The happiest moments for me today were the hours I spent writing Test Scripts to validate & test encryption techniques to be used on TalkShop. Also wrote some code to test relative performance of the API backbone developed in PHP vs Python vs C language. Results were not quite what I expected! Lot of interesting learnings and unexpected discoveries which will stand us in good stead going forward - so overall a mixed bag today!
Raising funds for developing a new product is indeed a challenging task! But its something we just got to do! Summary of fund raising today - Met one person for brunch and talked to 2 other VC folks on the phone to try and raise the required funds to get TalkShop going. Also tried doing a space on @X timed for my India followers but there were technical issues on X at the time! Go figure!
So left to meet "Professor M" - a former Wall Street executive and now Economics Professor - he is something of a mentor/father figure to me. In many ways, TalkShop is his idea! I had met him 2 months ago to create a plan to raise funds for the Narrative Report Writer and during that conversation he suggested that in my free time, I should use my TalkShopAPI, originally developed for his alumni website, to build a Community blogging platform like the one we are now trying to build. The Professor doesn't like "that South African mElon" but the core idea certainly has merit!
The Professor was clear that I should NOT look to Corporate Entities to fund this venture - a platform like TalkShop HAS to be community driven. If we have to achieve our goal of keeping the platform inviolate from Corporate Interest and true to Public interest, it has to be Community Driven & Funded. That is the only way! That is easier said than done! I have no idea about Crowd-Funding and this is a complete shot in the dark!
Not that raising funds from Corporates is any easier! Many of the people I talked to think this is a futile exercise because we can never compete with Twitter/Facebook on Reach! Most however are adopting a "Wait & See" approach! They will see how the Platform shapes up and then pounce with an "offer"! 🙄
Two things! #1 -I have said this repeatedly again & again and I will say it again - TalkShop is NOT being built to compete with Twitter or anybody else! That is not what we are doing here! We are trying to build a non-commercial safe space where people can express themselves and connect with other like minded folks. People will continue go to those platforms for Reach but they will sign up to TalkShop because it will always be a Safe Space! ALWAYS!
#2 - Once you have turned me away, don't think you can come crawling back to me later with your "Win-Win Term Sheet"! THAT does not work with me! This Bua never forgets those who stood by her and those who didn't! And she certainly doesn't forget those who threw stones at her while she was trying to get this done! I am not holding any grudge against anyone! But its about my self-respect! You turned me away, so I walk away! That is all there is to that!
We are not talking about raising millions here 'cos We simply don't need that kind of money! We need $6000 right now to get this site up and running! That is less than half the amount that VC guy who gave me the run around spent on buying a handbag for his side-chick! Heck! It is less than the money he spent buying that gaudy ring on his finger! But that $6000 will help us build the app right now and get it out there! And if we build it, People will come! And once it is built and running, it will generate the funds needed to sustain itself.
The Professor is right! This platform cannot be funded by Corporates and should be Community Driven. Apart from the reasons he gave, there is another reason too! Every person will be contributing not just $25 but also his/her ideas on the kind of space that TalkShop should be. What are the features they would like to see? What interface/UI ideas do they have? How should TalkShop be run in the future? How can we continue to keep TalkShop a safe place? We don't just need the money, we need the Community's collective support and ideas to get this going and keep this running!
Make no mistake about it- TalkShop IS happening! As someone who has personally faced issues with posts on Twitter including arrest warrants and Account getting barred by Indian Govt, having a safe space to talk about issues is a deeply personal project for me. I am going to do it no matter what! I am committed to getting this out and keeping it running for life.
If we manage to raise $6000 now, the site will be operational by April. Without funding, it will just take longer as we do it in our free time and forage for the resources we need like Servers etc! But we WILL do it!
The road ahead is tough, but we will just have to find a way power through! In God and the inherent goodness of people I Trust! 🙏
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