*Note - I’m trying something new this week. I will write the best article I can in 90 minutes and will limit it to a maximum of 1,000 words. Here we go :)

Among the things that have drawn me to explore DAO life, the thing I am most excited about is the newness of the space, and the opportunity to shape the culture of both specific DAOs and the larger DAO/Web3 movement. Culture, to me, is all about values. It is about taking the time to clarify, as fellow members of communities, what’s important to us.

Identifying shared values begins with the question of “what do we want to experience together?”, both in the future we are pointing toward and in the day-to-day reality of our work together. As we settle on our answers to this question it is then up to us to create norms and structures to support these aspirations.

Relative to Web3 Values, three words that I see thrown around a lot are equality, fairness and freedom. Though I see some mention of it in podcasts, twitter feeds and articles, a term that I do not see as often as I’d like is health, and more specifically, mental health.

I’m worried by this, by both the lack of attention to the subject and by the frequency I observe of people burning out in their early years of making an impact and creating a name for themselves. I fear that if we are not careful we will soon create a culture in which reputations for hard-core work ethics and surviving episodes of burnout are regarded as badges of honor, even a necessary credential, for gaining respect and earning influence in the space.

A Street Worthy Comparison

In sharing my concern I’m reminded of the culture of Wall Street, one I’m familiar with both from reading about it and accounts of friends who have worked there. In the early years of attempting to make it, it is not uncommon for young analysts to work 100-hour weeks.

Many of those who go on to successful careers in investment banking and related fields define their legend by things like how many hours they can go without sleep, or sleeping at their desks. For all intents and purposes surviving the rigors of such schedules is considered a right of passage to gaining access to the gold of “the street’s” biggie-sized compensation opportunities.

My earliest experience of lurking in a DAO included paying attention to three people in particular I saw making great contributions. Without question, I saw much to appreciate and respect about their enthusiasm for their community and their productivity on behalf of it. The longer I watched, however, the less I actually admired.

Within just a few months of my watching these contributors the most visible of them resigned from a key leadership role, citing burnout and a need to prioritize his well being. The second of the three penned a letter to his DAO citing his affection for the people and the work but noting his need to scale back, both for his health and to be more present to his family. The third, a prolific writer, left the DAO on good terms for a full-time job elsewhere after citing her own burnout fears.

Oh No, Not Again

Having shared all that, let’s return to the culture question. On several occasions I have read or heard it said that the DAO movement is about “revolutionizing the world of work”.

Well friends, these early years of the revolution will define the norms, set the standards, and chart the paths by which future generations of DAO contributors make their mark. Understanding this, what is this better future we are pointing to? In the work that is being undertaken now, what do we want to experience together? Will the legends of the space be heralded for the one-track lives and 100-hour work weeks by which they qualify for just rewards or is now a time to slow down, reflect, and think more deeply about our score cards?

Renowned spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti once said, “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” In sharing this quote another that comes to mind, an anonymous quote often attributed to Albert Einstein is, "insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

I’m all for hard work. And I understand that there are certain seasons in peoples’ lives in which it is best for the individuals, their organizations, and even their families, to make their work their greatest priority. That said, I believe there is something “sick” about cultures that imagine it “okay” to sacrifice the health and well being of their best and brightest human beings as a right of passage to its greatest rewards. 100-hour work weeks are not any healthier because you are doing it from home.

DAOs, as a coordination structure and as a values-based cultural movement, can do better than that. And we must do better than that if, as Gandhi said, we are to “be the change” we wish to see in the world.

Time! 90 minutes. 823 words
Additional time allowed for editing :)