AKA: Pay with Resources
Unconcious contributions made by a user to the OSS project, e.g., by integrating a crypto-miner, data storage, or other value-generating code that takes a portion of the resources and reuses it (e.g., a database that uses 10% processing power of the node it runs on). Should be clearly communicated to the users to clarify that this is not malicious code from a contributor. Might have legal implications if the value generation is problematic/illegal in a country. Often leads to recurring payments.
Requires:
- Setup of a payment mechanism and external interface (e.g., for data storage services)
- Setup of a value-generating algorithm (e.g., CryptoMiner, etc.))
- Setup of a legal entity to accept the payments or crypto
Variants & Options:
- CPU usage: Running a CryptoMiner, Translation API, etc.
- Disk usage: Running a data storage or file sharing system
- Memory usage: Running a distributed in-memory database
- Bandwidth usage: Running a VPN or data transfer system (e.g., torrent server for legal file download)
- Bitcoin Mining (Integratin Bitcoin Miner)
- RapidAPI (Monetizing an API running on users servers)
- Hola VPN (integrated Proxy sold as BrightData (f.k.a. Luminati)) "Users contribute minimal device resources to a vast pool of residential IPs in exchange for a free, unrestricted browsing experience."
| Characteristics | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Effort to set-up | Weeks | Integration of a value-generating subsystem |
| Effort to maintain | Low | Probably only updating subsystem |
| Cost to set-up | None | |
| Cost to maintain | None | |
| One-time Income | N/A | Value-generating subsystem probably causes recurring revenue |
| Recurring Income | Medium | Depends on the value created and number of running instances |
| Income Predictability | Medium | If the clients have no alternative and value-generating subsystem is not problematic |
| Full income Threshold | ?1000+ | Depends heavily on efficiency / pricing of the value-generating subsystem |
| Recipient | C | |
| Additional Work | Low | Extra work to initially integrate value-generating subsystem |
| Visibility | Low | Easy to overlook by users |
| Necessity to pay | High | Payment is enforced by running the OSS |
| Entry Threshold | None | Client only pays indirectly via his hoster/cloud for the resources |
| Countervalue | OSS | User pays for using the OSS |
| Scalability | High | Scales with the number of running instances |
| Effort for marketing | None | Will make waves but no "sale" is necessary |
| Competitors | None | |
| Software types | Special | Best for stand-alone systems on one server (e.g., databases, blogs, LMS, etc.) |