Action to Earn: Digging Deeper into Sustainable Incentives with VeBetterDAO — Part 2

Following our initial coverage of the VeBetterDAO xSpaces on Action to Earn (A2E) models, we’re back with a deeper dive into some of the fascinating insights shared by the participants.

This second edition explores the psychological aspects of incentives, the importance of community, and the long-term vision for A2E projects.

The Psychology Behind Action to Earn

One of the most intriguing perspectives came from Chud, a high school teacher, who drew a parallel between motivating students and incentivizing sustainable actions:

“Sometimes to get the kids to do stuff, we have to reward them, which is kinda weird to say, like, giving out candy in class sometimes helps the kids actually feel incentivized to learn something or to do something. And it’s kind of the same with adults.”

This comparison highlights how A2E models tap into fundamental aspects of human behavior. Chad further explained that even if the initial motivation is external, the learning or habit formation still occurs:

“If the kid sat down there and learned his multiplication tables or learned factoring or learned how to solve multistep equations because there is a Snicker’s bar at the end of the tunnel, they still learned that thing, and they were able to use it later.”

This insight suggests that while A2E models may initially attract users with rewards, the real value lies in the habits and knowledge gained through participation.

Beyond Financial Incentives: A Humanity-First Approach

Lianne brought an important perspective to the discussion, emphasizing the need to look beyond purely financial incentives:

“I would like to encourage you and all projects, when you’re thinking about tokenizing stuff, to also think about the humanity, putting things in a humanity-first approach as well. For web3, for this space to be sustainable in the sense of longevity, we need to have a deeper sense of shared purpose, mutual care, and a real commitment to positive social impact.”

This call for a more holistic approach underscores the importance of building communities and fostering genuine engagement with sustainability issues, rather than relying solely on token rewards.

The Challenge of Measuring True Impact

An interesting challenge highlighted during the discussion was the difficulty in measuring certain types of impact, particularly when it comes to community growth and awareness spreading. As one participant noted:

“The word-of-mouth is something that, outside of metrics, we cannot measure. Right? We cannot say, we have this amount of people that are referring us. You can make a referral link, but it will never be as real as, ‘Hey, guys. I’m using this app, and it’s crazy.’”

This observation points to the need for A2E projects to develop more nuanced ways of assessing their impact beyond simple user numbers or token distributions.

Strengthening Collaboration Within VeBetterDAO

Shail from Oily emphasized the importance of increased collaboration within the VeBetterDAO ecosystem:

“I believe that we as a DAO, as VeBetterDAO, as dApps listed on the DAO, we must start getting closer and starting acting more as a DAO as well. It was refreshing to see new proposals starting to pop up… Maybe we should start planning how we can operate more as a DAO, to become more effective and more impactful for the long term.”

This call for greater coordination among A2E projects suggests a potential path for amplifying their collective impact and addressing shared challenges more effectively.

Inspiring the Next Generation of Sustainable Solutions

Perhaps one of the most inspiring insights came from Non-Fungible Book Club, who highlighted the broader impact of these early A2E initiatives:

“We have to remember as this first generation of apps here that, whatever might pan out for our individual apps and how long we run or how fast or big we grow, we are for sure inspiring a whole generation of developers to consider this model and maybe make the app that breaks ours.”

This perspective reminds us that the current wave of A2E projects is laying the groundwork for future innovations in the sustainability space, potentially inspiring solutions we haven’t yet imagined.

Looking Ahead: The Evolution of Action to Earn

As these discussions reveal, the A2E model is still in its early stages, with much room for growth and refinement. The challenges of balancing incentives, measuring impact, and fostering genuine community engagement are substantial, but so is the potential for creating lasting positive change.

By continuing to collaborate, share insights, and remain focused on their core mission of promoting sustainability, the projects within VeBetterDAO are not just building individual applications — they’re helping to shape the future of how we incentivize and achieve sustainable behaviors on a global scale.