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Support BirchTree on Patreon!

Posted by Matt Birchler
— 2 min read

I’ve launched a Patreon!

I’ve never really thought of myself as someone who would do something like this, but apparently times change. Outside of the obvious “what if no one subscribes?” question, I was always held up by the question of what value I thought I could offer that people would be willing to pay for. Well, today I think I have an answer to that question.

The answer is simply: I need more devices! This Patreon will be devoted to bringing in income explicitly for buying the devices I need to keep making the content you guys want to see.

That may sound silly, as I have a good number of devices already, but it’s completely true. As the website and podcast have grown, I have seen quite a bit of success from my work comparing Apple things to the rest of the industry. My Android reviews every year are some of the most popular pieces I’ve ever written. My limited run with Linux still gets hits every single day, and my few forays into Windows always lead to interesting discussion. That’s my niche, and it turns out to be an expensive niche. Hardware costs real money, and I’ve been able to put enough money aside to get new iPhones, Apple Watches, and I even snuck in a Pixel 2 last year, but I don’t have the means to get everything I would like to have to give a bigger picture of the non-Apple ecosystem. I hope this Patreon will help get me there.

The initial goals are pretty simple:

$50/month: I get a new microphone for the podcast. I can do better now, and this would really help improve the overall audio quality of the podcast.

$100/month: I get a Pixel 3 in the fall. I don’t have money to put aside for one now, so I’ll need an extra push to get a new Android flagship this year.

$200/month: I get a Surface Go. I’m not sold on Microsoft’s new iPad competitor, but if I meet this goal, I’ll get one and run it through it’s paces.

If any of this interests you, of you just want to see the site and podcast keep running, please become a patron today! I’m sure I will be a small Patreon, so every dollar counts.


Eagle eyed readers will surely think “hey Matt, $200 won’t pay for a microphone, Pixel 3, and Surface Go.” And to that, I would say you are correct, but it would confirm that I will have enough recurring income to fit these items into my budget over time. If support plummets after I hit the $200 mark and I’ve already bought the hardware, then I’m going to be in a bit of pickle, but I don’t think that will happen.

Also, there are currently 3 goals, but I will certainly expand from there if these are met. I have some bigger plans if things go well, but lets not get ahead of ourselves here.