TYVM
✳ The journal

Why we build it the way we do.

Notes on the thinking behind TYVM: what we decided, and why. No growth hacks, no hot takes.

These are the notes we’re writing. The first ones land soon.

Why TYVM

Why we never take a cut (and how the bills get paid instead)

Plenty of platforms take a fee on what you’re sent. We decided not to, which left the question of how to pay for everything else. Here’s how we worked it out, with the numbers.

First note, landing soon~5 min read
Trust

No ads, no trackers, ever

Why it’s architecture, not a policy we could quietly reverse one day.

~4 min read
Safety

Keeping a money page for kids safe

The one sentence behind every safety decision we make.

~6 min read
Voice

Why we say “thank you,” not “buy”

One word changes what a page feels like to land on.

~3 min read
Money

We publish our own bill

What it actually costs to run TYVM, and why we show you the number.

~4 min read
Mission

For the people, by the people

What we mean by it, and the parts we haven’t worked out yet.

~5 min read
Product

Bring your own everything

Why we connect the tools you already use instead of rebuilding them.

~4 min read
✳ Questions about the journal

Before the first note lands.

What is the TYVM journal?
It is where TYVM writes down the thinking behind the product: the decisions, and why they were made. The first notes are landing soon.
Why doesn’t TYVM take a cut of tips?
Because support is a thank-you to the person, so TYVM wants all of it to reach them. Right now TYVM’s founder pays the bills, and the plan is small, optional support from users plus businesses underwriting one line in TYVM’s footers. Who pays the bill →
Why does TYVM have no ads?
Ads are paid for with attention and data, and many TYVM pages belong to young people. So TYVM runs no ads and no trackers, and nothing about anyone is for sale.
How can I follow the TYVM journal?
Sign up for the newsletter, which starts with the first notes. TYVM never sells or shares an email address.