, then the PM Guild has a BanklessDAO PM Guild hoodie is available for purchase. We do love to recognize and reward consistency as builders, so let’s congratulate the latest Level 2 Contributors in the bDAO fam: CoolCat and Latsan.

Speaking of consistency, how often do you visit the Forum to get acquainted with the latest DAO proposals? This week’s roundtable discussion centered on the pending governance proposals, their scope, and intended impact. We had a live governance session with Jengajojo and Icedcool, who encouraged us to review and vote on the proposals. If you haven’t yet, please check out bDIP-3, bDIP-4, and bDIP-6 to cast your votes and share your thoughts.

Many of our members in the U.S. will lose an hour of sleep this weekend as daylight saving time is implemented. Clocks are turned forward 1 hour on Sunday, 12 March at 02:00. This is a good time for organisers and attendees to check your sesh events and ensure these are set to UTC, which does not change.

It’s the weekend, and it’s yours to enjoy! We hope this week’s Rollup will help you get energized to continue your awesome work at bDAO.

Contributors: Allyn Bryce, WinVerse, theconfusedcoin, anointingthompson1.eth, angelspeaks, Boluwatife, salmanneedsajob, Feems, Austin Foss, Vi-Fi, d0wnlore, Trewkat, HiroKennelly

This is an official newsletter of BanklessDAO. To unsubscribe, edit your settings.

✅ Action Items

🗳️ Vote on the pending governance proposals and leave constructive feedback.

✅ Claim your Lens profile courtesy of Bankless Academy!

📖 Complete the Community Call feedback form.

🏃‍♀️ Catch up: Review this week's Community Call notes or listen to the recording.

🏛 Governance

Proposals in Discussion

🗳️ Pending Governance Proposals

Contributor Jengajojo has posted to the Forum a list of six proposals still waiting to reach quorum. According to our current Constitution, in order to move on from the Forum stage the proposal must reach a quorum of 63, 51, or 40 votes depending if it is a major, minor, or patch change to the Constitution. One of these proposals was intended to address our current problem, bDIP-03 Dynamic Forum Quorum, but is itself stuck in limbo.

In order to address this four ways to improve governance engagement are shared:

Authors campaign for their own proposals
Proposal hygiene
Broader community involvement
Delegated Governance

Be sure to listen to this week’s CC roundtable discussion on this topic; a link can be found under Action Items.

📊 B Labs — S7 Grants Request

Led by contributors Senad.eth and Bananachain, with assistance from six other bDAO contributors, B Labs is launching as a for-profit project specializing in offering “… data-driven and evidence-based research to customers active or interested in the [web3] space.”

This proposal is asking for approximately 61k BANK in retroactive compensation for S6, and a further 522k BANK for S7.

👟 Freemerch x BanklessDAO Partnership

Contributors Michealjerry and Latsan are proposing a partnership with an external project called Freemerch.io for a “Scan to Win” contest. This partnership will focus on five Nigerian universities which have active crypto communities.

With the goal of interacting with 5,000 students through this merch contest, this project’s value alignment comes from exposing that many new users to the world of crypto. For bDAO to sponsor this event as a partner, the proposal is asking for 366K BANK to cover the cost of the merch prizes.

📜 Temp Check — bDIP N — Format Change to Constitution & Community Handbook

Authored by contributor Ernest_of_Gaia, this temperature check for a future bDIP proposes changes to the format of our Constitution. This will not make any changes to the text of the Constitution; instead headings and subheadings have been modified, and some place holders added where necessary.

The new format brings the BanklessDAO Constitution more in line with the common patterns existing in other DAO Constitutions — which is a good first step to further modifications to the text. Even as just a temp check this a huge improvement to the format of our Constitution, so be sure to provide your input on the Forum before it becomes a bDIP.

Iterative Improvement to the DAO Constitution

Author: Trewkat

‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a successful DAO in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a Constitution.’

The author Jane Austen didn’t write the opening line to Pride and Prejudice quite this way, but close enough. Certainly, in the months since the implementation of the first ever BanklessDAO Constitution & Community Handbook, it’s become evident that for optimal success, the DAO requires governance documentation that is clear, comprehensive, and concise.

The BanklessDAO Constitution & Community Handbook, as it is titled in the GitHub repository where it resides, was introduced by 0xJustice as part of the Governance Solutions Engineers program. The stated intention was to “capture BanklessDAO’s values, mission, structure, processes, and governance according to the best of our community’s ability to capture it”, and Justice acknowledged that it “will always be a work in progress”.

