"CRAFT-FUNDING": A big dumb way to build an indie games studio?

The concept of CRAFT-FUNDING was born from the BIG DUMB GAMES' core studio philosophy that:

1. We are a "collective" not corporate: We reject old models of ownership and instead build a shared culture of creativity, sustainability and big dumb fun. Six founders steer the ship, but all who contribute have a stake...
2. We value contribution, not hierarchy: Impact is measured by time, energy and creativity, not job titles or office politics...
3. We reward fairly through profit-$hare: Everyone who helps make our games should succeed with us. Financial rewards are distributed into a Patronage Pool based on Contribution Credits. So short bursts of genius and long months of grind are both recognised...
4. We believe strongly in the value of human craft: No AI-slop, no fake art. Our games are designed, written, drawn, built and ultimately played by real people, to be enjoyed by anyone...
5. We are playful: Games are meant to be fun; so is building them...

So instead of assuming that 10,000 people will each donate $10 each (Crowd-Funding) or asking 1 person/company/publisher to invest $100,000 (Traditional-Funding) we simply ask whether talented people with 'craft' to share & a passion for our games will donate a slice of their time & expertise on a promise of future profit-$hare from our Patronage Pool (Craft-Funding).

The sad thing is, in the current climate, there are too many people who have found themselves with time on their hands, probably doomscrolling the jobs boards looking for something to do. We figured people might be just willing to put their craft & skills to good use - to do something productive while they are waiting for their next big gig.

I doubt we are the only studio doing this sort of thing ... and it's likley an approach that can be applied to any sector, not just gaming. It's fair to say we have a long way to go to see any real reward. But in only a few short months, we've gone from 'this sounds like a good idea' to actually building something.

Out first big, dumb creation is STARSHIP BLOOPERS and we've already managed to build a working prototype with about a dozen contributors all working hard on taking us to a First Playable as quickly as possible. (Thanks team, it wouldn't have been possible without you!)

Check out our First Big Dumb Trailer

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to present our studio philosophy and the concept of CRAFT-FUNDING at Develop: Brighton. This was part of a longer session outlining some of the process and learnings we've pick-up along the way. A link to a video highlights reel is viewable on our LinkedIn post here >>>>
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/craft-funding-big-dumb-way-build-indie-games-studio-murray-pannell--lcgae/