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[2607:f8b0:4864:20::102e]) by gmr-mx.google.com with ESMTPS id 586e51a60fabf-3fdaabc2e7csi980807fac.7.2025.12.30.21.40.18 for (version=TLS1_3 cipher=TLS_AES_128_GCM_SHA256 bits=128/128); Tue, 30 Dec 2025 21:40:18 -0800 (PST) Received-SPF: pass (google.com: domain of able1plus@gmail.com designates 2607:f8b0:4864:20::102e as permitted sender) client-ip=2607:f8b0:4864:20::102e; Received: by mail-pj1-x102e.google.com with SMTP id 98e67ed59e1d1-34cf1e31f85so8571058a91.1 for ; Tue, 30 Dec 2025 21:40:18 -0800 (PST) X-Gm-Gg: AY/fxX7NhqZe9tacer13TX1S9bk7yay6rQx40eQnV1r+gJdSEnvyCj2a0gZXtwyzXCR VdgvPNOm7tx78nLUeKFYKCaLruKmKEouI5H4onxaSAO+UKnZdQxcv64ttxc+/91pE6O8Arbx/YG rFjwlYumWs15Dd6+4j6vDr9ca79oWoHImM2CfNe5P+yhvvFmWHP4zIBUeMVUAcBZiudxKHa1Q1S wSPpxGFNkfgCTZBBXhtptVJW3liDgY9llkZEYfMaOxNQnOt9FE/2Q2qnMa5fRmQF9xKQyY= X-Received: by 2002:a17:90b:1d49:b0:343:7714:4ca6 with SMTP id 98e67ed59e1d1-34e921ae8e8mr25809311a91.22.1767159617117; Tue, 30 Dec 2025 21:40:17 -0800 (PST) MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 2002:a17:522:7ad8:b0:636:9e33:a25b with HTTP; Tue, 30 Dec 2025 21:40:16 -0800 (PST) From: Able One Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:40:16 +1000 X-Gm-Features: AQt7F2p6oWSLZpdrGghcmzHXDOMFN0t08bCDFU108hm2ebwF7Rf7giI4q8M_-V0 Message-ID: Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?=5Bbitcoindev=5D_Re=3A_Funding_model_question_=E2=80=94_unpaid_e?= =?UTF-8?Q?xploratory_work_at_intake?= To: bitcoindev@googlegroups.com Cc: nic.anthony@pm.me, "abubakar@btrust.tech" , "mike@brink.dev" Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000003d61c3064738e947" X-Original-Sender: able1plus@gmail.com X-Original-Authentication-Results: gmr-mx.google.com; dkim=pass header.i=@gmail.com header.s=20230601 header.b=YrOcfmtT; spf=pass (google.com: domain of able1plus@gmail.com designates 2607:f8b0:4864:20::102e as permitted sender) smtp.mailfrom=able1plus@gmail.com; dmarc=pass (p=NONE sp=QUARANTINE dis=NONE) header.from=gmail.com; dara=pass header.i=@googlegroups.com Precedence: list Mailing-list: list bitcoindev@googlegroups.com; contact bitcoindev+owners@googlegroups.com List-ID: X-Google-Group-Id: 786775582512 List-Post: , List-Help: , List-Archive: , List-Unsubscribe: , X-Spam-Score: 0.2 (/) --0000000000003d61c3064738e947 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi all, Reposting from the subscribed address =E2=80=94 apologies for the earlier b= ounce. Now that I=E2=80=99m properly subscribed, I wanted to repost the question w= ith a brief, self-contained summary to avoid wasting anyone=E2=80=99s time. *Summary of the situation* I=E2=80=99ve been speaking with a few Bitcoin-adjacent grant administrators= about whether *paid exploratory work / experiment framing at intake* is considered acceptable within open-source funding models. The consistent response I received was that exploratory framing at intake is *unpaid by definition* =E2=80=94 funding decisions are made only after w= ork is already scoped, framed, or partially completed by the applicant. That raised a broader design question for me, independent of any single organization: *The question* =E2=80=A2 Is expecting unpaid exploratory framing at intake a sane and sust= ainable grants model for open-source ecosystems? =E2=80=A2 What incentive failures does this create (e.g., selection bias, w= asted contributor time, shallow proposals)? =E2=80=A2 Are there alternative structures that fairly price early judgment= without turning grants into VC or bounties? I=E2=80=99m not asking any org to defend itself here, and no one involved n= eeds to reply. I=E2=80=99m genuinely interested in how people with long experience = in Bitcoin and open-source view this trade-off. Any perspective =E2=80=94 supportive or critical =E2=80=94 is appreciated. Best, Nic --=20 You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "= Bitcoin Development Mailing List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an e= mail to bitcoindev+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bitcoindev/= CAO-13RDhh4CSG3DBFjU0wrOt%2Bh18_oFHNQHEJKL1nPj0VL-2Dw%40mail.gmail.com. --0000000000003d61c3064738e947 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hi all,


<= /span>

Reposting from the subscribed address = =E2=80=94 apologies for the earlier bounce.


Now th= at I=E2=80=99m properly subscribed, I wanted to repost the question with a = brief, self-contained summary to avoid wasting anyone=E2=80=99s time.

Summary of the situation
I=E2=80=99ve been speaking with a few Bitcoin-adjacent= grant administrators about whether=C2=A0paid exploratory work / experiment framing = at intake=C2=A0is considered acceptable within open-source funding mod= els.

The consistent response I receive= d was that exploratory framing at intake is=C2=A0unpaid by definition= =C2=A0=E2=80=94 funding decisions are made only after work is already scope= d, framed, or partially completed by the applicant.

That raised a broader design question for me, independent of = any single organization:

The question
=E2=80=A2 Is expecting unpaid explor= atory framing at intake a sane and sustainable grants model for open-source= ecosystems?
=E2=80=A2 What incentive fa= ilures does this create (e.g., selection bias, wasted contributor time, sha= llow proposals)?
=E2=80=A2 Are there alt= ernative structures that fairly price early judgment without turning grants= into VC or bounties?

I=E2=80=99m not = asking any org to defend itself here, and no one involved needs to reply. I= =E2=80=99m genuinely interested in how people with long experience in Bitco= in and open-source view this trade-off.

Any perspective =E2=80=94 supportive or critical =E2=80=94 is appreciated= .

Best,
Nic

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