How to Turn Your Open Source Project Into a Company
summary
Outlines concrete business models: open core with an Apache 2 core plus proprietary add‑ons, dual licensing (MySQL), online SaaS, support-as-quality‑assurance (Red Hat), hardware upsells, embargo/early‑access deals. Advises measurable prep: separate commercial branding, professional docs, a code of conduct, clear contribution licensing, and succession planning. Claims downloads alone don’t equate to sales and stresses deciding which features to monetize and which to keep community open to capture customers without alienating contributors.
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chapters (21)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:30Open Source can be a labor of love
- 2:28Open Source is big business
- 3:42How can you make money
- 3:57Turn your project into a business
- 5:07Business Models
- 5:44Question Mark
- 6:23Maintenance and Support
- 9:16Quality Assurance
- 11:52Online Services
- 13:47Professional Services
- 14:40Business Model
- 15:46Staging Release Model
- 16:45Dual Licensing
- 18:35Open Core
- 23:02Comments
- 27:40NonCommercial
- 28:32Brand
- 31:32Getting Ready
- 39:42Answering Questions
- 40:12The History of GPL
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