Establishment of K9 Marketing DAO Sub-DAO

[Daisy]

(1) Introduction and Objective

This proposal suggests the formation of a sub-DAO under K9 Finance DAO, called the K9 Marketing DAO, to address a critical area of focus: growth-based marketing. While the K9 DAO management council has demonstrated strengths in development, product, and product marketing, this initiative seeks to enhance growth efforts by actively engaging existing users to deepen their platform usage and implementing targeted strategies to attract and onboard new users. Fresh, new, and exciting ideas could pose an immense opportunity for K9 DAO; since the product itself is the largest on Shibarium and there is very significant brand value deriving from the DAO already within the Shiba Inu community.

The K9 Marketing DAO will receive a monthly grant of $15,000 USDT from the previously approved budget, allocated for an initial 4-month period. The goal of this sub-DAO is to establish a dedicated team responsible for expanding KNINE’s community of token holders, improving market accessibility, fostering ecosystem growth, and encouraging active participation and engagement within the network.

The sub-DAO will require a dedicated individual or group of people to manage and coordinate it as its own entity of K9 DAO. The application process is attached to this forum proposal. Individuals and/or groups are encouraged to apply for the founding team of the sub-DAO via the Google Form application. The applications will be blindly scored according to the weighted scoring criteria by the Management Council of the DAO, and the top 3 applications will be submitted to the Roundtable of Dogs for final selection amongst the top 3 applications to ensure a transparent, fair, and DAO-goverened selection process. Upon the successful formation of the sub-DAO and the nomination of a group / individual to run the sub-DAO, there will be a change management process overseen by the Management Council to assist the group/individual in selecting other communities members to join the sub-DAO.

The concept of purpose-specific sub-DAOs beneath the main DAO is not unique. Many of the top decentralized DeFi protocols scale in this manner. For example, Lido has sub-DAOs for many purpose-specific functions within the DAO including: marketing, sourcing validators, on-going development, and more.

eNate recently published an X blog post summarizing the challenges of hiring quality crypto marketing talent, particularly CMOs, and notes that crypto marketing is difficult due to the niche culture and multi-disciplinary nature of requiring someone who is an expert at Crypto Twitter and skilled in data analytics. Very few candidates excel in these areas, and oftentimes, projects get clouded into screening for the wrong traits such as “content strategy” over data acumen and cultural knowledge. The main point of his message was that projects should be advised to empower qualified marketers rather than micro-manage them, and this is an attempt to broaden the scope of our DAO, while empowering a group of marketers to be creative and manage their own budget for better results.

We have also seen, with the rise of remote work, that it is difficult (especially within a DAO), to hire marketers and community builders who are solely focused on 1 project. It is the goal with this proposal to inspire creative instincts within members of the community to rise up and take an opportunity to be the future of K9 DAO marketing.

Projects such as Litecoin have experienced popularity recently (and many other coins and projects such as Phantom Wallet and even Binance) on having their marketing minds think outside of the box of conventional thinking to creatively design growth strategies and capture mindshare on crypto Twitter. This reorganization should empower individuals to think outside the box and seize an opportunity to be creative on behalf of the DAO.

More on this thread here: x.com

(2) Benefits to K9 Finance Community

The creation of the K9 Marketing DAO offers several key benefits:

• Focused Strategy: Allows the product, development, and operations members management council to continue excelling in their areas of expertise while delegating marketing efforts to a specialized team that has autonomy & less rigidness
• Increased Token Adoption: A targeted approach to marketing KNINE will lead to greater holder acquisition and more accessible trading markets.
• Enhanced Community Value: The sub-DAO’s efforts will directly aim to increase KNINE’s adoption.
• Accountability and Transparency: The sub-DAO will report on budget spending and progress toward KPIs, ensuring alignment with the broader K9 DAO goals. The main DAO multi-sig will issue the sub-DAO $15,000 on the 1st of each month. The accountability and transparency of spending and reporting is up to the sub-DAO to provide this information to the community (DAO) directly on the DAO forum. The sub-DAO will report directly to the community / DAO

(3) Proposal Details

(a) WHAT
The proposal suggests the creation of the K9 Marketing DAO as a sub-DAO, tasked with achieving the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by leveraging the utility of the KNINE token:

• Growth in the number of KNINE token holders
• Inclusion of KNINE in more accessible markets
• Increase the number of transactions of KNINE
• Engage existing holders and increase platform usage (Stake/Lock/Farm)

The sub-DAO will receive $15,000 USDT per month from the main K9 DAO multisig wallet, allocated from the previously approved budget. This funding will support marketing initiatives aimed at meeting the above KPIs. The individual(s) will be responsible for their own strategy, execution, and on-going management of campaigns, and will be required to operate spending in a transparent manner under a DAO-labeled marketing wallet such as k9marketing.eth

The $15,000 will be issued in USDT, but the sub-DAO will be able to request additional $KNINE as well for purpose-specific campaigns that are pitched to the community and voted on.

