Pros and Cons of Working For a DAO

The centralized approach to organizing people advanced our civilization and paved the way for the Industrial Revolution, which allowed great development and created many new employment opportunities.

As our society and the tools available to us have evolved, we need to pave the way to new ways of working, and DAOs can provide a way to lead us down that path. DAOs have the power to facilitate the way we make decisions and the way we work together as communities.

This is also what Qvrse is about — creating an ecosystem for new models of work and community organization.

In Qvrse, we see DAOs as the future of work and we want to help shape that future. What do we mean by the future of work? As a freelancer and remote worker, I see great opportunities in working for DAOs right now, but also challenges. Let us try to take a closer look at each aspect.

What are the advantages?

  • Relatively easy to join

My experience with joining and participating in DAO has been really smooth. It is very easy to join a DAO because you are looking for opportunities in a global marketplace and not limited geographically. Most DAOs live on Discord and are open and you can just jump in and see what they are about (if they are not token-gated, of course). You check out the vibe and if you like it, you introduce yourself and offer to help, whatever your skills. It’s kind of like walking into Google HQ, walking through the offices, and randomly talking to the employees. While that’s almost impossible at regular companies, it’s common practice at DAOs. It’s a plug-and-play system.

  • Getting paid + Ownership

When you contribute to a DAO, you are not just a contributor, you are an owner, and that is a big shift in how we imagine work. It’s much more exciting because you usually do not just “work” for DAOs, you become part of their community, part of their tribe, and if your values align with those of the other members, you are in for one hell of a fun ride. You officially become part of the community by holding equity in the form of their native tokens. Suddenly, you have the opportunity to influence the future of the organization and make your own proposals which get voted on by the community.

  • Remote work and flexibility

DAOs provide a dynamic environment for freelancers who can work simultaneously on different projects for different DAOs. The new, emerging workforce is no longer as interested in climbing the corporate ladder as they are in growing, learning, and developing personally. DAOs also allow people to work remotely with the flexibility of not having a set work schedule. One of the most common ways to work for DAOs is through bounties, where you come in and out of the DAO, take on small tasks, and contribute wherever you can. Here is how I got started: I wrote a few Twitter threads and newsletters, small tasks that give you the confidence to take on bigger tasks, like writing articles like this one.

Enough of sugar-coating it. Let’s get into the disadvantages.

What are the current disadvantages?

  • Getting paid only in DAOs native tokens

Some DAOs offer the option to be paid only in their native tokens. While this is great in terms of ownership and reputation in a particular DAO, it is not ideal for the majority of today’s population. Some may not have the privilege of investing a significant amount of time in contributing to a DAO because the tokens alone cannot cover their bills. It is not always possible, but try to negotiate to receive a portion of your fees in stable coins or possibly even fiat.

  • Lack of legal frameworks

The fact is that DAOs currently do not have an adequate legal framework in most countries of the world. The real problem occurs when DAOs want to come into contact with the physical world (e.g., property, etc.). We are still at the very beginning of the process, but countries have started to recognize the problem and steps are being taken in this direction.

  • It can be overwhelming

Yes, seeing all the excitement on Twitter and jumping on an overloaded Discord server can be frustrating. Especially if you are not yet familiar with Web3 culture. It might help if you familiarise yourself with the Web3 jargon before jumping into this space, so at least you will not be shocked when you see a mass of people writing gm every morning.

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  • Lack of diversity

While I have been lucky so far and have only been part of a few great communities that appreciate diversity, there is a general lack of it throughout the Web3 space. I think we will see the real rise and leap in DAOs when we achieve diversity in all aspects (race, gender, nationality, religion, etc).

Now that we have gone over the pros and cons, you may be ready to begin your DAO journey. If so, here are some tips on how to get started.

  • Find a DAO that matches your passion: First, I would advise anyone to look at DAOs and Web3 communities that are working on the things you are passionate about. For me, it was a combination of travel and life models. You will have a hard time working for a DAO if you do not believe in their mission. If you can not find one, maybe you can just start your own? Check the list of DAOs here.
  • Check out the vibe: The best DAOs have a healthy core community rather than a purely financially motivated culture. The community shares the same interests and feels connected to the vision. As they say, vibes matter.
  • DYOR: Do your own research before entering a DAO. If you are lucky, the DAO will have a smooth model for onboarding Web3 newbies. Otherwise, it is better to do your own research on Web3, NFTs, cryptocurrencies, and DAOs before you join, as you will be much more in demand and your first experience will be smoother.

Entering your first DAO (and finding a community match) can be an exciting journey. I would recommend any freelancer to explore this opportunity and be a part of this very early stages of the future of work. For DAOs to truly reach their potential will take a lot of trial and error, but we have to try.

QVRSE SOCIAL MEDIA

DISCORD: https://discord.gg/ts3HUyspEN

WEBSITE: https://qvrse.io/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/qvrse.io/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/QvrseDAO

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/qvrse/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/qvrse.io

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