> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.builtbydao.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.builtbydao.com/membership/guilds.md).

# Guilds & Working Groups

Built By DAO organizes work through two complementary structures: **Guilds** (skill-based communities) and **Working Groups** (task-focused teams). Understanding how these work alongside the rank system is key to effective participation.

***

{% hint style="info" %}

## 👥 Organizational Structures

|     🎨 Guilds     | 👥 Working Groups | 🏢 Divisions |   🎖️ Ranks  |
| :---------------: | :---------------: | :----------: | :----------: |
| Skill communities |     Task teams    |   Org units  | Trust levels |

**🔗 How They Connect:** You might be a Contributor (rank) in the Carpentry Guild (skill) working on the Depot Team (working group) within Construction Division (org unit).
{% endhint %}

***

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="🎨 Guilds" %}

## 🎨 What Are Guilds?

Guilds are skill-based communities that cut across divisions. They connect members who share expertise, regardless of which team they're on.

***

## 🏗️ Guild Types

### Trade Guilds

| Guild            | Focus           | Skills                          |
| ---------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------- |
| 🔨 **Carpentry** | Woodworking     | Framing, finishing, cabinetry   |
| ⚡ **Electrical** | Power systems   | Wiring, panels, solar           |
| 🔧 **Plumbing**  | Water systems   | Pipes, fixtures, drainage       |
| 🌡️ **HVAC**     | Climate systems | Heating, cooling, ventilation   |
| 🧱 **Masonry**   | Stone/brick     | Foundations, walls, restoration |
| 🎨 **Finishing** | Surfaces        | Painting, drywall, flooring     |

### Technical Guilds

| Guild              | Focus          | Skills                          |
| ------------------ | -------------- | ------------------------------- |
| 💻 **Development** | Software       | Frontend, backend, blockchain   |
| 🎨 **Design**      | Visual         | UI/UX, graphics, branding       |
| 🔐 **Security**    | Protection     | Smart contracts, infrastructure |
| 📊 **Data**        | Analytics      | Analysis, visualization, ML     |
| ⚙️ **DevOps**      | Infrastructure | Deployment, monitoring          |

### Operations Guilds

| Guild                     | Focus        | Skills                         |
| ------------------------- | ------------ | ------------------------------ |
| 📋 **Project Management** | Coordination | Planning, tracking, delivery   |
| 💰 **Finance**            | Money        | Accounting, treasury, analysis |
| 📣 **Communications**     | Messaging    | Writing, social, PR            |
| 👥 **Facilitation**       | People       | Meetings, workshops, training  |

***

## 🎯 What Guilds Provide

| Benefit              | Description                    |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| 📜 **Merit NFTs**    | Skill-level recognition badges |
| 🎓 **Training**      | Skill-specific learning paths  |
| 👥 **Mentorship**    | Connect with experts           |
| 🔨 **Task Matching** | Get work that fits your skills |
| 📚 **Resources**     | Guild-specific documentation   |
| 🏆 **Recognition**   | Skill progression tracking     |
| {% endtab %}         |                                |

{% tab title="📜 Merit NFTs" %}

## 📜 Guild Merit NFTs

Guilds issue **Merit NFTs** to recognize skill levels within the guild.

***

## 🎖️ Merit Levels

| Level | Name                | Requirements                        |
| :---: | ------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
|   1   | 🌱 **Novice**       | Join guild, complete intro training |
|   2   | 🔧 **Practitioner** | Demonstrated basic competency       |
|   3   | ⚙️ **Journeyman**   | Consistent quality work             |
|   4   | 🎯 **Expert**       | Advanced skills, mentors others     |
|   5   | 🏆 **Master**       | Guild leadership, sets standards    |

***

## 🤔 Merit vs. Rank

| Aspect          | 🎖️ Membership Rank       | 📜 Guild Merit                      |
| --------------- | ------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Scope**       | Organization-wide         | Within one guild                    |
| **Measures**    | Trust & contribution      | Skill proficiency                   |
| **Affects**     | Bounded governance weight | Skill recognition and task matching |
| **Progression** | Evidence-based review     | Skill demonstration                 |

**You can have different merit levels in multiple guilds!**

***

## 💰 Merit & Earnings

Guild merit helps demonstrate readiness for tasks. Each task’s reviewed class, hours, and rate determine its Contribution EQTBLT reward; members earn the same amount for the same verified task regardless of guild merit or rank:

| Merit Level     | How It Helps                                     |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| 🌱 Novice       | Find supervised learning tasks                   |
| 🔧 Practitioner | Demonstrate basic task readiness                 |
| ⚙️ Journeyman   | Show consistent independent skills               |
| 🎯 Expert       | Support complex task matching and mentorship     |
| 🏆 Master       | Demonstrate teaching and guild leadership skills |

See [Tasks](/contributors/tasks.md) for reviewed terms and [Earning EQTBLT](/guides/earning-eqtblt.md) for payment confirmation.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="👥 Working Groups" %}

## 👥 What Are Working Groups?

Working Groups are task-focused teams that form around specific projects or ongoing operations.

