DAOs aren't things... they are flows.

DAOs are networks that are defined by nodes and links, corresponding to people and relationships.

DAO’s existed before (guilds, labor unions). They can do certain things very well but some decisions are hard to make, like competition with another entity, coordination of action beyond initial purposes of the organization

The promise of DAOs lies in self-governance. With the appropriate tools and mechanics, contributors can onboard, coordinate, reward one another, rather than relying on one single point of failure. In absence of such infrastructure, decisions will continue to be made arbitrarily and consensus cannot scale across the network.