Examples

Quadratic voting examples where intensity changes the answer

A simple vote count can say which option has more supporters. Quadratic voting examples show when a smaller group cares intensely, when opposition is principled, and when delegated expertise matters.

Start a decisionSee the mechanism

Nicolas mechanism signals

These concepts follow the mathematical contract used by the app.

Convex cost

cost = c * sum a_ij^2

Voice budget

sum a_ij^2 <= B

Outcome rule

shifted softmax over support

Roadmap prioritization example

A product team choosing between reliability work, a new feature, and analytics improvements might favor the familiar new feature in a simple vote, while engineers spend more voice credits on reliability because the downside risk is concentrated and serious.

Nicolas would show support, opposition, quadratic costs, and outcome probabilities, making the intensity behind the roadmap signal inspectable.

Community funding example

A community compares a public event, accessibility improvements, and a small emergency fund. Many people mildly like the event, but affected participants strongly support accessibility improvements.

Quadratic voting lets those participants spend more of their finite budget where the decision matters most, instead of flattening that preference into one identical vote.

DAO governance example

A DAO shortlisting grant proposals before a formal execution process can use Nicolas to signal which proposals deserve attention without turning the signal into token-weighted execution.

Delegation helps members route voice credits to trusted contributors on technical proposals, while direct voting remains available for decisions they want to make themselves.

Use cases

Where this decision model helps

Teams

Prioritize roadmap or research choices when mild familiarity and deep conviction diverge.

Communities

Compare projects where the people most affected may not be the numerical majority.

Governance groups

Use delegation and finite voice credits to produce an interpretable proposal signal.

FAQ

What is a simple quadratic voting example?

Give each participant a fixed voice budget, let them spend intensity across options, and charge the square of each intensity. A vote of 3 costs 9 units, while three voters each casting 1 costs 3 total units.

Why do examples often involve uneven stakes?

Quadratic voting is most useful when people are affected differently and the group needs to distinguish mild support from strong preference.

Does Nicolas require money to run these examples?

No. Nicolas uses voice credits and quadratic costs inside the decision model. Funding, procurement, and execution happen outside the tool.

Keep reading

Continue with adjacent concepts and practical Nicolas workflows.

DAO governanceSee a governance-specific fit for proposal signals.Quadratic voting calculatorTry the squared-cost rule with sample vote intensities.