think about what to do with YC money if that were to come through

[chadwhitacre]

[Reticketed from #1603.]

was: decide what to do with extracurricular money

I have a check in my pocket for $125 for speaking at an event. I'm giving a lecture next week for $200. We're applying to YC (#1404), which would result in a check if it came together. But Gittip is funded on Gittip. So what would we do with the money?

Some options:

• Politely decline it (this was the reasoning behind withdrawing our Shuttleworth application, reapply to Shuttleworth Foundation #704).
• Put it in Ally and use it for general operations.
• Earmark it for something specific--marketing? legal?
• Save it.
• Give it away on Gittip.

[pjc]

In my opinion that personal income is just that: personal. People should be free to build their personal brand on Gittip funded projects.

The funding of YC is a different beast and I don't know how to handle it elegantly.

[ehmatthes]

I don't see any issue with using YC funds to build Gittip. I think the use of those funds will become much clearer if you are accepted into YC.

I think the important thing is to view that funding for exactly what it is: a one-time influx of funds to help build the brand, and make connections that will strengthen Gittip. I think your only obligation is to be open and transparent about what you are using the funds for.

[bruceadams]

The question here is who are those checks for? What are the checks for?

Did Tech Alliance hire Gittip to give a seminar? I don't think so. I think they invited @whit537 to give a seminar. I don't think @whit537 's leadership of Gittip means that Gittip is @whit537 's only activity in life (even if it might feel that way sometimes!) @whit537 can definitely do things related to Gittip, without it being Gittip taking action.

Lecture and seminar honorariums sound like a personal thing, not a Gittip company thing. These activities are very likely to have good effects for Gittip. Just like my speaking somewhere is likely to have a good impact on my employer.

The two specific instances brought up in this ticket are clearly money for @whit537 which he can do with as he sees fit.

[chadwhitacre]

In my opinion that personal income is just that: personal.
The two specific instances brought up in this ticket are clearly money for @whit537 which he can do with as he sees fit.

Okay, I accept this.

The funding of YC is a different beast and I don't know how to handle it elegantly.

Agreed. I've updated the ticket to be about that.

I think the ideal here would be for YC to not give us a check and instead start funding people through Gittip.

[pjc]

@whit537 Agreed. Having YC donate $100 per week for 170 weeks (basically 'forever') would be a great solution if you can get it.

[chadwhitacre]

Right. :-)

[ehmatthes]

I understand that YC funds need to be handled with care, in order to stay true to Gittip's mission. But what is the spirit of the mission, and when are we being stubborn?

To me, the spirit of the mission is that no individual will ever skim off of Gittip's transactions to make a profit. Using a one-time funding source to grow Gittip seems quite in line with the spirit of this mission. I almost see it as Chad being employed by YC to grow Gittip. How is that any different than Chad freelancing to make enough money to live while growing Gittip? No one is fully living off of Gittip yet, so everyone involved is doing this in some form.

I see spreading YC's money over 170 weeks as diluting the impact YC could have. If Gittip gets into YC, I want to see Chad able to run with Gittip during that time. I can see a number of ways that money could be useful. Maybe one rule would be to not use that money to develop infrastructure, which could become a recurring cost. Or more general, don't use YC funds for anything that could become a recurring cost.

There is the question of precedent. What if, next summer, an individual offers Chad $100,000 to grow Gittip? This might cross over into questions of whether to allow one-time gifts within Gittip. I'm not sure about that, but I really don't see a problem with using YC funds to maximize the benefit that can come from being involved in YC.

[chadwhitacre]

The point, it turns out, is moot. :)