Vibe, an essential part of Web3

Author: Pingfeng & Wu Liumu, The SeeDAO

The SeeDAO Translation Guild really loves this article. Based on our series of practices, we deeply feel that Vibe is something more important than financial tools like Tokens and all DAO collaboration tools. It is the soul inherent in a DAO, the soil that allows the seeds of creativity to grow into flowers, and the reason why members within the DAO are willing to accompany the organization in its growth.

In the world of Web3, we need both technology and warmth. We hope that more DAOs and Web3 tools can find their own Vibe! "Have you heard of Vibe wind?" If you are a player in the trend circle, you may have heard of or even followed this trend in the past two years.

Veteran players in the trend circle believe that the essence of Vibe lies in casualness; wearing items depends only on the most comfortable aspect of your personal aesthetics. Once you fall into the routine of searching for "oxidized shoe soles," it becomes a deliberately stiff pose, losing the true relaxed and casual Vibe. The way you deliberately maintain is the greatest contradiction to the spirit of "Vibe."

Clearly, keywords like casualness, comfort, ease, and naturalness are the most important core of Vibe.

In Web3, we also see the shadow of Vibe. Through observations of various DAOs and our own experiences, we gradually discover the importance of Vibe. In this article, we attempt to understand Vibe through observations of some DAOs, and we welcome you to discuss with us.

Trevor, the founder of FWB, said in an interview with The New York Times that what people can get in FWB is Vibe, and tokens reflect the value of Vibe. As one of the most iconic DAOs in Web3, FWB is undoubtedly the DAO that practices "Vibe wind" most thoroughly in Web3. So what exactly is Vibe?

What is Vibe

What is Vibe? It seems like it is akin to a piece of art; we find it difficult to provide an accurate and official definition, but we try to understand it from several aspects.

Vibe literally translates to "resonance, atmosphere, induction." I believe that in the Chinese context, "resonance" best conveys this state. In a physical sense, "resonance" refers to the phenomenon where an object produces sound due to vibration; on a spiritual level, it refers to the emotional connection generated by mutual influence of thoughts or feelings.

Both aspects reflect **a characteristic of Vibe: ** harmony/unity, whether it occurs between two people or a large group; regardless of how long this phenomenon or state lasts. As long as a person's emotional state or an environmental atmosphere can be conveyed to others and felt by them, Vibe is created.

Vibe is a neutral term. We cannot deny that before a few bad actors do bad things, they can also generate a kind of Vibe among themselves, even if it may be evil. The group of "Shamate" non-mainstream individuals in the early 21st century also generated a Vibe, which was sad and complex.

Vibe can be both a noun and a verb. For example, in the development of Shamate, more and more members were Vibe-ed into this tribe and engaged in activities with consistent behavior, although ultimately their beauty faded because it was hard to be accepted by the mainstream world.

Vibe, as an emotional atmosphere, has varying levels of intensity. When the intensity is particularly high, it can turn into a grand celebration that is visibly infectious to outsiders. Memes are a typical representative of this, often stimulating people to act in ways beyond rationality. When the intensity is relatively low, it may manifest as scattered discussions.

The duration of a Vibe's existence also varies; memes usually come and go quickly. Perhaps you still remember that Vietnamese guy's NFT. Of course, some Vibes are cherished and continuously maintained, like the Vibe of FWB.

But no matter what form it takes, it is an indispensable element of DAOs and even the entire Web3.

Why is Vibe so Important

Veteran DAO player Wang Chao (Twitter @cwweb3) previously searched for the keyword "Vibe" in several popular DAO communities and found the frequency of the term's appearance ranked as follows: Frequency ranking BAYC (6000+) > FWB (4000+) >

Mfers (2000+) > BanklessDAO (800+) >

DeveloperDAO (600+) > MirrorDAO (11+) The common characteristic of these communities is that they are all content or culture-driven DAOs. Compared to DeFi DAOs, the role of Vibe in these communities is more critical.

Interestingly, we found that the frequency of Vibe's appearance in communities seems to be positively correlated with the community's productivity, vitality, and sustainable creativity. Of course, the high frequency of the term Vibe is not a necessary condition for a DAO's successful development, but the emergence of Vibe is.

For DAO/Web3 communities, people are the soul of community development. Maslow's hierarchy of needs tells us that after meeting basic needs such as physiological and safety needs, people often begin to seek love/belonging, respect, and self-actualization. Humans are social animals with a need to be accepted by society and specific groups, which is also the sense of security many people are looking for.

A community's Vibe, an atmosphere that aligns with its temperament and feels familiar, can serve as a protective medium for individuals, allowing them to feel comfortable in such an environment. This medium also acts as a glue that connects people, what could be more important for a community than fostering connections? Maslow's hierarchy of needs Simply creating connections is not enough; a weak connection may be diluted over time or damaged maliciously; but this connection is a prerequisite for a community to generate value.

In modern society, we often need collaboration to accomplish tasks and goals, and the same is true in DAOs. The initial role of community Vibe is to bring like-minded people together. As time passes, the increase in numbers and, more importantly, the increase in Vibe intensity leads to the emergence of expressive impulses and inspirations for action.

