Articles

The Problem: Traditional Crowdfunding Is Broken Kickstarter’s Fatal Flaw You back a project: $50, $100, maybe $500 You get: A product (if it ships) You don’t get: Any ownership in what you helped create The creator: Keeps 100% of the equity Result: You funded someone else’s dream, but you don’t share in the success StartEngine’s Missing Piece You invest: $100, $500, maybe more You get: Equity shares You don’t get: The actual product you want Result: You own part of something you can’t use The Choice Nobody Should Have To Make Traditional crowdfunding forces you to choose: ...

An Open Letter to Tatiana Schlossberg Dear Ms. Schlossberg, I read with great sorrow your New Yorker piece about your diagnosis and the maybe year you have left. About the medications that might buy you more time, if you can afford them, if your insurance approves them, if the system deems you worthy of another sunrise. I’m a stranger, but I’m writing anyway. Not because I can fix what’s broken in your body. But because you’ve spent your career documenting what’s broken in our systems, and I think you’d like to know it can be changed. I have the math, and the application, live and working, to prove it. ...

Anticipated Critiques & Preemptive Responses Strategic Defense: Answering Objections Before They’re Raised “The best defense is a good offense. Or in this case, a thoroughly researched response written before anyone attacks.” Why This Document Exists We spent nine years building Liana Banyan. We’ve thought through every objection. Rather than wait for critiques to arrive and respond reactively, we’re publishing our responses now—complete with embedded treasure hunt keys for readers who engage deeply with our counter-arguments. ...

LifeLine Medications: The Full Picture This document provides the detailed economics behind the LifeLine Medications initiative. For the human story, see the Letter to Tatiana Schlossberg. The System Problem, Not The People Problem I use the Little Red Hen story as a framework for how the platform works—not as a morality tale, but as a systems diagnostic. The problem isn’t that people won’t help. It’s that they don’t know how to help. Or they’re afraid. Or they’ve been burned before. Or the system is rigged so thoroughly that helping feels impossible. ...

The Currency Differential: A Three-Gear Mechanism for Cross-Border Economic Stabilization in Platform Economics A Novel Approach to Absorbing External Currency Fluctuations While Maintaining Internal Parity Jonathan Jones Founding Manager, Liana Banyan Corporation Abstract This paper presents a novel three-currency system designed to absorb external economic fluctuations while maintaining internal platform stability. Drawing on mechanical engineering principles—specifically the automotive differential—this model introduces three interconnected currencies (Credits, Marks, Joules) that function as a buffering mechanism between disparate external economies and a stable internal platform economy. The system enables users from weak-currency economies to participate equally with users from strong-currency economies through effort-based debt clearing (Marks) and stored-value instruments (Joules), while the primary currency (Credits) maintains stable internal value. Mathematical proofs demonstrate system solvency under varying external conditions. This innovation addresses a fundamental limitation of existing platform economics: the implicit assumption that all users participate from equivalent economic positions. ...

Innovation #1: The Tab System Why Credits AND Marks? [YOUR STORY HERE] The Innovation: Dual-currency system combining Credits (cash-equivalent) and MARKS (earned through contribution). Enables “pay it forward” economics where members can accumulate purchasing power through work, not just money. Claims: 4 Reference Web: [connections to add] Jonathan Jones Liana Banyan Corporation Innovation #2: Position Funding [Your Title Here] [YOUR STORY HERE] The Innovation: Mechanism for funding contract positions through pooled resources, allowing projects to hire talent before generating revenue. ...

Innovation #11: Living Castle [Your Title Here] [YOUR STORY HERE] The Innovation: Dynamic organizational structure that grows and adapts based on membership and activity levels. Claims: 3 Reference Web: [connections to add] Jonathan Jones Liana Banyan Corporation Innovation #12: Galactic Empire [Your Title Here] [YOUR STORY HERE] The Innovation: Expansion framework for scaling platform across regions and domains using sci-fi metaphor of galactic colonization. Claims: 3 Reference Web: [connections to add] Jonathan Jones Liana Banyan Corporation ...

Innovation #21: The Membrane How Ideas Flow While Creators Stay Protected [YOUR STORY HERE - IP protection balance] The Innovation: Semi-permeable IP governance with priority windows and stake cascade, allowing ideas to flow while protecting creators. Claims: 4 Reference Web: [connections to add] Jonathan Jones Liana Banyan Corporation Innovation #22: Shirley Temple Ratings You Control What YOU See [YOUR STORY HERE - content filtering user control, eliminating censorship debates] The Innovation: User-controlled content filtering with three-tier tag rating (tame/virgin, standard, adult/explicit), putting control in member hands. ...

Innovation #31: Hot Water Company [Your Title Here] [YOUR STORY HERE - humanitarian emergency assistance] The Innovation: Emergency assistance initiative providing immediate relief (hot water, food, supplies) to those in crisis. Claims: 4 Reference Web: [connections to add] Jonathan Jones Liana Banyan Corporation Innovation #32: Music Licensing System [Your Title Here] [YOUR STORY HERE] The Innovation: Automated rights management and royalty distribution for audio content used across platform. Claims: 3 Reference Web: [connections to add] ...

Innovation #41: Democratic Team Formation [Your Title Here] [YOUR STORY HERE] The Innovation: Voting-based team assembly where project applicants select their own teammates through democratic process. Claims: 4 Reference Web: [connections to add] Jonathan Jones Liana Banyan Corporation Innovation #42: NOID Routing System [Your Title Here] [YOUR STORY HERE] The Innovation: AI agent routing directing member queries to appropriate virtual assistants based on context and need. Claims: 6 Reference Web: [connections to add] ...