Since that time, our community has debated the meaning of key sections in the document and enacted several improvement proposals, known as bDIPs, which address various aspects needing clarification — but not yet for any of the truly sticky sections. Our community appreciates the effort and intention given to the task by 0xJustice but has recognised the need to strengthen and embed our governing principles into a new version of the Constitution.

In what form the Community Handbook aspect is retained is still under discussion. It’s likely the type of information suitable for a handbook, such as operational procedures, will be recorded in a separate section or companion document which, though referenced by the Constitution, is subject to a different, less stringent amendment process.

One of BanklessDAO’s values is decentralisation, so this process will require input and perspective from many of us who are involved in the various operations of the DAO. Given that we are a global community who live under a variety of political systems, it’s worth examining the ancient concept of a Constitution so that we understand which aspects we want to retain in our 21st century document.

The Constitution According to Cicero

To that end, meet Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero is famous for being a Roman statesman, philosopher, writer, and orator. One of the books Cicero wrote was titled De Legibus, meaning ‘On Laws’. It lays out all the laws Cicero thought should be applied to the different levels and branches of the Roman government. One author, Clinton Walker Keyes, wrote in 1921 that in De Legibus, Cicero identified the structural elements that make up many modern-day Constitutions.

According to Keyes, these elements are that the laws are “embodied” in one “specially important document”; that it is a “deliberate effort” to lay down “coherent provisions” for government; and that the document overrides any other laws in place and is subject to different, more stringent methods of repeal.

Keyes later notes that Cicero was attempting to find a balance between all the different points of view that had permeated Roman politics, some of which had become customary without being enshrined in law:

One of the most interesting things about the code is its clear-cut treatment of the unwritten elements of the Roman constitution — the mores maiorum. Some of these unwritten rules were less definite than others, and in many cases their interpretation and validity were matters of party strife.

Seem familiar?

In the same way that nature abhors a vacuum, governance abhors a lack of structure. Jo Freeman, writing in the eye-opening article The Tyranny of Structurelessness, observes that structure is inherent to any group of people who interact with one another; it’s just a matter of whether that structure is formalized or not. If it isn’t formalized, other relationship networks (based on friendship or shared beliefs) will develop as unstructured forms of power:

For everyone to have the opportunity to be involved in a given group and to participate in its activities the structure must be explicit, not implicit. The rules of decision-making must be open and available to everyone, and this can happen only if they are formalized.

Ambiguity Abounds

There are several aspects of BanklessDAO’s structure and activities which have not been formalized — either because they are not covered in the Constitution, for example the Department structure, or because the text included in the Constitution is ambiguous. One example of a small, possibly harmless ambiguity is this sentence, which is part of the Grants Committee section:

Committee members can be recalled with a 51%+ Snapshot vote.

What does this mean? According to the Collins English Dictionary, ‘recall’ means either to remember something or to bring something back. Since we probably wouldn’t need a vote to remember our Grants Committee members, it’s likely the latter definition is intended. The ambiguity arises because it’s probably meant to say that GC members can be removed from the Committee, not brought back to the Committee. And we know that, but that’s not what it says.

A more problematic ambiguity is to be found in the advice about semantic versioning numbering to be applied in the event that a bDIP is passed and changes to Constitution are made:

Screenshot taken from the BanklessDAO Constitution & Community Handbook

This versioning system and the language used to describe it have been ‘imported’ from software development, and its use as a system to both track changes to the Constitution and to set the quorum requirements to enact such changes is confusing for many DAO contributors. It has proven to be a major impediment to furthering our governance work. We need to use plain language when setting standards and processes for amending the Constitution and any related documents.

The quorum issue continues to prompt intense discussion among DAO members working to introduce governance changes in an environment that has seen reduced voter participation. So much energy that could have been employed in pursuit of our shared mission has been directed towards trying to understand how to create an environment in which beneficial proposals pass without too much angst.

Fork the Constitution

It’s time to fork the Constitution. A group of DAO contributors has formed around the task of creating a document which embodies BanklessDAO’s governance procedures. It’s time for that “deliberate effort” to lay down “coherent provisions” that Keyes mentions in his article about Cicero.

Our plan is to address the gaps and ambiguities in the current Constitution by revising and adding to the existing text. As a group, we will try to document the governance status quo — the “unwritten rules” that are causing us strife, and the sections that need some additional care to crystallise their intended meaning. This round of work is to ensure the language is representative of the DAO’s current practice, and the community will decide whether the changes should be implemented. The first temp check is available on the Forum now — see the suggested section titles and numbering format, including a few placeholder sections, which we think are a good first step towards clarification.