(b) WHO
The stakeholders and participants involved include:

• K9 Marketing DAO Constituents: The team or individuals selected to run the sub-DAO and manage its budget and report to the community
• K9 DAO Management Council: Responsible for monitoring the sub-DAO’s performance and ensuring accountability, while also on-boarding and transitioning accounts to the individuals selected by the community to run the sub-DAO. There will be significant internal change management required to re-align existing roles that serve marketing functions within the DAO. These functions will either adjust their roles to sit within product and operations, or work with the sub-DAO in a similar capacity (at the sub-DAOs discretion)
• K9 DAO Community: Will benefit directly from increased token adoption, price appreciation, and market activity.
• K9 DAO Multi-Sig: Responsible for sending the sub-DAO their budget each month

(c) WHERE
The marketing activities and initiatives will take place across multiple platforms, including but not limited to:

• Social media channels.
• Crypto trading platforms and exchanges.
• Community-driven campaigns targeting new and existing token holders.
• Crypto data websites & advertising platforms

The marketing sub-DAO will have access to delegate accounts to the DAO social media channels

The sub-DAO will be responsible for the following marketing channels on behalf of the DAO (content strategy, execution & reporting):

• Twitter / X
• Facebook
• Instagram
• Tik Tok
• Reddit
• CoinMarketCap & other listing websites
• Telegram
• YouTube (if applicable)
• New social channel creation (any new social account creation must have a process put in place to distribute account ownership to other members of the DAO so that the channels are never in the hands of 1 person and are always DAO owned)

The strategy, usage, and maintenance of these accounts will be up to the discretion of the sub-DAO to evaluate the best use of resources to meet DAO KPIs.

The operational team will continue to be responsible for:

• Website
• Platform
• Documentation
• DAO voting
• Purpose-specific DeFi platforms (i.e. Debank, DeFiLama, & Dune Analytics)
• Technical support & content

Verticals of marketing & content that this sub-DAO could be responsible for, but is up to their discretion in strategy, are:

• KOL acquisition & campaign execution on X, Youtube & TikTok
• Twitter / X meme-based intern (i.e. Litecoin’s latest strategy)
• Community-based engagement contests (meme contests, buy contests, stake contests, etc.)
• Community raid efforts
• Cross-collaboration spaces
• Partnerships for $knBONE

(d) WHEN
The sub-DAO will operate under an initial 4-month term, with monthly funding disbursed from the main K9 DAO treasury. A re-evaluation will occur at the end of the 4 months to assess performance and determine whether to continue, adjust, or sunset the sub-DAO. It is important that at least 4 months is given to measure performance of the sub-DAO, as there will be significant change management required that could take several weeks of onboarding and readjustment of current roles.

There will be a 2-week period to solicit proposals after the approval of the creation and budget for the sub DAO where community members can apply to manage the sub-DAO and create a team

(e) HOW
The formation and operation of the K9 Marketing DAO will follow these steps:

1. Campaign for Applications: A public call for proposals from individuals or groups interested in running the sub-DAO. Applicants must present plans detailing how they will achieve the KPIs and manage the budget effectively. The team will be expected to apply with a portfolio of past work, references and a proposed strategy. The teams will be evaluated on their criteria, including their understanding of the Shiba Inu ecosystem, meme culture, marketing experience, track record with DAOs, involvement in the current DAO, and strategic vision.

2. Team Selection: The management council and Roundtable of Dogs will review applications and select the team or group to constitute the sub-DAO.

3. Budget Disbursement: A monthly $15,000 USDT grant will be disbursed to the selected team.

4. Reporting: The sub-DAO team will provide monthly and quarterly reports to the management council and broader DAO, detailing budget allocation, initiatives undertaken, and progress toward the KPIs. There will be monthly check-ins to review progress, discuss challenges, and update goals. A monthly basis was chosen to ensure that the sub-DAO has enough autonomy as to not be micromanaged.

K9 DAO can do a vote to token holders during the lifespan of the sub-DAO to cancel the funding to the sub-DAO if the sub-DAO is not meeting KPI expectations for the DAO.

After the 4-month period, the sub-DAO will renew in 4-month intervals. The Roundtable of Dogs governance panel can vote to automatically renew the funding to the sub-DAO if it is meeting the expectations of the community. If the Roundtable decides not to renew the funding, then token holders must vote to redistribute the funding to a new team

In the event of a cancellation, the growth marketing functions would go on pause that the sub-DAO is responsible for, and the management council would continue their duties while the DAO is responsible for replacement and sourcing the necessary resources for taking over the sub-DAO responsibilities. The budget granted to the sub-DAO would go to the hands of the main K9 DAO upon cancellation.

