Introduction: Navigating Our Transformative Journey
As we gather for the final event of our six-month season, we stand at a pivotal moment in Eden Fractal's evolution. Our consistent experimentation, collaborative dialogue, and technical innovation have established a robust foundation for our next phase of development. The emergence of complementary communities like Optimism Fractal and ZAO Fractal demonstrates the growing resonance of fractal decision-making processes across diverse contexts, validating our core mission while illuminating new possibilities for implementation.
Our upcoming strategic break provides a deliberate space for reflection, technical development, and coordination before we embark on Epoch 2—a new chapter designed to fully realize the vision we've been cultivating since Eden Fractal's inception. Through our recent discussions with Tadas and community feedback, we've refined our understanding of how to structure this transition in a way that preserves our foundational principles while enabling more sophisticated coordination mechanisms.
This document synthesizes our current thinking and outlines the key decisions we must collectively make to ensure a successful launch of Epoch 2. Rather than presenting final determinations, it offers a framework for thoughtful deliberation and consensus-building around the critical elements that will shape our community's next evolution.
Table of Contents
- Introduction: Navigating Our Transformative Journey
- Strategic Timeline: Orchestrating a Thoughtful Transition
- Season Conclusion and Regenerative Interval
- Critical Decision Framework: Designing Our Next Evolution
- 1. Respect Game Implementation: Defining Our Collective Focus
- 2. Legislative Consensus Process: Engineering Democratic Coordination
- 4. Eden Town Hall Reintroduction: Creating Space for Deliberation
- 3. Bootstrap Strategy: Designing a Responsible Transition
- Reflection and Vision: Honoring Our Journey and Future Path
- Season Accomplishments: Building a Strong Foundation
- Vision for Epoch 2: Accelerating Implementation and Impact
- Conclusion: Collaborative Path Forward
Strategic Timeline: Orchestrating a Thoughtful Transition
Season Conclusion and Regenerative Interval
Our decision to implement a strategic break aligns with natural cycles of development, where periods of intense activity benefit from complementary phases of reflection and regeneration. This pattern enables both deeper integration of lessons learned and thoughtful preparation for new growth:
Current Season Closure:
- April 10th, 2024: Final event of our current season (Event #119)
- This session marks the culmination of six months of consistent community building, governance experimentation, and foundational development
Strategic Development Interval:
- Six-week period following April 10th
- Parallel to similar breaks in Optimism Fractal and Optimism Town Hall communities
- Creating ecosystem-wide space for technical advancement and strategic alignment
Return and Transition Phase:
- May 22nd, 2024: Return event (Event #120)
- This session will serve as our final Epoch 1 event, focused on transition preparation and implementation planning
- Opportunity to process developments that occurred during the break and finalize Epoch 2 arrangements
Official Epoch 2 Launch:
- June 5th, 2024 (approximate date): Inaugural Epoch 2 event (Event #121)
- Deliberately coinciding with Eden Fractal's three-year anniversary
- Symbolic and practical milestone marking our evolution from experimental phase to more structured implementation
This carefully sequenced approach provides multiple benefits. The six-week break allows sufficient time for technical development, particularly for the ORDAO frontend that Tadas has expressed interest in building. The phased return with one transitional event before official launch gives us a final opportunity to address any implementation challenges before fully committing to our new structures. And the alignment with our anniversary creates a natural narrative arc that honors our journey while emphasizing forward momentum.
Critical Decision Framework: Designing Our Next Evolution
- we can discuss this in EF 119 and 120 and decide on a MVP to get started on EF 121, then we can discuss these in more detail during Eden Town Hall throughout the season. So this document can continue to guide the next months of development
Through our recent discussions, particularly the insights from our dialogue with Tadas on April 1st and our community conversation during Event #118, several key decision areas have emerged that require thoughtful consensus. Each represents a foundational element of our Epoch 2 implementation strategy.
