alt Hacker NewsWe need something like an open source model or guild for VC, where successful people can put money into a pool that is generally accessible to anyone, with little friction. The idea would be to join the guild and gain access to funding, with a contract to contribute back some percentage of gross revenue and/or net profit, depending on how many people game the rules.
Honestly, wealth inequality has reached such epic proportions, that if someone came up with an alternative funding model, they could make VC lock-in obsolete. This is simultaneously extremely easy and extremely difficult to pull off. Money talks yes, but sometimes saying "your money's no good here" is more empowering.
There is something like this with crowdfunding called Reg CF (Regulation Crowdfunding) but it comes with many limitations. Ultimately the worry is that less wealthy people will invest their life savings in a scam and be rugpulled. Groups of accredited investors can, and definitely, do this. The problem is that these large funds have lost their scruples and it's hard to compete against a large fund that can outspend and out market a smaller one.