The sub-DAO does not have the authority to bind the K9 DAO contractually to contractors or other entities beyond its authority that has been granted by K9 DAO (namely budgets or timelines)

(4) Impact Assessment

The establishment of the K9 Marketing DAO is expected to have the following impacts:

Short-Term:

• A focused and professional approach to KNINE marketing that presents new ideas
• Showcase the utility, increased visibility and accessibility of KNINE in the market.
• Ability to shift responsibilities & change management effectively

Long-Term:

• Sustained growth in KNINE token holders, transaction usage and utility.
• A robust framework for marketing initiatives that can be scaled and optimized over time.
• Further decentralization of the community involvement within the DAO

Risks and Uncertainties:

• Mismanagement of the budget or failure to meet KPIs. This risk is mitigated by monthly reporting and a re-evaluation at the end of 4 months.
• Difficulty in measuring certain KPIs like price appreciation, which is subject to market factors outside of marketing control.
• A different level of transparency from a new group than has been the current standard with K9 DAO

Metrics for Success:

• Number of new KNINE token holders acquired through showcasing utility.
• KNINE locked & staked
• Successful inclusion of KNINE on additional accessible markets.
• Increase in transaction volume.
• Demonstrable ROI for marketing spend as reported in the sub-DAO’s monthly and quarterly updates.

Applicants to the sub-DAO are encouraged to apply now. The sub-DAO will be voted on, and as soon as the sub-DAO is voted in by the DAO then the successful applicant (whether it be a group or individual) will be announced shortly thereafter.

All applications will be blindly scored using the following scoring criteria by the Management Council. The highest 3 scoring applications / proposals will be voted on by the Roundtable of Dogs to decide the founding member(s) of the sub-DAO.

Any applicant can apply at the following link:

https://forms.gle/p8pK8prTusit9WdU6

The successful candidate will be entrusted with a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests and mission of the DAO, ensuring that all decisions and actions align with the DAOs objectives and ethical standards.

To safeguard sensitive information, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be required, upon request, between the DAO and the Sub-DAO to maintain confidentiality and protect shared data of DAO IP.

Additionally, a non-circumvention clause will be implemented to prevent any party from bypassing established processes or relationships within the DAO’s governance.

[Frank]

Payments made by the Sub DAO to marketers and platforms will be made by whom? .I assume the leader will distribute the USDT…Should that rest in one individuals hands?

[Frank]

I feel that the Sub DAO should have a Sub Round Table…lol?
To discuss marketing opportunities and results.

[Frank]

I’m 100% in support of this proposal. I feel it will foster more transparency as well as accountability.

[CryptBro]

Great plan! Very well thought out and written. I am in full support of this proposal!

[IMIDGIEI]

I feel something of this nature is needed coming into the upcoming bull run. I had assumed their was lucy from shib team as marketer but haven’t seen anything in weeks. But like frank says above security of funds are paramount so not sure the logistic of this

[Ruggrat]

I support this initiative…. No One brought up some good points, maybe a Sub DAO isn’t needed but rather a marketing team. It’s doesn’t need to be more complex than it is.

I just don’t support a single (1) individual to implement it.

[Toxon_1405]

Hi @Daisy ,

I hope you’re doing well! I wanted to reach out to get a better understanding of the time commitment involved with the sub- K9 Finance DAO. Specifically, I’m curious about how much time one would typically need to dedicate on a weekly basis.

Could you provide some insights on how the schedule looks from Monday to Friday, as well as on weekends? I understand that everyone has their own personal commitments, including work and other responsibilities, and I want to ensure I can manage my time effectively.

Additionally, if someone lives in a different time zone, how does that affect participation and collaboration within the community?

I appreciate any information you can share, as it will help me gauge how I can fit this into my current routine without overwhelming myself.
By the way I also fully support this proposal.

Thank you!

Best regards,
Toxon_1405

[NoOne]

First of all I would like to thank the submitter for this extensive and detailed proposal.

It’s really great seeing such an initiative.

Now, below may seem like a lot of criticism but I am just trying to safeguard the DAO and build on the points raised to steer the proposal into best potential outcome for the DAO.

I have a number of questions/points I would like to raise (sorry - but being short is not one of my strongest talents).

1. Am I correct to understand that this proposal in a nutshell is suggesting to completely outsource K9 Marketing outside of existing K9 Management and into a separate sub-DAO?

