How Kudos Work: A Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve ever said:

This was really helpful.

I love what you’re making.

Thank you for this.

Then you already understand kudos.

Kudos are just a simple way to turn appreciation into something that lasts.

Let’s break it down.

What Are Kudos?

Kudos are digital thank-yous.

They are not money. They are not crypto. They are not a tip jar.

They’re a way of saying:

You made the web better for me.

When you send kudos, you’re adding a little weight to someone’s slice of the pie.

The Pie

Every lunar cycle (about once a month), In a Moon collects everyone’s support into a shared pool.

Think of it like a pie.

Each person you gave kudos to gets a slice of that pie.

  • More kudos = bigger slice
  • Fewer kudos = smaller slice

At the end of the cycle, the pie gets divided based on slice size.

No ads. No algorithms. No popularity contests.

Just proportion.

How Do I Send Kudos?

We’re working to make it as easy and automatic for you as possible.

You can:

You don’t need a wallet. You don’t need to calculate anything. You don’t need to manage payments person-by-person.

What Happens Next?

At the end of each lunar month, at the New Moon:

  1. All support is added up.
  2. Final slice counts are calculated.
  3. Kudos convert to points which are distributed proportionally.

If someone hasn’t claimed their account yet, their slice waits. If it remains unclaimed, it rolls back into the next cycle.

Nothing gets stuck. Nothing disappears.

Why Not Just Pay People Directly?

You likely already are for large amounts.

But direct payments create friction, so rewarding all of the potentially thousands of people that help you online over the course of a month sounds impossible.

You would have to decide:

  • How much?
  • Who deserves what?
  • Is this worth $5 or $10?

Kudos remove that pressure by retroactively calculating value.

You decide an overall cycle budget once — your monthly participation. After that, your appreciation does the routing and we split your budget proportionally, giving points for you.

It’s automatic and how we’ve made the attribution economy possible.

What This Changes

On today’s web:

  • Platforms decide what wins.
  • Ads decide what spreads.
  • Engagement hacks decide what survives.

With kudos at In a Moon:

  • Attention becomes signal.
  • Gratitude becomes weight.
  • Support becomes recurring.

Over time, this changes what gets built.

Ready to Try It?

Or send your first kudos over email.

Just cc: [email protected] the next time someone makes your day a little better.

More from In a Moon →