I quietly worked on some cool new stuff in 2020. Something different, more specialized, and able to expand Pods even further for those who need it…
Let me introduce you to: Pods Pro by SKCDEV
What is Pods Pro by SKCDEV?
I’ve heard feedback from so many people — everyone wants to take Pods further for new solutions to even newer problems. Page Builder integrations, Form integrations, and even more content tools — it’s totally within the wheelhouse of Pods to do these things and do them well. However, these kinds of add-ons are much more specialized and don’t really belong in Pods core.
This is where Pods Pro by SKCDEV will come into play.
Pods is maintained and supported by the loving infrastructure of the Pods Foundation. That focus really must remain on Pods core itself, without which none of this is possible. That’s why SKC Development is going to run separate premium add-ons so as to not syphon funding away from the long term goals of Pods.
With this separation — the key is that Pods retains its roots of free community-focused efforts while Pods Pro by SKCDEV is financially independent from the free plugin. It’s a win-win, even if it’s a little new/confusing right now.
What about Friends of Pods?
Friends of Pods is here to stay! It will continue to fundraise and take in donations so that the Pods project can grow and live a long and fruitful life. We wouldn’t be where we are with Pods without the support from this community. Our hope is that many new friends will take advantage of the discounted Pods Pro pricing as Pods Pro builds out specific features to meet their needs.
We didn’t hit our funding goal for Friends of Pods in 2020 (200 recurring donors) but that is totally understandable given the vast impacts of COVID-19. My work through Pods Pro by SKCDEV is also intended to help bring in additional funding (through a discount) to the Friends of Pods program in an effective way that donations alone haven’t provided.
Will Friends of Pods get a discount?
Pods Pro by SKCDEV will be available at a discount if you become an Active Friend of Pods. That’s right! Because there’s a way to support Pods and get the new specialized add-ons from Pods Pro at the same time, you won’t have to pick one or the other.
Just become an Active Friend of Pods ($60+ yearly) and claim the reward on the Friends site. It will send you to a special Pods Pro URL with Friends-exclusive discounted pricing. Full details on the Pods Pro by SKCDEV pricing page.
Future Pods Pro by SKCDEV expansion
Through my work on Pods Pro by SKCDEV, I’ll be able to offer more features through add-ons, create custom/unique add-ons for people, and offer new premium support options. I’ve got big plans for Pods Pro by SKCDEV, stay tuned over there throughout 2021!
Wait, I have more Pods Pro by SKCDEV questions!
There’s a lot more detail on the Pods Pro by SKCDEV pricing page, check out the FAQ section below the pricing for everything you’re looking for.
There are more great third party free/premium add-ons
Pods Pro by SKCDEV isn’t the only option when you’re looking to do more with Pods. There are free/premium add-ons out there that extend Pods or offer Pods-specific functionality within third-party products themselves.
Pods continues development as usual
Pods 2.8 and the subsequent Pods 2.9 / 3.0 releases will continue as planned. There’s really no change in direction for Pods itself, certain features and expansions still belong in Pods as we continue pushing forward with development.
Pods vs Pods Pro by SKCDEV clarifications
There’s been some confusion about Pods vs. Pods Pro by SKCDEV and I wanted to make sure it was easy to understand how everything works in the new structure.
What the Pods Foundation handles
- Pods is the free plugin
- Pods Foundation is the organization behind sponsorships/donations/funding of the Pods free project and free add-ons (aka me, I fund Pods Foundation where needed for dev costs like the significant dev costs of Pods 2.8)
- Friends of Pods is the donation program that brings in donations into the Pods Foundation to pay for development costs of the free project and the free add-ons. Pods donations go ONLY to supporting Pods core, not any premium Pods Pro by SKCDEV add-ons.
Pods Pro by SKCDEV is running as a separate entity through SKC Development
What SKC Development handles
- Pods Pro by SKCDEV is a set of premium add-ons
- SKC Development is the organization behind funding of the Pods Pro premium work (aka this is all me, I’m paying for / doing the work)
- To help fund Pods Foundation and the free project, there is a discount for Pods Pro by SKCDEV through becoming a Friend of Pods as an extra ‘thank you’ for your support and to help bring more funding to Pods.
Legal problems that led to this separation
- Pods Foundation is not legally allowed to sell products in Texas due to the original filing status as a Non-Profit in the state, even though it does not hold Non-Profit status at the federal level (Pods Foundation is not a 501(c)(3) organization)
- Releasing premium add-ons to help fund Pods in this way covers all of the needs/requirements
If you have any other questions or confusion here, don’t hesitate to reach out on our Slack.
Pods 2.8 is in QA!
Work is ongoing as we QA all of the Pods 2.8 features to ensure it’s ready for public beta by everyone. Thanks for your patience as we complete this work after we spent December working through some challenges brought by the release of WordPress 5.6.
New YouTube Videos from Page Builder Summit
There’s a new playlist on YouTube with excerpts from the Page Builder Summit presentation on Pods and various page builders. Check them out, there’s some great tips and a full review of integration with Pods across many different page builders.
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