Introduction
This case study outlines how JUP & JUICE successfully:
- Obtained 3 grants prior to formalizing the grants system
- Took autonomous action to further the Jupiverse
- Served as an ideal template for how to work with the Jupiter DAO and Web3 as a whole.
Through example, people will better understand how to orient themselves and become contributing members of the Jupiter DAO; potentially becoming more aligned towards the skillsets needed to become a work group.
Over the last 5 months, JUP & JUICE, formerly known as the proposed âVoter Empowerment Work Groupâ has soft-pivoted, hard-pivoted, and re-focused themselves time and time again.
The went from initially being skeptics of the DAO & the existing work groups to being among the most valuable and active members of the Jupiter DAO. They now have their sights set on becoming a trial work group.
JUP & JUICE are the first major case study in the work group evolution process: unintentionally leading by example. Many of the learnings and processes that they experienced have influenced the design of the formal grants process hypothesis, which was voted and ratified by the DAO a week ago.
Wake, Sax, & Irish have remained consistent in their productions with the JUP & JUICE podcast in addition to broadcasting other JupDAO events to Twitter with the JUICECAST, allowing formerly Discord-siloed events such as the CWG Office Hours to reach a broader and more diverse audience.
The group which has now relabeled itself as the JUP & JUICE Work Group (JJWG) plays a key role in amplifying the DAOâs presence and does so with excitement, flair, and attention to detail.
By serving as ambassadors to the wider community, the JJWG aims to facilitate a stronger âmiddle of the funnelâ effect to get more DAO members acquainted with the ongoing DAO processes that tend to take place mostly on Discord.
Background
Chapter 1: Origins
Wake and Sax, the founding members of the JJWG, joined the DAO after the initial Jupuary Airdrop of 2024.
Although initially vocal opponents of some of the DAO processes, instead of just voicing their disagreements they began the process of dissecting where and how they could contribute, before settling on a proposal termed the âVoter Empowerment Working Groupâ. Their ideation around the Voter Empowerment Work Group would serve as a prototype for what they would ultimately become.
It was here that they devised ways to get not only more active voter participation but more active voter education. The majority of their proposal revolved around supporting voters, verifying voter knowledge and addressing potential FUD vectors prior to votes.
The frustration they felt and publicly vocalized about votes & budgets, though some of it misinformed, drove them to want to make a change.
They proposed UI changes, created wireframes and prototypes, and suggested implementations such as Live Support and AI chatbots to assist voters. Though these ideas received a lukewarm response and were left largely unimplemented, they did not give up.
It is from there which they spent hours every day in voice chats, which allowed them to rapidly connect and foster relationships with a large cohort within the DAO, becoming almost household names within the Discord.
They worked to become Cats of Culture, feeling that this would help them garner the trust in the community and gain exposure to their ideas.
It is from there which they caught the attention of the CWG, the Jupiter Team, and the majority of active catdets.
This vocal surfacing of their passion, work ethic, and commitment to the DAO is what led them to finding Irish, as well as becoming extremely valuable community members.
They were quick to offer constructive opinions and solutions, and did not hesitate to voice counterpoints when they felt was necessary.
Meow: ââŚdisagreement is the lifeblood of the DAO.â
Chapter 2: Pivoting Amongst Problems
This journey however was not a simple or straight road. They encountered many issues and disappointments along the way.
In hindsight, for example, their initial proposal was not as well received as they had hoped.
Some of their proposed changes were far too ambitious and intrusive. They invested a lot of time in ideas that were simply not feasible on a meaningful timeframe and required too much lift from the existing Work Groups and Core Team.
Following these realization, the difficult decision to pivot to a more viable idea took place. Their goal was to create a more realistic proposal that could gain traction and have an impact without requiring major changes like altering the Jupiter voter UI.
Through experimentation, public work, and attending DAO events, Wake and Sax built strong connections within the DAO and were able to add Irish to the team at this time.
Wake and Sax then met up with KEMOSABE in London to chat JupDAO over pizza and tea. This was followed up by Planetary Call 19 in which Wake, Sax, and Irish attended an in-person event and Wake was pulled up on stage by Meow.
The event connected them with key people like Meow and Kash, which played a massive role in their future. Networking and understanding who your potential co-workers are is key to the DAO and also working in web3.
The group was then able to identify more obvious and pressing opportunities that were manageable in scope and promising in impact. An idea for a feasible WG that utilized their existing skills and personalities began to take shape.
Chapter 3: Juiced Up
Sax and Wake identified a gap in expanding the DAOâs reach beyond Discord.
At the time, DAO events were limited to Discord, and so was the internal culture. Not only that but most proposals were siloed to the Jup Research Forum.
There was a massive gap here that needed to be addressed.
While working publicly, the group learned that the Catdet WorkGroup planned on making a podcast themselves, but lacked the ability to proceed. After discussions, the JJWG decided that this task would be worth its own individuated pursuit.
