Ransom lets creators make extra money by crowdfunding the release of their work. Once the work's unlocked by anyone, it's available for everyone. Even if they didn't donate. It's a new way to monetise your work without sacrificing its reach or impact.
Hey everyone, I'm Arvand. I'm the Founder of Ransom. Fun fact, I actually didn't know how to code before I built Ransom. This is the first major thing I've built! It's my first time posting on Product Hunt and I'd love to hear your thoughts on Ransom, good and bad. I'm super excited to hear from you and I'll be waiting patiently by my screen, ready to respond, so say hi!
How does it work?
You post some work and set a price. The full content of the work remains hidden until the Ransom has been paid. Only a snippet is available before then. Unlockers have 5 days to pay the Ransom or it expires and the work remains locked. Once the Ransom has been paid by anyone, the entirety of the work is available for everyone. Even if they didn’t donate.
Why post Ransoms?
Ransoms let you make extra money from your work without sacrificing its reach or impact. They can be complementary to existing forms of monetisation like ads/sponsorships/streaming. Or they can substitute methods that rely on exclusivity like paid subscriptions. Paid subscriptions can be awesome but they inherently limit the reach and impact of your work. Also, not everyone has the desire to publish work on a regular basis. Sometimes you just have a single brilliant piece of work you want to publish and monetise. Ransoms let you do that. It's also pretty fun. It turns every release into an event.
Why unlock Ransoms?
By unlocking Ransoms you're supporting your favourite creators whilst also providing access to that work for everyone, including people who may not be able to contribute, but would derive great value from it. Imagine unlocking an important piece of scientific research that would’ve otherwise been hidden behind exorbitant subscription fees. The potential upside of doing something like that is limitless. Plus, when you unlock a Ransom, your username is listed on the Ransom as having done so. I'm also in the process of building something that'll hopefully see Unlockers gain financial upside from unlocking Ransoms.
Who is it for?
Any type of creator really! Here are some use cases that I think could be quite compelling.
Music artists create more value than they capture. Much more. I think Ransoms could help them capture more of it. The next time a big rapper has a long-awaited single, they could demand a Ransom before its released. This unlocks a new, additional, revenue stream for them. And it's a new way for super fans to support, and interact with, their favourite artists.
The next time a journalist writes an important piece, they could Ransom it, rather than hide it behind traditional news organisation paywalls. That way, once its unlocked, they'll be compensated directly and the entire world will have access to their work. Too much important work, work that should be a part of the public discourse and could benefit society, is hidden behind paid subscriptions.
I think Ransoms could become a new part of the release pipeline for all types of work. Would love to hear if anyone has any other ideas.
How did I get the idea for Ransom?
I think it's kinda interesting... it involves Paul Graham, Patrick Collison, and Vitalik Buterin. Happy to share more if anyone is interested.
A final note
Thanks for checking out this post. I really appreciate it. I'm proud of having built Ransom. As I mentioned, I actually didn't know how to code before I built it. This is the first major thing I've built. That being said, what I'm interested in is actually creating meaningful value for the world. The idea behind Ransom is a hypothesis, one that might be proven wrong, but it's one that I'm not done exploring. Not by a long shot.
Things that confuse me right now: why does this only have 3 upvotes? Ransom looks pretty good, and if you documented the process somewhere like Twitter/TikTok/Instagram with #buildinpublic hashtags or #100daysofnocode if this used an no-code integrations - I could help you out with getting the word out. I’m definitely going to be giving this a spin myself, Arvand. But if you’re having any sort of branding/marketing/content issues re: user onboarding or lead gen, let me know?
I’m basically offering my office hours and experience in that sphere of things to whoever needs it. Your cause? That why? Whoosh. You sold me, it resonated somewhere DEEP, my dude. Great job!
@hannah_azlan Hey Hannah! Thanks for the thoughtful comment and the kind and encouraging words. That really means a lot to me. Definitely agree that #buildinpublic would be useful. I've been documenting it to some extent on Twitter (@arvandhassan) but I should probably doing more. Can't wait to see how you use Ransom. If you have any thoughts whatsoever let me know. I'll build whatever you need!
Thanks for the offer of office hours. Would love to chat a bit more about lead gen, actually. What's the best way to get in touch?
Hi Product Hunt. I've just posted a Ransom specifically for Product Hunt. If you donate and it's successfully unlocked, I'll post a YouTube video of me reading out your username and thanking you for your contribution. Find out more here: https://payransom.com/posts/6155....
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