Building an OSS-Centric Company (and why you want to)

Open source is the bread and butter of the community; it also makes us happy, but can it sustain a company? Execu-types will happily leech off OSS without contributing back, but there’s a better way! In this talk I’ll walk through how you can build an OSS-centric company. How to fund it, run it, and use it to build your project and community. Whether you’re looking to build a new company around open source, or simply integrate more OSS-love into your existing business, this talk is for you.

This talk was presented at RailsConf 2014.

Transcript

2. WHY OPEN SOURCE?
4. Sustainability
5. ABOUT LEAH
7. thor foundation
8. Underserved Areas
10. foundation
12. BENEFITS
13. 1. Expertise
14. 2. Influence and Access
15. 3. Recruiting
16. 4. Good Will
18. TACTICS
19. Funding
20. Symbiotic Relationship
22. Things That Don’t Work
23. VC
24. Donations
25. Selling Support
26. Things that Do Work
27. Consulting
28. Training
29. Events
30. Sustainability
31. CHALLENGES
32. Emotional Ups and Downs
33. 1. Set realistic expectations 2. Let people help 3. Track the successes 4. Meet people 5. Stay above the fray 6. Take time away
34. Being Frugal vs. Being Cheap
35. 1. Sponsorships 2. Swag and Branding Opportunities 3. User Groups and smaller events
36. Avoid Being the Corporate Overlord
37. Survive While You’re Gone
38. 1. Build leaders, not just community 2. Give up some control
39. Putting Too Much You Into It
40. Symbiotic Relationship
41. SUMMARY
42. Happiness and Sustainability
43. In-House Perks
44. Diverse Funding Sources
45. Keep Your Goals Aligned
46. Sustainability
47. THANK YOU