This was so inspiring! Thank you Sofia. Two major takeaways for me was “don’t try to solve everything at once!” and “Never do what a funder tells you to do unless you think it’s the right thing to do.” I’ll remember this:)
Thanks a lot Nayanika! Appreciate you reading. The funder advice can be counterintuitive because of course we want to get funding and it’s tempting to just say yes to any funder requests (partly due to power dynamics), but it’s so easy to lose your focus if you chase funders’ priorities. I think it’s important to find funders who are aligned and trust you to deliver the impact!
I am sure the power dynamics can be overwhelming to cope with especially when you need a chance to prove yourself for the first time. I would like to learn how to keep being patient in the process until you find that one aligned funder. How did you manage to keep yourself patient till you found the right funder?
Good question! It’s important to avoid putting yourself in a place where you are desperate for funding, because then you can search for the right funder slowly and focus on impact instead. For example, I advised in this talk to avoid quitting your job or main source of income until you have more certainty about funding. This allows you time to get to know the funders informally without having to make asks immediately. Many people are surprised to learn that funding for such projects can take a year or longer to secure. I think it’s quite a normal timeline, as trust and reputation take a long time to build.
Another part is making sure that your side project is sustainable. If you already work a 40h/week full-time job, then it’s wise to keep the side project contained to a relatively small number of hours to make sure you can continue long-term and not burn out. Getting other people on board as volunteers can help manage the workload.
It may be a given for some people, but it’s a good idea to do a project you enjoy and find rewarding in itself. Even if you don’t get the funding, you will still be ok to do it. This can really help with patience. Back in 2023 when we applied for some funding and got rejected, I was prepared to do Hive part-time for a long time, because I liked it so much.
This was so inspiring! Thank you Sofia. Two major takeaways for me was “don’t try to solve everything at once!” and “Never do what a funder tells you to do unless you think it’s the right thing to do.” I’ll remember this:)
Thanks a lot Nayanika! Appreciate you reading. The funder advice can be counterintuitive because of course we want to get funding and it’s tempting to just say yes to any funder requests (partly due to power dynamics), but it’s so easy to lose your focus if you chase funders’ priorities. I think it’s important to find funders who are aligned and trust you to deliver the impact!
I am sure the power dynamics can be overwhelming to cope with especially when you need a chance to prove yourself for the first time. I would like to learn how to keep being patient in the process until you find that one aligned funder. How did you manage to keep yourself patient till you found the right funder?
Good question! It’s important to avoid putting yourself in a place where you are desperate for funding, because then you can search for the right funder slowly and focus on impact instead. For example, I advised in this talk to avoid quitting your job or main source of income until you have more certainty about funding. This allows you time to get to know the funders informally without having to make asks immediately. Many people are surprised to learn that funding for such projects can take a year or longer to secure. I think it’s quite a normal timeline, as trust and reputation take a long time to build.
Another part is making sure that your side project is sustainable. If you already work a 40h/week full-time job, then it’s wise to keep the side project contained to a relatively small number of hours to make sure you can continue long-term and not burn out. Getting other people on board as volunteers can help manage the workload.
It may be a given for some people, but it’s a good idea to do a project you enjoy and find rewarding in itself. Even if you don’t get the funding, you will still be ok to do it. This can really help with patience. Back in 2023 when we applied for some funding and got rejected, I was prepared to do Hive part-time for a long time, because I liked it so much.
Hope this is helpful!
This was truly helpful and I read it twice just in case:)