This would imply that new structure will be able to deliver far superior and more cost-effective results compared to existing marketing team - in order to warrant such a big transformation.

However, the above proposal has not convinced me that this is the case.

If I understood it correctly - it suggests that we run a 4 month trial to see the viability of the project and then decide if it is worth continuing or should just shut it down.

Yet, at the same time, the project suggests that full transfer of responsibilities happen as soon as the resolution is passed and the new people in charge of the sub-DAO will decide if they want to keep anyone from the old marketing team in the new structure or not ("at their sole discretion).

But if the existing team is disbanded and the new structure doesn’t live up to expectations and has to be wound down in 4 months - we may be left with no marketing team at all.

2. How did $15k budget has been arrived at?

If we are looking for the best people to take charge of marketing, then in addition to the skills and actual proposed marketing plan these people need to propose a budget they need to work with to get these results.

Some may be able to achieve similar results with lower cost, while others may promise superior results, yet at slightly higher budget than ‘default’ amount.

In this case it would make sense for community and Roundtable of Dogs to decide which would be the most attractive proposition.

3. A DAO is a decentralised autonomous organisation. From what I understand K9 Marketing DAO would be neither decentralised nor autonomous - as it would operate under control of one or a group managers at their own discretion but not subject to K9 holders involvement in decision-making processes.

From organisational point of view it still resembles existing management structure with only difference that it will be done by different people who are now chosen in a more democratic way and have more transparent reporting of the spending (which is a good thing in itself).

In this case, I question the need for the sub-DAO at all. Same result can be achieved utilising existing K9 Finance DAO structure and just separating marketing into a separate unit of DAO management following the proposed operational guidelines above.

4. Having a separate wallet (especially for the trial period) is not necessary at all.
   It is a high risk move which is not really justified.
   Whatever expenses are incurred by the marketing ‘council’ within the allocated monthly budget can be paid by existing DAO management wallet upon the instructions from the marketing ‘council’.

5. I believe the applications form is premature.
   Asking people to spend time preparing their proposal and application for something which may not even receive general approval of the community even before they are considered is not fair on those people.

Furthermore, the form, criteria and processing of applications must be done by existing elected DAO management (after there is mandate from K9 holders to do it) to ensure unbiased processing as well as people’s privacy and necessary data protection. Currently, I have no idea who has access to this form and who they may share it with.

Thus, in its current format I would not support this proposal.

Having said that, I would really love to see a reworked proposal which would address above points to minimise the risks raised, at the same time engaging the community talent/skills to promote K9 Finance DAO in a more efficient, effective and impactful way.

The expectation of full autonomy of the sub-DAO is unrealistic.
The DAO has its own marketing requirements and goals which must be achieved and coordinated (launches of various utilities/products as/when necessary).
Also, the way the project is presented to the world and marketed cannot be just up to a single/select few people without any oversight - as wrong decisions can have a very big negative impact on K9 reputation.

One suggestion would be not to outsource existing marketing team completely but to support it. We could create a sub-marketing team (not a DAO) within the existing marketing team structure which would work together with some of existing DAO marketers and be in charge of certain projects at a smaller scale (on trial basis) with smaller discretionary budget (which still to be kept in DAOs main management account and paid out when an expense is necessary).

As this sub-team proves its effectiveness and gains more trust of the DAO - they can be given greater scope and responsibilities until gradually whole marketing is ready to become an individual unit (which still coordinates goals and is been overseen by DAO management) but finally ready to fly on its own within the DAO management structure.

And if the sub-team does not perform as effectively as was hoped then we would still have existing marketing team to fall back on.

Thus, as I promised in the beginning - I don’t want to shoot the proposal down completely, but to see it reshaped into a safer alternative with a more paced implementation. The goal of having greater direct community control and engagement in DAO management is a truly aspirational one and should definitely be our goal. We just need to arrive at best format to do it.

Thank you.

No One.

[Couch_Adventures]

This proposal is leaps and bounds better than most public company job descriptions that are paying a single individual over $10K a month.

There is an application process that candidates would have to prove through an interview that they know a thing or two about marketing, can take lead on their own, and can budget appropriately to provide K9 Finance with the best bang for our buck.

The point of the sub-DAO is to further decentralize the determination of what is best for the project. It is broken down in the proposal very well on which DAOs will have what responsibilities, just like a company with multiple divisions or departments have. Marketing handles all the socials and content, while Operations handle everything else.

It’s not a single person making all the decisions; it’s a DAO, meaning WE, KNINE holders, will continue to vote on proposals requested by the sub-DAO and its participants.

