funding notes

NOTES

@@ -49,6 +49,145 @@ clever tricks like the plague." --Edsger Dijkstra
 *** easy ledger compatibility testing
 **** --compare to compare (xml?) output with ledger with same args
 ** docs
+*** funding
+**** vision
+     How to grow the hledger project ?
+
+     I'm looking for ways to fund active and sustainable hledger
+     development by me and others.
+
+     A secondary goal is to develop new sustainable models and processes
+     for funding free software developers and other community projects.
+
+     This is sometimes the point in a free sw project's development where
+     the project leader seemingly loses the plot, alienates contributors
+     and destroys the community's good-will dynamic.  I've seen it many
+     times, but a few have succeeded and I want to be one of them - so
+     that I can eat, have a modicum of stability and do my best work in
+     service to the community.  At worst, I'll look bad but the project
+     will still be out there. At best I'll live more easily and joyfully
+     while serving the cause of Financial Solvency!
+
+     So I'm beginning by posting these notes and inviting feedback/ideas -
+     as much or as little as folks want to give.
+     
+**** funding models
+     Brainstorming some possible funding models & processes.
+
+***** grants
+      How to find possible grant sources ?
+****** con
+******* getting grant funding is a whole new field to study
+******* slow and time intensive, I imagine
+
+***** donations
+      Solicit donations.
+****** pro
+******* simple
+****** con
+******* often difficult
+******* donators do not feel a direct benefit
+
+***** shareware
+      Release the project under a non-free license, requiring commercial
+      users to pay the fee on an honour basis (eg).
+****** pro
+******* flexible, low administration, encourages trust
+****** con
+******* effectively closed-source ? would inhibit collaboration
+******* benefit is still indirect, only a proportion will pay
+******* enforcement/guilt may come into play
+
+***** limited-time premium branch
+      The funded version of hledger gets some desirable premium features
+      before the free version and is closed-source.  Funders/customers pay
+      a fixed price for immediate access to the funded version.  Yearly, a
+      new funded version is released and the old funded version is merged
+      into the free version.  (To gain experience it could be done on a
+      smaller scale, eg monthly/quarterly.)
+****** pro
+******* all features reach community, predictably
+******* customers are also community funders
+******* customers receive direct benefit from paying
+****** con
+******* free sw developers compete/outshine the premium branch
+
+***** bounties
+      Some (or all) feature, bugfix, project management or other tasks are
+      published with a bounty attached.  When the bounty is paid by one or
+      more funders, the task is performed and delivered. Or, bounty is paid
+      on completion of task (honour system).
+****** pro
+******* funders receive direct benefit
+
+***** bounties using fundable.org (eg)
+      A more organised form of the above, perhaps facilitating trust,
+      co-funding and larger bounties.
+****** pro
+******* proven process developed by others
+****** con
+******* fundable takes a cut
+
+***** hosted service
+      Offer hosted and managed ledgers, perhaps with premium features, for
+      a monthly fee
+****** pro
+******* proven model
+******* clear benefit to customers, especially non-technies
+****** con
+******* success of free/self-installed version competes with hosting service
+******* some will avoid web-hosting their financial data
+
+***** customisation
+      Offer per-user customisations, possibly to be merged in the trunk,
+      for a fee
+
+***** support
+      Offer user/developer support for a fee
+
+***** training
+      Offer application and/or financial training for a fee
+
+***** profit sharing/tithing
+      Each period (quarter, half-year, year), donate 10% (eg) to project
+      contributors and/or supporting projects
+
+***** transparent funding
+      Funding and usage of funds is published on the web as a ledger
+
+***** opaque funding
+      All funding and spending need not be made public
+
+**** strengths
+     hledger has some aptitudes in this area:
+***** hledger deals with money => hledger users will tend to have some money
+***** hledger's purpose is to increase financial success => users will feel its value to their bottom line
+***** hledger is a tool that can support project funding, eg by publishing community funding data
+
+**** weaknesses
+***** hledger doesn't have a nice ui yet
+***** hledger has a limited featureset
+***** hledger requires work, eg data entry and chart of accounts maintenance
+***** hledger is geeky
+***** there is competition
+***** hledger has no compelling market niche (aside from payment-averse free software users)
+
+**** competitors/fellow niche inhabitants
+***** web apps
+****** netsuite
+****** sql-ledger, ledgersmb
+****** wesabe
+****** ...
+***** desktop apps
+****** quickbooks
+****** quicken
+****** ms money
+****** grisbi
+****** gnucash
+****** excel
+****** ledger!
+****** ...
+
 *** --version
 *** --help
 *** readme