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Comment by rezistik | Hacker News Reader

Aren't Angels, Seed focused VCs and incubators essentially patrons? In many ways the modern patron of the arts is the Angel investor funding technological arts that may never become viable businesses.

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They take what they fund. Also, when patents are involved, the big company that ends up acquiring it often uses it to discourage innovation outside their company. So, quite different from a patron model in practice due to incentives.

Now, this doesn't stop a company or VC from acting like a patron. We've seen a number of them release open-source software, publish papers on working strategy/tech, sponsor R&D that is similarly public, and so on. I'm not sure what the percentage is but it shows the models aren't exclusive. It's just the incentives shift VC stuff far in another direction from Da Vinci or Michelangos making goods for the public. Really far per some billionaires. ;)

That's a really optimistic view of a patron, patrons purchased or owned much of the work they helped create. That was the point of being a patron.

I havent really studied the concept much. People talk like it was charity or something. Thanks for correction.

It varied from patron to patron similar to how it varies VC to VC. Some would directly commission work, others would work to establish connections with people who would commission work, and to some it was similar to being on retainer.

Gotcha.

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