DAO Tooling

Note: Data in this section last updated July 3rd, 2022

DAO tools are products, platforms and software applications that help communities coordinate operations.

Traditional corporations have long relied on a variety of tools to improve the efficiency of their operations. Popular products in Web 2.0 include SalesForce for sales, HubSpot for marketing, Trello or Asana for product management, GitHub for development, Quickbooks for finance, Gusto for payroll and Slack and Zoom for communication.

DAOs are no different, as they too will require solutions to help them balance efficiency and decentralization as they grow. In fact, they may need even more assistance as they are dealing with challenges that traditional organizations rarely face, including:

• How do you build culture and maintain productivity and enthusiasm in a remote-only workplace?

• How do you distribute ownership of the enterprise without relying on financial markets and investment banks?

• How do you coordinate democratic decision making between hundreds to thousands of stakeholders spread across the globe?

• How do you compensate an inherently unpredictable workforce that can come and go as they please?

• How do you manage a treasury that’s potentially worth billions without relying on a bank?

Given these challenges, there is an increasing demand for DAO tooling.

The DAO Tooling Landscape

Source: Nichanan Kesopat via Twitter

Despite being a relatively nascent space, the DAO tooling landscape has blossomed – as of early 2022, there are dozens of tooling solutions on the market. While these solutions vary in their utility depending on the size, scope and mission of the organization, most DAOs – at a minimum – would benefit from tooling in five key areas:

1. Communication: Tools, such as Discord, that provide a forum for discussing strategy and governance, facilitate remote work and help keep the community active and engaged

2. Fundraising: Products, such as Coinvise, that help DAOs launch tokens, coordinate airdrops and customize vesting schedules

3. Governance: Solutions, such as Snaphot, that facilitate voting and keep accurate records of the results

4. Treasury Management: Tools, such as a Gnosis Multi-Sig, that hold the DAOs funds in a safe manner

5. Compensation: Products, such as Coordinape, that help determine fair and equitable contribution for DAO members

In addition, there are several multi-tool frameworks, such as Aragon, that aim to provide most of these solutions in one product.

Let’s dive a bit deeper into some of these solutions… 👉