Ideas for Public App License Manager

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Hi everybody! :wave:

I want to present here a possible approach to the Licensing Management system that will soon be required thanks to publishing docs option.

The question is: “what is the best way to let users pay for using docs made by makers?” (i add: …after a demo and if wanted…)

I was using a “traditional” approach, that was using a cross-doc with a table that works as a license manager (3 columns, Name, E-mail and license type)
Then the table is synced in the main app and then the user is verified

A new “full integrated” approach [this is for you @maria :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: ] will leave to coda all the difficulties (paypal integrations, user licensing management, license type management, ecc) and giving us makers just the info that we need (like license type to change our app based on it [ex. i have veterinary clinics and breeders in my nutritional app, app change if you are one or the other)

Like that the situation is a win-win

Coda wins that every makers could super easily turn on monetization for their apps, without leaving every user to his own licensing system (let’s be honest, we will all use @Paul_Danyliuk one’s, he will create one soon or later :grin:)
Makers win because they have to press just a button, set up some fields (like paypal account, license type, ecc) and their doc became AS MONETIZABLE AS AN APP :star_struck:

P.s. coda should already have all the needed tools, because also coda plans are based on a similiar logic, and every coda user could have in the coda internal db something like
User name / Coda Plan / Doc From Mario / Doc from xyz
@Mario / Team Plan / Veterinary / Base plan

In this way every coda user could manage all of his subscription (ah! Subscription must have different plan and time duration! :smiley: ) in one centralized way :exploding_head: :astonished: :scream_cat:
What do you think? Should we build that or not? :smiley:

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Thanks for the mention @Mario :slight_smile:

If I were to speak my opinion on the overall doc licensing idea, that’d be a disappointing one. I don’t really think Coda is the platform to make paywalled content. Not any more than Google Docs or Sheets. Just like docs platforms don’t have integrated monetization/distribution capabilities (other than a permission system) and rely on external software/SaaS to process transactions and manage access, the same would be the case for Coda (see Feature creep)

The only efforts I’m expecting from Coda on this front are:

  • Being able to restrict copying (not just hide a button but restrict on Coda backend level; since all Coda docs are served by Coda backend, this should be a backend-level check)
  • Being able to restrict API access to only workspace admins and/or doc owners. There’s no reasons IMO why keep API access available for all editors — things like Zapier and Cross-doc should be set up by admins using admin accounts anyway.
  • Proper permissions, not just in-browser locking. But this is a stretch, given my knowledge how Coda stores and serves data from backend (hint: the whole doc serialized as a mix of JSON and flat buffers).

Also, in my country we cannot accept Paypal. Yeah, I’m petty :slight_smile:

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Thanks for your thoughts around this topic @Paul_Danyliuk

I have been comparing the current CODA Doc Gallery for templates with the Notion Template Gallery with regard to Makers publishing templates available to the public for free and as paid resources.

In Notion, the Premium Template section where makers templates are marked as “Paid” seems like a good and simple idea to me. In their model, the link/site included in the template showcase to access a paid template and pay for seems to be the responsibility of the Maker.

Looking at this Premium Template Example you will see the link takes you to the Makers site where you can purchase through Gumroad or in another linked page become a Patron using Patreon to take advantage of a subscription based model. These models are entirely up to the Maker.

I believe that Coda Premium Templates operating in a similar way is good option because it devolves the responsibility for commercialization to the maker and incentivizes indirect Coda prospect acquisitions.

@Glenn_Jaume/Coda (and others): Can we please get a comment on your thinking or roadmap/timeline around this area?

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Hey David, Great question. We almost named the Doc Gallery “The Doc Store” to show our support and direction on it becoming a marketplace in the future. We decided not to for now to not over promise on what the gallery currently provides.

In the short term I’m hoping we’ll see publishers selling docs via 3rd party platforms and using the sharing functionality of the doc to open up access to paying customers. We’ll also look to support ways you can earn coda credit for your published docs.

No specifics to share on when we’ll have first party support for selling docs directly via Coda but given our founders history at Youtube we really want Coda to be somewhere that creators and makers can also make meaningful revenue from the things they make.

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Hey @Glenn_Jaume is the idea to make the for sale as ‘published’ docs or the whole thing? Ie is the iP conserved or completely shared?

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That’s exactly the kind of thing we need to explore more and what it would mean to be able to mask aspects of the doc. Is the doc an app/service? is it a template you give full access to?

We don’t have the answers yet but would love any thoughts you have on what you’re thinking of or the types of docs/services you’d like to offer.

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Well both could work. In my opinion, ‘conserving the IP’ allows devs to sell the doc to fewer customers at a higher $$$ per and incentives detail.

A template, since the IP can be taken and repurposed, seems to be more apt for something more simple, where you would want to achieve some sort of scale.

In my case I’ve developed some specialty docs that, if I could license to the right people, would be worth much much more than I think I could do on a templates … but I dont know what I dont know. Thanks for the inquiry and moving forward! I’m sure it will be great whatever you come up with.

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Sounds great. I believe that selling docs via 3rd and 1st party platform should be available.