June 19, 2025
Attendees:
Name
Attendance
Role
Phil Lewis
Yes
ISC Member
Thiago Nunes
Yes
Interim ISC Member
Pedro Lucas
Yes
OSC Chair, Representing two Enterprise Members
Nicholas Cerny
No
Civics Committee Chair
Vaibhav S
Yes
GMC Member
Naushad Fouze
Yes
Product Committee
Jose Iadicicco
Yes
Community Member
Maureen Wepngong
Yes
DRep
Terence McCutcheon
Yes
Intersect
Tevo Saks
No
Community Member
Lorenzo Bruno
Yes
Recording: Intersect Governance WG Weekly - 2025/06/19 15:57 CEST - Recording
Transcript: Intersect Governance WG Weekly - 2025/06/19 15:57 CEST - Notes by Gemini
Agenda 19.06.2025
Board Election Recommendations Discussion
Discuss the decision-making workflow
Decisions/Actions
Discussion Point
Notes
Actions: Responsible / Note
Prioritization of Open Topics
Discussion points from Discord were identified, including concerns about extra burden on users, UX issues, clarifying the term "later," and outlining what voids a vote. Phil also brought up points on changing bylaws and a new idea related to the early session.
The group decided to run through open topics one by one to close loops.
Revised Presentation for ISC
Phil presented a modified version of the deck, suggesting a simpler approach for the ISC. He emphasized reducing the burden on members to avoid decreasing participation and highlighted two primary recommendations: restricting voting based on membership duration (e.g., three months prior) and adding a multiplier for enterprise members' voting power to increase the cost of vote-buying attacks (e.g., 20x). The presentation also acknowledged other considered mitigations that would add friction to legitimate members and are not being recommended at this stage.
Membership UX/Friction
Phil clarified that his UX concerns stemmed from potential extra steps required for members to vote, which could deter participation, especially with current low engagement rates (25-30%). Lorenzo noted that new members joining close to an election might still need an option to verify their identity (e.g., DID, KYC, proof of life) to participate without imposing a mandatory burden.
The presentation will emphasize minimizing friction for legitimate members while still addressing security. The possibility of offering an identity verification option for late joiners will be considered.
Bylaws and Legal Standing
Phil stated that existing bylaws and Wyoming law might already be sufficient to address malicious actors. Lorenzo argued that clarifying the bylaws for "one person, one individual membership" would make enforcement more straightforward, even if the legal process for removal or vote nullification remains arduous. Discussion around enterprise vs. individual memberships and their voting power also came up.
The group will re-examine the bylaws to determine if clarifications are needed regarding individual vs. enterprise memberships and their voting rights, ensuring clear guidelines for the audit process.
Risk Assessment and Impact
Tex expressed concern that the discussion might be overcomplicating the membership process and that the risk of nefarious actors gaining control might be a "medium risk" rather than severe, arguing for a focus on incentivizing legitimate participation. Phil countered that the worst-case scenario (nefarious actors changing bylaws to lock in control) is severe. The group generally settled on the risk being "severe" with a "possible" likelihood.
The presentation will clearly articulate the severe impact of the risk (board majority by malicious actors) and the "possible" likelihood of it occurring.
Incentivizing Member Participation
Phil suggested exploring ways to incentivize members to vote and participate, moving from a "preventing bad actors" mindset to a more positive "encouraging good actors" approach. Ideas included reimbursing membership fees for voting.
This remains an area for future exploration and discussion as a long-term mitigation strategy, but is not part of the immediate recommendations.
Member Renewals and Data
Gintama inquired about current membership renewal rates and how they might inform voter numbers for the October election. Lorenzo noted that renewals have just begun, and more definitive data will be available in 6-8 weeks.
The team will monitor membership renewal data to get a clearer picture of potential voter turnout for the October election.
Business Process Management
Pedro introduced tools like Camunda for business process modeling and workflow management, suggesting their potential for mapping Intersect's governance processes, tracking actions, and archiving evidence.
Board Election Timeline
The board election is expected to start in September and conclude in early October. This means changes need to be in place by the end of June/early July to allow for communication and implementation.
The group will aim to present the recommendations to the ISC next Monday, with a push to surface them directly to the board next week if ISC is amenable, to ensure timely implementation before September.
Workshop for ISC (Decision-Making Workflow)
The second agenda item for the meeting was to discuss the decision-making workflow using a Miro board, to prepare a first draft for the ISC.
This discussion was deferred due to the in-depth focus on election vulnerabilities. It remains an important topic for a future session.
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