From Corporate PM to DAO Chaos: My Leap into Decentralized Protocols - Part 2

Part 2 of 5
Month 1: “Where Are the Requirements?”
Back in corporate, product requirements came from customers, execs, and market research. Here? I had to piece them together from Twitter threads, Discord arguments, signal chats and GitHub issues.
It was like detective work:
- A community member would casually mention a problem
- A dev would drop a half-written spec in Notion
- An investor would suggest a feature in a governance call
- No one agreed on anything
Instead of waiting for a finalized PRD, I had to start shipping based on the loudest voices and let the DAO debate catch up. Agile? More like chaotic neutral.
Month 3: “I Think I Get It Now”
After three months, something clicked. The DAO approach wasn’t worse than traditional corporate structures—it was just different.
- I stopped waiting for approvals. Instead, I moved fast, proposed ideas, and let the community react.
- I embraced async work. Instead of Slack DMs, I left detailed forum posts and GitHub issues for people to respond to in their own time.
- I learned governance mechanics. DAO voting, treasury management, and governance proposals became part of my product role.
- I accepted the chaos. Plans shift, narratives change, and your “roadmap” is always up for debate. That’s the game.
Now? I’d never go back.
Corporate life was predictable. Roadmaps, stakeholder meetings, and structured teams made everything feel… safe. But also slow.
In crypto, things break, people argue, and projects pivot overnight. But the speed of innovation is insane. If you’re a PM who thrives in uncertainty, it’s the ultimate challenge.
Would I recommend this jump?
- If you need structure and predictability: Stay in Web2.
- If you love solving problems in an environment where rules are still being written? Welcome to Web3.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a governance proposal to submit — and a community debate to survive. Will be right back.