In something of a fluke, I’ve had a few conversations with different sorts of people over the past couple of weeks about the best ways to see a vision for a game or software project through to completion. It may be self serving, but I think that superfluid could be the best option for many of these. A superfluid-based execution will allow almost anyone with their own marketable skill (whatever that skill is) to put together a team and execute from development through marketing and distribution, and to maintain full ownership of their baby.
superfluid is all about fair value for participants; it’s built to facilitate utilization of unsold or spare time, and to compensate each participant fairly within the system. This is also a great way to create a project from scratch, without the insecurities of buying into someone else’s vision, or giving a piece of your project to someone who may or may not be the ideal partner in the long term.
I believe that in general, the existing models of executing on a concept tend to be less than ideal, and don’t draw on community in the wholesome, yet self-interested way that superfluid can. One conventional path to completion of such things is for an entrepreneur to spend enough, from savings or debt, to fund the project. Another classic path (especially in open source) is for one person with the vision, personal magnetism, and technical skills to start the project, to work like mad on it until eventually it’s complete enough that he can draw others in to join him on it. In this context, a shared vision brings in others who join together to create the finished project. -The problem with the latter is that the timing, personalities, and skillsets don’t always necessarily align to enable even a brilliantly conceived concept.
It’s simple to use superfluid for such a project. You’d first want to define your needs (programming, design, project management, marketing, etc.) then assess how many Quids this is likely to cost you from vendors in superfluid. Then sell your own services into the superfluid system and claim Quids to convert into a project. If you’re a programmer, you sell programming into the system (possibly to other concepts at startup stage), if you’re a marketing expert, you sell that, and so on. You keep your own project and everyone else keeps their own projects, while the organic whole allows for execution of as many projects as possible.
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…. and how do you pay people with real money so they can pay their rent (with real money)?
superfluid is about organizing value in a variety of business relationships that don’t include money and about not wasting resources that would otherwise be wasted, it’s absolutely not about replacing cash. There are a few ways that superfluid can help your cash flow, but all are indirect:
1) If you have more manhours available than you sell, but sometimes outsource work with other expertise; you can sell your surplus hours into superfluid, buy the services you outsource out of the superfluid system, then bill your client for the outsourced service.
2) superfluid can help you add business relationships, because it’s much easier to buy and sell in superfluid, so there’s less of a barrier to getting a new relationship started that may eventually include paid work.
3) superfluid lets you add resources for your business, so that you can provide benefits to your employees. -Doesn’t actually bring in cash, but saves a bit at the edges.
For game development, I think superfluid is more interesting in a slightly different way. If you have a project for which you have inadequate funds, but would like to bring in collaborators, superfluid can be a better way to compensate each participant, because superfluid tracks fair value. This doesn’t feed anyone, or pay their rent, but hopefully everyone is doing business of some sort that does pays the bills; if not, maybe they’re back to trying to make #1-#3 work for them, which is a different motivation, but they’re still potentially good partners in the process for game developers.
I live in Sweden, and I’m a game design student – found this page through LinkedIn. Imagine my joy when I read about Superfluid and realized the potential here. Then imagine my surprise as I tried to sign up and realized I can’t!
Superfluid seems pretty tightly tied to the US tax system. Is this an inherent limitation or will you be able to provide the service for non-US citizens as well?
As you’re a student, you might find http://quids.org of interest, as it’s a version of the functionality for non-commercial uses, and isn’t US-only.
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