Network Agreement
Paogda network consists of:
Pagodian
Pagoda Nodes
Friends and Family
rest of the world
Pagodians are required to practice: Protocol of Being
What are we looking for in a pagodian?
Join Pagoda only by invitation.
Need to be Pagodian first, and at least 2 people in your community are Pagodians, can you start/register a Pagoda node.
Overview
This agreement exists so stakeholders of Pagoda have clarity in terms of how they relate to the whole and what the expectations and benefits are of different types of relationships with(in) Pagoda.
It outlines the process of moving from one kind of relationship to another. It also points to the specific dependencies on other agreements and systems. It’s a living document and is intended to be reviewed.
This agreement defines how Pagoda relates to people, specifically Pagodians, Pagoda Node and Friends & Family. It details the benefits, responsibilities and expectations associated with those different types of relationships.
we gather to weave the diverse threads of Asia's cultures and philosophies into a united tapestry of Ethereum aiming to shape a decentralized world that honors our shared heritage and distinct voices.
What does this model involve?
It relies on this document (that you’re reading) and our relationships with each other. The People’s Agreement shares dependencies with the yet to be defined Values & Purpose Document.
Personal Conduct
This is less about what you should do and more about how we are expected to do it. The following is a list of key expectations when it comes to conducting yourself within and as a representative of Pagoda.
Expectations:
Learn and practice self-management. What does that involve? Being honest and clear with yourself and others.
Take ownership and responsibility for your work and how it impacts others.
Communicate clearly, early and often where you are at and what you need.
Asking for help
Asking for feedback/review?
Asking for input and advice
Types of Engagement
The following agents are defined in detail below but here is a high level summary of the different types of agent and how they relate to Pagoda.
Pagodians
A Pagodian is the heart of Pagoda. They’re committed to the success of the network and have exhibited this commitment in their character, integrity, their personal conduct and mission, their interactions with others and in the work they’ve done. Pagodians are invited with the approval of other Pagodians. Further details are outlined below.
Pagoda Node
Friends & family
Are either individuals or organizations that understand the value and purpose of Pagoda and want to participate in Pagoda's action.
The responsibilities, expectations, powers, commitments of Agents
Pagodians
Responsibilities
Living our values and culture. See ‘Our Values & Purpose’ document and professional conduct overview above.
You’re responsible for your own experience.
Asking for what you need if your needs aren’t being met.
Cultivate a space where others feel able to contribute and to develop the skills and capabilities that are essential to operating as a peer
Steward a healthy environment for freelancers and friends & family to work with us.
Expectations
Cultivate healthy relationships with others
Commit a min of 10 hours of unpaid time per month to be invested in internal work and growth of Pagoda. ie. project retrospectives, internal meetings, proposal review, blog-writing, attending networking events, speaking, presenting etc.
Represent Pagoda in a professional context. e.g. “Hi there, I’m Tane, a part of Pagoda.”
Actively ask for and offer others feedback
Prioritize attending retreats and away-days
Actively contribute to the wider organizational decision-making (ie. Loomio threads)
Actively contribute to the wider organizational success (refer leads, promote and represent Pagoda)
Powers
Voting rights on agreements
Voting rights on strategy
Voting rights on approving new Pagoda Node and Pagodians
Right to initiate the process of inviting another Pagodian
Access to all Slack channels, Notion, Loomio and Gdrive.
Commitments
Work primarily through Pagoda. This looks like:
At least 8 months of the year
Making a minimum of 15 hours of billable time available per week
Benefits
Receive 85% of your total billed amount (amount charged to the client at your project specific rate)
Are prioritized for work
Eligible to receive a profit share from Pagoda
Eligible to take on paid internal roles (see the Roles and Financial Agreement)
Gain access to collective expertise through direct skill-sharing and mentoring with peers
Pagodian-to-be
Responsibilities
Living our values and culture. See ‘Our Values & Purpose’ document and professional conduct overview above.
You’re responsible for your own experience.
Asking for what you need if your needs aren’t being met.
