From Code to Canopy: Why I Built PlantYourTip.com

 

A founder’s note from the Netherlands

I’ve loved technology since I was a kid. Software and AI kept me curious, motivated, and building, first for myself, then for startups and big enterprises. After many projects, one belief kept getting stronger:

Technology isn’t the goal. It’s a tool, a powerful one, to help people, to create something amazing, and to make a good changes in the world.

PlantYourTip is one of those small, good changes I want to talk about.

The spark

We’re entering a time when AI can automate more of the boring parts of work. My hope is that frees people to create more, to write, teach, stream, design, share skills, and build small businesses around their passions.

But creators, influencers, and small businesses need simple ways to be discovered, to organize their links, to get supported, and (this part matters to me) to do some good every time they’re supported.

So I asked myself: What if every small “thank you” online could also say thank you to the planet?

That’s how PlantYourTip was born.

What PlantYourTip is

PlantYourTip is a simple link‑in‑bio + green tip jar, in one place.

* Make a clean landing page in minutes.
* Add your favorite or affiliate links, videos, pictures, and socials.
* Receive tips from fans, followers, or happy customers.
* Every tip supports you, and a portion plants a verifiable tree.
* It’s free to create your page.

Each tree is trackable through planting partners, so supporters can see that their small action was real and where it’s helping. (It’s early days; I’m expanding both the partners and the tracking experience so this stays transparent and trustworthy.)

Why trees?

Because global warming is real, and we made this problem, so we can help fix it. I don’t believe in magic bullets; cutting emissions is essential. But I do believe in pairing everyday generosity with restoration. Tips happen every day online. If even a fraction of them fund trees, we create a steady, tangible stream of climate help.

Technology as a tool. Gratitude as fuel. Trees as the promise.
That’s the heart of PlantYourTip.

 

A simple number (and honest math)

People often ask: How many trees do we need to solve global warming? The honest answer is: trees alone can’t “solve” it, We must cut emissions fast, The IPCC is clear that land solutions help, but cannot replace deep reductions in energy, transport, and industry.

Still, trees matter. Here’s a plain‑English way to think about scale:

* Global emissions in 2023: about 41 billion tonnes of CO₂. [ESSD]
* What one tree absorbs: think roughly 10–22 kg of CO₂ per year (it varies a lot by species, age, and location). [One Tree Planted]

If humanity wanted to pull 10 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year (about a quarter of today’s emissions) with trees alone, we’d need on the order of 0.45–1 trillion healthy, protected, growing trees doing that work each year. That’s why you sometimes hear about “a trillion trees.” It’s not the whole answer, but it’s a meaningful piece, especially alongside cutting fossil emissions. [ESSD]

For personal scale: the Netherlands’ fossil CO₂ emissions are roughly 7–8 tonnes per person per year right now. Even using the optimistic 22 kg per tree per year, it would take ~350–400 trees growing for a year to balance one person’s annual footprint , and many more if you use conservative numbers. That’s exactly why we need both: serious emissions cuts and steady, nature‑based removals. [Worldometer]

How Tips Work (All Free of Charge)

1. You create your PlantYourTip page .
2. You share it wherever your audience is (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, newsletters, QR at checkout, anywhere).
3. They tip to say thanks, after a video, a tutorial, a newsletter issue, a great product, a helpful chat.
4. You receive the tip.
5. We route a portion to plant a trackable tree with our partners (ecologi.com). Supporters can see where their tree lives.

Campaigns are coming (and already testable): “Plant 100 trees this month,” “One tree for every order,” “Birthday forest,” or “Milestone stream.” It turns everyday support into visible climate progress your community can follow.

Who PlantYourTip is for

* Digital creators & influencers: tutorials, live streams, music, art, education, gaming.
* Small businesses: cafés, local shops, brands, freelancers, anyone who loves a simple support link that doubles as a sustainability action.
* Communities & causes: roll up many small tips into a forest you can point to with pride.

Built with gratitude

I’m grateful for early support that made this possible including Microsoft, whose tools and backing helped me ship the first version. And I’m grateful to the first wave of creators and businesses who joined and gave feedback. This is just the beginning, and your ideas will shape what comes next.

What’s next

I have a long roadmap: better tree tracking, more planting partners across regions, richer link blocks (shops, calendars, downloadables), creator analytics, and campaign tools that make climate action fun, transparent, and real. If it’s not useful, it doesn’t ship. If it’s not honest, it doesn’t belong here.

Tell me what to build next

Without people, any platform is useless. So please tell me what you love, what you don’t, and what you need. If you’re a creator, influencer, or small business with an idea or a criticism, I want to hear it.

Here’s my profile on Plant Your Tip 🌱 you’ll find all my socials and ways to reach me there. And if you’d like, feel free to send a tip:

https://plantyourtip.com/moh

Let’s make online gratitude a little greener — one tip, one tree, one page at a time.

Founder, PlantYourTip.com
Based in the Netherlands