Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Expectations

$50,000 is a lot of money and, quite honestly, I have no expectations that 10,000 people will donate $5 to read my concept of a website. But, then, that's the point. It is a demonstration that funding a project through donations is very difficult.

Generally, few people are of the mentality that they should donate to something, excepting the obvious charity causes, even if they think it to be a worthwhile project. Sure, some do, but most don't. Why should they? The people that donate aren't going to receive anything more than those that don't. So, as game theory would say, if you want the results, the best bet is to wait for other people to donate, assuming you're not in a rush. It takes less effort.

Keliso is a system that turns this on its head. It manipulates game-theory by creating an environment where people compete with each other to donate first, to donate the most. Actually, it's an exploit of human nature, a way of tapping into basic desires and using this energy to fuel the production and release of content.

If the Keliso system were up and running, then people like me could start a production and have a reasonable chance of getting the funding they need, if they work at it. However, the system doesn't exist yet and people like me have no place to go, no real hope of any return on investment. It's a classic Catch-22. I need Keliso to fund the release of Keliso.

What I am expecting, or at least hoping for, is that I'll catch the eye of some corporate type that is looking for the next big thing on the Net. Either that, or a group of people that have already successfully been through the startup process and are looking for their next project. I don't have the resources to make this project work on my own. Well, I could take the time to create a company, code the site, and do all the other things required to get it built and out there. But, my time is more important to me than the results. The risks of creating a startup, for me, outweigh the potential rewards.

I want Keliso to be created and made available to the people who need it; I designed Keliso because I think it solves a very significant problem, a problem I want solved. However, shortly into the design, after the solution to the problem hit me, I realised that it was a great business opportunity - too full of potential to just give away. I've been stuck ever since.

This blog is my latest and last approach to getting unstuck. Either I get donations to $50,000 (unlikely) for publishing it, a corporate buyout for the idea and money to not publish it, an offer to work with a startup that wants to see the idea through to fruition, or I keep writing until, eventually, the answer is so obviuous that intelligent people can see the solution and just go off on their own to do it. Sooner or later, one of these options will happen. Sooner or later, someone will build Keliso, or a similar system, and realise the huge profit-making potential it has.

Do you want to be that person?

You can view more about Keliso here

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