# Beating the DAO Composability Paradox By [Appt Pupil](https://paragraph.com/@apptpupil) ยท 2022-09-17 --- Is there an inherent conflict between DAOs and composability? One enduring observation in traditional organizations is a concept known as [Conway's Law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway%27s_law). It's often colloquially referred to as "you ship your organization design". For instance, if you have four teams that are collaborating on a messaging app, it's likely that the messaging app will have four main components. This is because the build approach will likely involve dividing the work into four pieces and having each team work on one, then integrating the pieces to form the app. One of the promises of web3 is that the products built will be [composable](https://businesstechguides.co/why-composability-matters-for-web3). Each of them will be self-contained and can be easily used as building blocks for any other product. The [promise](https://mirror.xyz/apptpupil.eth/-UHmJ0TnYuUUmIZ49Q-nXpPZzhGaxWvjBbxnc4oK63c), among others, is that we can get the benefits of [scale](https://mirror.xyz/apptpupil.eth/u-2ZJ9kgx5BIiGUdLOrkqETWxL8nn-3RzYFbWIYXJX0) while still maintaining a high degree of flexibility. If we want products that are composable, though, then Conway's Law implies that the organizations creating those products also need to be composable. But the concept of DAOs for many people are that they obliterate boundaries and that everyone can (and should!) participate in as much or as little of the [DAO's activities](https://mirror.xyz/apptpupil.eth/1ecZAVZAvd5fe0yaXCH9NzqAwaV35jfqNSRimipzaU0) as they want. Quite the conflict! This is another reason why the pod concept resonates. Pods offer a primitive that could be used to help DAOs be as composable as the products that web3 demands. Of course, just throwing a bunch of pods at a DAO isn't going to make it composable. We have to design (and redesign) the structure of the pods in a way that supports the [adventure-vision](https://mirror.xyz/apptpupil.eth/fzqB3gwDoaknsbLSwU6CNZTcTBPb7o7rAKuVv5Z6quM). We also need to ensure an ability for DAOs to identify when they are better served by separating into multiple DAOs that can coordinate as needed, as well as forming partnerships with other DAOs that can help us be successful. This was one of many considerations when I designed [the playbook](https://mirror.xyz/apptpupil.eth/ZsR9Ev1kiZ132j4fb-qrVzuPOM0_TZN2iDBnJZMdCwo) - beating this paradox is vital for Web3 to achieve its full potential! \*\* This post is heavily based on a series of messages I originally posted in the [Orca Protocol Discord server](https://discord.com/channels/800379096555061260/814948877965721651) on 2021-11-25, with modifications to improve clarity and reflect (hopefully!) improved thinking since then. Thanks to all in the Orca Protocol (now [Metropolis](https://www.metropolis.space/)) community who provided input, feedback, and support regarding these concepts. --- *Originally published on [Appt Pupil](https://paragraph.com/@apptpupil/beating-the-dao-composability-paradox)*