Science

Following the platform stats, sharing a few thoughts on why I believe @tipdotmd has a chance to make a difference in open source funding.

In light of the current @dashapp challenge by @benbassler and @patriciaxlee.eth, I thought of making a video summarising the article’s main points. Any takers?

building /dash — obsessed with user experience.

Building a little space at /thenextwave and watching everything on /videolab.

A mini app for exploring videos on Farcaster! — Follow /dash for announcements, updates and discussions around the project.

README to tips, in minutes. The easiest way to receive cryptocurrency tips through a simple markdown button. Create yours at https://www.tip.md
| By @xr0am-

Be steadfast. Amor Fati.
Building @tipdotmd

🧵 THREAD: Why open source devs are still struggling to get paid in 2025 - and how I am fixing it.

The open source ecosystem powers 90% of the web, yet most maintainers work for free. Let's explore the problem and a simple solution:

1/ The open source paradox: Projects like elizaOS  (powering AI agents, MC reached $2B+) are built by devs working nights and weekends

"This is @shawmakesmagic - $100k in debt 70 days ago. Coding till 3am every night to pay rent. Turns a crazy idea into $2B+ AI project."

2/ "Having an incentive mechanism while being open source is quite challenging - it's a balance between 'community' and 'value capture'"

This is the core problem: How do we fund public goods without paywalls that limit adoption?

3/ Contribution-based systems show promise but have limitations:

"On-Chain Contribution Tracking: Use verifiable logs (GitHub commits, forum posts) to measure actual work done."

The problem? Complex to implement and maintain for smaller projects.

Thanks for taking the time to read my take on this.

Yes it’s more about supporting your favorite devs with small appreciation amounts. Average tip so far has been 2.94$ but at the scale of the internet, can become substantial if we manage to get into this habit.

The back and forth here is you use good tech made by a dev, you give back up to what you can so that tool continues to exists.

90% of the web runs on open source, I wrote about this here if interested.

Thanks for taking the time to read my take on this.

Yes it’s more about supporting your favorite devs with small appreciation amounts. Average tip so far has been 2.94$ but at the scale of the internet, can become substantial if we manage to get into this habit.

The back and forth here is you use good tech made by a dev, you give back up to what you can so that tool continues to exists.

90% of the web runs on open source, I wrote about this here if interested. https://farcaster.xyz/xr0am-/0xce2c0a02

I hadn’t put a lot of thought into the culture that micro-tipping creates. I’ve read some points made by people here that small tips feel ineffective financially, especially as tips tend to go back and forth. But it’s interesting your point that it’s more about the culture it builds.

Hope you make the video. :)

make the video. my thoughts in general you know of via chats, but make that video