Cultivate a space where others feel able to contribute and to develop the skills and capabilities that are essential to operating as a peer
Expectations
Cultivate healthy relationships with others
Commit a minimum of 10 hours of unpaid time (not paid internal roles) per month to be invested in internal work and growth of Pagoda. ie. project retrospectives, internal meetings, proposal review, blog-writing, attending networking events, speaking, presenting etc.
Represent Pagoda in a professional context. e.g. “Hi there, I’m Wahine, a part of Pagoda.”
Actively ask for and offer others feedback
Actively contribute to the wider organizational decision-making (ie. Loomio threads)
Actively contribute to the wider organizational success (refer leads, promote and represent Pagoda)
Powers
Voting rights on Strategy
Access to Schedule, Notion, General/Community Slack channels, and Loomio.
Commitments
Attend at least 1 retreat/awayday
Work primarily through Pagoda. This looks like:
Working through Pagoda for the next 4 months
Making a minimum of 8 hours of billable time available per week
Benefits
Receive 85% of your total billed amount for project (amount charged to the client at your project specific rate)
Are prioritised for work
Gain access to collective expertise through direct skill-sharing and mentoring with peers
Friends & family
Responsibilities, Expectations, Powers and Commitments
Joining by any Pagodian or Pagodian-to-be
Defined as per request and approval /MoU
Benefits
We want to promote and see each other succeed, we endeavor to refer our friends & family to our network and up-sell them into our projects wherever possible.
Joining the community event (gathering,retreat,meet-up)
Joining closed FB group
Supply friends & family
People - Individuals who are a part of our wider network and have overlapping interests/intent. They may be clients, they may be champions interested in our success, they may be people doing great work who we want to see succeed.
Organizations - may relate to us as Clients or Subcontractors or Champions - they may engage with us to solve their problems/create new realities or we may engage their services to do the same. Equally, they may be organizations we hold a symbiosis with as we have a significant overlap in goals and want to see each other succeed.
Client friends & family
People - Individuals who are a part of our wider network and have overlapping interests/intent. They may be clients, they may be champions interested in our success, they may be people doing great work who we want to see succeed.
Organizations - may relate to us as Clients or Subcontractors or Champions - they may engage our services to solve their problems/create new realities or we may engage their services to do the same. Equally, they may be organizations we hold a symbiosis with as we have a significant overlap in goals and want to see each other succeed.
Final thoughts,
With clear understanding and transparency, every party can work within their scope to contribute to a broader vision of cooperation.
Onboarding Processes
Becoming a friends and family
Friends and family are invited by the existing Pagodianship once they've shown the interest and intention to be part of Pagoda community (details above)
For individuals :
Starts with a conversation with the candidate to gauge their interest, answer questions and determine next steps
If the candidate is keen, then the inviting Pagodian, Pagodian-to-be should post a loomio thread indicating why they think that person is right for 'friends and family' and the mutual benefits.
Receiving the sign-up form to be the 'Friends and family'
Getting invitation to the closed Facebook group and notion.
Happy Pagodianing!
For organizations or collectives :
Starts with a conversation with the candidate to gauge their interest, answer questions and determine next steps
If the candidate is keen, then the inviting Pagodian, Pagodian-to-be should post a loomio thread indicating why they think that person is right for 'friends and family' and the mutual benefits.
Sign a joint partnership agreement (MOU or more binding legal document), that declares Pagoda and the co-signing party as 'family' (a.k.a partner).
Exchange and place family logos on websites under 'Family & Friends' category.
Building amazing stuff together!
Becoming a Pagodian-to-be
Pagodians initiate the process of inviting a new Pagodian-to-be. Discussion around an individual's interest in Pagodianship or becoming a Pagodian should happen pretty early on in their engagement.
Pagodians-to-be are ‘Pagodians on trial’ they’ve exhibited the qualities we’re looking for and we want to invite them closer into the heart of the collective and test out the relationship for both parties.
Pagodians are shareholders of the company and play a role as Dolbomi (돌보미) or ‘guardians’ of the community(people) and organization(company). An invitation into Pagodian-to-be should take the dimensions of that responsibility into account.
Pagodians-to-be are invited by the existing Pagodianship once they’ve already engaged as freelancer and exhibited the right qualities in their work and conduct.
