Mapping the Unknown - a metaphor
We are explorers, challenged to forge a new path through a competitive and at times hostile landscape. To find our way we must illuminate the world around us and ensure that we are still moving directionally towards our guiding Vision, the Collab Lands.
Imagine our exploratory, experimental work as shining light and uncovering the surroundings (hills, valleys, waterfalls, etc.), and our compass provides the directionality of movement pointing toward our guiding star 
of our Mission, Vision, and Values. i.e. are we moving closer or farther away from our vision of North.
As the organization grows we will encounter NPCs, hazards, and obstacles to overcome. Keeping a focus on the direction of movement is key. What follows below is our model for ensuring directional alignment for contributor proposals (bottom-up contribution) and organizational movement (top-down intention).
Grants
What follows here is a time-delineated grants model for funding allocation. We seek to reduce coordination costs and coordination failure by minimizing governance as we explore the map of progressive decentralization.
This is my personal interpretation of pet3rpan’s OBRA model posted on the SAFE DAO forums
Safe DAO Resource Allocation Model (OBRA). It is aligned with the recently-released Collective Intent framework of the Optimism Collective, which is supported by their research in the DAO organizational space.
Top-down strategy schemas for bottom-up tactical implementation
Design principles
- Limit the scope of the DAO’s scope of governance and push complexity to the edges
- Establish a resource allocation process that limits politics and rewards merit/data
- Allow for bottoms up open source resource allocation and opportunities to contribute, but only if there is pre-existing clarity and due diligence around strategy
- Keep it simple stupid (K.I.S.S)
OBRA Overview (naming rework welcome)
Objective-Based Resource Allocation
- Orientations
- Orientations are DAO-defined goals (OKRs) and their associated Metrics (KPIs) to be achieved through Journeys which are tied to defined Methods. You can think of an Orientation as a near term target. There may be multiple paths towards that target; it is up to the Co-op to determine which paths to pursue by proposing Journeys.
- Journeys
- Limited funding projects that further Orientations
- These are typically referred to as “proposals” in DAO-space
- Fellowships complete Journeys
- more coming soon
- more coming soon
Time Blocking
- Monitored review cycles ensure accountability for contributors, a focus on data and metrics, and alignment with DAO Orientations
Review Cycles aka Seasons
- During the review period, all Journeys with streams of funding are subject to review and are required to share progress updates
- However, they do not need to re-apply for funding nor drive a proposal through governance if their pre-approved funding extends beyond the prior work period
- General Proposals and Journeys for the DAO must be proposed before this period to be considered for funding or approval
- If token holders and delegates wish to terminate a Journey, the rest of the approved funding is returned to the DAO (all unspent funds and unvested tokens)
There are several possible review cycles, the Collab.Land team recommends the bottom-most cycle structure.
Recommended Seasonal Timing
(to be ratified by DAO)
- 4 seasons/year (biz quarters)
(11 weeks/season + 2 weeks/season(transition)) \cdot 4 seasons) = 52 weeks/year
1 season is recommended to be defined by the DAO charter as:
- 11 weeks of operational focus
- followed by 2 week review/transition period for review by token stakeholders and DAO delegates
In depth
Collab.Orientations
DAO-defined Goals (OKRs) and their associated Metrics (KPIs) to be achieved through Initiatives which are tied to defined Strategies. These Strategies are not fully defined at this stage and will evolve through participation, growth, and learning at the Collab.Land DAO.
Example Orientations
- Increase adoption and utility of $COLLAB in crypto ecosystem
- Reduce risk
- Increase size and quality of Collab.Land community
- Increase usage of Miniapp Marketplace
…
Suggested Metrics
- # of Miniapps created
- # COLLAB tokens locked in marketplace
- Velocity of COLLAB locking
- # Pro-bot subscriptions
- # gmPass created for each community
- # of active DAO voters as a percentage of total member NFTs (voter engagement)
- # daily installs of Miniapps (measured for each Miniapp)
- # daily command uses for each community (measured for each Miniapp, for each command)
- # of communities that used at least 1 invocation of a Miniapp command (measured for each Miniapp)
Collab.Journeys
Example Journeys
- 10k $COLLAB for admin help docs overhaul
- 5k $COLLAB for prizes and facilitation of Season 1 Collab.Land Plays
- 5k $COLLAB for 12 episode DAO-educational podcast
- 10k $COLLAB for 10 product demos + product interviews with Collab.Land community admins
…