[IAEP] Sugar Labs or Sugar Daddy

[David Farning]

On Wed, Dec 17, 2008 at 7:24 PM, Samuel Klein <meta.sj at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> On Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 1:59 PM, Caroline Meeks <solutiongrove at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 1:25 PM, David Farning wrote:
>>> I am convinced that the correct business model for Sugar Labs, will be
>>> a combination of licensing the Sugar and Sugar Labs brands to partners
>>> and donations.
>>
>> David, here is where I am not sure I agree.  I see a number of other
>> business model possibilities.
>>
>> My problem is I see freedom, innovation and mission diluted in the
>> projects that are focus on licensing their brand and forcing payment
>> for partner status.
>
> I find this to be diluting as well.  It also makes the message of
> calls to action like this email (about finding in-kind partnerships)
> feel like a call to business, which it really doesn't need to be.  The
> latter doesn't inspire; the spirit of forging new partnerships based
> around shared goals does.
>
>> In my model of the perfect future Sugar is part of many different ways of
>> solving a wide range of school, student and educational problems.  I want to
>> see Sugar freely remixed and integrated to create local solutions.  I'm
>> concerned that liscencing, even of just the brand will add a lot of overhead
>> for the organization and make it hard for organizations to be creative about
>> how they remix.
>
> Yes.
>
>> Here are some other views. I think they are not alternatives but opportunies
>> for mix and match.
>>
>> A church type model - [plate passed around, specific fundraisers for specific causes.]
>
> +1  Education is holy.
>
>> Selling services - having people give workshops, help deployments etc
>
> +2
>
>> Selling products - Selling books or Sticks at a profit.
>
> +1  if you mean 'selling the official versions of materials that are
> also free for download / POD' -- in which case most large programs
> that can afford to will use this version, but there's no extra barrier
> to entry for people who want to try it at home.
>
>> No expenses - Everyone is expected to find a way to make themselves
>> sustainable.
>
> +1  with the caveat that this can mean groups of community members
> work to ensure one another's expenses are covered.
>
>> Grants - Apply for grants for organizational overhead.
>
> These sorts of grants are much more often given for specific projects
> than for overhead.  Minimize overhead and apply for grants for
> specific work -- but when you get a grant, cover any overhead that is
> needed.
>
>>> Let's go get those in-kind donations.
>>
>> +1
>
> Let's get donations in general...  don't get caught up on the "in-kind" part.
>
> I'd like to see a version of this page whose core is a two-line
> mission statement that inspires individuals to donate time, expertise,
> and money; and that they can make a difference to the cause.
>   http://sugarlabs.org/go/What_is_Sugar%3F

SJ,
I hope that I addressed your general concerns in my replies to
Caroline.  About the marketing message, please poke GregDek hard and
often.

>> What do we need to do as an organization to help with getting in kind
>> donations. Right now it feels like its all in Walters hands and that isn't
>> scalable.
>
> I'd like to donate to Sugarlabs online.  I would suggest the same to a
> couple of friends [who work in human interface design and love Sugar].
>  Can someone fix this page so that it links to a real paypal/g!check
> account?  Is anyone working on streamlining that process, making it
> fun and transparent, providing pages asking about donations in 5
> languages?  Those are things everybody can help out with, even if they
> just have half an hour...
>
> http://sugarlabs.org/go/Sugar_Labs/Donate

The gcheckout and papal mechanisms are finally in place.  Again the
marketing team has picked up the rest.  Please feel free to jump in
and help anywhere you see a need.

david
> SJ
>