People not Products

The Problem of Gathering

People want to spend time with one another. People are born to spend time with another. People don't know how to spend time with one another.

The problem is a good one. It is important, it is natural, and it inherently recommends many solutions.

So why isn't it solved?

People Expect Their Rights

This is extremely problematic.

We at Rough Harbors are not arguing whether or not people have a fundamental right to connect with one another in spaces that are designed to promote depth, expansion, and curiosity. We're not crazy, and hope you aren't either.

But, there's a deep problem in the psychology of much of our prospective userbase. People expect to have the things they are entitled to.

Well, snap. This is awkward. RH is a profit-seeking entity that exists to provide a public good that it is a necessary component of human existence and sanity.

We Aren't Monsters

Just not saints.

Look, no one is out here arguing you *should* pay for this. We're not awful.

But, we will argue you should be excited we exist to make money. Non-profits can be corrupted. Black box governance structures can fail in unexpected ways, sometimes suddenly, sometimes brutally.

But, a for-profit company cannot be corrupted. It exists to make money. It will always function by making money.

Perfect is the Enemy of the Good

We are very lucky. Perfection stands alone in it's commitment to itself. Corruption is the nature of things, except the things that refuse to be corrupted.

We do not exist to be good, or worse, "do good". We exist to be perfect.

Federalist No. 51 is the single most important document in all US Constitutional theory. We believe in the power of incentives and the power of human ingenuity.

Human will power, determination, and faith cannot be perfected. But mathematical structures can. Mechanism design is the name of the game.

Ask yourself, would a venture capitalist invest in this thing?

And if so, do not do that thing. Unless the customers beg you to.

You're Not the Product

You are customers. And if you leave, we have nothing.

Grants will not fund a thing meant to charge money no one will pay for. Sponsors will not pay for things no one attends.

We Don't Want to Sell Out

But, can't we get acquired? Yikes. If our core audience does not experience some kind of cost to participate:

1. We are publicly claiming that the entire model is worthless.
2. The intellectual property may be worthless, but we still own it all. We will fight against attempts to resurrect this where members do not experience a barrier to entry.
3. Well meaning philanthropists and open source maintainers, take note — we are asking nicely to please not ruin everything we are fighting for.
4. Rich folks, take note — if your favorite investor tells you they are running a clone or buying us out to run a model that users do not contribute to supporting, we are telling you straight up that they are con-men or incompetent.
5. If we fail and you still want to give it a shot, please send us a settlement offer for stealing our IP in advance. Factor in our emotional pain in your number.