Add more features for “verified” users? Like Direct Messages, banner image on your profile page?

Some quick ideas:

- Branded emojis
- Verified company accounts
- Supporter badge / special avatar or profile customization (Discord like) for paying users
- Sell short usernames for a premium

Maybe offer users the opportunity to promote their profiles for visibility within the community? This could be a self-serve advertising option where users can pay to have their profiles featured on the homepage or in specific categories.

Let it grow first, when it is big enought there are different ways of monetising

I'd be curious the goals of the project as that influences the monetization strategy. If it's to get big and keep many salaries going plus more that's going to be a different strategy vs leaning on open source engineering and keeping enough cash to keep the lights on, rainy day fund, and pay for salaries/hourly as they are needed.

I think @nicbvs is on to something for getting started => pay for "fun" features, not functional ones similar to "boosts" in Discord.

All that said, I think there is one thing I've noticed about this community => they're willing to pay for great things.

<this is a good reminder to go and sponsor this project>
<jumps to GitHub>

- Paid long-form content for organizations (job offers, articles)
- banners (no where near as good as it was)
- cosmetics, anything else that isn't pay-to-win

-Longer Pinkys
-Editable Pinkys
-Brand Accounts should always Pay :D

Honestly I'll be ok with one or two small ads on sidebar

How about some ways to add "flare" to a profile? For example, discord lets paid users upload animated gif avatars.