Moth Minds: Fund individuals doing work you believe in

This is an interesting premise, but I'm not sure that the pool of potential grant recipients will be a very good one. The problem that I foresee is that people working on these sorts of projects seem to fall into two broad categories:

-People who don't want to work for someone else, but lack vision and exist on social proof. These people will be attracted to the grant funding, but unable to use it to create something interesting.

-People who appear to have vision, and are either brilliant (and often very driven) or delusional (and often lazy). Most of this group is delusional, and will never succeed. The brilliant ones are so driven that they will often succeed without assistance.

Even venture capitalists are bad at finding brilliant, driven visionaries, so I'm not sure how this individual plans to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Re: Moth Minds: Fund individuals doing work you believe in

#5

Post by sombremesa » Wed, Dec 01, 2021, 8:03 PM UTC

nickff wrote: post #4

This is an interesting premise, but I'm not sure that the pool of potential grant recipients will be a very good one. The problem that I foresee is that people working on these sorts of projects seem to fall into two broad categories: -People who don't want to work for someone else, but lack vision and exist on social proof. These people will be attracted to the grant funding, but unable to use it to create something…

> The brilliant ones are so driven that they will often succeed without assistance.

That might be true, but the level of success might change dramatically based on assistance. Founders know this, and may choose that path despite being capable of success regardless.

Re: Moth Minds: Fund individuals doing work you believe in

#6

Post by benfarahmand » Wed, Dec 01, 2021, 8:17 PM UTC

If the goal is developing grantee self-efficacy, the funding should require pairing with a mentor. Finding a mentor that is willing to guide a grantee to bring an idea to fruition is also validation of that individual's ability to accomplish the task.

Re: Moth Minds: Fund individuals doing work you believe in

#7

Post by mistrial9 » Wed, Dec 01, 2021, 8:18 PM UTC

nickff wrote: post #4

This is an interesting premise, but I'm not sure that the pool of potential grant recipients will be a very good one. The problem that I foresee is that people working on these sorts of projects seem to fall into two broad categories: -People who don't want to work for someone else, but lack vision and exist on social proof. These people will be attracted to the grant funding, but unable to use it to create something…

change your definitions of success & take off the pre-judgement blinders?

Re: Moth Minds: Fund individuals doing work you believe in

#8

Post by moffkalast » Wed, Dec 01, 2021, 8:18 PM UTC

> Moth Minds is a platform that makes it extremely easy for anyone to start their own grants program.

Where is it? More like will be.

Re: Moth Minds: Fund individuals doing work you believe in

#9

Post by weego » Wed, Dec 01, 2021, 8:27 PM UTC

nickff wrote: post #4

This is an interesting premise, but I'm not sure that the pool of potential grant recipients will be a very good one. The problem that I foresee is that people working on these sorts of projects seem to fall into two broad categories: -People who don't want to work for someone else, but lack vision and exist on social proof. These people will be attracted to the grant funding, but unable to use it to create something…

I 'run' my own micro arts fund providing support for people in MH communities that would like supplies or tools to help as part of their ongoing rehab or change of career as a way of getting back into a life that means something.

The answer really is if you expect a measurable outcome from small-scale investing in people then don't do it, you're in the wrong space. If you view your investment as a path to the outcome you have in mind for them then don't do it, you're in the wrong space.

If you believe that a person deserves opportunity that might otherwise be blocked from them by what the privileged of us would consider incredibly low bars (money) and are willing to possibly not ever know if it made a difference or where that took them then it might be for you.

Re: Moth Minds: Fund individuals doing work you believe in

#10

Post by koheripbal » Wed, Dec 01, 2021, 8:29 PM UTC

I would like $100k to work on the Collatz conjecture for 6 months.

I have an idea that will probably fail, but if I had that money I would quit my job work my ass off for six months to flesh it out.

But I have no credentials, no way to write a grant proposal, and even I wouldn't invest in myself.

....and yet if we did this sort of experiment 10000 times over, humanity might make some big breakthroughs because some of this people would be legitimately smart (unlike me).

of course 10000 x one billion dollars, so maybe we should just fund legit grant seeking PhDs.