MORE THAN ME: Sustainability Thresholds
The Question: How many people do we need at each stage for this to become self-sustaining—independent of any one person, including the founder?
Economics Update (March 2026): This article was written using the original economic model (Medallion stakes, Guild entry fees). The current platform uses a $5/year membership, Cost+20% pricing, and a three-currency system (Credits, Marks, Joules) with 83.3% Creator / 13.3% Platform / 3.3% Gleaner’s Corner split. The sustainability thresholds below remain directionally valid — the membership-fee figures have changed but the transaction-based revenue math still holds. References to “stakes” below refer to membership participation, not financial securities.
The Philosophy
“More Than Me” means the platform survives and thrives even if the founder gets hit by a bus tomorrow. At each threshold, the system becomes less dependent on any single person and more dependent on the collective.
Key Economic Assumptions
From the Liana Banyan documentation:
| Variable | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Platform margin | 20% (Cost + 20%) | Margin Economics |
| Margin allocation | 10% ops, 5% R&D, 5% reserves | Margin Economics |
| Membership | $5/year | Membership System |
| Guild participation | Earned through service | Guild Progression |
| Free membership | 30 days, renewable indefinitely | Membership System |
| Credits | 1 credit ≈ $1 | Credit Economics |
Monthly Operating Costs (Estimated by Phase)
| Phase | Monthly Burn | Annual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha (now) | ~$2,500 | ~$30,000 | Hosting, minimal tools, founder unpaid |
| Beta (post-Kickstarter) | ~$8,500 | ~$102,000 | +1-2 contractors, better infrastructure |
| Launch | ~$25,000 | ~$300,000 | Small team (3-5 people) |
| Growth | ~$85,000 | ~$1,020,000 | Foundation phase from $1M campaign |
| Scale | ~$175,000 | ~$2,100,000 | Replication node phase |
| Ecosystem | ~$350,000 | ~$4,200,000 | Full beta launch |
THRESHOLD 1: “The Founder Can Take a Vacation”
50 Active Members
What it means: Basic operations continue without daily founder involvement.
Requirements:
- 50 members (50 × $5/year = $250 in annual membership)
- At least 10 completing transactions monthly
- Community Discord/communication self-moderating
- Basic documentation complete
Revenue at this stage:
- If each member transacts $50/month average
- Monthly volume: $2,500
- Platform margin (20%): $500
- Gap to Alpha sustainability: ~$2,000/month needed from other sources
What changes: Founder isn’t the only person who knows how everything works. Someone else can answer questions. The community has momentum.
THRESHOLD 2: “The Platform Pays Its Bills”
250 Active Members
What it means: Operating costs covered by platform revenue alone.
Requirements:
- 250 members with stakes ($25,000 in member capital)
- 100+ transacting monthly
- Average transaction: $100/month per active member
- Some members taking contract positions
Revenue calculation:
- Monthly transaction volume: 100 × $100 = $10,000
- Platform margin (20%): $2,000
- Guild stakes flowing: ~$500/month
- Total: ~$2,500/month = Alpha sustainability achieved
What changes: Platform isn’t dependent on founder’s personal income. Bills get paid. Lights stay on.
THRESHOLD 3: “The Founder Gets Paid”
500 Active Members
What it means: Platform can pay a living wage to at least one full-time person.
Requirements:
- 500 members ($50,000 in stakes)
- 200+ transacting monthly
- Average transaction: $150/month per active member
- 20+ taking contract positions
Revenue calculation:
- Monthly transaction volume: 200 × $150 = $30,000
- Platform margin (20%): $6,000
- Guild stakes: ~$2,000/month
- Contract position fees: ~$1,000/month
- Total: ~$9,000/month
- After ops (10%): ~$900 to overhead
- Available for salary: ~$5,000-6,000/month
What changes: This is a real job for someone. The founder (or first hire) can work on this full-time without starving.
THRESHOLD 4: “More Than Me” - True Independence
1,000 Active Members
What it means: Platform survives founder departure. Multiple people earning livings. Self-sustaining flywheel.
Requirements:
- 1,000 members ($100,000 in stakes)
- 400+ transacting monthly
- 50+ in contract positions
- First Guild Council formed
- 3+ people earning income from platform
Revenue calculation:
- Monthly transaction volume: 400 × $200 = $80,000
- Platform margin (20%): $16,000
- Guild stakes flowing: ~$5,000/month
- Contract fees: ~$4,000/month
- Total: ~$25,000/month
What changes:
- Platform has institutional knowledge distributed across multiple people
- Governance begins shifting from founder to councils
- Multiple income streams, not dependent on any one person’s relationships
- The founder could disappear and the platform would continue
THRESHOLD 5: “Real Organization”
5,000 Active Members
What it means: Professional organization with departments, multiple projects, and geographic spread.
Requirements:
- 5,000 members ($500,000 in stakes)
- 2,000+ transacting monthly
- 200+ in contract positions
- Multiple Guild Councils operational
- 3+ independent projects running
- 15-20 people earning income
Revenue calculation:
- Monthly transaction volume: 2,000 × $250 = $500,000
- Platform margin (20%): $100,000
- Guild stakes: ~$25,000/month
- Contract fees: ~$20,000/month
- Total: ~$145,000/month
What changes:
- Full C-suite can be hired
- Multiple product lines
- Geographic expansion possible
- Platform influences market (not just participates)
THRESHOLD 6: “Movement”
20,000+ Active Members
What it means: The model is proven and replicating. Other organizations study and copy it. Policy implications.
Requirements:
- 20,000+ members ($2M+ in stakes)
- 8,000+ transacting monthly
- Multiple independent project nodes
- Academic study/documentation
- Media attention
- Political/policy engagement
Revenue calculation:
- Monthly transaction volume: 8,000 × $300 = $2,400,000
- Platform margin (20%): $480,000
- Annual revenue: $5.76M+
What changes:
- Costco-level proof of concept
- Replication playbook being used by others
- The founder is a historical figure, not an operational necessity
- This is “More Than Me” at civilizational scale
Summary Table: “More Than Me” Milestones
| Threshold | Members | Monthly Revenue | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50 | ~$500 | Founder can take vacation |
| 2 | 250 | ~$2,500 | Platform pays its bills |
| 3 | 500 | ~$9,000 | Founder gets paid |
| 4 | 1,000 | ~$25,000 | TRUE “More Than Me” |
| 5 | 5,000 | ~$145,000 | Real organization |
| 6 | 20,000+ | ~$480,000 | Movement |
For the Script/Marketing
Simple version:
“Fifty people, and I can take a breath. Two hundred fifty, and the platform pays its own bills. Five hundred, and someone—maybe me, maybe not—can work on this full-time. One thousand… and it doesn’t need me anymore.
That’s the goal. One thousand people.
After that, this belongs to all of us. More than me.”
Even simpler:
“One thousand people. That’s what it takes for this to become ours instead of mine.”
Honest Caveats
These numbers assume:
- Active members (not just signed up, but transacting)
- Reasonable transaction volumes (not everyone buying $10/month)
- Retention (people staying, not churning)
- Real work happening (contract positions filled, skills verified)
The thresholds are estimates, not guarantees. But they’re based on the actual economics of the platform as designed.
Document Created: November 28, 2025 For: Liana Banyan Corporation — Jonathan Jones, Founder