Once this is complete, there is more work to be done towards modification of our governance practices; in fact we’ll be seeking continual improvement and that’s why 0xJustice was right when he called the first version a “work in progress”.

If you are interested in contributing to this effort, join the Constitution Review thread in the Governance category of Discord. This African proverb sums up our approach to this Constitution Working Group:

If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.

So, let’s go far 😊🏴.

👀 In Case You Missed It

📺 Weekly Rollup Recap With Allyn Bryce

Another week, another awesome Rollup take by Allyn Bryce and WinVerse. Thanks frens!! You can find all the previous episodes on the BanklessDAO YouTube Channel.

🎬 Chirag Interview on Salman Needs a Job

Chirag, a Bankless Consulting contributor, is a seasoned strategy professional and an expert in financial modeling who started pursuing his interests in web3 in an effort to future proof his career. In a recent interview on Salman Needs A Job, Chirag speaks about Bankless Consulting and explains the significance of tokenomics in web3 projects, and what web3 could mean for the future of finance.

❤️ 1inch Community Donates $50,000 to Relief Fund

BanklessDAO launched a relief fund to help overcome the devastating effects of the earthquake that hit Turkey last month. The 1inch Community was one of the first to respond with a donation of $50,000. We are thankful for this support and are privileged to have you on our side in difficult times like these.

🗻 Feems Reports On ETHDenver

Builders and creators converged on the snowy southwest of Denver for ETH Denver 2023 — a sensory overload of people, innovation, and late-night parties. I was glad to be able to experience it a week before as part of Buidl Week: a week of workshops, presentations, and talks. During that time I was honoured to be on a panel at DAO Denver by Tally with John Paller (founder of ETH Denver) and Griff Green (founder of Giveth) on the topic of Dissecting Sustainable DAO Governance and Effective Operations. The panel was moderated by DAOLens who provided us with lovely shawls from India.

The next day was Schelling Point by Gitcoin, bringing major solar punk/regenerative vibes with thinkers, dreamers, and doers looking at utilizing crypto/web3 for a better world.

Finally came the official ETH Denver conference, which was incredibly huge with speaking stages and endless tables of projects / protocols handing out their merch (gotta love the merch). Going through the sea of people was a bit overwhelming, but the highlights were running into other BanklessDAO and DAOpunks members.

Conferences give me anxiety, but meeting internet friends IRL definitely makes up for it. I was surprised by the variety of people there — it felt like the world had come to Denver for this. It might be the bear market, but I am bullish on community building. The side events, especially from Metagov, were fantastic and engaging; so were the co-work and chill spaces, and, of course, the parties. It was a memorable 10 days and I am already looking forward to next year.

🧑‍🚀 Bankless Academy x Gitcoin Passport Case Study

Bankless Academy partnered with Gitcoin Passport to integrate Sybil resistance into Academy lessons, and this case study analyses the results of this integration. Gitcoin Passport was developed to help ensure the integrity of Gitcoin Grants rounds, and it uses various platform authentications and on-chain transactions to boost a participant’s trust level.

You can find a link to the study here. Well done Academy!

Gitcoin (🤖, 💚) @gitcoin

This case study dives into how Bankless Academy adopted a curated approach to integrating with Gitcoin Passport to defend against malicious actors earning learning credentials 🤝

🗓 Set A Reminder

🖋️ BanklessDAO Writers Cohort

The fourth edition of the BanklessDAO Writers Cohort will launch on March 22, 2023. Every week, for four weeks, participants will publish a 1,000-word post. The purpose of this cohort is to develop a writing habit and learn how grow your confidence and online presence. Sign up here to kickstart your online writing journey!

BanklessDAO 🏴 @banklessDAO

🚨 We're excited to launch the 4th BanklessDAO Writers Cohort starting March 22nd. Join a cohort of bDAO Members and publish a 1000-word post every week for 4 weeks. You'll learn how to develop a writing habit, grow your online presence, and gain the confidence to hit publish.

🎇 How to Sobol

Sobol is a web-based platform that provides flexibility for teams to govern themselves and run their organization according to their unique culture. If you want to know the organization of the DAO and how to find different information about roles, guilds, Notion pages, multi-sigs, and members of our community, RSVP to this Education Department event on Monday, March 13 at 13:00 UTC in the watercooler voice channel. Hop in 15 minutes before the event start to be onboarded to the Zep platform. Also check out the Ops Department’s Sobol Workstream for further training.

