I’m building a startup discovery platform where you can tip founders. Curious if this makes sense

Hey Indie Hackers!

I’m working on a new platform called FindryForge, and I wanted to sanity-check the core idea with people who actually build.

The problem I keep running into:
Most startup platforms optimize for visibility, not signal. Upvotes are free, engagement is cheap, and it’s hard to tell whether anyone actually wants a product, including founders themselves.

So I’m experimenting with a different model.

What FindryForge is:
A discovery platform where:

• Users search for startups by specific needs or features

• Founders showcase what they’ve built

• Investors discover startups based on real demand, not hype

The controversial part:
To “upvote” a startup in a meaningful way, users can tip the founder $5.
The idea is simple:
If someone is willing to put even a small amount of money behind a product, that signal matters more than 100 free likes.

There are still free actions (browse, follow, like), but money-backed engagement carries more weight in rankings and visibility.

I’m not trying to turn this into crowdfunding, more like proof of demand before traction.

Questions I’d love feedback on:

• Would a $5 signal make engagement feel more trustworthy to you?

• As a founder, would this kind of signal be useful or distracting?

• What would make you hesitant to use a platform like this?

Early days, still shaping the product, and genuinely open to being wrong here.
Appreciate any thoughts!