There are four:
- Respect Game
- Legislative
- Eden Town Hall
- Implementation phases
- Implement Agreement
- This will start with using basically the same language as the OF participant agreement
- I think we should aim to have this proposal approved via ORDAO and signed by the first event of Epoch 2 , so i should propose it formally to ORDAO well before OF 120 and share it in the chats so that people can have plenty of time to review
- Implement Intent document
- Changing the time?
- ORDAO Deployment?
- will be both the legislative and executive consensus process until halfway through the season
- if not, how would we communicate with ORDAO and express opinions on matters like what is our consensus process? or if we want to change the game prompt, how would we do this? can tadas build this by the beginning of epoch 2?
1. Respect Game Implementation: Defining Our Collective Focus
The reintroduction of regular Respect Games serves as the cornerstone of our Epoch 2 vision, creating both a practical mechanism for contribution recognition and the foundation for our governance structure. Our discussions have revealed the importance of carefully selecting the game prompt to ensure alignment with our broader mission while maintaining accessibility and practical utility.
Game Prompt Considerations:
The selection of our Respect Game prompt deserves careful consideration, as it will fundamentally shape how participants conceptualize and articulate their contributions. Our recent discussions have surfaced several potential approaches:
- "Growing the fractal ecosystem": This formulation offers simplicity and directness, making it accessible to both experienced participants and newcomers. It provides a broad framework for recognizing diverse contributions while maintaining focus on our core domain. However, as Tadas noted in our April 1st conversation, this terminology might lack immediate clarity for those unfamiliar with fractal concepts.
- Mission-aligned prompt: Alternatively, we could directly reference our mission statement in the prompt, asking "What did you do to implement fractal decision-making processes throughout society?" This creates explicit alignment between individual contributions and our collective purpose, though the phrasing may be more complex.
- Product-focused prompt: Given the centrality of the Respect Game to our work, we might consider a prompt like "What did you do to help people enjoy the Respect Game, benefit from Respect, or improve human coordination?" This approach emphasizes our core product while maintaining connection to broader impacts.
In our discussion with Tadas, he expressed a preference for maintaining alignment between our mission statement and game prompt, noting that "mission should be clear to people who do not know our organization." This suggests potential value in either adopting our mission directly as our prompt or ensuring strong conceptual alignment between the two.
Mission Statement Evolution:
Concurrent with our prompt selection, we may wish to consider refinements to our mission statement itself. Our current mission—"Implementing fractal decision-making processes throughout society via collaborative research, development, education, gamification, and community engagement"—has served us well, but could potentially benefit from adjustments that reflect our evolving understanding:
- Terminology refinements: Considering terms like "integrate" rather than "implement," or specifying "respect games and fractal governance" rather than the broader "fractal decision-making processes"
- Product emphasis: Highlighting our core offerings more explicitly, particularly the Respect Game as our most developed and accessible coordination mechanism
- Accessibility balance: Ensuring language remains accessible to newcomers while maintaining technical precision for experienced community members
The relationship between our mission statement and game prompt warrants particular attention. As Tadas noted, there may be value in maintaining direct alignment between these elements, with the prompt either directly referencing or closely paralleling our mission language. This creates conceptual coherence while reinforcing our central purpose through regular practice.
2. Legislative Consensus Process: Engineering Democratic Coordination
The establishment of a functional legislative consensus process represents perhaps the most structurally significant aspect of our Epoch 2 implementation. Through our recent discussions, particularly our conversation with Tadas on April 1st, a promising approach has emerged in the form of ORPOLS—an adaptation of the Optimistic Respect-based Executive Contract (OREC) mechanism for legislative functions.
