Richard Schilling

As a person who is running a young company that develops open source software as a primary activity, I'm frequently asked to comment on the business models that are at play in the industry. Whether you produce open source software or just use it, an amazing thing inevitably happens. Organizations on all sides of the producer-consumer spectrum put increasing amounts of energy and money into the one thing that matters most to any business - the employees. This effect is key to understanding a successful open source business model. In this article I'll explain how that is, and what kinds of business models lend themselves well to open source software production and consumption. I'll do my best to frame my discussion in terms of classic business concepts. The Company Mission and Distribution of ProductThe goal of any company producing software is to get the right applic... (more)