(2021-10-25) Early Musings On Exit To Community For Open Collective

Early musings on "Exit to Community" for Open Collective. We know what we want to achieve—making communities around the world financially sustainable—and we always knew it would take time.

Xavier raised an initial investment of $500,000 with an idea only, and we ran with that for a while. We considered bootstrapping the rest of the way, but our own financial situations meant we needed a salary to make a living

Ultimately, we ended up raising funds in three rounds

we had a growing community of collectives, fiscal hosts, contributors, and organizers. Impactful communities and collectives of all stripes came to depend on our platform to transparently and sustainably raise money and manage their finances.

We finally began to turn a profit in 2020, after 4 years in operation. Now, in 2021, we are reflecting on our funding journey and looking to the future. What's next?

Exit to community: why "exit?"

someone else must purchase investors' portion of the company.

Can we find an arrangement that pays back to our investors (buy out), and at the same time lets collectives and employees share in the ownership, revenue and decision-making of the platform? (co-op, ESOP)

Today, we still have more questions than answers.