(Per Pulse and with confirmation from Buzz, we in fact won’t be voting on anything for this sub-DAO in the Thanksgiving Space on 11/28/2024)

Sure, there will be campaigns and such done within the budget without the need for a vote. Who cares if they want to post on X for us? Are we really trying to micro-manage here?

We aren’t just going to agree to give someone the reigns on the marketing side without vetting, interviewing, and seeing their previous accomplishments.

As for the wallet, as long as the wallet is multi-sig with someone on the management council, there shouldn’t be so much distrust. It’s not like we’re going to approve $1K for a fancy dinner or something. All expenses must be transparent and submitted on a monthly basis. OBVIOUSLY, if the roundtable sees something off, it will be questioned and discipline will take action (see: kicked out the door).

We need someone that knows how to market, will take the time to market, and can build a team and lead. That’s going to require someone with experience and more than likely crypto experience as well. They’ll have to be able to break down barriers and expand our growth into places we’ve been unable to breach so far.

Two weeks does seem a little too quick to get a team up and running as people aren’t in the trenches every day for crypto. We’d really need to promote the DAO and the marketing plans and maybe even post on job sites or something. Also, how big is the team meant to be? $15K a month with how much going to paying the team vs going toward content creation, conventions, podcasts, Spaces, materials, rentals, etc.?

Are we expecting the team to be full-time, part-time, or as they see fit? Are we leaning toward a leader that is dedicating their time solely to K9 or accepting of someone who’s splitting their time amongst multiple projects? I’d prefer a full-time, single project marketing lead over someone who’s strapped for time and distracted by other projects. We’ve now had multiple ‘marketers’ that were meant to move us forward, but things always seem to get in the way.

As mentioned, I am for the proposal, but I will not vote for someone who’s not dedicating their time solely to this project.

Lastly, could we get some insight on who @Daisy is? This is their first post, no PFP, and I haven’t recognized them in Telegram. It would be nice to get a introduction to them and why they submitted the proposal.

Thanks!

[Pulse_Digital]

[BigBoi]

I am in full support of this proposal

[buzz]

@NoOne

1. Am I correct to understand that this proposal in a nutshell is suggesting to completely outsource K9 Marketing outside of existing K9 Management and into a separate sub-DAO?

I wouldn’t use the word “completely”. In the proposal it outlines the exact items that the sub-DAO would be responsible for, and what the operational team would maintain ownership over. The operational team would maintain responsibility for:

• Website
• Platform
• Documentation
• DAO voting
• Purpose-specific DeFi platforms (i.e. Debank, DeFiLama, & Dune Analytics)
• Technical support & content

So the core elements of marketing & running the DAO stay internal, yet the growth and social aspects go to the sub-DAO in essence. The elements taken on by this sub-DAO are not mission critical to the day-to-day operations of the product or DAO, but they are for growth and amplification

This would imply that new structure will be able to deliver far superior and more cost-effective results compared to existing marketing team - in order to warrant such a big transformation.
However, the above proposal has not convinced me that this is the case.

When it comes to the elements outlined in the proposal that the sub-DAO is taking over, frankly the ones responsible for them internally right now are not doing their job well. I do appreciate that this would be difficult to ascertain had someone not been working on the DAO on a daily basis. I don’t think the individuals currently responsible for these items would argue otherwise either and they have been in favor of this proposal. Daisy is the current Head of Marketing for the DAO. So the “efficiency” offered is someone or a group being responsible rather than 1-2 people with other responsibilities and doing this at the side of their desk.

2. How did $15k budget has been arrived at?

If we are looking for the best people to take charge of marketing, then in addition to the skills and actual proposed marketing plan these people need to propose a budget they need to work with to get these results.

Some may be able to achieve similar results with lower cost, while others may promise superior results, yet at slightly higher budget than ‘default’ amount.

In this case it would make sense for community and Roundtable of Dogs to decide which would be the most attractive proposition.

A proposed budget is part of the application process. A submitter can request less or more. When the vote were to happen, it would include the exact requested budget.

$15k was reached after analysis on the current spend in the life cycle of the current DAO structure and balanced with the budget vote that was just approved. The budget maintained by the core DAO is enough to operate, and this amount would allow for results and strong proposals. It can be seen as a placeholder that an applicant can adjust for their needs before Roundtable vote.

3. A DAO is a decentralised autonomous organisation. From what I understand K9 Marketing DAO would be neither decentralised nor autonomous - as it would operate under control of one or a group managers at their own discretion but not subject to K9 holders involvement in decision-making processes.

From organisational point of view it still resembles existing management structure with only difference that it will be done by different people who are now chosen in a more democratic way and have more transparent reporting of the spending (which is a good thing in itself).

In this case, I question the need for the sub-DAO at all. Same result can be achieved utilising existing K9 Finance DAO structure and just separating marketing into a separate unit of DAO management following the proposed operational guidelines above.

