Foundations exist to serve their users and potential future users and to provide services that satisfy their needs as completely as possible. Note that users in the context of Obscuro are application builders. Well-run Foundations try continuously to improve their services in ways that have a direct, positive impact on the lives of users, exploring a variety of ideas and methods to achieve this.
Many Foundations involve users in the effort to improve services. The term ‘user involvement’ describes the whole range of practical ways in which users’ views and preferences can be sought and their influence brought to bear on a project’s services.
User involvement might include:
- informal discussions with users about Obscuro
- regular user consultation groups and questionnaires on Obscuro features provided
- formal or informal input by users through sub-committees or user groups
- a Foundation body made up partly of users and partly of non-users
- a Foundation body made up totally of users
There is no ‘best’ form of user involvement. It is a matter of deciding what is most suitable for a particular Foundation and project and its users at any one time. A large number of factors can influence the suitability of different forms of user involvement, for example:
- the identity, wishes and skills of the users
- the type of features Obscuro provides
- Obscuro's stage of development
- the Foundation’s ethos and its attitude to change
- the requirements of investors and the community
- the practices of similar Foundations
- the changing macro environment, for example regulatory change
- Establish specific committees to which the Foundation Board can delegate some decision-making powers. This can help with specialisation so the Board does not have to be an expert on all things, for example, regulatory regimes or tokenomics.
- Each Board member has one vote.
- Avoid one token = one governance vote. Instead voting power should be based, in part, on the length of time a token has been held. The longer an individual holds an Obscuro token the more influence they can have.
- Board members need to be periodically renewed.
- Providing governance training could act as an incentive for community members to become Board members.
- To what extent do conflicts of interest need to be addressed?
- A useful reference doc Swiss Foundation Code which gives recommendations on establishing a Foundation.