The Business of Open Source

session details: The Business of Open Source

• why should business care about open source?
  
  • because free software can be turned into actual jobs: Acquia, Lullabot, et al.
  • because it's a highly successful model that can be applied to the way you do business
  • because it's growing at a time when the economy is failing
    
• free redistribution -- good ideas should be shared
  
• source code -- anyone should be able to review the guiding principles behind an idea
  
• derived works -- any idea needs to be able to grow and change and die
• integrity of the author's source code -- credit = responsibility
• no discrimination against people or groups -- diversity of experience and input is tremendously valuable, so evaluate the idea, not the person
• no discrimination against fields of endeavor -- it's OK to be from marketing (or wherever)
• distribution of license -- cut out the red tape! simple is better
  
• license must not be specific to the product -- if an idea is good, implement it across the board
• license must not restrict other software -- let ideas grow independently of each other
• license must be technology-neutral -- don't tie the idea to a specific implementation
  
• on the other hand, open source needs to learn it's OK to earn a profit!
  • no one at Lullabot has any formal business training
  • do some research, find out what others charge for similar services
• B Corporations: a proposed corporate type whose directive is to be beneficial rather than profitable
  • movement has stalled and has no legal standing
• ways to start
  • pick a priority
  • identify the benefits
  • identify the challenges
  • don't wait!
• Lullabot books its employees only half time, considering the other half of their time given back to the open-source community