It felt like seeing family again.

For Speakease, his feeling of homecoming meant “wanting to stay up late to hang out with everybody, but also wanting to wake up super early because I didn’t want to miss the conversations that were happening.”

Build Week Two had just wrapped up at Cabin’s Neighborhood Zero. This physical location is a 45 minute drive from Austin and has been attracting a whole host of web3 builders (pun intended) from all over the world. Over a voice call, the Toronto native sounded refreshed, eager and happy; the result of a life-changing week. His desire to take part in the joy of IRL was reflective of the sentiments of the global Cabin community to this location.

A veteran of the hospitality industry, Speakease felt he had the least web3 experience of the cohort. Initially unsure of how the experience would be, his concerns quickly melted away. Everyone was welcoming and inclusive. Backgrounds didn’t matter, only the vibes that came with them did.

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Main Quest and Schedule

Build Week Two’s main quest was to build a prefab sauna, which they finally got to enjoy on the last day. They did this the same way Cabin achieves many things as a DAO with a loose schedule and a lot of grit. Everyday, they would go over their goals for the main quest and everyone would tackle ‘whatever’.

The thing that was really crazy was that everyone was encouraged to focus on their own personal and professional goals. There was no pressure to feel like you had to contribute at any moment. Everyone was told to contribute when they had the time.

The friendly and helpful vibes of the Cabin Discord translated to the in person environment, too. In Cabin’s Discord, many things happen asynchronously. This same way of working happens IRL. Productivity was high, yet there was no hustle culture mentality. The sauna was built incrementally around people’s day jobs and their meetings.

Finding Ourselves

Speakease traveled to Austin because he wanted to figure out his place in the Cabin DAO structure. He wanted to understand the broader scheme of things and contribute to the culture of do-ocracy. The actual act of building and being part of a community helped him realize that.

Making a pilgrimage somewhere and doing hard labor with a group just brings people together.

A week at Cabin was like a pilgrimage to think about his role in life, in society and in one’s community. Cabin had become an important community for him. He had, after all, grown up spending vacations in cottages. This was what initially drew him to Cabin, but  the community was what kept him there. All of this was further affirmed during Build Week.

Reflections on community

Deeply convicted that this community was home is how he left Build Week. He had previously shortlisted and explored several DAOs. He completed a few bounties with Cabin’s media guild, designing some banners and images on ‘Live Love Larp’. Now, he knows he is done looking for another contributor role at another DAO. Cabin is his DAO. And many others at Build Week felt the same. There was a common understanding of Cabin’s uniqueness in the DAO ecosystem. The IRL presence, the Build Weeks, and the joy of working on a joint project made for a totally unique experience.

Cabin actually make real things happen.

Build Week attracted even those living the life of a digital nomad. They felt a deep tie to this community too. A big part of this feeling goes back to the pilgrimage. The longer journey to the destination leads to reflection. The time spent waiting for planes, trains, and cars from the airport allowed him time to  reflect on his place in the world. And after this immersive week, he found himself thinking about his next steps.

Day to Day

Speakease saw the power of asynchronous work with his own eyes. Despite being on a Build Week with a main quest goal, everyone continued to work their full time web3 job. Still, they managed to finish the main quest and more! They completed side quests such as building a woodshed and a petroglyph. The group made a wall, and even reclaimed some of the limestone from the property.

Aside from the physical work, life changing conversations on blockchain UBI programs and technologies like AI, GPT-3, DALL-E also took place. And these were the conversations as builders were unwinding for bed!

How Build Week Works

Cabin aims to have a Build Week once per month, with a new theme every month. Some weeks may also be themeless, allowing visiting creators and builders to forge their own creative agendas –  tying back to the decentralised way of working as a DAO. These weeks add up in contributing to the DAO’s mission of building out decentralized cities all over the world. Neighborhood Zero is just the very first node.

Each Build Week is open to four attendees: a project lead, a host and two other contributors. There is a cabin nearby for extra contributors too.

To attend Build Week, potential candidates apply through the Placemakers guild with a quick set of questions. Build Week is popular, so there’s a waitlist.

Who Should Join?

As we got to the end of the call, Speakease’s refreshed and excited voice left me curious to ask one final question: I wanted to know what kind of person would feel the same magic he felt at Build Week. Speakease’s answer was short but certain: “I don’t see why it wouldn't be everyone.

I guess, there’s only one way to find out.

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