Well, I have had a lot of time to think about whether or not I should over a period of time regular post about seeking support from the community as well as sponsorships from various brands. But when I think about it, nothing is more annoying than to have someone constantly bugging you for something, especially if you are not ready to make a decision/contribution in this case.
Hence, I have decided that it is probably better for the sake of this new community - that I put everything I wanted to say and do into a single article here and now. So here in this article, it will be our first order of business, so to speak.
Brand & Product Sponsorships
I honestly believe in what I was talking about in one of my recently LinkedIn articles - the success of the entire community and platform is really on the ability to churn out good quality content over a period of time. Not just for a short period of one month or 3 months. In fact, the idea is to create a lab series that runs over a period of at least 6 months to a year, so it resembles something similar to what tertiary institutions are experiencing as well. But in order for us to have the content to showcase and talk about, we will need the support of those brands as well. It is true that the success of such a platform really relies a lot on the brands and their willingness to support this platform. In many ways, this platform also serves as a marketing and advertising platform for them (eventhough technically, my goal and the goal of all future lab instructors is not about generating sales). If we did help to generate more sales and revenue for the brands we are showcasing, I consider that a bonus. But the key focus here is to really showcase brands and products that we really believe in are the next-generation products that you should be focusing on in the next decade or so. To produce high quality live streaming sessions every single time.
I have had thoughts about the possibility of conducting possible UX-related labs through the onlinelabseries as well. Though I haven't given it sufficient thought as to how it can be done, or whether it is really possible. But the idea alone energises me. This means that if I can find a way to conduct live lab sessions about UX, I will also be able to showcase some of the best UX tools available on the market. Again, this is another opportunity for those platforms and tools to gain awareness.
Donations & Contributions from the Community
As I have mentioned online before, onlinelabseries is totally free for all. So what that means is that we will not be receiving any formal financial support from anyone. We would probably refuse it if that person tries to offer us money but expect us to change the vision or long-term mission of the platform. The idea for the platform is going to remain. I don't want to change that because I believe it should remain free forever. That said, I know that we can really benefit from even the smallest amounts of donations from the community, folks like yourself who might be tuning in to our series every now and then. If everyone would donate even just US$1, it will become a very huge amount long before we know it.
I do not want to constantly broadcast it on every live streaming session about seeking donations because even for myself, as an audience I might find it annoying after some time. So, I will put everything into this article, and perhaps I might share it every now and then. Whoever picks up on the article and feels compelled to support what I am trying to build, you can feel free to contribute any amount to your liking, or not.
No Special Favors in Exchange for Donations/Contributions
I am going to go right out and say this - if you ever decide to make a contribution, know that you are doing it out of your own goodness of your heart. We didn't force you, or try to make you feel bad if you didn't. Whatever donations or contributions you make to us, be it $1, $5, $20, $100, or $10,000, you did it because you believe in this platform and what we are trying to achieve together. This contribution doesn't mean that you have the rights to dictate the vision or direction we are going to take. However, we will accept your feedback on how we can improve if there is something to be improved. Basically, we will not be entertaining any special requests or favors.
We Need Your Help
I truly believe that the only way this community and platform is really going to succeed is from the support of the entire community as well as the brands we want to showcase. Without the products we have no content, without the viewers, we have no audience. Without the kind donations from time to time, we will not have enough money to get the right camera equipment, or the right subscriptions, softwares and tools that we will need. So you can see how important your support is. There is no better way for us to put it, but we honestly need your support and help to make this platform and community a huge success that it potentially can be.
Top Issues:
A few of top issues that I want to first invest in includes:
A proper live streaming subscription (one that can provide us with a dedicated url and/or also to schedule upcoming sessions, embedding the live streaming session to the website, etc). - approximately $75 - $100 per month ($900 - $1200 per year)
Web Hosting with WIX (which includes free domain name + email services...I think) - $150.00 per year
Reasonably decent Akaso camera for recording HQ streaming videos. I actually found a few brands that are on the slightly more affordable range, but it's still roughly $100.00
Well, for now, that is pretty much about it. The first few things that I want to firm down as the platform starts to becoming more permanent with time. If you think your help sponsor me with some of the above items, do let me know, drop me an email or message me on Twitter/LinkedIn.
Alright, I have said my piece. I honestly am not very sure if this article will spark a moment, or support from people, but I hope that it does. Ultimately, this platform is really all about giving back, paying it forward.
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