Picking Your Partners:
The Right Way to Find Server Funding
Running a Minecraft server is like playing survival on hard mode. Sometimes you need more starting gear than your personal inventory holds — here's how to find the right partner to help you scale.
📋 What's Covered
Thinking Like a Pro — The "Loot" Strategy
An investor isn't giving you a donation — they're making a trade. They put money in now so the server can grow, and later they get a slice of its success (the loot). If you walk into that conversation thinking "donation," you'll come out empty-handed.
Before you pitch anyone, get comfortable with the language investors use. Here's a quick translation table:
| Pro Term | What It Means in Minecraft |
|---|---|
ROI |
Loot Back — if someone gives you 10 diamonds to start a farm and you return 13 later, that's a 130% ROI |
CCU |
Concurrent players — how many people are online at the exact same time |
EULA |
Mojang's official rules on how you're allowed to make money from your server |
Monetization |
Your shop — how you sell ranks, cosmetics, boosters, or other perks |
The "Pro" Discord Message
Most people fire off a wall of unformatted text and wonder why they get ignored. Professional Discord messages use Markdown to make information scannable — an investor should be able to see the key points in 15 seconds.
**Text**# Title or ## Section- Item[Label](URL)Here's a pitch template you can fill in with your server's details:
# — Investment Opportunity ## The Vision We are a [Gamemode, e.g. Lifesteal / Practice-PvP] network with a current peak of [Number] concurrent players. Our goal is to reach [Target CCU] players by end of month. ## Why Join Us? - **Custom Features:** Unique plugins like [Feature Name] keep players returning. - **Ready to Grow:** Spawn, ranks, and shop are 100% set up. - **Fair Play:** We follow the EULA by selling only cosmetics & boosters. ## The Ask Seeking $[Amount] to cover [hosting / ads / design]. ## The Return (ROI) We offer a [e.g. 130%] return from shop earnings. Expected payback period: [Number] days based on current traffic. ---
Building Your "Shopping List" — The Budget
Investors want to see exactly where their money goes. A clear budget shows you've thought things through and aren't just guessing. Here are common expenses to plan for:
| Item | Estimated Cost | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| High-Performance Hosting | $30–$60/mo | Prevents lag when 50+ players are online — nothing kills a server faster than bad TPS |
| Animated Server Banner | ~$40 | Grabs attention on server lists and boosts click-through rate |
| TikTok / Shorts Promotion | $50–$100 | Pays content creators to showcase your server to their audience |
| Custom Domain (.com) | ~$12/yr | Makes your IP memorable — e.g. play.yourserver.com |
The Math of "Loot Back" — Understanding ROI
Showing your investor how they get their money back is one of the most important parts of the pitch. Use this formula:
Always pair this number with a realistic timeline. Saying "130% ROI in 45 days based on X average daily sales" is far more compelling than a bare percentage with no context.
Staying EULA-Compliant — The Rules
Mojang has strict rules about what you can sell. Violating them can get your server blacklisted, which would wipe out the investment entirely. Keep it clean:
✅ Safe to Sell
- Cosmetic items (trails, particles, pets, chat tags)
- Server-wide XP or economy boosters (benefit everyone)
- Priority queue for full servers
- Purely cosmetic rank titles
❌ Avoid These
- Pay-to-win gear, weapons, or items that affect gameplay
- In-game currency that creates unfair advantages
- Exclusive gameplay content only paying players can access
- Anything that violates Mojang's commercial usage guidelines
Staying EULA-compliant also means your listing on TMS won't earn a P2W badge, which negatively impacts your TrueRank score. It's a win on all fronts.
Summary — Your Path to a "Yes"
Be Organized
Use the Discord template so your message stands out from the wall-of-text crowd.
Be Specific
Always list exactly what the money is for — hosting, ads, design, etc.
Show the Plan
Use CCU (players online) and ROI (loot back) to prove the server is growing.
Stay Legal
Follow the EULA. A blacklisted server is worth nothing to you or your investor.
This is a foundational guide for approaching investors — not the complete picture. A more in-depth version covering advanced negotiation, equity structures, and long-term partner agreements is coming in a future TMS Guide.