WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE

The idea of bounties has been around for a long time, originally in law enforcement, and then later on in software development. Lately, it has been popularized on TV - again, in the rough and tumble world of bail bondsmen. And the idea is remarkably simple:

1. If you want something and don’t know how to get it,
2. Or if you want to share something with others who will share the cost,
3. Then a bounty will help you get what you want.

So here’s how it works: Write down what you want. Then write down what you’ll pay for it. If someone else wants the same thing, they can add that, too.

BountyUp makes this whole thing a bit easier. First, we’ve got some nice web forms, so you’re not putting up posters or scribbling on napkins. Second, we’re the “bookie” - we’ll hold the money so that you know the work will get done before anyone gets paid, and so the bounty-hunter can trust that you’re good for it. Thirdly, having a bunch of bounties in the same place is a good way to get publicity for them - it makes it easier for folks to find each other when they might be able to work together. And finally, the BountyUp community can help moderate disputes, should they arise.

We’ve made up a word for this, too: Crowd-funding. (Obviously we’re not the first people to think of that, since the domain name is taken.) If crowd-sourcing is tapping into the wisdom of the crowd, then crowd-funding is tapping into the money of the crowd.

So who are the “we”? Why don’t you check out our profiles?