🧰 How to Discord in BanklessDAO

Learn how BanklessDAO uses Discord at this event on on Tuesday, March 14 at 13:00 UTC in the watercooler voice channel. RSVP and bring your questions about bots, threads, permissions, and navigation tips. Here are the slides and the lesson plan. You can always find Discord Help documentation in the How To Guides on the home page of the DAO Notion site. Remember to hop in 15 minutes before the event start to be onboarded to the Zep platform.

🏛️ How to Governance

Governance is a very important aspect of decentralization, especially in DAOs. RSVP to join the Education Department in the watercooler voice channel on Wednesday, March 15 at 13:00 UTC to learn about the BanklessDAO Community Handbook and particularly how the DAO is structured. Remember to hop in 15 minutes before the event start to be onboarded to the Zep platform.

🗄️ How to Gnosis/Safe

Safe (formally Gnosis) is a smart contract wallet running on Ethereum which requires a minimum number of pre-designated people to approve a transaction before it can proceed. It is a tool used by every guild and project to manage budgets in the DAO. Be prepared to hop on a Testnet and execute transactions during this hands-on session.

To learn more, join the Education Department on Thursday, March 16 at 13:00 UTC in the watercooler voice channel. RSVP to set a reminder for the event, and remember to hop in 15 minutes before the event start to be onboarded to the Zep platform.

🎮 Illuviam Demo — Decentralized Game Studio

Illuviam is a decentralized studio building the world’s first Interoperable Blockchain Game universe including an open-world exploration game, industrial city builder, and auto battler, all on the Ethereum blockchain. Join this demo of Illuviam in the Amphitheatre on Wednesday, March 15 at 19:30 UTC.

🎁 Soshow Demo — Easy Access to All Web3 Twitter Spaces

Joining Twitter Spaces via Soshow will earn you an NFT ticket as proof of attendance. Soshow allows organizers to better interact with meeting attendees by customizing NFT tickets as souvenirs. Join this demo of Soshow in the Amphitheatre on Thursday, March 16 at 17:00 UTC.

🧪 Supercluster Labs Demo

Easily share your documents with the right people using any web3 primitive.

NFTs: Gate access to your content or tools using any ERC-721 or ERC-1155.
Snapshot: Allow access to engaged members who vote on your Snapshot proposals and more.

Join this demo in the Amphitheatre on Thursday, March 16 at 17:45 UTC.

🌐 BanklessDAO x DAO TOKYO

DAO TOKYO is the first DAO-specific conference in Asia, a bridge between DAO East and DAO West. This inaugural event is organized by Fracton Ventures, a protocol studio focused on public goods, with support from Tally and the rest of the team behind DAO NYC.

DAO TOKYO invites those with expertise in creating, operating, and contributing in DAOs to share their specific knowledge and raise awareness of how to improve community involvement and strengthen the DAO ecosystem in the region. With over two dozen speakers and taking place in the beautiful Kanda Myojin Event Hall, DAO TOKYO will be the place for intimate discussion and thoughtful discourse on how to DAO.

DAO TOKYO occurs on April 13 and has already completed two of their three waves of ticket sales. The third and final wave will happen soon, so follow DAO TOKYO to know when those tickets will be released.

🌐 BanklessDAO x ETHGlobal Tokyo

The first ETHGlobal hackathon in Tokyo welcomes builders local to Japan and around the world to join on April 14-16 for a sprint of concentrated building. Whether you are a seasoned web3 developer, or curious about Ethereum development, you will be well-supported through workshops, 24/7 mentorship, and more. Coupled with a total prize pool of $175,000, there is no better opportunity to try to bring your vision to life while being in one of the most beautiful cities in Asia.

ETHGlobal has also announced Pragma, a one-day, single-track, in-person summit that will precede ETHGlobal Tokyo and all ETHGlobal hackathons in the future. Pragma will serve as a hub for high-quality talks and as a forum of discussion for builders and leaders from Ethereum ecosystem and beyond. Apply today.

🍔 Grab It While It’s Hot

🎁 Bankless Academy One-Year Anniversary Gift

Bankless Academy recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, and to celebrate, it’s rewarding its most adventurous Explorers! Through a partnership with Lens Protocol, Academy is offering Explorers who completed all lessons before February 16, 2023 and, claimed their badges the opportunity to claim a Lens handle.