The Catdet Group awarded the JJWG a $500 grant for equipment, which the JJWG supplemented with their own funds to purchase Shure MV7+ Microphones.
Although ready, there was still a hesitancy.
âWhat if we only have 8 people watching and theyâre all just friends of the DAO?â
Despite this, they decided to move forward with their plan.
The aim was to create an engaging brand that resonated with the values of the DAO, which reflected the DAO, and furthermore delivered high quality content which would be distinct from Uplink and the Planetary call.
After a successful pilot, Jup & Juice became a regular podcast which engaged the community and informed a broader audience about more of the ongoings within the DAO.
Although the podcast industry itself is booming, they are rarely utilized in the context of DAOs. Jup & Juice desired to put themselves at the forefront of this blatant opportunity to become a leader in the niche of DAO related podcast content.
Their streams to date have covered topics such as WG proposals, LFG proposals, Jupiter Product updates, Dao member stories and other crypto communities.
But one of the significant differences from uplink style content is the degree of intimacy. They will spend an entire hour long episode on 1 topic or proposal.
During the same time, they also launched JUICECAST, a broadcasting service that streams and records DAO events without needing the syncing and input form organizers, and further delivers upon the goal of informing voters within the DAO.
Evaluation of the Case
Success can be measured by the quality and consistency of the streams, the level of community engagement surrounding them and the impact these streams had on the communication and understanding within the DAO.
Another indicator of success is the ability to attract other communities to participate in streams, to allow the JJWG to serve as DAO ambassadors and help bring communities together.
The JJWG team has demonstrated an unusually high aptitude for public work, willingness to take risks and make sacrifices whilst also being self-starters that were receptive to feedback, embodying the principle of iterating for success.
Working within a DAO presents the unique challenge of answering to more than 1 boss, in fact, over 200,000 bosses. The dynamic of working in public, recognizing that you work not for a company, but a large body of DAO members did not dissuade them. JJWG demonstrated that they are comfortable, moreover thrive in this environment.
Following some successful JUP & JUICE episodes, the JJWG received their second grant; $1500 from the CWG. This was also used for important equipment and subscriptions. This grant helped secure a higher quality in the steams, and further allowed the team to build other products, such as JuiceCast. The grants given to the Jup&Juice team throughout their tenure of working for the DAO have been crucial for continued operations and improvements in quality and feel, while also serving as an important recognition from the DAO in regards to their efforts.
To date, the JJWG has received a total of 3 grants, 2 $500 grants from the CAWG and 1 $1500 grant from the CWG. They did not ask for these grants.
Conclusion
Although a ROI to the DAO is difficult to quantify, the JJWG feels that workgroups should have provable advantages â numerical or otherwise.
After extensive experimentation, the group identified several key outcomes they wish to pursue.
First: To keep DAO members informed, particularly those who are not Discord regulars. This involves several aspects of the DAO from events to culture to news.
Second: The group seeks to help mitigate, address and resolve any FUD that can arise from the fast-paced nature of the Jupiverse and play a role in ensuring that voices are not just educated, but also able to express themselves.
To achieve these goals, the JJWG has the longterm goals of scaling both the podcast and JUICECAST by consistently experimenting and delivering high quality content. In an ideal world, they want to become a trusted source of information, ambassadorship and a pillar both inside and outside of the Jupvierse.
To date, JUICECAST has already provided a massive observable benefit, significantly boosting DAO event attendance by tapping into the twitter audience.
The JJWG aims to become a full fledged WG one day, first seeking to evolve to a Trial Working Group and becoming a lasting and integral part of the DAO.
Additionally, they aspire to serve, improve, and activate the DAO by supporting grantees, TWGs, and other WGs.
Recommendations
By taking action and continuously pivoting and reassessing, the JJWG helped to become a template for the future of the WG system. Below are some of the key lessons which they took away from their journey. They hope it will serve you well in your quest to work in the Jupiter DAO.
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Persistence is crucial: Success comes not from a single attempt, but from multiple continuous attempts over time & remaining committed despite the inevitable challenges and pivots you will encounter.
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Autonomy is the lifeblood of web3 work: Ideas are not as valuable as actions. Everyone has ideas, but execution has real-world obstacles which you must adapt to and overcome.
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Capturing community support was a long process, but one which the JJWG believes no prospective grantee or WG should neglect. It is at the heart of the WG system and not only should it not be overlooked â it cannot be overlooked.
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Being resilient is how you attain longevity: If something does not go your way, and I can assure you it wonât, you canât take it as the end. Pivot where you need to, take feedback seriously and use it to find your success.
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Public work is difficult and not meant for everyone: Some are accustomed to it and some will experience it for the first time. Regardless, part of this fear can be overcome with effort. But you should ultimately determine whether or not it is a good fit for you before making large commitments.
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Use the resources at your disposal, the DAO ultimately wants to help you. Thereâs the brand kit, the midjourney prompts, DAO events, Planetary calls, people with various expertise of all kinds all around you wanting to work together.
