Hey everyone,

I posted about this last week, but I am moving ahead with it. Over the next 2-3 weeks I am going to be developing a site (indevunite.com) that is geared specifically towards game developers and artists.

The site will have two major functions. The first being a place for developers and artists to meet and find each other. The second being to fund the project(s) they develop on a monthly basis through backers (very similar to the way Patreon functions).

The reason for this post is I want to know if there are people interested in being a part of this right at launch. It is free and would only entail setting up a user profile. Prior to launch you would also be able to set up a team profile if you have one and a project page if you already have one going.

If you don't have a team of people already, then you can still be a part of it. You will be able to find other people to potentially work with through the site.

What does this site offer above and beyond a community and Patreon? You're not really doing a good job of selling your unique points, the hook that should get people excited about your site. There's not a whole ton of benefit to a site that sounds like "GDNet + Patreon" that one could not achieve simply by using both sites at the same time.

Convenience and transparency. I believe many people, if not most, would prefer to have these functions all in one place rather than use multiple sites. An individual will be able to set up a personal profile which will allow them to post photos, videos, and list their skills, qualifications, and achievements. This is important for someone looking for a team or backers who want to know who they are backing. It is helpful for teams who want a person with a specific skill set.

Team profiles will function much the same way. Project pages will as well but will obviously be for showing and telling backers everything they need or want to know about the project and keeping them updated.

Forums are great, Patreon is great. But I think the selling point is that I am combining the functions into one place for the sake of convenience. I also think the profiles people will be able to set up will be much more helpful and informative then most forum profiles that you might find.

Maybe it's best to announce once you are done with the website and it's publicly accessible.

That may be the case and I will make sure to post again once it is accessible. I just wanted to see if anyone would be interested in having some access to the site prior to full launch that way we are up and running with profiles and possibly project pages ready to go.

Forums are great, Patreon is great. But I think the selling point is that I am combining the functions into one place for the sake of convenience. I also think the profiles people will be able to set up will be much more helpful and informative then most forum profiles that you might find.

I'd find this more of a compelling argument if there weren't already several established and popular sites for doing both of these things individually. It sounds like you're factoring in the convenience of one site (which is a valid benefit) but ignoring the friction and inconvenience involved in switching away from established places or at the very least adding new places to one's set of internet hangouts. I think you should consider finding an additional angle to market your site along to help overcome that friction.

I agree and see your point about not factoring in the friction or inconvenience of moving to a different site. I will put a lot of thought into how we can expand the usefulness of the site and make it more of a draw for people. Perhaps to make it better than the other options.

Those are good and important questions. The reason I am here and on a handful of other forums is to find projects/teams/individuals who are willing to launch with us. As it is now, I am bringing the benefit of combining team finding/building with project funding. I also would like to implement a system in which team leaders or designated team members can manage funds right on the site. As I said above, I am going to put a lot of time into thinking of more ways we can expand on the site's current uses.

The only current reason to have any trust in my site is because my partner and I are experienced in web development and know what we are doing. We are going to be the new kid on the block. That means we will have to find people who are willing to use the site and try it out, having faith that it will work or willing to try it because its not costing them anything. This is true of lots of start ups though, if we look at Kickstarter or Patreon now we will see how flooded they are with great projects. Thousands. But they didn't always look that way.

It is going to be a matter of finding people who are willing to try it while keeping things in perspective.