What if products had no set price, but rather people just paid whatever they felt was fair for them, even if it wasn’t much at all — what would happen?
In the case of Humble Bundle, which puts this economic experiment to work every day, what happens is that, left to their own devices and given little pressure to spend at any level, people tend to pay a fair price for things they value. Like video games. Like books.
We’ve been fortunate in the past year to partner with Humble Bundle a number of times to offer sets of our books at whatever price readers want to pay. The beauty is that each sale benefits not just us and not just Humble Bundle. Each sale also benefits Maker Ed.
Founded in part by a grant from the foundation established by Maker Media executive chairman Dale Dougherty and his wife Nancy, Maker Ed is a nonprofit dedicated to creating more opportunities for all young people to develop confidence, creativity, and interest in STEAM education and learning as a whole through Making.
Running through Wednesday, Feb. 17, we have a new bundle of ebooks available as a pay-what-you-want experiment with Humble Bundle in benefit of Maker Ed.
This time we’re focusing on titles that expand and educate on 3D printing, other digital fabrication methods, and the fascinating world of drones. For us, it’s great fun, a gameified experience, to see what readers want to pay and how much they like these books. For Maker Ed executive director Trey Lathe, it’s a more serious adventure.
Trey told us what it’s worth to Maker Ed when consumers decide what things are worth to them.
“The revenue we receive has been highly valuable,” said Trey, whose organization has received over $100,000 in Humble Bundle donations since 2014.
“Since the monies are unrestricted, they allow us to complete projects we would otherwise not be able to,” he said. “Humble Bundle funds have fully or in large part funded the highly popular Education Stages at the Bay Area and World Maker Faires; have allowed us to support the Maker VISTA AmeriCorps work in community schools in high poverty areas; and have allowed us to pilot international work, starting with MindAfrica in Nigeria. Last year, we helped them run a Young Makers program that resulted in their own mini Maker Faire. This year, we are excited to explore the possibility of expanding international work with them and others!”
Turns out, what happens when people just pay what they think is fair, is that they start a ripple that spreads. Turns out, what people value can make a difference. That’s an experiment we’re glad to repeat.
The Make: and Humble Bundle 3D Printing and Drones promo continues through Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 11amPST. Pay what you want and benefit Maker Ed — and the world!
ADVERTISEMENT