Starts with a conversation with the candidate to gauge their interest, answer questions and determine next steps
If the candidate is keen, then the inviting Pagodian should post a Pagodian-only loomio thread indicating why they think that person is right for Pagodian-to-be and how they’ve seen the candidate exhibit the qualities we’re looking for.
If they want to allow space for questions or concerns to arise and be addressed, they can do so in that thread before…
Raising a proposal for Pagodians to vote on. A successful proposal should be unanimous. Read more in the Decision’s Agreement
Pagodian-to-be lasts a minimum of 4 months and then reviewed with you and by the rest of the Pagodianship as to whether it’s a good fit/we’re wanting to make an ongoing commitment to each other
Mentoring/Coaching - we will continue to support your professional development by mutual agreement
Becoming a Pagodian
Invitation into Pagodianship should happen when a Pagodian-to-be has one-month left in their Pagodian-to-be trial period. It should involve a private review in the original Pagodian-to-be loomio thread to allow reflection around what’s worked well, what hasn’t and what may need to change. There’s also a need to ensure there are no ongoing concerns, persistent issues regarding professional conduct, strained relationships or other red-flags that need to be addressed before they’re granted full membership status.
Pagodians are shareholders of the company and play a role as kaitiaki or ‘guardians’ of the community (people) and organisation (company). An invitation into Pagodian should take the dimensions of that responsibility into account.
Invitation into Pagodianship should happen when a Pagodian-to-be has one-month left in their Pagodian-to-be trial period.
It should involve a private review (by Pagodians) in the original Pagodian-to-be loomio thread to allow members to reflect on what’s worked well, what hasn’t and what may need to change.
Once that’s done, it should involve a collective review (with Pagodians and the Pagodian-to-be) in a new private loomio thread to allow everyone to reflect on what’s worked well, what hasn’t and what may need to change.
Finally, if there are no red-flags or pressing concerns, Pagodians-to-be should be asked whether they wish to become Pagodians or not :)
If they say yes, then a proposal should go up in the collective thread to approve the decision.
If this is unanimously approved, a share will be issued and other steps taken as necessary. If the candidate or another Pagodian blocks or votes against the proposal, then the group will need to decide what the best next steps are to take.
Key activities
Self-Organizing
Pagoda is designed to be a self-organising system, meaning initiatives can emerge from anywhere, there is no central plan. If you have an idea, share it with others, find collaborators, and develop it together. For this to work, you need to know people! The main ways we do this are through Connection Calls, Pods & Gatherings.
Connection Calls
This is a space for people to connect with each other, discuss specific topics, run group processes, etc. The connection calls have a simple framework: Check-in, Main topic, Check-out. Anyone can host. If no-one has offered to host a Connection Call the people present in the call decide after the check-in what they want to use the time for.
Our experience is that the calls are always very valuable and can vary from deep sharing or supporting someone going through a difficult time to a fun playful time in a self development game. Every so often the Connection Call is Pagoda focused.
Non-members can be invited to join the connection calls after a request to one of the Pod members. The host of the specific call can then decide whether a guest will work or not.
Pods
A pod is a small group who meet periodically over a defined length of time (e.g. 3-5 people who meet weekly for 2 months). This is one of the most reliable ways to get to know people in the network, get support, and find new collaborations.
We open a new pod-formation round after each gathering. (You can also self-organise pods at any time.)
More about Pods in the Pagoda Handbook.
Gatherings
So far we’ve had a rhythm of 2x multi-day retreats per year. At the most recent gathering there was a suggestion that we could host more frequent gatherings in different parts of the an region. Ideally we’d have multiple local bases we keep returning to.
Gatherings are the way we grow the number of people in the Network, which increases the potential collaborations. We encourage a minimum of 20% newcomers at gatherings so we keep growing, and we suggest a max of 40% so the culture is not too diluted.
Gatherings help to synchronise our collective attention, so this is a good time to address governance questions & make decisions together. We could for example elect new Representatives at a Gathering.
Any Network Member can host a gathering, if they co-host with someone who has done it before.
Onboarding process:
Participated in one Pagoda event
Apply to be Pagodian
Get an invitation to an interview
Pass conversation with 3 Pagodian?
Get Pagoda Pass
Last updated