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tags: onboarding, Otterspace
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# OtterSpace to Help Facilitate Better Onboarding UX ?
#### [First take a look at Otter space](https://app.pitch.com/app/presentation/6bdede7b-e5ad-4a0c-92eb-23800f3d03dc/203da152-e20b-49a8-87ed-7aec69118890) 👈 Deck
tl;dr - otterspace is an onboarding tool created for DAOs to help facilitate a more seamless onboarding experience specifically for new members onboarding into discord.
There are several problems we could solve by using OtterSpace to help users onboard to our discord.
First I will take you through each of the problems sequentially, and after I will attempt to prescribe some solutions helping to alleviate the major pain points that I have identified.
The output of this discovery will provide DAOhaus with a solution to the first step in onboarding new users, with a second order benefit of addressing additional factors causing unwanted friction in the onboarding/discord user flow.
::: spoiler **Problem(s)** for When a User Joins the discord
- <u>#welcome</u> message legibility is not great without any clear grouping of information, bolding, or bullet points to offer organization

- There is no pre-screening or set of **actions that the user is required** to take before they get added to the list of general channels.
- *New joiners only have to use the Castle 🏰 emoji with CarlBot verifying they have "read the rule", not explicitly identifying what the rule is.*

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- [`#gate-haus`](https://discord.com/channels/709210493549674598/709210493985751070/746733768500576297) pinned message is outdated
- new joiners are asked to check out [#haus-roles]() without much context given for why they would want to add a role to their avatar in the first place.
- new joiners do not get a lot out of the general channels as the majority of important discussions remain contained to the [tracks](), circles, or warcamp channels.
- currently engaging new joiners requires a lot of upfront effort. Without someone to consistently engage them, there is no way to ensure that the first touch for new joiners is a really good one.
- there is no mechanism to easily distribute roles automatically based off some action taken inside of discord
- discord does not provide an admin dashboard that utilizes web3 auth to manage discord roles and preliminary onboarding.
:::
::: spoiler **DAOhaus** **Solution(s)** -
- Enable `Welcome action Message` that asks users to verify that they have:
1. read our Manifesto
2. Code of Conduct
3. Introduce token
4. Learned about Tracks

- After preceeding step is complete, send individual to select their roles within DAOhaus. Carlbot permissions access to relevant channels based on roles selection.
- Create a channel for introductions where access is permitted only after new joiners introduce themselves telling us:
- What would you like us to know about you or your project?
- What brings you to DAOhaus?
- Who or what helped you to find us?
:::
::: spoiler **Otterspace Solution**
*Note - each of the following steps is configurable through the otterspace admin dashboard that connects to your web3 wallet.*
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- Utilize **otterspace** to provide users with context ahead of joining the discord, requiring that the user take certain actions in the otterspace dapp
1. Reading the DAOhaus Manifesto
2. Connecting wallet to the discord
3. Signing code of conduct
4. Buying tokens
5. Selecting "role"
- After having done each of the above steps, you earn a Badge granting you Level-1 access in the discord. What's even cooler, the Badge is an NFT that can be brought with you wherever you and your wallet go.
> []depening on what chain the NFT is on, it may be easier to do POAPs. really like the idea of some type of on-chain badging here to help people build their web3 resumes
Badge