ORPOLS Implementation Framework:
The ORPOLS concept that emerged during our Event #118 discussion represents an innovative adaptation of existing mechanisms to create a more efficient yet still democratic decision-making process. As Tadas articulated, this approach would:
- Create a two-stage voting process using Snapshot: an initial voting stage followed by a veto stage
- Establish a mechanism where proposals pass if they receive two-thirds support in the voting stage and avoid significant opposition in the veto stage
- Enable more efficient decision-making while maintaining strong safeguards against controversial actions
This system offers several advantages over previous approaches:
- Unlike the Eden Plus Fractal process, it doesn't require synchronous decision-making during events
- Unlike the Optimism Fractal Council model, it includes a dedicated veto period that helps prevent decisions from passing without sufficient community awareness
- It maintains democratic principles while addressing practical challenges like voter apathy
Tadas has suggested that this mechanism could potentially eliminate the need for explicit council registration, further streamlining governance while maintaining democratic safeguards.
Tadas’ document about ORPolls:
Technical Implementation Considerations:
The implementation of ORPOLS would require specific technical considerations:
- Snapshot Integration: The system would utilize two separate polls for each proposal: one for the voting stage and one for the veto stage
- Timing Parameters: Determining appropriate durations for voting and veto periods (Tadas suggested approximately one week for each)
- Threshold Calculations: Establishing precise mechanisms for calculating vote thresholds, potentially drawing from OREC specifications
- Notification Systems: Ensuring participants receive proper notifications about entering veto periods
These technical elements will require detailed planning and potential development work, particularly if we aim to have a functional system in place for the launch of Epoch 2.
4. Eden Town Hall Reintroduction: Creating Space for Deliberation
The successful implementation of our consensus process, particularly if we adopt the ORPOLS approach, likely requires a dedicated forum for discussion and deliberation. The reintroduction of Eden Town Hall, following a similar model to Optimism Town Hall, represents a natural solution to this need.
Format and Resource Considerations:
The reintroduction of Eden Town Hall necessitates thoughtful consideration of format and resource allocation:
- Timing: Most naturally positioned immediately following Eden Fractal events, similar to the Optimism Town Hall model
- Recording vs. Production: While recording is essential for transparency and documentation, full production (editing, thumbnails, promotion) might be applied selectively based on resource availability
- Resource Management: Finding sustainable balance between maintaining quality and avoiding overextension
During our conversation with Tadas, he emphasized the importance of these deliberative sessions, noting that they created more engaging and productive discussions in our original Eden Plus Fractal implementation. However, he also acknowledged that they require additional time commitment from participants.
Connection to Consensus Process:
The Town Hall format becomes particularly important if we implement ORPOLS, as it provides a structured environment for:
- Discussing proposals before they enter formal voting processes
- Examining implications of proposals that have passed voting stage and entered veto stage
- Building shared understanding around complex governance questions
- Fostering more thoughtful consideration than asynchronous text-based discussion alone can provide
This connection between deliberative space and decision-making process suggests that Eden Town Hall should be considered not as an optional addition but as an integral component of our governance system.
3. Bootstrap Strategy: Designing a Responsible Transition
A key insight from our discussion with Tadas on April 1st was the recognition that we cannot immediately implement a fully functioning legislative consensus process upon returning from our break. This realization stems from a fundamental constraint: the legislative process requires sufficient Respect distribution to function effectively, but this distribution will only begin accumulating when we restart Respect Games in Epoch 2.
Bootstrap Phase Design:
To address this challenge, we need to develop a thoughtful bootstrap strategy that enables a gradual, responsible transition to our full governance model. Key considerations include:
- Duration: Tadas suggested a potential six-week bootstrap phase, representing approximately the first half of the new season
- Governance Authority: Determining who holds decision-making authority during this transition period
- ORDAO Role: Exploring potential for ORDAO to approve the final consensus process, leveraging respect earned during Eden Fractal's first 75 weeks
- Milestone Definition: Establishing clear markers for when transition from bootstrap to full implementation occurs
This phased approach allows us to begin playing Respect Games immediately upon return while giving the new distribution time to develop sufficient breadth and depth before fully empowering the legislative process.