The difference is who they are managed by in report to. In this case, the sub-DAO reports to the DAO itself and the community. It runs functions not necessary for the survival of the project, in which case there is no need to report to the operational team. It is easy to identify problems, but much harder for someone to put their hand up and say they are willing to take on the responsibility of managing this group. The strengths and weaknesses of the current setup of the DAO are addressed in the proposal and marketing has not been a strength. There is a lack of an individual that can successfully manage the marketing function with the proper time, tact, and know-how to meet the expectations of the community - myself included. The proposal also outlines how sub-DAOs are used for growth of other DAOs like Lido.

I also disagree that the K9 Marketing DAO would not be autonomous or decentralized. It’s a decentralized function within a larger entity that receives autonomy to spend a budget how they deem appropriate with DAO-based KPIs.

4. Having a separate wallet (especially for the trial period) is not necessary at all.
   It is a high risk move which is not really justified.
   Whatever expenses are incurred by the marketing ‘council’ within the allocated monthly budget can be paid by existing DAO management wallet upon the instructions from the marketing ‘council’.

I don’t think it is fair to call this a trial period. I also think it is odd to, on one hand, say that the sub-DAO is not decentralized or autonomous, but then on the other advocate that they should not have their own wallet. These would be 2 keys for that transparency and accounting to the community. It also reduces operational overhead to have the DAO multi-sig send 1 transaction per month for marketing versus 20-25 that could comprise of marketing spend line items within a month. This is operationally intensive on a 3/4 multi-sig. The move should also not be high risk if the process is done correctly, and the community is choosing a steward that aligns well with the values of the DAO. The “risk” would be that someone, publicly, announces that they are running the sub-DAO, gets a $15k payment and then runs away and steals that. That would of course hopefully be vetted for in that the individual and group is trusted amongst the community and in the industry at large. It also poses an opportunity for someone within our community to step up and earn the respect and responsibility for their own advancement, and there are many in our community who could very well be ready and deserving of responsibility like that. Part of the proposal that someone may submit also could address this and set up a multi-sig that handles the sub-DAO budget rather than having it in the hands of one person, which I’d be in favor of rather than not giving autonomy and decentralization to a new entity within the DAO. In my opinion, growth is about responsibly giving authority, autonomy, and ability to operate to individuals and groups rather than silo-ing decision making. Part of what makes a great leader, and in this case we are all leaders of the DAO, is allowing someone or a group the space and autonomy to thrive and do great things versus micromanagement. A separate wallet also has the benefit of much easier community-based audits on spend that are verifiable on-chain.

4. I believe the applications form is premature.
   Asking people to spend time preparing their proposal and application for something which may not even receive general approval of the community even before they are considered is not fair on those people.

I would agree, but it is sage to point out that before this proposal was submitted by Daisy, there was an exploratory discussion had at the last Roundtable Meeting that probed the idea of the sub-DAO. The majority of council members seemed amicable to the idea of the formation of this sub-DAO. This leads me to believe that this proposal will make it to a vote. Generally, the sentiment if this proposal has also been positive amongst the community which leads me to believe that it has a high likelihood of passing in a community vote. I believe it is wise to collect applications (many have come in already) in a rolling manner as it gives applicants nearly a month to prepare.

Currently, I have no idea who has access to this form and who they may share it with.

The proposal outlines that management council will access the form, score the applications with the scoring criteria above, and then the Roundtable will have the ability to review and vote on the applications in the governance manner outlined with the DAO. This is the same process used when electing members to the Roundtable of Dogs, so there is precedent of this process already within the DAO. If there is another suggestion I am sure that this proposal can be amended.

The DAO has its own marketing requirements and goals which must be achieved and coordinated (launches of various utilities/products as/when necessary).

This is why there are responsibilities withheld at the operational team level

Thus, as I promised in the beginning - I don’t want to shoot the proposal down completely, but to see it reshaped into a safer alternative with a more paced implementation. The goal of having greater direct community control and engagement in DAO management is a truly aspirational one and should definitely be our goal. We just need to arrive at best format to do it.

I enjoy this sentiment and do not mean for my comment to come across harshly. It is a difficult thing to do as you outlined, but a lot of thought was put into this. Perhaps it would be fruitful to identify 1-2 key areas of improvement in the proposal and concrete actions to change. I am doing my best to address the key points in here in a pointed manner

Personally, my thoughts for amendments would be (and I thank you for thinking critically about how it can be improved):

• outlining how this proposal undergoes a renewal or a cancellation
• having a contingency plan written in the proposal for what happens in the event of a cancellation
• more thought and discourse on how we, as a community, source the best group or individual that is amiable to the entire community

[buzz]

Daisy is the current Head of Marketing for the DAO, as voted in pre-launch, so this proposal is a progression on that role to decentralise it; as marketing is a beast in and of itself. She is less chatty in chats but does a lot behind the scenes, including website, design, strategy planning, copywriting, etc. the proposal is not to fully do away with all marketing within the core operational group but to outsource growth functions to a sub-DAO for new, fresh, autonomous ideas.

