David SlifkaFeb 6, 2023

The fediverse has come this far despite being very capital-constrained.

What if that constraint were lifted?

If you have a project or idea (for- or non-profit) that helps build or grow the fediverse and would benefit from funding, I hope you'll apply here. Thank you!
https://bit.ly/fediverse-funding

Fediverse Funding Opportunities

Fediverse funding opportunities If you have a project or idea to grow the fediverse or Mastodon, and if funding would help you do it faster/bigger/better, I hope you’ll apply for funding here: https://form.typeform.com/to/eMY7s8S8 Increasingly, there’s interest in supporting the fediverse from b...

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Show threadJeff MartinFeb 7, 2023
@davidslifka Interesting idea, but I hope you’ll excuse some skepticism from those of us who don’t trust investors very much. What are you expecting in return from funding recipients, both for-profit and non-profit?
Show threadDavid SlifkaFeb 7, 2023
@cuchaz Expecting in return for donations: That people build and grow the fediverse, which many want to do but lack the financial capacity. Investments would be mostly similar, except hopefully capital gets returned. The fediverse is monopoly-resistant and that's great and shouldn't change.
Show threadJeff MartinFeb 7, 2023
@davidslifka Awesome, thanks for clarifying. A follow-up question: Why do you want the Fediverse to grow bigger?
Show threadDavid Slifka
@cuchaz I think decentralization is the eventual solution to the problems that today's social media has and creates. What do you think?
Feb 7, 2023 at 2:27pmWeb
Show threadJeff MartinFeb 7, 2023

@davidslifka I think moving power from platform operators to users is the way forward. I can see why users would be interested in that. And maybe even philanthropists.

What I can’t figure out is why corporations would be interested in that, or why investors want to help. What do they get out of the deal, and how?

Show threadDavid SlifkaFeb 7, 2023
@cuchaz The emphasis here is on donors/philanthropists, for sure. For investors, there are absolutely business opportunities, even in a healthy and decentralized fediverse. Ivory and SpaceHost are two just recently created. Fediverse businesses won't produce huge returns through monopoly and extraction, which is best for everyone; that also means different (non-VC) capital sources will be needed. And I'm not a VC.
Show threadJeff MartinFeb 7, 2023

@davidslifka Fascinating. I'll admit, I'm mostly familiar with angel, VC, and PE forms of investing. How would you say what you're doing is different? If not through extraction, as you say, how will businesses produce huge returns to investors?

Nice to see some interest from donors too. Although, I sometimes wonder if Fediverse projects have enough of a component of "public good" that they could maybe be funded through democratic means? Maybe a government-sponsored grants system of some kind, funded from taxes? Public research works this way, and if there was some way to avoid all the flaws of the academic publishing system, I wonder if that funding system could be adapted to the Fediverse.