***

## 🏗️ Working Group Types

### Project-Based

| Type               | Duration       | Example                  |
| ------------------ | -------------- | ------------------------ |
| 🏠 **Build Team**  | Project length | "123 Main St Renovation" |
| 💻 **Sprint Team** | 2-4 weeks      | "Governance Release"     |
| 🎉 **Event Team**  | Event-specific | "Annual Member Summit"   |

### Ongoing Operations

| Type                | Duration  | Example                        |
| ------------------- | --------- | ------------------------------ |
| 📦 **Depot Team**   | Permanent | Material processing operations |
| 🔧 **Maintenance**  | Permanent | Property upkeep                |
| 💬 **Support Team** | Permanent | Member assistance              |

***

## 📋 Working Group Structure

| Role            | Rank Required    | Responsibilities          |
| --------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------- |
| **Lead**        | Crew Lead (L4+)  | Direction, accountability |
| **Coordinator** | Operator (L3A+)  | Day-to-day management     |
| **Members**     | Any              | Task execution            |
| **Specialists** | Specialist (L3B) | Expert guidance           |

***

## 🔄 How Work Flows

```
Division sets priorities
        ↓
Working Group receives scope
        ↓
Lead assigns tasks to members
        ↓
Members complete tasks
        ↓
Contribution evidence reviewed and approved
        ↓
Eligible reward paid through a funded, authorized payment
        ↓
Contribution EQTBLT confirmed on chain
```

Completion or review alone does not issue EQTBLT. Rewards follow the approved task terms and confirmed payment. See [Earning EQTBLT](/guides/earning-eqtblt.md).

***

## 🎯 Joining Working Groups

| Your Level     | What You Can Join           |
| -------------- | --------------------------- |
| 🌱 Seeker      | Assigned by onboarding      |
| 🌿 Apprentice  | Assigned by mentor          |
| 🔧 Contributor | Any group accepting members |
| ⚙️+ Operator+  | Request or be recruited     |
| {% endtab %}   |                             |

{% tab title="🏢 Divisions" %}

## 🏢 How Divisions Fit In

Divisions are organizational units that contain working groups and align with guilds.

***

## 📊 Division Overview

| Division                                                     | Focus        | Related Guilds     |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------ | ------------------ |
| 🔨 [Construction](/divisions-and-roles/construction.md)      | Building     | Trade guilds       |
| 💻 [Technology](/divisions-and-roles/technology.md)          | Digital      | Technical guilds   |
| 📋 [Operations](/operations/operations.md)                   | Coordination | PM, Finance        |
| 👥 [Community](/divisions-and-roles/membership-community.md) | People       | Facilitation       |
| 🧮 [Analytics](/divisions-and-roles/analytics.md)            | Data         | Data guild         |
| 💰 [Finance](/divisions-and-roles/finance.md)                | Money        | Finance guild      |
| 🔧 [Engineering](/divisions-and-roles/engineering.md)        | Design       | Engineering guilds |

***

## 🔗 Division ↔ Guild ↔ Working Group

| Structure         | Role                       | Example               |
| ----------------- | -------------------------- | --------------------- |
| **Division**      | Sets strategy, owns budget | Construction Division |
| **Guild**         | Provides skills, training  | Carpentry Guild       |
| **Working Group** | Executes work              | Depot Processing Team |

A single working group might draw from multiple guilds:

```
Depot Processing Team
├── Carpentry Guild members (woodworking)
├── Finishing Guild members (restoration)
├── Data Guild member (inventory tracking)
└── PM Guild member (coordination)
```

***

## 👔 Division Leadership

| Role          | Level               | Scope           |
| ------------- | ------------------- | --------------- |
| Division Head | Community Lead (L7) | Entire division |
| Area Lead     | Project Lead (L5)   | Functional area |
| Team Lead     | Crew Lead (L4)      | Working group   |
| {% endtab %}  |                     |                 |

{% tab title="🔀 Cross-Structure" %}

## 🔀 Working Across Structures

A complete member profile includes rank, guild membership, and working group assignment.

***

## 📋 Example Member Profiles

### Construction Contributor

| Attribute              | Value                    |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------ |
| 🎖️ **Rank**           | Contributor (Level 2)    |
| 🎨 **Primary Guild**   | Carpentry (Journeyman)   |
| 🎨 **Secondary Guild** | Finishing (Practitioner) |
| 👥 **Working Group**   | Depot Processing Team    |
| 🏢 **Division**        | Construction             |

### Technical Specialist

| Attribute              | Value                 |
| ---------------------- | --------------------- |
| 🎖️ **Rank**           | Specialist (Level 3B) |
| 🎨 **Primary Guild**   | Development (Expert)  |
| 🎨 **Secondary Guild** | Security (Journeyman) |
| 👥 **Working Group**   | Platform Core Team    |
| 🏢 **Division**        | Technology            |

### Community Guide

| Attribute              | Value                   |
| ---------------------- | ----------------------- |
| 🎖️ **Rank**           | Guide (Level 6)         |
| 🎨 **Primary Guild**   | Facilitation (Master)   |
| 🎨 **Secondary Guild** | Communications (Expert) |
| 👥 **Working Group**   | Onboarding Team         |
| 🏢 **Division**        | Community               |

***

## 🎯 Multi-Guild Participation

You can belong to multiple guilds:

| Status               | Description                      |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Primary Guild**    | Your main skill focus            |
| **Secondary Guilds** | Additional skills you develop    |
| **Maximum**          | No hard limit, but focus matters |

***

## 🔄 Changing Groups/Guilds

| Change               | Process                                     |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Join new guild       | Complete intro training, request membership |
| Change working group | Request transfer, subject to capacity       |
| Cross-division work  | Temporary assignment possible               |
| {% endtab %}         |                                             |

{% tab title="🎓 Training" %}

## 🎓 Guild Training Paths

Each guild offers structured training to develop skills and advance through merit levels.

