So, I heard about this thing called The Open Payout 2024 a while back. Can’t even remember where exactly, probably just scrolling online somewhere, you know how it is. The name sounded interesting, “Open Payout,” made me think maybe it was something straightforward, maybe some kind of fund for small projects like the stuff I tinker with.
I decided to check it out. Found their page, or whatever it was. Looked simple enough on the surface. They were talking about supporting creators, developers, that kind of crowd. Sounded good, right? I had this little side project I’d been poking at for ages, thought maybe, just maybe, this could give it a little boost. Nothing major, just enough to cover some hosting or maybe buy a specific tool I needed.
Getting into the thick of it
So, I started the process. First step, sign up. Easy enough. Then came the actual application. Man, oh man. It started simple, name, project idea, blah blah blah. But then it kept going. They wanted detailed plans, projections, how I’d use the funds down to the last cent, it felt like. Took me a whole weekend just gathering my thoughts and trying to put it into their specific format.
Here’s what I remember needing to do:
- Write up a full project description.
- Create a budget breakdown.
- Explain the ‘impact’ or whatever.
- Submit some examples of previous work (if any).
- Answer a bunch of essay questions.
Honestly, it felt like applying for a bank loan, not some ‘open’ payout thing. The language was all corporate-speak, not very ‘open’ feeling at all. I almost gave up halfway through. Seemed like a lot of hassle for potentially nothing. But I’d already sunk a few hours into it, so I figured I might as well finish.
The waiting game and the end result
Finally got it all submitted. Sent it off into the void. And then… nothing. Just waiting. They said they’d notify people by a certain date. That date came and went. A week later, still nothing. I wasn’t exactly holding my breath, you know? These things are always a long shot.
Eventually, maybe two weeks after their supposed deadline, an email popped up. Short and sweet. Basically, “Thanks for applying, lots of great submissions, yours wasn’t selected.” No real feedback, just a standard rejection. Figures.
Was I surprised? Not really. Disappointed? A little bit, mostly annoyed at the time I wasted filling out those forms. It felt like jumping through hoops for the chance at a small payout, and the process itself wasn’t very user-friendly or ‘open’ feeling.
So yeah, that was my little adventure with The Open Payout 2024. Didn’t get the payout, spent a weekend wrestling with forms. Learned that ‘open’ doesn’t always mean easy or transparent. Would I do it again? Probably not, unless they seriously simplified things. Just another one of those things you try and then move on from, I guess.
