Mindsets applied:

• Seek accord, not permission

• Decentralisation

• Fractalise

• Defenders’ Advantage

Small squads self-direct easily.

MakerDAO, Yearn, Synthetix have all seen some form of squads or working groups emerge. And a number of DAOs are now generating SubDAOs to manage specific resources.

The underlying reason is the same: smaller groups coordinate better and are more likely to get results.

The Curve Labs team explain how this is part of a bigger shift that DAOs are leading:

From the top-down, today’s DAO treasuries should distribute ownership — a.k.a. generously fund — many subsidiaries, while from the bottom-up, individual worker-owners should collectivize into effective working groups — squads, if you will. … with squads being both internal and independent entities that exist within and between DAOs.

So the DAOs that get things done are letting go of centralised power, allowing the individual squads to act independently, in many cases no longer reporting to or exclusively serving the host DAO.

Some common practices

• Squads form around projects (with one-time end results) or factories (to produce a similar output repeatedly)
• They set their own goals and communicate them outwards, taking responsibility for seeing projects through to results
• Squads are a maximum of 4-5 people to stay agile.
• Squads share responsibilities with each other practically - each decision is not put to consensus.
• Squads tend to have dedicated members, they are not permissionless to join though outsiders may help.
• Squads are functionally complete - their membership have the skills and experience to get the job done.
• Squad members pick their own tools. The organisation doesn’t force tools on them, but also nobody outside of the squad is expected to use the tools the squad uses.
• Each squad member holds themselves accountable. The best thing about no manager is also the worst – there’s nobody there the chase you.