What is a porter?

And what does it mean to us?

Climbing a mountain is a monumental undertaking. It takes days to weeks of strenuous effort in harsh, rapidly-changing climates. There is no shortage of headwinds on the journey up the mountain, yet people push through it all to achieve their goals of reaching the summit.

Although we like to imagine the self reliant climber who ascends through sheer will alone, this is most often not the case. Climbers have help, and lots of it, provided by porters. Porters are guides who help carry your bags up the mountain. While you may have a 15lb bag on your back, a porter carries a 40lb+ pack on their back and another on their head. They carry food, water, clothing and anything else you need to survive the trek.

Porters know the way. From a young age, they’ve trekked up and down the mountain, learning its trails and slopes. Without the guidance and aid of porters, most would not reach the summit.

Last year, I had the privilege of climbing Mt Kilimanjaro. The porters I met and hiked with had an enormous impact on me. So much so that I decided to name our protocol after them. Their guidance and wealth of knowledge made me feel safe and assured in uncertain times, while their friendship and warmth enhanced the journey. Without them, I never would have fulfilled my goal of reaching the summit.

At Porter Finance, we are building financial infrastructure to help DAOs climb their mountains and reach their goals. We want to help carry the bags of DAOs from the lowest depths to the highest peaks. We are guides, we are friends, we are porters.