Poly Haven: Free content as a business model

Poly Haven is an online asset library publishing completely free HDRIs, textures and 3D models for Blender. How do we make this work sustainably? What doesn't work? Why are we doing this and why don't we just sell our assets instead? How can you start something similar?
"Poly Haven: Free content as a business model" by Greg Zaal
Blender Conference 2022
2022-10-28 15:30 at the theater.

[@ChaosResearchParty]

This is the type of business I can have sympathy for. Made for and with their community Focused on sharing rather than selling When they win, we all win I'm buying that asset browser. Congrats and thanks for believing in this weirdo business model

[@lostcrusader8053]

Glad I spent $30 on their Poly Haven Asset Browser on Blender Market. They definitely deserve the support

[@alzarin]

this man is literally saint of 3d community, keep up the good work

[@ConcealedWeapon]

Virtually or figuratively but not literally.

[@testacals]

@@ConcealedWeapon nah, literally.

[@nicholaszaal4902]

It has been great to see how far Polyhaven has come. Well done!

[@WenboZhao]

first time to hear the business model of Polyhaven, the founder has a big and great heart for 3D community! respect!

[@NeerajLagwankar]

So good to see HDRI Haven evolve

[@JaredOwen]

Wow! Great presentation - Thanks for sharing Greg

[@intsikayethu495]

I love Poly Haven 😎. Fellow South African, very nice to see the amazing work being done✌

[@vstreet7583]

Just BRILLIANT! Absolutely BRILLIANT! I take my hat off to you and your team. Well done and THANK YOU! Dg

[@haraldgundersen7303]

Your work is highly appreciated... Wish stateleaders had more of your mindset...

[@BrianAchart]

Thanks for all of that information, it was really useful and inspiring. Great T-shirt BTW!

[@LacklusterFilms]

Super cool that the guys dog lives on through blender :)

[@ashikelahie6035]

I'm not into 3D or anything. Or ever heard of Poly Heaven. But I like to watch technical aspects of things and learn something new. What a great presentation! You're a legend for doing this. The thinking and the creative process, humbleness it's inspiring. Thanks for everything you do. Wish you the very best of luck.

[@blendercomp]

You have been doing a great service to the community for so long! Glad to see that it's sustainable - all the best for your future endeavors! :)

[@containedhurricane]

Great initiative! Hopefully he will get a big opportunity or financial profit from other sources in the future

[@lokisinary3d]

these guys deserve funding.

[@RicoCilliers]

awesome dude! congratulations :)

[@cpjworks]

Great talk and philosophy, and some very useful tips and ideas. Thank you.

[@reneceros]

that spirit is why i keep on learning blender even if it could be a pain because of industry standard

[@ashraionart]

what a great experience...

[@MilkBanana]

Nice advice, I guess I now know what to do next year.

[@trinumedia]

Certainly very inspiring. I'd love to work models like this, this would be a dream come true.

[@markflakezCG]

Finally I know how and why this great service exists.

[@ramanrendersrandomly]

Absolutely love the work they do. Honoured to have one of my renders on the site!

[@ConcealedWeapon]

Thanks Greg, really.

[@peterlemon1385]

So great people like you exist in the world, I am very grateful & thankful websites like yours can help so many people realize their creative dreams for free with quality assets available to them. Great job & I wish you all the success possible into the future =D

[@BradleyCloete]

Awesome to see you, well done. 😄

[@matejivi]

Great!

[@nadstunes77]

Amazing website...amazing content...amazing founder....♥

[@antonvandehaterd1828]

Great job great video. Inspiring also looking for something new to share with everyone.

Damn that shirt is so cool :D

[@WheelchairDrift]

you Dropped this again king 👑

[@pbezunartea]

Great job, great video!

[@WW_Studios]

Very inspiring!

[@habeebalrahman515]

A direct threat to Andrew's Poliigon.

[@ppscvalentin]

Very nice presentation. Good job, man!

[@LVC85costa]

Love them

[@CGRB]

This is motivating!

[@lameiraangelo]

What an Angel.

[@TECH3_]

so around 5 years ago i started my journey with blender that time hdri heaven was a big deal pretty much the only way to get hdris for me trained my self to be an artist and now i finally have my first big project that actually does pay well , and i can finally be a proud owner of the poly haven asset browser

[@PairofMittens]

Awesome talk :) Very inspiring

[@TrggrWarning]

Awesome I’m new, therefore awful at 3D scenes and characters but when done was curious about giving them away.. good to know.

[@abeblue]

The first living uvmapped guy in the world.

[@inknpaintCW]

This aligns entirely with my goals ... damn it, why is this in South Africa?! This needs to be everywhere

[@michaelli7000]

great story!

[@sayris01]

great work, thank you :)

[@Mranshumansinghr]

Take my Money!!!

[@Shivakisa]

That guy is incredible! I did not know the story behind PolyHaven

[@ralfbaechle]

Tracking the licenses for a large project is a big PITA. IIt may work if you have disney-many lawyers (and the money to pay for them!) but it's not very practicable for small projects where something like public domain / CC0 or similiar licenses really help. Other licenses are ok as well but multiple licenses are where madness starts. And if you're really nice, use something like GPLv2.

[@1DInciner]

Very interesting

[@psotos]

What a cool guy!

[@markusklyver6277]

This is incredibly based and Blenderpilled.

[@sutzjing]

next blender foundation ceo

[@jkartz92]

checkermap tee!!

[@eobet]

Where do I buy that t-shirt? 😂

[@avatr7109]

For real ... he could've charged for every HDRI plus subscription shithousery like Autodesk and Adobe but no.... really just donate to such people.🙏

[@pyrotechnick420]

I've had this same idea but for games, if you could make fun games for free, would people support you? I think it's possible if enough people are fed up with all the anti-consumer strategies that AAA companies have been pursuing for the last 15 years. But I imagine that investors would be driven away by the notion of a game company essentially being a charity...

[@sagarmodi2893]

i want his t shirt

[@ginogarcia8730]

look at his shirt haha it's the uncolored texture checker pattern

[@egretfx]

People say there nothing for free in this world... Polyhaven and Blender??

[@mellstardust2782]

heyy I know this dude, its the donut guy!

[@ChristinaMcKay]

If you mean the guy who made the donut tutorials, this is not him. The "donut guy" is Andrew Price aka the Blender Guru. This is Greg Zaal, another great member of the Blender community 🙂

[@mellstardust2782]

@@ChristinaMcKay OUH no! my bad, haha, I really appreciate the blender community for doing so much great tools to help artist all around the world, and the donut guy too haha.

[@ginogarcia8730]

this is amazing, i love this trend in people making free stuff but getting paid for it with livable payments. Like Andreas Kling on SerenityOS or Dwarf Fortress & Tarn Adams