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Comment by Sakos | Hacker News Reader

The funding is from investors who are Kagi users. You could sign up to be a part of their next funding round if you want.

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even if they were all users (they aren't), it's relevant how exactly? If Saudis who are 2nd biggest Twitter investors use Twitter it doesn't make its business model better.

It's relevant because they aren't just VC bros or Saudis. It's just 670k. I'm not sure why you're so worked up about it or why you think Kagi shouldn't get additional funding.

I think a good transparent business is funded by users and/or is publicly traded. This stuff makes me cautious.

You think being publicly traded would be better? That just gives a business perverse incentives detached from the quality of the business's products/services.

Private investment is what means perverse incentives. You care about your big donors now. If you take 50k from a guy you want to give him what he wants in return so he gives again. It's about ROI. The bigger the amount the more strings attached.

Public trading means clear protocol for ROI and it allows to have many small investors who can have as little say as you specify (non voting shares etc). Comes with requirement for a lot of documentation and transparency too. So accountability. If business I like wants to grow and needs money this is the route I want it to take

Publicly traded means that your primary customers are Blackrock and Vanguard, the whole concept of individual investors is just investment firms fooling people into thinking they have some influence over a company.

Lol ETFs don't get to tell you what to do, they just buy if you perform well and sell if you don't. Though who am I kidding they don't even sell

You don't need to organize fundraising events etc you just do your thing and if you do it well you get extra money.

But of course it is all assuming Kagi cannot profit enough from is users. Which apparently it cannot.

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