Entering a decentralized organization can be overwhelming. While crowdfunds and airdrops help create instant entrances for its supporters and members, such patterns don't often account for one's actual journey into and through the community. This can result in confusion, frustration, and disinterest.
To address this lack, decentralized organizations should design onboarding and wayfinding practices that are tailored to the dynamic affordances of web3. This means ensuring practices complement the org's speed of growth and level of openness (e.g. a DAO that adds new members in batches should have a different approach than a DAO that launches with a large crowdfund). It also means accommodating a 24/7, cross-jurisdictional membership with different schedules, learning styles, skillsets, and education levels.
Depending on the organization, onboarding and wayfinding practices might include:
- spaces to learn about the organization and build a context for participation
- clear community rules and guidelines
- channels to ask questions, both in and out of community spaces
- aysnc and non-async options (including 1:1, buddy systems, and group sessions)
- separation of evergreen information and non-evergreen information
- clear pathways to contributing
