Project summary
Discuto (https://discuto.app/) is a nonpartisan structured debate workspace that teaches people to disagree well. It's free to use and open to anyone 13+, on web and Android. Learn has short lessons on evidence, argument analysis, fallacies, and persuasion. Practice is a private space to rehearse an argument and get AI feedback on your own reasoning. Discuss has public topics organized by stance, with cited evidence and steelmans. The AI coach only gives feedback to the person who asks; it never ranks or judges anyone's arguments. It's a fiscally sponsored project of Mediators Foundation Inc (501(c)(3), EIN 04-3002588). Grant funds should be paid to Mediators Foundation Inc for Discuto, and Mediators Foundation will sign the grant agreement.
What are this project's goals? How will you achieve them?
Show that AI can make people better independent thinkers without deciding for them. In 2027:
Move off free hosting tiers so the service is dependable and backed up.
Keep AI coaching available on the free tier as usage grows.
Run outreach to Southern California civic groups around state and local topics.
How will you know it worked?
Discuto launched May 10, 2026 and usage is very small, so we aren't claiming impact. We'll report honestly on basic participation (accounts, lessons completed, practice sessions, discussions that include evidence and steelmans) and on user feedback about whether Learn, Practice, and Discuss help. We'll also report what doesn't work.
How will this funding be used?
At $10,000:
Netlify Pro: $360
Supabase Pro with Medium compute: $900
Point-in-time backups: $1,200
Supabase custom domain: $120
AI coaching: $4,200
Tools: $300
Local outreach: $2,000
Mediators Foundation fee: $920
At the $1,000 minimum:
At the minimum Discuto runs reliably off free tiers for a year, with no paid outreach.
Who is on your team? What's your track record on similar projects?
All unpaid volunteers:
Ryan Zaleski, Founder: designs, builds, and runs the platform. More than 25 years building software and leading technology teams.
Mark Campbell: CFO & Advisor.
Ethan Adams: Secretary & VP of Business Development.
Christina Buckley: Director & Project Manager.
What we've built so far:
What are the most likely causes and outcomes if this project fails?
The most likely failure is that not enough people come back to Practice and Discuss, even if they try a lesson. Another risk is that AI costs grow faster than funding and we have to tighten free-tier limits. If it fails, the money will still have kept a free tool running for a year, and we'll share what we learned about coaching-only AI.
How much money have you raised in the last 12 months, and from where?
None. Discuto has received no grants and has no subscription revenue, and our Zeffy donation page through Mediators Foundation has received $0. Emergent Ventures declined our application on June 10, 2026. Our goal is to make the app fully free, funded by donations.