In the 10 odd years I have been working with people all over the world, I have realized (with the help of Simon Sinek’s work) there are 2 broad types of incentives:

Finite incentives and infinite incentives.

Finite incentives are mostly objective, transactional, establish brittle trust and are easy to calculate. “If you complete this bounty, you will receive 1,000DOGE$.”

Infinite incentives are mostly subjective, relational, establish robust trust but are not as easy to calculate. “Will you marry me?”

Most of our lives we have learned to rely on finite incentives to make sense of the world. This is especially true in traditional work environments designed by the industrial age. Being born out of war and with severely limited resources, relying on finite incentives was the best way to move the machine forward (in a way that also make a few very very rich).

That is no longer the context we are forced to work in. With the great resignation, remote working norms and DAO collaboration becoming the future of work relying on finite incentives simply won’t help us create a better future. Indeed, finite incentives still have a place - but we can no longer rely on them.

Relying on building infinite incentives is the most direct route to building a better future together.

Good infinite incentives are thriving cultures, making play part of the process, designing for belonging and deploying strategic empathy to name a few.

The infinite incentives work when we design them into the very structures we work in. Change will not happen all at once of course, but over time infinite incentives will separate those who are capable of making meaningful change and those who just want to make money (even if the don’t need it).

Where would you rather spend your precious energy, time and talents?

*****

Learn more about DAO Experience Design:

https://daoxd.xyz/

👇 Join my telegram channel by subscribing below 👇

In the 10 odd years I have been working with people all over the world, I have realized (with the help of Simon Sinek’s work) there are 2 broad types of incentives:

Finite incentives and infinite incentives.

Finite incentives are mostly objective, transactional, establish brittle trust and are easy to calculate. “If you complete this bounty, you will receive 1,000DOGE$.”

Infinite incentives are mostly subjective, relational, establish robust trust but are not as easy to calculate. “Will you marry me?”

Most of our lives we have learned to rely on finite incentives to make sense of the world. This is especially true in traditional work environments designed by the industrial age. Being born out of war and with severely limited resources, relying on finite incentives was the best way to move the machine forward (in a way that also make a few very very rich).

That is no longer the context we are forced to work in. With the great resignation, remote working norms and DAO collaboration becoming the future of work relying on finite incentives simply won’t help us create a better future. Indeed, finite incentives still have a place - but we can no longer rely on them.

Relying on building infinite incentives is the most direct route to building a better future together.

Good infinite incentives are thriving cultures, making play part of the process, designing for belonging and deploying strategic empathy to name a few.

The infinite incentives work when we design them into the very structures we work in. Change will not happen all at once of course, but over time infinite incentives will separate those who are capable of making meaningful change and those who just want to make money (even if the don’t need it).

Where would you rather spend your precious energy, time and talents?

*****

Learn more about DAO Experience Design:

https://daoxd.xyz/

👇 Join my telegram channel by subscribing below 👇