Just like ancient people chatting, when the conversation is particularly enjoyable, they start to write poetry; or like many wealthy individuals, once they have money, they wear various luxury brands to express themselves. It seems that we can never escape the shackles of human nature. Setting aside intelligence and ability, practice has also proven that the more people appreciate each other and share similar vibes, the better they can collaborate.

Of course, the most critical aspect of Vibe is that it represents the unique spirit and temperament of a community, and it is also one of the indicators of whether a DAO community can be sustainable. It is like a piece of art and has different levels. We can draw a parallel to Dana's analysis of art appreciation in "Philosophy of Art." The purpose of a work of art is to make a significant feature dominate everything. And clearly, there are many kinds of features in things; it is precisely those features that are not easily changeable, profound, inherent, and fundamental, which belong to the characteristics of elements or materials that are more stable and advanced than those superficial, external, derived, and interspersed with other features, which are merely coordinated or arranged characteristics. " We can intuitively feel the Vibe expressed by different communities. Those that do well, content or culture-driven communities, have captured some of the most essential spiritual expressions of humanity. Whether it is the pursuit of beauty or the aversion to ugliness, or the confusion of life, a kind of vanity. Beneath the seemingly hollow beauty and ugliness lies a similar spiritual core that most people possess, and communities that emanate such Vibe often have strong vitality because they resonate with everyone.

On the other hand, there are communities that reflect superficial and derived characteristics, the most representative being those copycat projects. Of course, there are many forms of expression beyond the core, just as works that praise love can be novels, poetry, or music. Therefore, whether through visuals or music, they can all serve as products enhanced by Vibe.

For DAO/Web3 Communities

What Does Vibe Mean

We can look at the significance of Vibe for communities from both the conceptual and executional aspects, which can be simply compared to the strategy and tactics of Web2, except that Web3 generally occurs from the bottom up.

On the conceptual level, we have already mentioned its importance; Vibe, as the spiritual temperament of the community, not only brings a sense of security to community members but also complements the sedimentation of community culture. However, it is definitely not within the framework of corporate culture.

Corporate culture is top-down; it exists for the products and services of the enterprise, not to stimulate employees' creativity or satisfy their self-actualization. Vibe carries a characteristic that corporate culture cannot satisfy: respecting each person's uniqueness rather than forcibly fitting people into a specific mold.

On the execution level, what role does Vibe play? I think there are at least the following points. ✓ Focus of Mechanism Design In fact, I believe that the entire Vibe of Web3 already exists, which is the atmosphere of freedom, fairness, and openness felt by people in Web3. And people are the generators of Web3 Vibe. This undoubtedly points us to an important action guideline: from the design of the entire system's economic mechanism to the onboarding process and voting process, everything is to meet the needs and welfare of the majority of community members; otherwise, community members will quickly feel like mere tools and may soon leave due to feeling out of place in the community. ✓ Catalyst for Events Although memes often seem to be just for hype and filled with bubbles, it must be said that their power is strong, often forcing people to participate with a sweeping momentum.

Bubbles are often a necessary path for new things.

Gartner's technology maturity curve illustrates this process well. Reflecting on the scenarios where communities decide what to do, we can feel that Vibe; many inspirations come from the fermentation of emotions, and when the Vibe intensity reaches a certain level, many people will jump out and eagerly try, leading to real execution. Gartner Technology Maturity Curve ✓ Lubricant for Friction Although good communities can exhibit a high degree of unity and high concentration of Vibe, everyone has their own personality and characteristics, as well as different expertise and abilities. In community collaboration, friction is inevitable. At this time, there is no leader to coordinate, and besides testing individuals' initiative in problem-solving, Vibe can also play a significant role.

Just like in the Web3 podcast "Casual Door," we may have different viewpoints and ideas about a matter, but even if we argue fiercely about one thing, we believe we will reach a consensus at a higher level, stemming from a unified value system. Many times, this unity is strengthened in the excitement of "Ah, yes, that's it." Finally, a bull market is the best time to feel Vibe, but a bear market is the best time to test whether a Vibe is high-level.

What Are the Ways Vibe is Generated

In the first episode of the Web3 podcast "Casual Door," we discussed two modes of launching a DAO, which I think are also very appropriate for explaining the formation of Vibe. 01. First, a centralized organization, then forming a DAO based on it In this case, the methods can be diverse.

For example, the brand is shared but the organization is independent. Taking Bankless and BanklessDAO as an example, both exist independently; BanklessDAO simply launches the DAO through the Bankless brand.

Alternatively, the centralized organization itself becomes part of the DAO. For instance, the Gitcoin team has already become part of GitcoinDAO. In this mode, the generation and establishment of the original Vibe depend on the founding team, which may only occur among a few people who have a tacit understanding. 02. First, a goal or idea, then forming a DAO based on it In this mode, there needs to be a specific goal or creative inspiration (at this point, there is no Vibe), and then the DAO form is used to achieve goals that cannot be accomplished within the existing organizational framework.

Taking ConstitutionDAO as an example, the entry threshold is particularly low, and the goals and ideas are very clear, thus quickly gathering a large crowd and generating a wide-ranging Vibe.

