Corporate Strategy · CEO + Strategy Team · Draft v3

Monetize
Now?

A strategy decision memo on whether OpenDesign monetizes the plugin registry now, or holds — options, risks, and the recommendation.

Corp-Dev · Strategy Team For CEO Review · July 2026
01 · Why

Why this decision can't wait another quarter

The plugin registry passed 217 plugins and 300 contributors this year. Two publishers have already asked, in writing, to charge for their plugins. The board needs a position before a third one asks in public.

The Recommendation 03
The Answer

Hold full monetization. Launch a 20-publisher paid-tier pilot in Q4, and revisit at 50K paying seats.

03 / 18
Why · The Question On The Table 04
Two Publishers Already Asked

Sales fields this question every quarter we don't answer

The moment we build a payments rail, we've decided registry economics for every future contributor — not just the two who asked.

  • No revenue model has been tested against real registry usage
  • A free registry is the top reason authors cite for contributing
  • Every competitor with a paid marketplace still fights take-rate backlash
Image Placeholder

OpenDesign · plugin registry submission funnel

04 / 18
Evidence · Registry Metrics 05

Three numbers that framed this memo

217+
Plugins live in the registry today, up from 40 a year ago
Plugin registry · Jan 2026
300+
Contributors shipping plugins, most unpaid, all self-selected
github.com/nexu-io/open-design
12%
Registry authors who'd stop publishing under a broad platform fee
Contributor survey · Q1 2026
05 / 18
"

I built this plugin for the credit, not the money. Charge me a listing fee and I'll fork it somewhere free.

Registry Contributor Contributor Survey Response · Q1 2026
Three Paths Forward 07
Options

Three options the strategy team modeled

Each path trades near-term revenue against registry growth. None of them is free.

  • Monetize now: 20% platform fee across every paid plugin, launched broadly
  • Hold: keep the registry fully free, revisit the question in 2027
  • Pilot: 20 hand-picked publishers, capped opt-in fee, Q4 2026 launch
  • Recommended path: the pilot, gated by a 50K-seat revisit clause
  • Every path is reviewed monthly by Finance regardless of choice
07 / 18
Monetize Now · Pilot Instead 08
Option A · Monetize Now

Turn on a 20% fee across the whole registry

Fastest path to revenue, but the contributor survey says 12% of authors would stop publishing the week it ships.

  • Projected $2.1M ARR in year one
  • No control group to test pricing tolerance first
  • Directly contradicts the "free and open" pitch to new authors
Option C · Pilot (Recommended)

20 publishers, capped fee, opt-in, Q4 2026

Tests real willingness-to-pay without touching the free tier the other 197+ plugins rely on.

  • Projected $180K ARR in the pilot, fully reversible
  • Publishers self-select, no forced migration
  • Data gate at 50K paying seats before any wider rollout
08 / 18
— § [Section] [Deck Name] · [Period] · [Year]
[Issue] [N] · [Review Label]

Editorial headline with one accented word for emphasis.

[Sequence]
[Date] First event or observation appears. Short implication.
[Date] Second event or observation appears. Short implication.
[Date] Third event or observation appears. Short implication.
[Date] Fourth event adds context. A key pattern holds across the data.
[Date] Fifth event confirms part of the hypothesis and challenges another assumption.
[Date] Final event closes the sequence and clarifies the next question.
[Key Readings]
[A]%
Metric label · [Segment] · [Period]
[B]x
Metric label vs. comparison period
[C]pt
Metric label · [Segment]
+[D]
Net change across selected group
Use this analysis line to synthesize the sequence above. Explain what changed, why it matters, and what decision should follow.
Sources: [Source A] · [Source B] · [Source C] · [Source D] 09 / 18
[Deep Dive] 10

Long-form headline that frames the central tradeoff

[Argument A]

Use this paragraph to explain the first side of the argument. Include one emphasized phrase when a key idea needs extra weight.

Add a second paragraph with supporting evidence, operational detail, or a short example that strengthens the case.

Close the column with the implication. Make the logic clear enough that the reader understands the recommended action.

[Argument B]

Use this paragraph to explain the second side of the argument. Highlight the contrasting principle with an emphasized phrase.

Add a second paragraph with supporting detail. This column should feel like a deliberate counterweight to the first column.

Close with the practical takeaway, linking the argument back to the decision the deck is meant to support.

[Analysis Label] · [Period] 10 / 18
[Perspective] 11
[Kicker Label]

A second statement slide can reinforce the argument with a sharper closing line.

11 / 18
[Organization]

Closing headline with one emphasized phrase.

[Author Name] · [email@example.com] · [website.example]

§ [Metrics] 13

Chart headline with emphasis

[Unit] · [Scope] · [Period]
[A]
[T1]
[B]
[T2]
[C]
[T3]
[D]
[T4]
[E]
[T5]

Source: [Source] · [Period]

[Organization] · [Period] 13 / 18
Process 14

Four-step process with emphasis

01
Step One
Briefly describe the first step in the workflow.
→
02
Step Two
Briefly describe the second step in the workflow.
→
03
Step Three
Briefly describe the third step in the workflow.
→
04
Step Four
Briefly describe the fourth step in the workflow.
[Organization] · [Period] 14 / 18
[Breakdown] 15

Breakdown by category

Category A 35%
Category B 30%
Category C 22%
Category D 13%
Total: [N] · As of [Period]

Source: [Source] · [Period]

[Organization] · [Period] 15 / 18
[Hierarchy] 16

The priority hierarchy

Level One Highest-order principle or decision criterion
Level Two Second-order principle or decision criterion
Level Three Third-order principle or decision criterion
Level Four Supporting layer or operating standard
Level Five Foundation layer or ongoing practice
[Organization] · [Period] 16 / 18
[Timeline] 17

From starting point to current state

[Year 1]
Milestone One

Describe the first milestone and the outcome it produced.

[Year 2]
Milestone Two

Describe the second milestone. Use emphasis for the key implication.

[Year 3]
Milestone Three

Describe the third milestone and how the scope changed.

[Year 4]
Milestone Four

Describe the current milestone and the focus area it represents.

[Organization] · [Period] 17 / 18
[Process] 18

The operating cycle

01
Step One
Describe how the cycle begins and what input starts the work.
→
02
Step Two
Describe how the input is examined, refined, or validated.
↓
↓
04
Step Four
Describe how the result is implemented, supported, or improved.
←
03
Step Three
Describe the decision point and the criteria used to move forward.
[Organization] · [Period] 18 / 18