The decision by token holders for this proposal is whether or not to approve budget to go to a sub-DAO and form one, but once the approval is had, it’s not really about micromanaging the budget on a monthly basis, but trusting the process of applications and Roundtable on choosing the right candidate(s).

For the wallet issue - I’d be supportive of the sub-DAO setting up their own multi-sig. I do think the risk of nominating a community member and going through this full process and then having them rug the first month of $15k is rather low.

The size of the team is up to the sub-DAO itself. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that one person who is a monster could take on this workload, but it could be a team up to 6-8 people at their discretion.

There isn’t a requirement for the person to be full-time, but I would say that that is heavily weighted in the application criteria above. I do not think someone would be able to achieve desired results for the DAO just doing this a few hours per week.

[Ruggrat]

What a wonderful read from two good perspectives…

[NoOne]

Thanks a lot Buzz for filling in the crucial pieces of information which were missing from the original proposal.

The fact that the proposal comes from current Head of Marketing and that you confirm that we need improvements in this area paints the proposal in a very different light.

Now it is clear what the actual motive behind the proposal is and why it was born. That the form is not in hands of a random ‘outsider’ and just ‘shared’ with the management but data is actually secure.

You pretty much covered most of my concerns already.

I agree that mutisig is a great idea.
Maybe it would be prudent that the number of votes required to make a payment require at least one approval by someone on the management council or Roundtable - just to glance over the purpose of the payment before it is executed?

And of course your last points raised about amendments would make it more holistic and well-thought-out.

In addition to renewal/cancellation of the proposal itself - we should have a mechanism of renewal/change of the team members depending on performance in accordance with DAO KPIs mentioned in the proposal. Those should be set clearly in advance so everyone is treated fairly and objectively.

Look forward to seeing this proposal grow and develop further.

[buzz]

we should have a mechanism of renewal/change of the team members depending on performance in accordance with DAO KPIs mentioned in the proposal

I think there is a delicate balance here. In a decentralized, autonomous, organization this style of thinking really takes away that autonomy. The proposal is really about empowering a group or several individuals to do this role within their own sub-DAO and creating expectations for KPIs, transparency, etc that aligns with the mission of the DAO at large. Need to give room to operate, but general rules that do not border micromanagement. I think this opens a whole new can of works. For example: if themain DAO were to “fire” one specific team member within the sub-DAO, who is responsible for replacing them? How does the founding member or individuals operate effectively with a budget if certain people can just be removed? Does this cause more friction?

These are hard questions to ask and answer because DAOs are new forms of organizing human capital

I know for many, including me personally, I’d be apprehensive to take on a role within a DAO where at any time I could just be removed as a team member.

I think it’s prudent to focus on 4 main points in this proposal:

1. Who is the group/individual who is going to run it? (addressed via the application and selection process in accordance to DAO precedent)
2. What are the renewal clauses for them to continue getting funding from the DAO (this probably needs work)
3. What are the parameters in which they can operate? (this is outlined in the SOW that DAO internal and sub-DAO will handle in regards to marketing)
4. What are the expectations, disclosures, and KPIs that they will be judged against? How do we make this objective and not subjective?

[RyanCayon]

We need an in depth scope for sure. I agree alongside buzz. I feel this is a proposal in progress, and at the same time it feels like a “me too” addition. Maybe we should explore other outside the box ideas behind this. For one I feel our community, though they may or may not be experts in marketing, should play a role in this somehow; not just members of K9 but all of Shibarium. With the involvement including more than first hand viewers and votes on a focus panel of the content generated.

[Joyride01]

Very well proposed.

After my read of the proposal and everyone current comments I am in support of the proposal.

I believe we need to expand our exposure and reach this would be a good start. As the old saying goes you have to spend money to make money. Spending it wisely is always the goal. So we need to wisely find proven ways to get the most exposure for every Dollar spend.

I also like the 4 month test period so the DAO can evaluate the overall performance and over see results and make adjustments as needed.

Thank you for the Proposal Daisy.

[Pulse_Digital]

Proposal for Leadership of the K9 Marketing Sub-DAO

Submitted by: Shane C (Pulse Digital)
Date: December 8th, 2024

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Introduction

K9 Finance is at a crossroads, and the decisions we make now will determine whether we emerge stronger and more united—or remain mired in the challenges of the past. With this proposal, I am stepping forward to lead the K9 Marketing Sub-DAO with a clear vision, decisive action, and a firm commitment to transparency.

