✍️ Draft & Discussion: Community Input
Learn how proposals are refined through community feedback
Follow a proposal from draft to execution
Your Progress
0 / 5 completed💬 Draft & Discussion: Where Most Proposals Die
Most proposals fail before voting. Not because they're voted down—because community discussion reveals flaws. The draft phase is 3-7 days of public forum debate on platforms like Commonwealth, Discourse, or Discord. Proposers post detailed specs: what, why, how, cost. Community responds: questions, criticisms, suggestions. Temperature checks (informal polls) gauge support. If sentiment is weak, smart proposers revise or abandon. Uniswap's governance shows 60% of proposals never reach formal vote—they die in discussion. This filter saves gas and prevents bad decisions.
🎮 Interactive: Proposal Temperature Check Simulator
Draft a proposal and see how the community reacts. Title quality, proposal type, and amount affect sentiment. Extend discussion to build support.
⚠️ Empty title hurts credibility
Funding requests (most common, moderate risk)
✓ Small ask—easier to pass
🏛️ Where Discussion Happens
Threaded forums like Reddit. Uniswap (gov.uniswap.org), Aave (governance.aave.com). Requires ENS or wallet to post. All proposals start here.
Real-time chat for quick questions. Not binding. Used for early feedback before formal forum post. Example: #governance channel in protocol Discord.
Off-chain voting for sentiment. Free (no gas). Typical question: "Should we move this to on-chain vote?" If < 50% yes, proposal dies.
❌ Common Failure Modes
"Fund marketing" with no specifics = instant rejection. Need: budget breakdown, deliverables, timeline, team background.
New accounts posting $100k requests = suspicious. Build reputation first through comments, small contributions.
If 10 people raise same concern and you don't respond = dead proposal. Shows disrespect for process.
Posting proposal → immediate Snapshot same day = looks like governance attack. Need 3+ day discussion minimum.
💡 Key Insight
Discussion phase is NOT a formality—it's the most important stage. Well-discussed proposals pass at 80-90% rate. Rushed proposals fail at 60-70% rate. The goal isn't to "win an argument" but to build consensus. Best proposers actively incorporate feedback, show willingness to compromise, and iterate publicly. MakerDAO's most successful proposals average 4.2 revisions before voting. Uniswap requires proposals sit for minimum 7 days before Snapshot to prevent rushed decisions. If temperature check shows weak support (< 50%), smart proposers withdraw and revise rather than waste community time and gas on a doomed vote. Next section: what happens when proposal moves to actual voting.