Building a $7m non-profit tech company - John O'Nolan
May 23, 2024
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Founder of Ghost, John O'Nolan, discusses launching his non-profit tech company without VC funding. He talks about the benefits of anonymity, the longevity of blogging, the fediverse, and his approach to making great products. John also shares his favorite newsletters and hobbies.
Ghost operates as a non-profit to prioritize user-centric development over profit-driven motives.
John O'Noden advocates for Activity Pub to foster an open and interoperable online ecosystem.
Deep dives
Innovative Business Model: Changing the Tech Landscape
John O'Noden, the founder of Ghost, established a unique business model by opting for a non-profit setup for the independent publishing platform. Unlike traditional tech companies, Ghost operates on open-source principles to ensure long-term sustainability without the pressure of being bought or sold. This innovative approach allows the company to focus on user-centric development rather than chasing profits or market dominance.
Challenges of Non-Profit Operations and Industry Influence
While the non-profit model aligns with Ghost's mission for integrity and transparency in journalism, it comes with challenges. Operating as a non-profit in the tech realm can introduce complexities such as financial dealings with banks and potential difficulties in funding. Despite these obstacles, Ghost remains committed to its core values and aims to provide a platform that fosters open and democratic publishing.
Activity Pub: Pioneering Open Interoperability
John O'Noden's advocacy for the Activity Pub web standard reflects his commitment to fostering an open and interoperable online ecosystem. Activity Pub enables decentralized, email-like communication for public statuses across various platforms, promoting an open web environment free from the constraints of closed social networks. Embracing activity pub empowers users with greater control over their data and interactions, marking a pivotal shift towards a more collaborative digital landscape.
Personal Ventures and Home Automation Innovations
Beyond his role at Ghost, John O'Noden's passion for travel and music production shines through. Engaging in nomadic living for over 14 years, he explores diverse cultural experiences while continuing to pursue electronic music creation. Furthermore, his enthusiasm for home automation projects, particularly through Home Assistant, exemplifies his knack for blending software expertise with real-world applications. By experimenting with innovative tech solutions, John enhances his surroundings with automated functionalities and personalized systems.
John O’Nolan is the founder of Ghost, an independent publishing platform. John sees Ghost as an experiment in doing the opposite of what every other tech company does. They haven’t raised VC, instead setting Ghost up as a non-profit that can never be bought or sold. The core product is open source, with a simple SaaS model to fund future development. John is opinionated and outspoken but with many views that are hard to argue, so I can’t wait to dive into some of those today.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:48 From music to software
01:50 The benefits of anonymity
06:44 Launching Ghost as a non-profit
14:26 Why launch on Kickstarter
19:12 Is the longevity of blogging susprising?
22:25 What companies is venture capital right for?
23:40 Should more companies follow the non profit model?
25:50 John's approach to making great products
27:45 How John views competition
29:41 How do they ship at Ghost
36:38 The fediverse and ActivityPub
42:15 John's favourite newsletters
43:41 John's hobbies
As always thanks for being a listener of the Make Lemonade show. Hosted by @jrfarr & @jmckinven— brought to you by LemonSqueezy.com.
If you're looking to sell digital products online, be sure to check out Lemon Squeezy or follow us on Twitter @lmsqueezy.
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