The Pool
One subscription. Unlimited packages. Fairer distribution.
The Pool is the economic engine of LPM. For $12/month, you get unlimited access to every package in the Pool ecosystem. No license keys, no per-seat upsells, and no "hope" based on sponsorships.
You are never charged per install. The $12/month is a flat fee — it does not change based on how many packages you install or how many dependencies they pull in.
The "Anti-Spotify" Model
Most subscription services (like Spotify) use a Global Pro-Rata model. In that system, your monthly fee is pooled into one giant pot and distributed based on global popularity. If you listen to a niche indie artist, your money still largely goes to the global superstars you never listen to.
LPM is different. We use a User-Centric Revenue Model:
- Direct Impact: Your $12 is dedicated strictly to the packages you actually install.
- No Dilution: If you only use one package this month, 100% of your author share goes to that author (and their dependencies).
- Fairness for Niche Tools: Small, essential utilities get paid their fair share, even if they aren't "globally viral".
Simple Monthly Pricing
You don't pay per package. You pay one flat fee and install everything you need.
# All of these are covered by your $12/month subscription
lpm install @lpm.dev/nebule-labs.core-engine
lpm install @lpm.dev/penguin.ui
lpm install @lpm.dev/aurora.logger
# Install 100 more — your cost remains $12/monthHow the Money Moves
We believe in radical transparency. Every $12 Pool subscription is split to prioritize the authors while maintaining a robust registry infrastructure:
| Recipient | Share | Monthly Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Authors | 80% | $9.60 |
| LPM Platform | 20% | $2.40 |
Sustainable Dependencies (Depth Multipliers)
Open source is a tree of dependencies. LPM ensures that the people who build the "invisible" libraries your favorite packages rely on also get paid.
When you install a package, your $9.60 monthly share is distributed down the dependency chain using Depth Multipliers. This ensures that the entire stack - not just the top-level package - is financially sustainable.
| Depth | Multiplier | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1.0 | Direct Install | The package you explicitly ran lpm install or lpm add for. |
| 1 | 0.7 | Dependency | A direct dependency of your installed package. |
| 2 | 0.49 | Sub-Dependency | A dependency of a dependency (0.7 × 0.7). |
| 3 | 0.34 | Deep Logic | Three levels deep into the stack. |
Why this matters
In a traditional model, only the "famous" top-level libraries get noticed. In the LPM Pool, if you use a UI library that relies on a specialized math utility 2 levels deep, that math utility author is automatically earning from your subscription.
Real-World Example: How Revenue is Shared
To understand how your $9.60 author share is distributed, let’s look at a subscriber named Alice. This month, Alice installs two primary packages.
1. The Install Trees
LPM maps out every dependency to ensure everyone gets paid. Here is what Alice's dependency graph looks like:
Install A: lpm install @lpm.dev/nebule-labs.core-engine
nebule-labs.core-engine ─── 1.0 pts (direct install)
├── opex.hooks ──────────── 0.7 pts (depth 1)
│ └── solarbyte.math-tools 0.49 pts (depth 2)
└── aurora.logger ────────── 0.7 pts (depth 1)Install B: lpm install @lpm.dev/penguin.ui
penguin.ui ──────────────── 1.0 pts (direct install)
└── core.utility ────────── 0.7 pts (depth 1)
└── opex.hooks ──────── 0.49 pts (depth 2)Note: Notice that
opex.hooksappears in both trees. It earns points from both installs (0.7 + 0.49 = 1.19 total points at the end of the month).
2. The Final Calculation
At the end of the month, Alice's $9.60 is distributed proportionally based on the total points generated by her installs (5.08 total points).
Will be shared to packages Alice installed = $9.60 × (Package Points / Total Points)
| Package | Points | Share of Alice's $9.60 |
|---|---|---|
| opex.hooks | 1.19 | $2.25 |
| nebule-labs.core-engine | 1.00 | $1.89 |
| penguin.ui | 1.00 | $1.89 |
| aurora.logger | 0.70 | $1.32 |
| core.utility | 0.70 | $1.32 |
| solarbyte.math-tools | 0.49 | $0.93 |
| Total | 5.08 | $9.60 |
3. Scaling the Impact
Now, multiply Alice by 5,000 subscribers. The monthly author fund grows to $48,000, distributed purely based on real-world usage.
If a subscriber remains inactive (no installs) during a billing cycle, their $9.60 is split equally across the entire Pool to support the general health of the registry.
Payouts & Transfers
LPM handles the complexity of global payments so you can focus on code.
- Schedule: Revenue is finalized on the last day of each month.
- Distribution: Payouts are sent via Stripe on the 5th of the following month.
- Threshold: The minimum payout is $10. Earnings below this amount roll over automatically to the next month.
- Setup: To start earning, connect your account via Dashboard > Settings > Billing.
Licensing
The Pool works with any license — MIT, ISC, Apache, GPL, or any other. Your subscription fee is a platform access fee, not a license fee. Your code keeps its existing license, and you earn from the shared subscription fund based on usage.
This means you can publish the same MIT-licensed package on npm (free) and on LPM Pool (earns revenue) without any license conflict.
Learn More
- Revenue Sharing - Depth multipliers, anti-gaming measures, and full calculation details
- Becoming a Pool Author - Requirements and how to add your package
