Preliminary findings from 52 Harmonica structured interviews. Forty-one proposed governance solutions identified so far, organized by category and maturity stage. Solution writeups were synthesized using AI-assisted analysis and may contain elaborations beyond what participants explicitly stated — see Methodology for details. Phase 1 research is ongoing — additional solutions may emerge as other data sources are integrated.
Maturity stages
Solutions are mapped on a Wardley Map evolution axis:
- Genesis: Novel concepts, early-stage thinking
- Custom: Emerging approaches, active research
- Product: Growing adoption, being piloted or in production
- Commodity: Well-established, widely adopted
By Category
Voting Reform
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conviction Voting | Product | 7 | 3 |
| Pairwise Preference Voting | Custom | 1 | 2 |
Reputation
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soulbound Reputation Tokens | Custom → Product | 7 | 4 |
| Delegate Verification | Custom → Product | 5 | 3 |
| TrustGraph | Genesis → Custom | 1 | 2 |
AI-Augmented
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Governance Agents | Genesis → Custom | 8 | 3 |
| AI Dispute Resolution | Genesis → Custom | 2 | 2 |
| Open Value Accounting with AI | Custom | 2 | 2 |
Sensemaking
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polis Opinion Clustering | Commodity | 5 | 3 |
| Signals Protocol | Custom | 4 | 3 |
| Co-creation Cycles | Custom → Product | 4 | 3 |
| Updraft | Custom | 2 | 3 |
Knowledge Infrastructure
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governance Memory System | Genesis → Custom | 4 | 3 |
| Reference Identifiers | Custom | 2 | 2 |
| Telescope Bot | Custom → Product | 1 | 2 |
Structural
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialized Committees | Product | 7 | 3 |
| Optimistic Governance | Product | 4 | 2 |
| Proto-DAOs | Genesis → Custom | 4 | 3 |
| Tensegrity Governance | Genesis | 3 | 4 |
| Proposal Review Groups | Custom | 2 | 3 |
| Powers Protocol | Genesis | 2 | 3 |
| Logos Zones | Genesis | 2 | 3 |
| Standardized Governance Cycles | Custom | 2 | 2 |
| Attestation-Based Governance | Product | 1 | 2 |
| Explicit Interest Group Representation | Genesis | 1 | 2 |
| QGOV | Genesis → Custom | 1 | 1 |
| Forking Protocol | Genesis | 1 | 1 |
| Contestable Control | Genesis → Custom | 1 | 1 |
| Governance Minimization | Genesis → Custom | 1 | 2 |
Financial
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contributor Streams | Product | 5 | 2 |
| VE Buyback Models | Commodity | 4 | 2 |
| RPGF | Custom → Product | 5 | 2 |
| Token-as-Equity | Custom | 3 | 2 |
| Green Goods | Product | 1 | 2 |
| Milestone-based Fundraising | Genesis → Custom | 2 | 2 |
Verification
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| VERP Protocol | Genesis | 1 | 2 |
Alternative Models
| Solution | Maturity | Mentions | Problems Addressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centralized Ops DAO Oversight | Product | 5 | 3 |
| Platform Cooperatives | Genesis → Custom | 3 | 3 |
| Governable Spaces | Custom | 1 | 2 |
| Constitutional Juror Pools | Genesis | 1 | 2 |
| Active Scouting | Genesis | 2 | 2 |
Key Insights
The solutions landscape reveals several patterns:
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The execution layer is more evolved than the deliberation layer. Financial mechanisms (VE models, Contributor Streams) and structural solutions (Specialized Committees, Optimistic Governance) are furthest along the maturity curve. Sensemaking and knowledge infrastructure remain largely experimental.
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Knowledge infrastructure barely exists. Governance Memory Systems, Reference Identifiers, and Telescope Bot are all in early stages. This is a critical gap given that Institutional Amnesia was identified as a high-urgency problem.
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AI-augmented governance is emerging rapidly. AI Governance Agents received 7 mentions — strong signal for a Genesis/Custom stage solution — suggesting high practitioner interest despite low maturity.
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Most solutions address Token Voting Failure. This problem has the most solution coverage (15 solutions), confirming it as the primary focus of governance innovation efforts.
See also: Phase 1 Results · Problems Overview