Job Versus DAO

In the transition from a job to a DAO, the question changes from: “Who will let you?” to “Who will stop you?”^1,2

At a job, you:

• Have a boss²
• Get assignments from your boss
• Get goals from your boss
• Get a predictable salary

At a DAO, you:

• Are your own boss
• Assign work to yourself
• Set your own goals
• Find ways to create value and be rewarded for it

At a DAO, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You don’t have a manager. No one can tell you what to do.

Members of a DAO don’t manage each other. They help each other. They set their own goals and help each other achieve those goals.

If you fail to achieve your goals, no one will be there to punish you. No one is there to monitor you. No one is there to make sure you do your work. No one can fire you. This follows a common trend in crypto: no paternalism, no big brother to protect or help you. If you need that, don’t work for a DAO. Stay at your current job.

Working for a DAO is the ultimate excuse-less test. No coworkers to blame. No bosses to blame. No fingers to point. No rules to stop you. If you achieve nothing, it’s on you. If you create value, it’s because of you.

You still need an operating system, but it will be different from your job’s operating system, and it may be only for yourself and not for the entire DAO.³ You still need to set goals. You still need to prioritize the most important work. You still need to plan.

—

¹ “My dear fellow, who will let you?”
“That’s not the point. The point is, who will stop me?”
– Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

² The transition from job to DAO is like the transition from employee to founder.

³ The best bosses make working at a job more like working at a DAO. They help you manage yourself. They help you set your own goals. They help you prioritize your work. But you still take the lead on managing yourself. Here’s How To Be A Great Manager.

⁴ If you do want to create an Operating System for your DAO, here are some tips.