if permies were given $500, 000, what should we do?

To me, the target would not be the children of Permies but rather the children of non Permies.   Now, the name Permies is not going to attract Yuppies or the children of Yuppies, but a name like Future Pioneers might.

T Simpson wrote:I also think YouTube Shorts & TikTok are underutilized, I've spent a good amount of time analyzing the YouTube Shorts algorithm, and what other permaculture channels are doing. Some channels have grown to 300k subs in under 9 months of using it. People want short-form quality learning content.

I would like to provide content that a dozen permies can use to fill these niches.

300k subs ...   I have 102k subs on youtube.  Does nothing it seems.  

I subscribe to stuff and say "notify me on all new content" and I don't get any kind of notification.

If I received $500,000, should I spend it on youtube showing one of my videos to a few million people?

I tried marketing the BBW book with a smallish budget but ran into some censorship/trolling. With a bigger budget maybe that could be punched through. If I had a budget I'd probably build SKIP a standalone website and a much more organized how-to-build X thing website similar to my open-permaculture.com experiment that backlinked to permies.

This is one of the most delicious things I have read in a long, long time.

I volunteered my time to solve energy issues in europe last year.  All went well for a bit and then I was suddenly slammed by corporate trolls and their AI bot army.  All within about three minutes they crushed everything.  An amazing sight.

How to navigate that is beyond me. Other than keep stuff to the permies site.  

But this is why I make everything have a 50% affiliate fee.  Go out an use your expertise to navigate that stuff and harvest fat coin!

The entertainment arena is a possible answer.
Permies already produces movies. What if y'all produced a show? A series? A season?
Playing content with ads on any platform could produce good revenue. Probably enough to continue the endeavor, if budgets and markets are considered, and the produced content is entertaining! Every homesteading/permaculture enthusiasts everywhere would watch!
Goal #2 done.
Of course, anything permies does tips the hat to permaculture values. Whatever show is developed will entertain and whet the imagination with questions. Questions which are already discussed every day on the forums at permies.com.
Goal #1 done.

David Schriver wrote:Invest

Not allowed.

As pointed out in the podcast:

  - it must be spent on stuff that changes the world for the better.  effectively.

  - it must be spent in a way that brings coin back so that it can be done again.  A sort of "perpetual motion machine."

Andy Ze wrote:I think something that Wheaton Labs folks might not understand is, the majority of people are busy working, or watching kids, or they don't have access to metalworking tools. If they're going to adopt an RMH, gotta make it easy.

What I want most:  brain space.

Here is ten months of work



I don't expect people to memorize it, but I do hope a person might look through this and think "rocket mass heaters can be a good thing"

Andy Ze wrote:A "gift shop" at Wheaton Labs isn't a horrible idea. So boots can sell stuff they've made, including RMH heaters hopefully.

A virtual storefront would be nice too. Etsy or something.

Like our digital market?

Douglas Alpenstock wrote:First and foremost, what is the accounting method? How do we define the 500k return? Is this cash money or equivalent value?

Can you give me an idea of the difference?

My impression was that it needed to end up as a sort of perpetual motion machine.  Something that would become continuous and sustainable.

Second, it would be helpful to have a transcript of the podcasts. I'm afraid I can't spare the time to listen; but I read at light speed. Help me out, folks.

If there is a way to do that instantly and for free, I don't know what it is.  Some sort of AI thingy?

Mike Haasl wrote:Things that wouldn't pay back but would be neat:
- Pay for RMHs to be added to the building code in all states

I think if demand went up a thousand-fold, then you would see it.  To get demand up, we explore "why is there not more demand?" and we placed all our hopes and dreams on the infographic.  

Rocket mass heaters are in code in portland and, I've heard, several other places.  So it has begun organically.

- Pay famous people to come keynote or lead a Permaculture Conference in Missoula to really bring in a crowd (Justin Rhodes level folks)

My guess is that $500,000 might almost cover it.  It would be an insane amount of work.  And quite the gamble for a payback - but I think this WOULD be something that would tick all the boxes!