What Behaviors Can Weaken Vibe

Forming Vibe is not easy, but destroying Vibe is quite effortless. Opaque information decision-making and unfair distribution of benefits can cause a DAO to collapse at any time. We only provide some perspectives for community builders as references. ✗ Technocracy Technocracy, also known as "rule by experts," can be understood through a scenario: almost all DAOs have technocracy, even some that currently seem very successful, where a small group of people has a huge influence on proposals and decisions.

Technocracy is a manifestation of centralization at the social/cultural level, and such centralization is not conducive to the formation of Vibe or the promotion of DAO development. Vibe needs a group of people to resonate; if a community only represents the subjective will of one or a small number of people without conveying and infecting other community members, it naturally cannot Vibe. A typical example is the "JUST DAO IT" model.

The "JUST DAO IT" model can quickly build the appearance of a DAO in the short term, with a community, tokens, and an economic model, but it is usually impressive on the surface while weak underneath.

In reality, cases that eliminate technocracy happen to follow the model of "first building a center/forming a core, then decentralizing."

For example, Gitcoin and TEC DAO share a common point: they spend at least a year preparing to become a DAO. This ample time helps community members fully understand the community or product and even collide to establish the organization's vision/mission/values, building "cultural resilience," trust, and resonance among people.

Only like-minded individuals, combined with the barrier of time, can form the soul of the community—Vibe. Vibe is an organic vitality that allows the community to develop sustainably, similar to the community finding its Shearing Point state. ✗ Capital Shock Capital shock refers to excessive profit-seeking behavior and the introduction of external capital when the community has not yet formed a strong Vibe and productivity has not yet manifested, thus negatively impacting governance and even the economic model.

DevDAO
In early March this year, DeveloperDAO planned to hold a community meeting to discuss the distribution of rewards for early contributors. Due to the involvement of benefit distribution, many people showed great enthusiasm, which is understandable since they are stakeholders, but the obvious contrast is that the community was almost silent beforehand?!

The competition and scramble for benefits led many to vote aggressively; fundamentally, this easily breeds collusion, manipulation, and other dark behaviors. Moreover, when rational discussion is needed, most people have already lost patience and confidence; on the surface, this damages the community's image, making outsiders see the ideals and beliefs that are usually promoted as merely a cover for money-making purposes.

Juicebox

Juicebox, which became famous thanks to People, was overwhelmed by a group of coin speculators. The Vibe established by People seemed to transform overnight into the aura of wealth, and the idealistic Vibe was completely lost, and it has not recovered to this day; niche communities cannot bear it.

Mirror
"The Mirror Chinese channel had a great atmosphere during the first wave of entry, but later, when big influencers came in to talk about coin prices, the Vibe immediately changed. It wasn't until Mirror explicitly rejected articles about coin speculation and whitelists that the situation improved." This is the candid admission of an eyewitness.

For ordinary DeFi protocols, users brush data, project parties need data, and capital parties pursue fame and profit, each taking what they need. However, for DAOs, playing this way can lead to disaster. ✗ Malicious Invasion/Damage Have you noticed that before entering a community on Discord, there is an important step: confirming not to do anything that violates community fairness or disrupts order.

I see some Refi communities also mention that if you do not agree or are not optimistic about whether crypto can help solve climate change, it is recommended that you do not enter the community.

Initially, I scoffed at such regulations; are we not allowed to question? Later, I realized that the power of language is too strong. For a community that has just started and has not yet experienced hardships, even a single voice of doubt can lead to disaster, let alone if it is due to some malicious individuals deliberately stirring trouble.

In 2018, the DAOONE community we were part of eventually disbanded, to some extent, due to invasion and damage. Constant questioning of some contributors' motives/abilities coincided with issues of insufficient information disclosure, shaking the fundamental trust among community members. A sense of doubt, disappointment, and sadness began to spread, and some promising projects were shelved until the community completely stalled.

The styles of different communities can be very different; people in BanklessDAO may always be diligently working, while most people in FWB may be casually chatting before quietly getting things done, and Gitcoin people may be shouting slogans while getting things done. However, no DAO can move forward while questioning itself. ✗ Lack of Positive Cycles As we mentioned in the podcast, although to outsiders, people in FWB seem to be idle every day, behind the scenes, they are continuously strengthening their connections through IRL activities, thinking about opening coffee shops, and forming groups for NFT investments, etc.

Self-actualization requires tangible value activities as support, which can include community event planning, content output, project management, creative design, investment, etc.

Vibe is continuously released in the process of these activities, the community's vitality is constantly strengthened, individual value is continuously discovered, and material and spiritual aspects merge in a spiraling ascent.

In contrast, some communities focus solely on wealth codes, while others are only about slogans and beliefs. Humans are extremely complex animals; they are fickle, greedy, desire both material and spiritual fulfillment, and they also detest risk and pursue stability. So can we have a Möbius strip? One that can be played with indefinitely! ●○ Finally, I wish everyone can find their favorite Vibe in Web3 and live a casual, comfortable, and free Web3 life!