“If I open source my code, how do I make money with it?”
A fair question, and one with a clear answer: the open core business model. With open core, you make the foundation of your integrations freely available as open source, while offering specialized extensions as paid products. These can include specific connectors, custom modules, or supporting services.
How does it work?
You collaborate with different customers on shared components, while charging for services that deliver targeted value. Think visualizations, dashboards, and other tools that require specialized domain knowledge. You can also offer hosting, service-level agreements (SLAs), and support for bug fixes and maintenance.
Who pays for what?
Tech-savvy customers can rely mostly on the open stack and contribute by reporting bugs and improving the shared codebase. Customers with less in-house IT expertise, or who need more support, pay for premium features and services.
In the end, everyone benefits. The open source community gets better software, companies reduce development costs, and the vendor builds a sustainable business.
“By treating your users as co-developers, you achieve better code and more effective bug fixes faster.”
- Eric S. Raymond, The Cathedral and the Bazaar
📚 Quote from: The Cathedral and the Bazaar
Building a community
By making a large part of your code public, it becomes easier, and more appealing, for developers to start using your solution. It’s far more rewarding to solve a problem that benefits a hundred organizations at once than to build something that only works inside your own company. As a developer, it’s also a great way to showcase your skills while collaborating with and learning from others in your field.
Are you already working open core?
Are you already using the open core model, or thinking about it? Maybe you’re already publishing parts of your integrations as open source, or you’re still figuring out how to start without giving away too much of your intellectual property. I’d love to hear how you’re balancing openness and business. Let me know or share your experience.