John F Dean wrote:I find child camps intriguing.  If one objective is to spread the message, then who better to spread it to than children?   The barriers may not be as great as they seem.   If the desire is to have one within range of a larger metropolitan area, then why not?   Camps can be rented…with buildings already approved. My organization rented an entire camp several days a year for several years.   This toe in the water approach would give a better idea as to the needed investment and returns without a full scale commitment.

I like the idea of renting out already up-to-code facilities as a way to see how it goes.

Maybe it's not clear to Mary Combs the age groups in question. Small children to do not go away to camp for two weeks without a parent. Within girl scouts, below grade 4, girls attend camp only with their group leader chapeon. Most sleep away camp starts at 10 and goes to around age 14. I don't know if you've spent much time around 12 year olds, but I don't consider it childminding.  Specialized camps such as sports camps are generally for 13-17 year olds.  A premies camp would definitely be 12 and up.

There could be a parent-kid short version (as most parents have jobs) where 10-13 year olds can come accompanied by a guardian. that'd 5 days long.
a 7-10 day version for 12-14 year olds
and a 14 day version for 15-18 year olds.
The whole thing could be preceded by a 4-week counselor training program for 18+ where you learned all the stuff you were going to do with the campers. Most US universities get out in May so that could be mid-May to mid June. Followed by the oldest teens until the end of June and July could be the parent-kid and  and tweens versions.

So, if the cost of a wofati is anywhere close to the claims, it should be insanely profitable to build a couple of those and AirBnB them. Maybe in the Missoula area.

A back of the envelope guess for a single Wofati might be $100/night, $2k per month (vacant some days). $24k income in a year. That hits your requirements.

I think a possible way to change the world and get a return would be to set up some kind of permaculture certification program and promote it. It could also be used towards training the trainers, i.e. teaching people to go out and do permaculture design or speaking engagements or whatever as representatives of Wheaton Labs who are not Paul so that more consulting could be done without Paul having to do it all himself. Or Crews to build Rocket Mass Heaters for others/demonstration.

paul wheaton wrote:

Here is ten months of work

I don't expect people to memorize it, but I do hope a person might look through this and think "rocket mass heaters can be a good thing"

So,is it ok if we share the infographic far and wide outside Permies?

Can the Infographic be downloaded somehow, as that'd make it easy to get it where it'll do the most good?

Jim Webb wrote:Can the Infographic be downloaded somehow, as that'd make it easy to get it where it'll do the most good?

If we're allowed to download and share, it is right click -> save

That works nearly everywhere online unless they do special things to make you not able to do it. However, being able to save something doesn't mean that you have the rights to use, reproduce, repost, etc.

Cat Knight wrote:

paul wheaton wrote:

Here is ten months of work

I don't expect people to memorize it, but I do hope a person might look through this and think "rocket mass heaters can be a good thing"

So,is it ok if we share the infographic far and wide outside Permies?

Please share it far and wide.  You are welcome to upload it wherever you like.  Be prepared for corporate trolls and their AI bot army to be unkind - after all, this information could hurt their income model.

T Simpson wrote:I also think YouTube Shorts & TikTok are underutilized, I've spent a good amount of time analyzing the YouTube Shorts algorithm, and what other permaculture channels are doing. Some channels have grown to 300k subs in under 9 months of using it. People want short-form quality learning content.

Someone is breaking the PTJ trailers down into YouTube shorts and posting them. So good job making that happen! https://youtube.com/shorts/rR0k8-N5N_U?si=AvajnsBjpK3WwstT

Jeremy VanGelder wrote:

T Simpson wrote:I also think YouTube Shorts & TikTok are underutilized, I've spent a good amount of time analyzing the YouTube Shorts algorithm, and what other permaculture channels are doing. Some channels have grown to 300k subs in under 9 months of using it. People want short-form quality learning content.

Someone is breaking the PTJ trailers down into YouTube shorts and posting them. So good job making that happen! https://youtube.com/shorts/rR0k8-N5N_U?si=AvajnsBjpK3WwstT

That's the guy that took the video.  More power to him!

Build a workshop and a more permanent greenhouse structure. Invest the rest in a CD for 6-months to a year, spend some on expanding my garden. Reinvest in CD. Repeat each year to keep expanding... but not going overboard... literally it will be too much for me if I expand too quickly.