Lovely Reflections

In light of the article posted by Max Gripp, I'd like to take a moment and reflect on the progress this community and the Lovely Dashboard have made - and how it was done. The impact it has had in the industry and how it has sprawled a new market...

Even today, it seems like a dream come true... something I must have conjured up in my sleep.

When I first released the Lovely Dashboard on May 17th, 2022 - it never occurred to me that this would be my future endeavor. It never occurred to me even as it was growing to alarmingly large usage numbers. Even today, it seems like a dream come true... something I must have conjured up in my sleep.

What started as a simple "Buy me a coffee" has turned into a massive community and a product used by literally thousands of sim racers across all continents. With this of course, came a lot of responsibility and hard work. What was a simple hobby, moonlighting after my day job, is now a full time (and then some) project.

This is what I've always wanted. It IS my dream. I've failed so many times creating products in other markets, but this is the one that stuck... and I'm so happy it's in sim racing. My absolute sanctuary.

One of the things I promised myself was to always keep this project open and accessible to everyone. Money would never be the target. And through the years this is something I have maintained to the best of my ability. I've not changed the pricing ever, even when my overheads increased as I changed platforms - in fact, I have added features and perks to the existing tiers and reduced pricing for annual memberships. This is not by accident or pressure... this is by design. The strategy of the Lovely Ecosystem is to bring everyone together... with the lowest possible barrier.

...greed was never my thing.

Some have criticized me for not spiking the prices. The same people suggested that my product would be sought out even if I sold it at 10x the price - simply because "sim racing is an expensive hobby and people that enjoy it, have money". I strongly disagree with them... being greedy is a terrible thing.

It's funny how €1 per month is a ridiculously low fee for some, but for others it is a serious monthly expense. It's why the Lovely Dashboard is a fully functioning product even without a membership. It offers the same features with minor limitations... becoming a member only expands on existing features, but it does not unlock critical features. It's also interesting that of that €1, in many cases, I receive less than half of that (after taxes & fees), but the strong active membership base is providing enough for me to develop the product - and I'm happy with that.

Memberships represent the bulk of my revenue, with the store coming in a distant second place. You can of course realise the importance product development plays, and yet I choose to be open and not build walls. I also believe in organic and stable growth - not an overnight success without depth and foundations. 

Yeah, my goal to own a Porsche 911 still stands... but not at the cost of my community or product. I love building bridges and creating partnerships. Working with others to improve the community and in the process creating a better product and adding value to what you are already enjoying.

It's the same reason I created the public open-source data repositories on Lovely Github. I want free access to all basic data for everyone - not locked doors and glass ceilings. It's not who I am nor is it "Lovely". I want everyone to be able to contribute to these projects and be a part of them. It's why I work with other developers to bring more features to the Lovely Ecosystem (ATSR, NeoRed etc). It is also why I have helped other people with their own products like Hakan who built the TWF Dashboard, and many others over time including Daniel Newman. 

 I could not stand seeing my work just being swooped up, verbatim...

Unfortunately, this openness has lead to copycats and plagiarism. Not only on my work but many others, with a sole purpose to benefit their own pockets... no contribution back to the community, no sharing of information, no team playing spirit.

In fact, it is the reason why I stopped a few of my open practices like the Chill, Chat & Dev LIVE Sessions. I could not stand seeing my work just being swooped up, verbatim, some times even before I had the chance to release it myself. 

But, having said that... I stand by my strategy, I stand by my partners and I stand by my community. Sim Racing must be universal if we want it to succeed - if we want us to succeed.

After all, we're just a small part in the ever-growing Sim Racing industry.
Let's stay humble, let's make greatness in our small corner of the world.

💬 Let's discuss on Discord

Constantinos