To truly reach everyone, Spirit Collective needs to be as mobile-friendly as possible. That means creating native apps for both Android and Apple devices.

A native app will unlock powerful features: availability on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, native push notifications and ringing for audio/video calls, seamless camera and microphone access, offline functionality, and much more.

Simply put, there are many things an app can do that will make the platform better that aren't possible in a browser.

We're also planning a dedicated messaging app, similar to how Facebook has Messenger as a separate app.

Not everyone wants to be distracted by posts and notifications when they just want to call someone. Separating the main platform from messaging makes it more convenient and invites people who just want a secure, private messaging solution.

Spirit Chat will offer everything you expect from modern messaging: audio and video calls, reactions, group chats, online status, and end-to-end encryption. Future features will include calendar integration for scheduled calls and meetings.

Running a platform that combines social media, marketplace, and learning features requires robust infrastructure. While we're live in beta now, we need to ensure stability as we grow.

This covers 6 months of hosting costs while we build our user base and establish sustainable revenue. After that, the platform will be self-sustaining through our 5% marketplace commission.

As we grow from beta to full launch, we need to ensure complete legal compliance across all jurisdictions where our users live.

This includes professional legal review of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and marketplace policies, as well as ensuring compliance with data protection laws like GDPR (EU) and CCPA (California). We want to do this right to protect both our users and the platform.

While we've built most features ourselves, certain integrations are essential for security and functionality.

This covers payment processing systems, security tools, email delivery services, and other critical third-party services that keep Spirit Collective running smoothly and securely.

Moving from beta to full public launch involves various costs we haven't itemized elsewhere.

This buffer ensures we can handle unexpected expenses, implement user-requested features during beta, and maintain development momentum. Notice what we're NOT asking for: marketing budget (we're growing organically through word-of-mouth) or salaries (we're volunteering our time). Every dollar goes directly into making the platform better.