***

## 📚 Training Types

| Type                   | Format                   | Duration     |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------ |
| 🎥 **Online Modules**  | Self-paced video/reading | Varies       |
| 👥 **Workshops**       | Hands-on sessions        | 2-4 hours    |
| 🏗️ **Apprenticeship** | Work alongside expert    | Weeks-months |
| 📜 **Certification**   | External credentials     | Varies       |

***

## 🔨 Example: Carpentry Guild Path

| Merit Level     | Training             | Outcome              |
| --------------- | -------------------- | -------------------- |
| 🌱 Novice       | Safety, tool basics  | Can assist           |
| 🔧 Practitioner | Framing fundamentals | Can do basic work    |
| ⚙️ Journeyman   | Advanced techniques  | Independent work     |
| 🎯 Expert       | Specialty skills     | Complex projects     |
| 🏆 Master       | Teaching, leadership | Sets guild standards |

***

## 💻 Example: Development Guild Path

| Merit Level     | Training                               | Outcome               |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| 🌱 Novice       | Git, code review basics                | Can contribute PRs    |
| 🔧 Practitioner | Language/framework deep dive           | Feature development   |
| ⚙️ Journeyman   | Architecture patterns                  | System design         |
| 🎯 Expert       | Specialization (smart contracts, etc.) | Technical leadership  |
| 🏆 Master       | Cross-cutting expertise                | Platform architecture |

***

## 📍 Where Training Happens

| Location                                     | Training Types                     |
| -------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| 🏠 [The Loft](/the-foundry/foundry/loft.md)  | In-person workshops, certification |
| 💻 Online platform                           | Video modules, documentation       |
| 🏗️ Job sites                                | Hands-on apprenticeship            |
| 🏛️ [The Hall](/the-foundry/foundry/hall.md) | Community sessions                 |
| {% endtab %}                                 |                                    |
| {% endtabs %}                                |                                    |

***

<details>

<summary>📋 Finding Your Place</summary>

### Questions to Ask Yourself

1. **What skills do I have?** → Which guilds match?
2. **What do I want to learn?** → Which guilds interest me?
3. **Do I prefer breadth or depth?** → Operator vs Specialist path
4. **Do I like leading people?** → Leadership track potential
5. **What kind of work energizes me?** → Which division?

### Getting Started

| Step | Action                                                |
| ---- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 1️⃣  | Complete onboarding (assigned to first working group) |
| 2️⃣  | Complete guild intro training for your skill area     |
| 3️⃣  | Earn Novice merit in primary guild                    |
| 4️⃣  | Build skills through working group tasks              |
| 5️⃣  | Explore secondary guilds as interests develop         |

</details>

***

<details>

<summary>🔍 Guild Directory</summary>

### Trade Guilds

* 🔨 Carpentry Guild
* ⚡ Electrical Guild
* 🔧 Plumbing Guild
* 🌡️ HVAC Guild
* 🧱 Masonry Guild
* 🎨 Finishing Guild
* 🏗️ Heavy Equipment Guild

### Technical Guilds

* 💻 Development Guild
* 🎨 Design Guild
* 🔐 Security Guild
* 📊 Data Guild
* ⚙️ DevOps Guild

### Operations Guilds

* 📋 Project Management Guild
* 💰 Finance Guild
* 📣 Communications Guild
* 👥 Facilitation Guild
* 📚 Documentation Guild

</details>

***

{% hint style="success" %}

## 🔗 Learn More

* 🎖️ [Member Levels](/membership/levels.md) — Understanding rank system
* 📈 [Progression & Reviews](/membership/progression.md) — How to advance
* 🏢 [Divisions](/divisions-and-roles/divisions.md) — Organizational structure
* 🏭 [The Foundry](/the-foundry/foundry.md) — Where work happens
  {% endhint %}

***

## 🔗 Related Pages

{% content-ref url="/pages/Ri3dFIoWMp5R5vgFgn3a" %}
[Member Levels](/membership/levels.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/WB43M1xL2bd4IBkpPjU8" %}
[Progression & Reviews](/membership/progression.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/evcOSKNCWgU7G60NSFC5" %}
[All Divisions](/divisions-and-roles/divisions.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/K4LGhhlSHD4Pg68pR1BE" %}
[Overview](/the-foundry/foundry.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/sPuLI4oa7Gw2yj9v5Hyb" %}
[Working Groups](/contributors/working-groups.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}


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