gm Good Contributors! 👋🏼
There's a common belief that DAOs are ineffective.
When faced with this, I usually point out that Web3 technology hasn't yet reached its full potential.
But the counterargument is that it's the decentralized and democratic governance model itself that's flawed.
To challenge this viewpoint, I´ll start to refer them to the Mondragon Corporation, a shining “real” example of how community involvement can elevate a business to new heights.
Let 's dive in!
📈 DAOs Market Brief
💊What is Mondragon Corporation?
Mondragon Corporation, started in 1956, is a federation of worker cooperatives based in the Basque region of Spain. It's one of the world's largest and most significant cooperatives, known for its unique business model and approach to work.
The corporation is composed of 81 cooperatives, 8 foundations, 1 mutual, 12 R&D centers, 4 educational centers, and 104 international locations, distributed across four areas: finance, industry, retail, and knowledge. ( This remind me: Why and How we SubDAO )
With over 75,000 employees and revenues exceeding €12 billion, it's evident that Mondragon Corporation is a resounding success and a model for DAOs.
Check this video to understand What Mondragon Corporation does.
For this article, I definitely need to give credit to Dr. Igor Calzada, because it was after watching his workshop that I started to learn more.
Other Successful Cooperative Examples Worldwide
Global cooperatives are thriving across sectors, showcasing the model's success:
UK's Co-op: A vast consumer cooperative, excelling in supermarkets, funeral services, and insurance, with a focus on sustainability.
France's Credit Agricole: A key cooperative bank supporting agriculture, offering diverse banking services.
Germany's REWE Group: A leading retail and tourism cooperative, known for sustainable, organic products in its supermarket chain.
Netherlands' Rabobank: Began in agriculture, now a comprehensive bank prioritizing sustainability.
USA's Land O'Lakes: A top agricultural cooperative, famous for dairy, serving a wide farmer base.
Co-Ops: The “Grandparent of DAOs”
DAOs have the capacity to reshape the cooperative landscape in profound ways over the coming decade.
The potential of DAOs in transforming cooperatives is vast and multifaceted. From governance to transparency, global reach to financial innovation, automation to security, and the exploration of new business avenues.
Think about it. A cooperative is “an autonomous association of people united to meet common economic, social, and cultural needs through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.”
Oh! It sounds like a rather accurate definition of a DAO.
Now, picture the evolving landscape of the internet, transitioning into Web3, and voila!
But this shift to DAOs represents not just a tech upgrade but also a cultural shift towards openness, inclusivity, and global collaboration.
After this week, I've come to a conclusion: Co-Ops and DAOs have a lot to learn from each other, much like a grandparent and their grandchild.
✅DAO to check
The word Opolis is derived from the Greek words “Opus”, which means “work” and “Polis”, which means “community” or “city”; Opolis is “Work City”, a member-owned digital employment cooperative and DAO created by independents for independents.
Follow them on X: https://twitter.com/opolis
👀 Recommendation
The Web3 Citizen Guide is a comprehensive guide that focuses on the structure and function of DAOs. This guide offers:
Overview of DAOs: Their purpose and structure.
Contribution Pathways: How to participate in DAOs.
Governance Proposals: Decision-making processes in DAOs.
Decentralized Structures: The non-centralized nature of DAOs
This guide is especially useful for those who are new to the concept of DAOs or the broader Web3 ecosystem. It aims to bridge the gap between basic understanding and more advanced knowledge, enabling people to participate meaningfully in these digital communities
Thanks Angela for sharing with me!
😆 Chippi´s corner
I unpacked a lot from this piece✨