We’re all figuring out governance together. Here’s a practical guide for anyone who wants to propose something, bid on work, or just contribute an idea.
RFC vs RFP — when to use which:
| RFC (Request for Comments) | RFP (Request for Proposal) | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Get feedback on an idea | Solicit bids for specific work |
| Stage | Early — exploring | Late — ready to fund |
| Binding | No — it’s a discussion | Can become binding after vote |
| Example | “Should we add stablecoin escrow?” | “Operate the Gateway — specs, SLAs, budget” |
The pipeline:
RFC (idea + discussion) → TC (temperature check) → GP (binding vote)
Not every RFC needs all three stages. Simple discussions can stay as RFCs.
Writing an RFC — 5 steps:
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Search RadixTalk first (your idea may already be in discussion)
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Draft it: Summary, Problem, Proposed Solution, Open Questions
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Post with
[RFC]prefix in the title -
Respond to every comment within 48h
-
Decide next steps: move to TC, revise, or shelve
Writing an RFP — 5 steps:
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Define scope: specific deliverables, budget, timeline
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Draft it: Summary, Scope of Work, Requirements, Budget, Milestones, Accountability
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Post with
[RFP]prefix -
Set a clear deadline for responses
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Evaluate and escalate to TC → GP for community vote
Key rules (learned from other DAOs):
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Lead with the problem, not the solution
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Show your work — link to live code, deployed contracts, prototypes
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Include a budget (even a rough range)
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Set a timeline with milestones
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Name a responsible person
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Time-box everything (6 months max, renewal requires new vote)
Templates:
Full copy-paste templates for both RFCs and RFPs are in the guide repo:
RFC vs RFP Guide on GitHub
How the Guild helps:
The @rad_gov bot and radixguild.com can help you test ideas before posting:
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/propose "your idea"— quick temperature check in TG -
/groups— find people interested in your topic -
/charter— see which governance decisions are pending
Think of it as a workshop before the formal post.
Questions welcome — this is a living guide.