Thanks for the response, @Entropy.
We welcome the ambition behind DRIP and recognize its potential to streamline incentives through a more agile, season-based approach. This proposal is a strong starting point, but to fully realize its promise, we believe it must evolve structurally to better reflect the DAO’s values of transparency, reusability, and collective intelligence.
Currently, the Season Selection Committee (SSC) — composed of Entropy, Offchain Labs, and the Arbitrum Foundation — holds significant authority over the design and execution of each season. In this, we agree with @Chris_Areta:
However, as currently structured, the model lacks formal DAO oversight.
While we understand the appeal of operational efficiency, speed cannot come at the cost of legitimacy. To strengthen DRIP’s alignment with the DAO, we propose adding at least two independent DAO observers to the SSC. These observers would not hold decision-making power but would ensure greater transparency, provide early-stage feedback, and facilitate broader trust in the process. This would build on what has already been proposed:
Additionally, while we understand the need to maintain some flexibility, the current proposal does not sufficiently define how seasons will be scoped, how goals will be selected, or how success will be measured. For a program requesting funds from the DAO, we believe it is critical to provide at least a high-level framework outlining:
- How goals for each season will be set
- What criteria will be used to select and prioritize initiatives
- How KPIs will be defined and evaluated
- How will learnings be documented for future reuse
Providing even a preliminary framework would enable the community to better evaluate and support DRIP’s direction, while still allowing the SSC operational flexibility to adapt. There is also currently an ARDC Recommendation for Incentives in the works, and it should be referenced if approved as a boilerplate design specification for bootstrapped, targeted programs.
Overall, DRIP is directionally strong, and with these structural adjustments, it can potentially become a repeatable, DAO-aligned model for catalyzing growth across Arbitrum.