Our First Sponsor: Vercel Believes in Open Source

When I launched Million Dollar Stack three days ago, I wasn't sure if anyone would believe in the vision. The idea was simple but ambitious: raise $1 million from companies to build 12 open source tools that developers actually need.

Today, Vercel became our first sponsor, and I couldn't be more excited. They didn't just buy a box—they bought into a vision of sustainable open source development.

Why This Matters

Open source is the backbone of modern software development. Yet, maintaining open source projects is often a thankless, unpaid job. Developers pour their hearts into tools that millions use, but struggle to pay rent.

Million Dollar Stack flips this model. Companies sponsor development upfront. I build tools in public. Everyone benefits.

What We're Building with Vercel

With Vercel's sponsorship, I'm starting with NextAuth.js—an open source authentication library for Next.js applications. Here's the roadmap:

• Week 1-2: Core authentication flows
• Week 3: OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, Twitter)
• Week 4: Database adapters (Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB)
• Week 5: Advanced features (2FA, magic links)
• Week 6: Documentation and examples

Every line of code will be open source from day one. Every decision documented. Every challenge shared.

The First 72 Hours

Here's what happened since launch:

That one sponsor—Vercel—just validated the entire model. They proved that companies are willing to invest in open source when there's a clear plan and transparent execution.

What's Next

I'm talking to 5 more potential sponsors this week. Each one wants to support specific tools that would benefit their ecosystem:

// Potential Projects Pipeline
{
  "auth": "NextAuth.js",        // Sponsored by Vercel ✓
  "email": "MailKit",           // In discussion
  "database": "PrismaLite",     // In discussion
  "payments": "OpenPayment",    // In discussion
  "analytics": "TinyStats",     // Planned
  "cms": "MDXStudio",          // Planned
}

Join the Movement

If you're a company that relies on open source (spoiler: you all do), consider sponsoring a box. You're not buying an ad—you're funding the tools your developers use every day.

If you're a developer, star the GitHub repo, follow the journey, and contribute when the code drops.

"The best time to support open source was yesterday. The second best time is now."

To Vercel: Thank you for believing in this vision. Box #1 will always be yours, and the tools we build with your support will help millions of developers.

To everyone else: This is just the beginning. 399 boxes remain. Let's build something incredible together.

—
Your Name
Building in public, one box at a time.