Raid Guild onboarding review

In which gallant squire HHH (S3 Cohort) goes through a bunch of documents and links to find out what they* are doing for onboarding, and returns with comments on what Raid Guild does/could/should/oughta do during onboarding.

*they being CabinDAO, Bankless, FWB, Forefront, Superteam, amongst others

With assistance/resources/links/orders from fellow S3 Cohort members govinda, gaia dadabit, BorrowLucid, uschtwill, others.

See Raid Guild Projects > Onboarding for the notes and list of resources that this review is based on.

Conclusion

Providing extra resources during onboarding / pre-onboarding would help align expectations of those being onboarded, and reduce the workload of those in charge of onboarding.

Align expectations—When is the next cohort; what should I do while I wait for the next cohort; what do I need to do during onboarding; what's the path to membership.

Reduce workload for those in charge of onboarding/tavern-keeping—expect fewer repetitive questions in Discord channels as key info can be provided in documents; resources can be reused or trivially updated for successive cohorts.

Recommendations

1. Easy to do

Use pinned posts in Discord channels to provide links to more information about onboarding and Raid Guild in general

  • Why pin posts with links to more info? Newly joined people ask the same questions over and over.
    • A bot could be used to post a "Check the pinned post for more info" message.
    • If there is a gap between cohorts and prospective members do not receive information they may assume that nothing is happening in Raid Guild DAO, and quit.
  • e.g. in the season-X channel, a pinned post has a link to the calendar, FAQ, and various How-To docs.
  • e.g. in the tavern channel, or a start-here channel: "Next cohort begins X date" / "Prepare by reading all this"

Example pinned post from Superteam
Example pinned post from Superteam DAO.

2. Will take some time to finish

Collate and fact-check all that extra information about onboarding and Raid Guild in general

  • Why collate and fact-check the extra information? Once organised and typed out, the key info can be put online and all in one place. People with questions can visit the Raid Guild library to search for answers on their own before posting in Discord channels
  • The S3 apprentice onboarding project has produced 99% (non-scientific calculation) of the FAQs/How-To/Calendar documentation required for successful onboarding.
    • Useful additions to existing documentation include an organisation chart, an outline of contribution zones and how to contribute, and information about how contributions to work may be made by Cohorts who are not yet Raid Guild members.
  • To keep information fresh and up to date would require ongoing work.

Clarification on Raid Guild roles and path to membership

  • Why should Raid Guild roles and path to membership be clarified?
    Clarification would help manage the expectations of prospective members. Those who can make the commitment will self-select and continue; others may drop out early and make way for those who are a better fit for Raid Guild.
  • Currently the apparent roles in Raid Guild are members and non-members (not to be confused with skills, e.g. Paladin/Warrior/etc). Non-members include cohort/apprentices and those-yet-to-be-onboarded AKA lurkers.
  • The current path to Raid Guild membership appears to be:
    1. Sign up for onboarding
    2. Progress through onboarding
    3. ??? A member sponsors your membership proposal and it passes
    4. Profit You are now a member
  • Are prospective members aware of that path, and can Cohort/Apprentices contribute to (paid) Raid Guild work if not a full member?

Notes on onboarding

(In no particular order. Potentially useful additions to RG onboarding are highlighted. Resources used for the review can be found at Raid Guild Projects > Onboarding.

What RG yes/no? Notes and comments
The steps to get on board are clear S3 apprentice onboarding work in progress An outline of the onboarding process is available and easily found, so people can find their way to success. See a sample calendar.
Onboarding flow Yes Access: raidguild.org/join, Discord invite.
Informing: lurk in the Discord, introduce self and skills.
Iterating: go through onboarding, contribute more or less.
(Ref. Bankless DAO onboarding)
DAO has a clear org chart No An org chart shows where/how you could fit in, what you could aim for as a contributor. The Friends With Benefits DAO org chart shows how working groups interact and where they draw participants from.
The Forefront DAO org chart shows contribution zones for Staff, Core, and Casual members.
Very helpful way of looking at different kinds of members, and for prospects to see where they might fit in
Contribution zones are recognised ? "Instead of distinct jobs and activities, the DAO operates with a member-led process based on commitment and investment level." ref. Forefront Dao
Very helpful way of looking at different kinds of members, and for prospects to see where they might fit in
The DAO has a clear mission statement Yes "Slay your web3 demons"
"We believe that DAOs will power the future of work. […], we assembled a fellowship of the best builders, designers and hustlers in the space in order to make this future a reality."
"RaidGuild is the premier design and dev agency of the Web3 ecosystem."
Roles are clear, progression between roles is clear, top contributors are recognised RG has Apprentice/Cohort and Member These roles are distinct from RG skills (Paladin/Scribe/etc). SuperTeam DAO identifies Lurker, Member, Core Contributor.
Could RG identify more roles and a progression between roles e.g. Lurker -> Pre-onboarding -> Currently onboarding -> onboarded-but-not-yet-a-member (apprentice?) -> Member vs. Active/Involved/Core Member.
Very helpful way of looking at different kinds of members
SuperTeam DAO Connecting the DAOts article
Onboarding in cohorts Yes Onboarding as a cohort helps you make connections in the DAO by way of a shared experience
Guide to getting started S3 apprentice onboarding work in progress Prospective members can see how they can make a contribution to work in the DAO
Verify commitment Yes Keep out bots/spammers
Welcome newcomers Yes but minimal Reply to questions from lurkers or they may quit before their cohort begins
Buddy system Cohort-based, onboarder is the buddy? Nice to have, but also a lot of work?
Provide playbooks S3 apprentice onboarding work in progress "Playbooks are short onboarding and skill-building guides" ref. MetaGame Playbooks
RG has FAQs and the beginning of How-To documentation as part of an S3 cohort RIP
Expectation for contributions are clearly communicated Yes Onboarding and handbook mention that high standards of work are expected at RG
Low-stakes ways to make contributions are available Yes Some people don't have abundant free time due to other commitments but would like to get involved. Making some small contributions might be a step on the way to larger contributions in the future.
Invest in education and resources S3 apprentice onboarding work in progress New members can quickly orient themselves
Members have updated info about what's happening.
Offboarding process ? What triggers a kick?
Select a repo