This is a moment for bold leadership. Approving this proposal is not just about funding a team or a plan—it’s about empowering a trusted leader to act with focus and purpose to address the most urgent challenges facing $KNINE holders. The community’s trust will not be misplaced.

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Scope of the Sub-DAO

The K9 Marketing Sub-DAO will operate independently, with the autonomy to make quick, impactful decisions. Here’s what that means:

• Accountability, Not Micromanagement:

  • Once this proposal is approved, the sub-DAO’s budget will be managed at my discretion to achieve measurable outcomes.
  • The very act of approving this proposal is the community’s vote of trust in this leadership and its vision. Additional votes on spending decisions would undermine the agility needed to succeed.

• Decisive Action Without Bureaucracy:

  • Micromanagement and excessive oversight will only slow progress. The sub-DAO will provide structured reporting, but day-to-day decisions must remain swift and efficient.

This is not a “power grab.” It is the acknowledgment that for this sub-DAO to succeed, it must act with focus, free from distractions, and backed by the trust of the community.

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Strategic Goals

The K9 Marketing Sub-DAO will deliver results by focusing on three core objectives:

1. Building a High-Performing Team

• Assemble a team of skilled professionals to analyze $KNINE’s holder base, chart performance, and market sentiment.
• Develop and execute solutions with precision, always prioritizing the most pressing needs first.

2. Strategic Chart Management

• Address the reality of $KNINE’s current chart challenges with clear-eyed determination.
• Avoid simplistic fixes like buy-and-burn strategies, which do not address the root causes of market stagnation.
• Act on reasonable and well-founded suggestions while maintaining focus on sustainable growth.

3. Empowering Developer Creativity and Autonomy

• Shield the dev team from chart-related FUD, allowing them to focus on building innovative products for the ecosystem.
• Sponsor hackathons, game challenges, and community events with meaningful prizes, encouraging both creativity and engagement within the community.
• Cultivate an environment where developers can enjoy their work, free to experiment and contribute meaningfully to K9 Finance’s growth.

4. Shifting Conversations to the Right Platforms

• Forum.K9Finance.com will serve as the primary platform for all sub-DAO-related discussions, enabling thoughtful and organized feedback.
• Telegram is not an effective space for these conversations due to its fast-paced and often chaotic nature.
• Plans will not be swayed by daily noise or negativity but will remain firmly rooted in strategy and data.

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Budget and Transparency

To execute this vision, I am requesting a monthly budget of $20,000 USDT, supplemented by $2,500 in $KNINE tokens.

• Base Pay: A transparent portion of this budget will serve as my compensation for leadership and execution.
• Team Development: Funds will be used to hire experts and execute campaigns with maximum impact.
• Community Engagement: Hackathons, challenges, and other community events will be funded to foster engagement and showcase the creativity within the ecosystem.

Accountability and Reporting

• The sub-DAO will provide regular updates to ensure transparency while maintaining the agility needed to succeed.
• Performance-based reviews will guide future adjustments to the budget or strategy.

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Timeline and Renewal

This proposal includes an initial four-month term. At the end of this period, the sub-DAO’s performance will be reviewed, and its renewal will be considered based on results. I welcome the opportunity to renegotiate terms based on measurable outcomes and community feedback.

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Why I Am the Right Leader for This Role

Deep Knowledge of K9 Finance

• Hosted 44+ uninterrupted weekly DAO chats, engaging directly with developers, partners, and community members.
• A history of thoughtful proposals, forum contributions, and community-building actions, earning the trust of $KNINE holders.

Proven Expertise Beyond K9

• Community Leadership: Managed successful Telegram groups and built thriving online communities.
• Business Development: Helped projects achieve nearly $100M market cap through strategic partnerships.
• Industry Experience: Hosted X Spaces for three years, including the first-ever voice interview with the SHIB token account.
• Negotiation and Delegation: Skilled at managing influencers, sourcing partnerships, and empowering teams to achieve goals.

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Conclusion

This proposal reflects a commitment to lead with transparency, accountability, and purpose. The challenges before us are significant, but they are not insurmountable. Together, with the right leadership, the K9 Marketing Sub-DAO can transform $KNINE’s trajectory and bring renewed energy to the community.

Approving this proposal is an act of trust, and I am prepared to meet that trust with action, results, and unwavering dedication. Let’s build a future for K9 Finance that we can all be proud of.

Sincerely,
Shane C
Founder, Pulse Digital
“Voice of the DAO”