If the monthly goal is hit consistently that's a signal that putting serious time into the project makes sense. If it's not hit, nothing breaks and nothing shuts down. It just means Noble stays a side project for now, and thats perfectly okay.

Donations are voluntary. Recurring payment is optional and opt-in not opt-out. No promises or obligations attached, this isn't a condition for development. Work continues regardless. But hitting the goal signals that the project is self-sustaining and serious interest exists.

I am deeply invested in the project as I've spent over 10 years thinking over every part of it. I have no intention of ever stopping regardless of who does or doesn't fund it. I fully expect funding to sit below the goal, and probably at zero for a while, until Noble finds its footing. Which may very well be forever. And that's okay.

If the project completely fails to gain any traction then I will simply orient work on it into a tool for my own use and enjoyment.

On the other hand, if this funding mechanism gains traction I hope to continue to evolve this same monetization structure further into this user lead direction. I believe it is healthy for software to cost money and to get that money directly from the user. That way the interest of the users is what we are serving.

I want to avoid relying on ads because that turns users into the product we sell to companies. And I want to try to avoid sponsors because that might put pressure on the project to make a greater profit at the cost of user lead priorities.

If ads make sense, and I find a way to use ads that meets my standard for low-disturbance then I might explore it. If a sponsorship opportunity arrives which allows me to keep control of the product in partnership with investors that understand and respect the vision then I might consider it.

Lootboxes know that direct user funding can be a dark pattern as well. There are no perfect solutions, and I am not a perfect person. I'm simply a naive dreamer with a vision, at the start of a road where most of the information and experience is ahead of me not behind me.

I am only stating here that my underlying goal is a human centered, user lead project. I will pursue that goal by any means necessary and my initial belief is that the best way to do that is through direct user funding not ads or sponsors.

I really want Noble to exist within an incentive structure that allows us to do what we think is best for the users, rather than doing what we know would be the most effective way to get users to make bad decisions with their time and money.

I don't exactly know what that incentive structure looks like yet. There are many things I don't know. But I have a starting point here. I have a vision. And an underlying motivation. Any decision I take or don't take will be informed by this.

As a fullstack senior engineer with 2 BA's, one in design and another in popular literature I am able to do all the real work myself. If things go well then maybe I won't have to, but the fact that I can means that unlike other entrepreneurs I actually don't have to be dependent on funding or investors.

It does however mean that development time is limited and might go through periods of slow progress. That's okay. I'm in it for the long haul. My purpose on this earth is to build projects that live and breathe over decades not quarters.