the mommy button

• most of the time, a dao should run like a family of mature siblings
• you expect them to handle their own stuff: autonomous, self-organized, generally functional
• but families have fights, and so do daos
• sometimes it’s a misunderstanding, sometimes it’s someone gaming the system
• when that happens, the dao needs a parent
• even liquid-democracy|liquid democracy needs a circuit breaker

enter the mommy button

• imagine this: things get heated in the dao
• maybe someone’s exploiting a loophole
• maybe decisions are stuck in a deadlock
• when conflict hits that point, anyone can press the mommy button

what happens when pressed

• the dao pauses
• no new proposals
• no decision-making
• just a cool-off period where everyone gets to explain their side
• arguments are shared
• evidence is presented

parent dao intervention

• then the parent dao (mommy) steps in
• they listen to the arguments
• look at the facts
• make decisions
• maybe a proposal is amended or reversed
• maybe a participant abusing the system is booted out
• maybe the rules are updated to prevent future mess

resuming normal operations

• once decisions are explained and implemented
• mommy clicks “resume”
• dao goes back to being self-organizing brotherhood
• no hard feelings: just a new chapter with lessons learned and safeguards added

why this matters

• autonomy doesn’t mean chaos
• conflict isn’t failure - it’s opportunity to adapt and grow
• sometimes best way to handle a fight is to pause, call in the parents, come out stronger
• it’s forkability|forkability with mediation - resolve before you split

the balance

• the mommy button isn’t about giving up independence
• it’s about making sure the dao can stay healthy, functional, and fair for everyone
• when things go wrong, don’t fear the pause
• embrace it

the cycle

• pause
• adapt
• move forward
• that’s how families and daos thrive

autonomy needs safety valves. build them in.

See also

• ml/blog/liquid-democracy.md
• ml/blog/forkability.md