[SpaceProgram] HSP Project Grants: One-Shot, Multi-Phase, Continuing?

[Andy Gelme]

hi Andreas,

On 2012-04-15 05:20 , Andreas Sturm wrote:
> Ah, competition is a good approach:

Not really in regards to the way you've described below ...

> 10-20 teams join the competition.  Not a single penny is lost by the
> sponsors until someone wins the competition.

The GGHC (Great Global HackerSpace Challenge) started by providing each
team with $900.  This important seed money flowed from those with money
and a need for visibility / advertising (the vendor) to those with time
/ ability / community (the hackers) ... and allowed a good start
(initial purchasing) by all teams involved.  It was a fair exchange and
exhibited good faith by all concerned.

Modest funding at the start was essential to kick-start the process.

If it had been different, e.g all HackerSpace teams compete for over 6
weeks for almost certainly no gain (only a few of the 30 HackerSpaces
benefits) ... then, the competition would not have been as successful.

> Only one team gets the money, the others then worked for free.

HackerSpace members typically contribute their valuable available time
and skills, primarily into efforts that benefit the whole community (not
just one party).

Don't make the mistake of assuming that HackerSpace members are
ignorant, don't value their own time and don't have bills to pay.

If a completely one-sided relationship is created, where most of the
participants will not get any value from the relationship ... then,
that's a very poor start in creating something that is related to the
notion of being sustainable for 100 years.

> So you get much more effect of each dollar invested.

No, you'll get poor, unfocused and unpredictable outcomes, because few
skilled hackers would be motivated to be involved ... since they have
better ways to spend their time.

Being involved in significant projects that require funding, but are
effectively "lottery tickets" is not a sustainable means of supporting
long-term technical community efforts that scale.

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