Aggregator

Drupal Starshot blog: Marketplace Share Out #3: Value and Incentives

Drupal Planet
1 month 3 weeks ago

Over the last few weeks, the Marketplace Initiative has been mapping assumptions, surfacing motivations, and exploring real-world expectations for a Drupal Site Template Marketplace. The initial rounds of feedback were designed to surface motivations, beliefs, unknowns, and frame what success might mean. That work has helped ground the initiative in shared purpose and direction.

Now we’re starting the work of transforming those broad ambitions into working models of value, governance, trust, and experience. We're beginning to sketch what the Marketplace does, how it creates and protects value, and what contributors and users can expect from it.

Why a Drupal Site Template Marketplace?

Across survey feedback, community prompts, and RTC themes, several consistent value propositions have emerged — answering the question: Why build a Drupal site template Marketplace?

For Contributors

A trusted, visible channel to distribute, monetize, and showcase high-quality site templates that reflect your expertise — and generate leads, recognition, and revenue.

For Agencies & DCPs

An ecosystem catalyst that drives qualified leads, lowers implementation costs, and helps you deliver faster, better Drupal experiences to more clients.

For End Users (Builders, Subject Matter Experts, Evaluators)

A library of trustworthy, ready-to-launch Drupal sites — professionally built, continuously vetted, and provided by the Drupal community.

For the Drupal Project & Drupal Association

A sustainable marketplace that strengthens the ecosystem, generates new revenue, and reflects the values of open source through governance, quality, and inclusion.

What Makes Contribution Worthwhile?

In Slack, surveys and our real-time collaboration session we asked contributors directly: “What would make it worthwhile for you to contribute a template?” Key themes emerged from the discussion:

  • Compensation matters. Contributors suggested price points between $300–$1,000 per site template, depending on complexity. Some see templates as a viable business; others view them as strategic loss leaders.
  • Lead generation is an incentive. Access to user contact info or opportunities to offer services was cited as a powerful motivator—even more than direct revenue in some cases.
  • Recognition and visibility also surfaced as important non-financial incentives, especially for those aiming to grow brand or project awareness.
  • Licensing clarity and IP protection remain concerns—contributors want guardrails to discourage cloning and unauthorized redistribution.
  • Marketplace features—such as demo previews, rich media listings, and clear tech specs—can enhance both contributor experience and buyer confidence.

We also heard loud and clear what gets in the way of contribution:

  • High (Uncompensated) Support Expectations: Ongoing maintenance, support, and clarity of lifecycle.
  • Lack of Clarity: Around what qualifies, what gets featured, and how disputes are handled.
  • Governance Gaps: Without rules, the risk is chaos — too many low-quality or misaligned submissions.
  • Misaligned Incentives: Contributors worry about monetization models that exclude or exploit.
What’s Coming Next

Here’s what we’ll be working on over the coming weeks:

  • Governance Sketching: From submission flow to trust signals and appeals.
  • Contributor Workflow Design: What the path from idea → listing → maintenance actually looks like.
  • Quality & Review Criteria: What “good” looks like across code, content, accessibility, and UX.
  • Revenue & Recognition Models: How value is created, shared, and sustained.
How You Can Contribute Now

We’re still in active input-gathering mode, and your voice matters.

  • Survey #2 is still open – If you haven’t yet shared how a Drupal CMS Marketplace might help you or your business, take it now.
  • Survey #3 just launched – This one explores expectations around fairness, openness, and revenue models. Take the survey here.
  • Join the weekly Slack prompt in #drupal-cms-marketplace
    Up this week: What would make you trust a site template listing?
  • Participate in our Drupal Certified Partner and Agency Ecosystem Roundtable 15 May 2025 UTC 15:30. Register here.

DDEV Blog: DDEV May 2025 Newsletter

Drupal Planet
1 month 3 weeks ago

Welcome to the May 2025 DDEV Newsletter
This month: special-networking guides, add-on maintenance tips, community tool highlights, and Randy’s bikepacking plans.

What’s New
  • Special Network Configurations
    Handling packet-inspection VPNs (Zscaler, GlobalProtect) → Read more↗
  • Add-On Maintenance Guide by @stasadev → Read more↗
  • AMD64 on Apple Silicon → Read more↗
Community Tutorials Events & Talks
  • Drupal4Gov: “Divide and Conquer: A Systematic Approach to Troubleshooting” → Watch on YouTube↗
  • Backdrop Live: migrating from Lando to DDEV (not recorded)
Governance & Roadmap
  • Apache-style PMC Exploration
    We'll be exploring an Apache-style "Project Management Committee" model for DDEV governance → Details↗
Your Input Requested!

Heads-Up: Randy will be out bikepacking May 23–June 23, so updates may be limited; Stas will keep things moving!

Sponsorship Status
  • Monthly average income up from $7,639 to $7,659 (64% of $12,000 goal) → Become a sponsor↗
Stay Connected