Practical Implementation Path:
Drawing from our discussions, a potential implementation sequence might include:
- Resume Eden Fractal events on May 22nd (Event #120), focused on final transition planning
- Begin playing Respect Games with our chosen prompt on June 5th (Event #121), coinciding with official Epoch 2 launch and our anniversary
- Utilize ORDAO to approve formal consensus process during the bootstrap phase
- Transition to full ORPOLS implementation after 6-12 weeks of Respect accumulation
- Continue iterative refinement based on practical experience
This gradual approach acknowledges technical realities while still enabling forward momentum and visible progress toward our governance vision.
Reflection and Vision: Honoring Our Journey and Future Path
As we conclude our current season and prepare for Epoch 2, it's valuable to both acknowledge our progress and articulate our vision for what lies ahead. This balanced perspective helps ground our strategic decisions in both practical experience and aspirational goals.
Season Accomplishments: Building a Strong Foundation
Our six-month season has yielded significant accomplishments across multiple dimensions:
Community Development: We've maintained consistent bi-weekly events that foster ongoing dialogue and relationship-building among participants passionate about better coordination systems. This regular cadence has enabled deeper exploration of complex topics while creating space for new voices and perspectives.
Governance Innovation: Our exploration of tripartite governance models, particularly through the integration of judicial, legislative, and executive functions, has yielded valuable insights into balanced and effective coordination structures. The development of ORDAO as an executive implementation and our discussions around legislative consensus processes represent meaningful advances in practical governance design.
Educational Content: Through our events and recordings, we've produced an extensive library of educational content that documents both theoretical frameworks and practical implementation patterns for fractal decision-making processes. These resources serve both our immediate community and the broader ecosystem of those interested in better coordination.
Ecosystem Support: We've contributed to the growth and development of related communities, including Optimism Fractal and ZAO Fractal, demonstrating the adaptability of our approaches across different contexts and needs. This ecosystem growth validates our core principles while creating opportunities for cross-pollination and mutual learning.
These accomplishments provide not just a record of activity but a foundation upon which our next phase of development can build.
- might be good to educate about this
Vision for Epoch 2: Accelerating Implementation and Impact
Epoch 2 represents our transition from primarily experimental and conceptual work to more structured implementation and measurable impact. Our vision for this next phase includes several key elements:
Living Our Principles: By implementing a tripartite governance structure within our own community, we demonstrate the practical value of the coordination systems we advocate. This "practicing what we preach" approach provides both credibility and valuable learning opportunities.
Scalable Participation: The reintroduction of regular Respect Games creates clear, engaging pathways for meaningful participation that can accommodate growing community size without sacrificing quality of contribution or recognition.
Technical Maturation: The development of more sophisticated technical infrastructure, including ORPOLS implementation and potential ORDAO frontend enhancements, enables more seamless coordination while maintaining democratic principles.
Sustainable Resource Flows: Exploration of potential fund distribution mechanisms represents a step toward sustainable support for development of fractal decision-making processes, potentially creating virtuous cycles of contribution and recognition.
These elements combine to create a more mature, impactful Eden Fractal that maintains its experimental spirit while developing more structured mechanisms for collective action.
Conclusion: Collaborative Path Forward
The decisions we make in our upcoming sessions will fundamentally shape Eden Fractal's next phase of development. Rather than presenting these elements as finalized determinations, this framework offers a structured approach to collaborative decision-making around our most critical design questions.
We invite all community members to engage deeply with these considerations, bringing diverse perspectives and insights to our collective process. By drawing on our shared experience while remaining open to new possibilities, we can design an Epoch 2 implementation that honors our foundational principles while enabling new levels of coordination and impact.
Our April 10th session represents a significant opportunity to advance this collaborative design process, building on the progress we've already made while establishing clear direction for the work that lies ahead. Together, we can create a thoughtful transition that strengthens our community while advancing our broader mission of implementing fractal decision-making processes throughout society.