The Business
of Open Source

Who am I?
twitter: LizaK
LinkedIn: Liza Kindred
SlideShare: LizaK

Who I am not?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/foundphotoslj

Who are you?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/

Open Source is a way for people to
collaborate on software without being
encumbered by the problems of
intellectual property.
--The Open Source Initiative

Open Source is also a way for businesses to
espouse the qualities of openness &
collaboration and harness them into
successful, modern business models.
--LizaK

Why should we care?

Why should we care?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkobold/

The Definition

Huh?

Huh?
openness

Huh?
openness credit

Huh?
openness credit
growth

Many ways to
apply + interpret

1.

Free Redistribution

Free Redistribution

2.

Source Code

Source Code

3.

Derived Works

Derived Works

Derived Works

Derived Works

4.

Integrity of the Author’s
Source Code

Integrity of the Author’s
Source Code

Integrity of the Author’s
Source Code
GIVE

5.

No Discrimination Against
People or Groups

No Discrimination Against
People or Groups
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rayparnova/

6.

No Discrimination Against
Fields of Endeavor

No Discrimination Against
Fields of Endeavor
Departments

No Discrimination Against
Fields of Endeavor
Departments
Marketing

No Discrimination Against
Fields of Endeavor
Departments
Marketing
Profit

I make money using my brains and lose money
listening to my heart. But in the long run, my books
balance pretty well.
-- Kate Seredy

7.

Distribution of License

Distribution of License

8.

License Must Not Be
Specific to a Product

License Must Not Be
Specific to a Product
• If an idea / process is good, implement
it across your organization.

9.

License Must Not Restrict
Other Software

License Must Not Restrict
Other Software

License Must Not Restrict
Other Software
X

10.

License Must Be
Technology-Neutral
Be flexible.

License Must Be
Technology-Neutral
Be flexible.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boaz/

How do we apply
these ideas?

Open Books

B Corp’s
bcorporation.net

Implementations

Ways to Start

Ways to Start

Ways to Start

Ways to Start

Benefits

Benefits

Benefits

Benefits

Challenges

Challenges

Pick Your Pony
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freebird4/

My mother said, ʻYou wonʼt amount to anything
because you procrastinateʼ.
I said, ʻJust wait.ʼ
-- Judy Tenuta

Further Reading