NCE.DFOS Week 13: Desktop 2 and monetization

Welcome to your weekly update on all things DFOS and NCE, for the first time arriving in your inbox thanks to our new email blast feature (thanks Brandon!). As per usual, this message is written in a single take, with limited edits. So please excuse inarticulateness — it happens.

Three big headlines this week:

Desktop 2 rolling out

We’ve been teasing the Desktop 2 experience and this week it’s going to start landing. This will be a whole new approach to DFOS that opens up many doors to a much more expansive and pointed product than before.

In a nutshell, Desktop 2 will allow each DFOS space to be handcrafted by the people behind it. Spaces will start empty with a + sign that will let you start designing your space.

Clicking the + will allow you to choose from a set of apps you can install, allowing you to customize the image and name of each one.

Folders let you organize content and functions however you want. Once we fully roll out permissions, folders will be gateable with payment (so you can only see what’s inside an area if you purchase a key), and visible only to people who have permission to see them.

As each app gets added, a distinct new world starts to emerge.

The Desktop 2 experience also made us think about the potential of DFOS not just as a private space, but as a public homepage. I’ve been tinkering with my own personal DFOS, for example, that I could imagine replacing my current website. A mix of specific posts, books for sale, a chat area to talk to me, and the origin of my newsletter in the future.

This week we’re going to be wiring up Desktop 2 with our existing apps, plus launching updated versions of the chat and posts apps with new Desktop 2 features in mind. The goal is that next week all spaces will fully transition to this new experience, and it will be the default moving forward.

Please note that we're also aware of the potential overwhelm of making something from scratch for some people. We plan to offer templates tailored to different use cases that will let you start with the right set of defaults. Much more to come.

Monetization and pricing

Ages ago we wrote a post in here about pricing for DFOS that brought a lot of feedback. The past week we’ve been working on this more. There are three stages to monetization to DFOS, all we believe very aligned with you, our wonderful community of sickos and friends.

Here's what we're thinking.

Monetization stage 1: Patrons

We think of DFOS as in the same category of products as Are.na and Obsidian: places with a hardcore, devoted community that just wants the work to succeed. We love projects like this (we’re patrons of both of those, and others) and want DFOS to evoke similar emotions. Soon we will launch a Patron program, that, for an annual fee, will give accounts more storage space, early access to new features, a private DFOS with us, visible profile flair, and will lower your fees from 10% to 8% for any transaction — meaning more of your money will go to others. 

Monetization stage 2: Transactions

The next phase of monetization will come with the launch of paid spaces (first) and space storefronts (second). In both cases we'll have a standard fee of 10% per transaction — but 8% if you’re a DFOS patron. Paid spaces will be live next month. Storefronts coming soon after.

Monetization stage 3: Pro spaces

We’re also scoping out what pro spaces will look like, and this will be the final monetization piece, likely in the summer. Here we’re looking at features like hiding DFOS branding, hosting a space on your own domain, email sends for larger lists, additional treasury and analytics features, and more. 

Most importantly: everything that’s part of DFOS now will continue to be free. You will not have to pay to use DFOS as a groupchat or coordination space. But as we start adding more advanced features, some of those will likely be available in paid tiers. Something like $30 a month for Pro community spaces, and $150+ a month for pro spaces that serve teams and companies. All things we're feeling out as we go.

This is probably more information than you were looking for, but we want to keep being transparent in our thinking. Questions? Hit us up in the comments.

New New Creative Era episode this week

Last but definitely not least, this week we’re posting a new episode of New Creative Era with Josh and I! In this one we catch up on all of Josh’s fancy happenings (Whitney Biennial! Venice Biennale!), discuss Josh Kline’s big essay that says it’s time to leave New York, and, for the main dish, discuss Artist Corporations and where we are now. Look for that to hit RSS feeds tomorrow.

Questions?

Anything ya’ll want to chat about? Say the word!

<3
Yancey & the DFOS squad

PS: Thx to the amazing Edgar, like always, for the post art.