To gain access to Level-2, new members will have to:
1. Provide their nickname
2. Introduce themselves in the discord
3. Follow the DAOhaus twitter
4. Subscirbe to the newsletter
5. complete any additional steps that we would like to add to the flow.
What is really neat about otterspace is each of these blocks are configurable. Additionally otterspace comes with a bot that can check for "templates" where if a user introduces themselves in the discord using our template we can check 1-for-1 if they have completed that step, enabling us to grant the Level-2 role permissionlessly for contributors using the otter member role NFTs.
This could drive implications for how we decide to permission access to other roles within the DAOhaus discord.
:::
### The Crux of Onboarding - Permissions and Access
There have been several revolving discussions about how to better engage new community members interested in getting involved in both the DAOhaus ecosystem and Warcamp.
DAOhaus unlike many communties across the web3 space has a **real product**, **real contributors**, and a **real supporter base** through its community!
There is an opportunity and challenge to convey to new contributors the culture of trust that we have cultivated through building the DAOhaus product and supporting the DAO ecosystem.
Trust is the key to onboarding new contributors, where I propose a **connector** role that any Warcamp member can fill to facilitate a buddy-system and better onboarding UX within the Haus.
**Connectors** are accountable to Warcamp and relied on to bring only the best and most aligned contributors into DAOhaus. Connectors will be provided a **"trust-checklist"** that can be used to determine whether or not a new contributor could be a good fit for Warcamp.
**Connectors** have a strong sense of the relationships across DAOhaus and Warcamp, offering new contributors the best insight into the opportunties and connections possibly available to them. They serve a crucial function helping the new member get acquainted and connected in the HAUS.
A breakdown of the flow is as follows:
After a new discord member has filled out the role(s) that he or she would like to fill (summoner, supporter, contributor, scholar)
- Member gains access, have a **connector** ready to receive the new community member into the discord. If possible, surface a DAOhaus calendly to setup a 1-on-1 with an existing Warcamp memeber or connector.
- Share community links (Haus Party, Open Haus, Summoners Workshop) inviting the new member to particpate in the human elements of DAOhaus.
- During the 1-on-1 with the new member, [take notes!](https://hackmd.io/EVZYH_9hRD-jgs2gagjXJg?both)
- After the meeting establish communications with the new contributor, help provide the resources needed to complete their first task.
- Then fill out the **"trust-checklist"**
- [x] - complete 1-on-1
- [x] - complete task
- [x] - know someone/connected with a Warcamper (friend/family/mutual-friend)
- [x] - have a portfolio of work
- [x] - shows alignment with project (contribution, HAUS holder, tweets, articles, etc.)
- [x] - provides valuable feedback on app (shows positive intent)
- [x] - other (add yours here?)
- A new contributor should have to meet **at least three** of the checkboxes, with the first two checkboxes in the list being mandatory.
- If the new contributor has checked off three of the boxes including the first two, then the connector invites them into the circle they want to contribute to.
- Connector helps to find the new contributor a buddy, or an assortment of buddies to stay connected with that can help them find their way in the Haus.
- After invited to circle, new contributor is invited to join circle meeting to see if there is continued aligment and interest in contributing to DAOhaus.
- If new contributor continues to show interest, picking up work along the way then there is a determination through soft-consensus by the group or approval from circle leaders to give the new contributor access to the `Warcamp-temp` role which offers time-limited access to the internal conversations and developments of `Warcamp` for up to 60-days - allowing the new contributor to:
1. prove they are aligned, have good character, and are competent
2. prove they can add value
3. decide if contributing at DAOhaus is the right fit
4. earn HAUS in coordinape for staking in WC
5. gain deeper understanding of DAOhaus internal dynamics and form relationships with Warcamp contributors
This system of onboarding new contributors into Warcamp would compliment the existing onboarding structure while preserving the benefits of process minimization.
It would allow the human element and trust factor in onboarding to play a crucial role, without overburdening the contributor or the connector with unneccessary processes.
I encourage everyone who reads this proposal to try and introduce adaptations where you feel it warrented, providing some context to why those changes should be made so we can collectively progress and discern the best model for onboarding into the Haus!
Thanks everyone!
### How are we tracking this?
- Connector Role
### Community Onboarding
- tool
- process/user journey
- more clarity & focus will help with definiing the user journey & persona
- if the journey isn't in the tool, then we probably won't be fixing anything
-
### Contributor Onboarding
### Onboarding Journey
tl;dr: If taekikz didn't tell me about DAOhaus while I was interviewing him, I would not have found DAOhaus. If I did find DAOhaus on my own, I likely would not have tried to contribute despite an easy process for getting started.
I started out on the DAOhaus website and the above the fold told me nothing about what DAOhaus does or why I should join/use it.
* I'd be highly likely to bounce here
Next, I navigated to the user docs which is where I first figured out what exactly DAOhaus is, but information is quite sparce on why I should care, or what a Moloch is.
* I'm not interested in trying to read about Moloch. Tell me what it is.
Then I checked the "What is Moloch" section and it was also sparce.
* Again, not interested in clicking and reading about it, tell me what it is in plain English
Decided it was time to navigate to the Discord. DAOhaus welcome message is pretty outdated and lacked visual appeal. It was still pretty straight forward
* I'm pretty used to bolding/italics/emojis in welcome messages just to make it easier to skim and parse to find what you want
Selected roles and dropped into the contributor section which was super easy. Visually wasn't great, but easy to get started.
* Again, was just looking for more visuals here
Getting started with the first contribution through the github is a place I 100% would've churned if I was just exploring.
* Github is not ideal for me (I've used it, but it is not my prefered method for writing) and many new DAO contributors and writers likely do not know how to use this. I had to create a new account and figure out the whole pull request. This is definitely a point of friction.
Jumping forward into onboarding. LOTS of resources and it's pretty overwhelming. As someone ramping up contributing, I entirely debated if this was worth my time.
* This would be another churn point for me. I considered not trying to onboard given the amount of reading that was required
Going through the resources, there was some philosophical talk that I entirely skipped and just didn't want to read. As a contributor, give me the pertinent details and what I need to know asap.
* I understand the importance of philosophy of DAOs, decentralization and moloch, but I want to get the pertinents quickly. People are so used to Twitter threads and social media, that it's gotta be quick or they're churning out
In terms of Discord, I'm a native and used it for gaming a long time ago. It's not overwhelming for me and I'm an aggressive muter of all things.
* If I were new to Discord, I would be very overwhelmed by all the channels. It'd be very hard to navigate and figure out where to participate
Some other general observations as I'm onboarding in as a contributor:
* This feels like a very developer first DAO in terms of onboarding materials and the welcome + contributor start discord messages.
* DAOhaus branding / website look and feel (fun, energetic) do not align with docs. Docs are quite dry and don't have any fun in them
* Docs (user + handbook) feel like they expect me, the reader (potential user/contributor) to take the initiative to search for information. In many cases, I'd rather just churn out and find another DAO to contribute to.