How to choose the right business model for your Open Source project - OpenSource.net
We’re just over the halfway mark in 2024, but Open Source has already lost two big Open Source projects in the database world in 2024.
First came Redis, an in-memory cache database, with a loud announcement in March that they had replaced their Open Source license with the Service Side Public license. Then, in May, Broadcom quietly notified their users that all new versions of Greenplum, a popular analytical database based on PostgreSQL, will be closed source. Given recent news, it’s easy to assume Open Source and business are at odds. If large corporations struggle to support Open Source, what hope do small companies and individuals have?
At the same time, there’s a well-known issue that every maintainer of successful Open Source projects comes across. When your project is small, you’re full of enthusiasm to improve and develop it. It’s like your baby, and your heart melts when the first users leave positive feedback, ask questions and request new features. However, as your product becomes more and more popular, becomes a nightmare. The number of use cases and feature requests starts to snowball. You need to add so many new things so fast that you can’t test them properly. When new users bombard you with questions, you have no time, no personal life, no hope.
There are two ways to solve this problem: Stop working on the project and maybe abandon it, or start making money and convert the project into your own company. Does that mean that you have to say adios to Open Source like the big companies have? Absolutely not. Moreover, your community will help drive the business faster, invest less resources and make the product stronger. You just need to choose the right business model.
