Hi everyone, I want to be really honest with you about where fypm* is right now.
I started fypm* in 2020 because creators needed transparency. Since then, we've helped thousands of creators around the world understand their worth, negotiate better deals, and pay their bills. I'm proud of the impact we've had on individual people's lives, but also on the culture of this industry. Creators understand now more than ever that they deserve to be paid for their work, and we're still pushing that mission forward, including working with PhD students at MIT and Columbia on a market rate pricing algorithm.
At the same time, I've changed enormously over the last six years. I built a company, raised venture capital, got sober, and became a completely different person and leader. And I've had to admit a hard truth to myself: fypm* has been very difficult to monetize.
Part of me wonders if that's because what made fypm* so powerful was everyone freely contributing to help each other. You shared what you got paid, somebody else used that information to negotiate more, and then they came back and helped the next person. Then I raised venture capital, monetization became an obligation, and eventually it became necessary just to keep fypm* alive.
For roughly the last year, I've been personally scrambling every month to make that happen. Another sale, another idea, another way to keep the lights on. The “We Are Fucked Sale” last month just made something public that's actually been happening privately for a long time. I'm exhausted. I've been a solo founder for the last two years, and I can't keep sacrificing myself to keep fypm* alive. That does NOT mean I want fypm* to die. I fucking love this thing. I'm actively looking for a new home and operator for fypm*, and I've turned down opportunities to sell because I won't hand my baby to just anyone with $$ who's going to kill what made it special. I want to find someone who can carry the technology, community, and mission forward.
Until then, I realized maybe the answer is the thing fypm* has always been about in the first place: transparency.
I'm currently taking $0 from the company. So instead of privately freaking out every month and inventing another promotion, I'm just going to show you what it costs and ask for help.
👉 I built a page where you can see what fypm* costs, where the money goes, where we currently stand, and ways you can help if you want to.
I don't know exactly what fypm's next chapter looks like yet. I just know that I love what we built, I'm incredibly proud of it, and keeping it alive can't require me to continually sacrifice my own financial stability and wellbeing. So I'm doing something that's actually pretty hard for me. I'm asking for help.
Love,
Lindsey Lee Lugrin
Founder/CEO of F*** You Pay Me App
—
P.S. In the spirit of transparency, I also lost my second job this week. None of the money contributed to fypm's operating costs goes to me personally, but if you need a consultant or advisor, know someone who does, or want to buy a print or commission some of my art, please contact me. I'm very available right now.