Admittedly it’s entirely populated with our own employees, but what do you expect on our second day?

We’ve been talking about getting an office Wii since the office started existing, but like many things that were non-critical (or in this case, a hindrance) to The Point’s launch, we never got around to it. It was a pain to figure out who would pitch in, how much each person should pay, and — if enough people ended up committing — collecting the money. Situations like this arise all the time. Everyone wants something, but not so much as to endure the hassle of making it happen.

With The Point, the task became trivial. I quickly created a campaign, invited everyone I thought would have a shred of interest, and waited for it to tip. Here are a few benefits of raising money for a group purchase using The Point:

My decision is independent from the decisions of others

My credit card isn’t charged unless the campaign tips. All I need to do is decide what the good would be worth to me, and pledge that amount. My behavior is no longer contingent on group consensus — I can commit the moment the issue arises without worrying about whether enough members of the group care to reach the total amount.

I know exactly how my money is being used

I’ll pitch in to buy a Wii for the office, but I would never contribute to a generic office “entertainment fund” because of the risk that the person deciding how to use the money defines entertainment differently. I’m much more likely to give money if I know how it will be spent.

My payment is a reflection of what the good is worth to me

In the case of our office, a Wii is a public good. It doesn’t matter who pays what for a public good, as long as there is enough to make the purchase. Why force everyone to pay the same price for something they will share if each of them value it differently? On The Point, what you pay is indicative of what the good and what money are worth to you. Most people decided it was worth $50 to have a Wii at the office. Dan decided it was worth $25, since he’ll probably only play it a couple of times.

Marginal contributions from marginal beneficiaries

Allowing people to pay whatever they want means you can cast a wider net in your search for contributors. Inviting people to your campaign who derive some marginal pleasure from the public good is a way of asking them a question: “We’re considering buying something, but we’re not sure if enough people care. How much would it be worth to you?” It will be worth it for many of these people along the periphery to throw in a couple bucks — and a lot of a little adds up to a lot.

The Point was envisioned as a tool for coordinating the actions of millions, but small groups suffer many of the same barriers to getting things done. Think about how you could use The Point to buy something with your friends or coworkers.

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