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How to Keep Open Source Projects Open Source

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How to Keep Open Source Projects Open Source

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A Recap from the Hacking Open Source Business Podcast Episode 1, Covering Licensing Changes in Open Source Projects.

Open source is not a business model. 

This is a common refrain heard in the open source community, but what does it really mean? Aren’t there hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses built to market open source software projects? 

The bottom line is that open source is a software development methodology - it is not a business model. It is about communities coming together to work on a solution that they all benefit from, and sharing it to the world, with minimal restrictions on its use. It is fueled by individuals being involved - contributing talent, time, and resources. And it drives almost all software, at some level, today. 

Yes, business are born from open source projects. For instance, they can build the foundation of their business on open source software and build a proprietary solution on top of that, or they can provide a software package as open source software and then sell enterprise versions with full support. These are two common examples. 

But the reality is that success can be elusive. Helping others attain it is the driving force behind the Hacking Open Source Business podcast, launched earlier this fall. 

In the inaugural episode, co-hosts Matt Yonkovit and Avi Press, Scarf Founder and CEO, dug into a recent controversy that highlights the challenges open source projects face trying to create sustainable revenue streams to support a business or a non-profit that funds the project’s growth. 

What did Lightbend do?

On September 7, 2022, Lightbend announced it was changing the license for its very popular Akka software from the Apache 2.0 license, one of the most popular and permissible license options, to the Business Source License v1.1. This is a dramatic change - going from allowing essentially unrestricted use of the software to one that requires a license from Lightbend for the first three years from when the version was released. After that it reverts back to open source, although it is important to note that it is only applicable to that version, not any subsequent updates. Those each start their own three year clock. 

Akka was first released 13 years ago and has grown to be one of the most popular solutions for distributed computing and edge networks. Like most open source projects, it is unseen to consumers but powers the technology they rely on. It is used by household names such as Apple, Disney, GM, HPE, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Starbucks, and Tesla. 

When discussing the need for this change, Akka creator and Lightbend’s founder and CEO, Jonas Bonér, said, “We have decided to change Akka’s license to ensure a healthy balance between all parties, shared responsibility, and, by extension, contribute to Akka’s future development,”

The company lamented that large enterprises rely on the software, but have also matured in the open source space to where they are able to maintain the software themselves rather than paying for support agreements with businesses supporting the software. And sometimes they don’t contribute these improvements/fixes back into the community - a core tenet of open source. 

Lightbend isn’t the first to change its licence after widespread adoption - and certainly not the last. In 2018, MongoDB changed its license to Server Side Public License (SSPL), a license they created and is not recognized by the Open Source Initiative as an open source license. Last year, Elastic followed suit and now provides its Elasticsearch and Kibana software under both its Elastic Search license and SSPL, allowing users to choose which license to use. They acknowledge the switch away from open source, “Neither the Elastic License nor SSPL have been approved by the OSI, so to prevent confusion, we no longer refer to Elasticsearch or Kibana as open source. We updated our website and our messaging to refer to these products as ‘Free & Open,’ and when talking about the licenses directly, we describe them as ‘source-available.’”

Is moving to a non-open source license mid-project the answer? 

Many companies are facing similar challenges, but is changing the license terms mid-project the right answer? 

As Avi said during the episode, “I have a lot of thoughts. . . I do like the notion of licenses that can have some kind of protections for the company that is putting in the vast majority of their efforts into a given piece of software. What's really tough about this particular case is that Akka is already everywhere, so what a change like this does, it puts a lot of people in a really tough position because they could find themselves with a very sudden, multimillion-dollar liability for a dependency that they didn't even know they had.”

The issue these open source companies face is often similar: lack of growth or overall revenue.  The thought that usage and adoption mean commercial success is not a given. As Matt offered during the episode, “There are lots of projects that rely on this, there's lots of proprietary code that rely on this, but just because there is, doesn't necessarily mean that people are willing to pay for it."

We understand the challenges that projects like Akka are facing, and starting with the BSL, or similar license, could be a viable option. But changing the license terms mid-project is troublesome on many levels. Besides the end users of the original project, many open source projects rely on other open source projects - derivative works. A license change like this can throw the derivative work, and its users, out of compliance and affect future development. Apache Flink is a high-profile example of this with Akka’s change. You can see their response and next steps here

How can open source projects stay open source?

During the episode, Matt and Avi discussed the current market for software companies and how that may spur more license changes away from open source. Matt noted, “I think as the market has changed recently, the pressure to show not only growth from a overall user perspective, but able to do cost control and containment has started to move up the list of things you need to worry about.” And Avi added, “Very very true. As we shift into a different kind of venture market where investors are just not as impressed by growth without the revenue being there, you're gonna see a lot of people just try to tighten the grip on the user base and try to squeeze as much money out of it as they can, which is going to put a lot more projects like this in a tough spot.”

As companies face these challenges, they need to look back at why they chose an open source model in the first place. Ask yourself, Did you choose open source because you want the trend or because you believe that's the best way to build software? If you chose open source because you believe its the best way to build, then focus on making the open source funnel stronger, more efficient, and easier.

Some key efforts can go a long way towards a more successful project - and one that is sustainable as open source. For instance: 

  1. Collect and use deeper analytics around your user base. Often companies assume their user base is bigger then it is, so when they go to monetize it and the revenue does not materialize they are left scrambling for whats next. Getting this data early in a project’s lifecycle provides information you need to make better decisions early on.
  2. Have a full understanding of the ecosystem of other projects who rely on your software. Maybe there are partnership deals or opportunities to collaborate to share resources or revenue. Again, deeper knowledge unlocks opportunities.
  3. Optimize the model you have. Lots of companies are feeling around in the dark to understand the open source side of the house. Converting from "Free" to "Paid" needs to be optimized.

Whatever stage your open source project is at, we at Scarf can and want to help build your community and business. We understand these issues at their core - we were founded by individuals who created and maintained both successful and unsuccessful open source projects. We saw the struggles and the opportunities, and we want to make sure open source stays open source, which is why we built the tools Scarf provides. 

Scarf is free to use - with a paid, professional plan available. Learn about our Package SDKS, Scarf Gateway, and Documentation Insights. Then sign-up here

Already a user? We would love to hear from you about how you are using it, what is working, what isn’t, and how we can improve Scarf. Send us a note here or email us at hello@scarf.sh.

And, finally, subscribe to the Hacking Open Source Business podcast. We will be having some very interesting and valuable conversations

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How to Keep Open Source Projects Open Source

Published

November 14, 2022

This article was originally posted on

Hackernoon
A Recap from the Hacking Open Source Business Podcast Episode 1, Covering Licensing Changes in Open Source Projects.

Open source is not a business model. 

This is a common refrain heard in the open source community, but what does it really mean? Aren’t there hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses built to market open source software projects? 

The bottom line is that open source is a software development methodology - it is not a business model. It is about communities coming together to work on a solution that they all benefit from, and sharing it to the world, with minimal restrictions on its use. It is fueled by individuals being involved - contributing talent, time, and resources. And it drives almost all software, at some level, today. 

Yes, business are born from open source projects. For instance, they can build the foundation of their business on open source software and build a proprietary solution on top of that, or they can provide a software package as open source software and then sell enterprise versions with full support. These are two common examples. 

But the reality is that success can be elusive. Helping others attain it is the driving force behind the Hacking Open Source Business podcast, launched earlier this fall. 

In the inaugural episode, co-hosts Matt Yonkovit and Avi Press, Scarf Founder and CEO, dug into a recent controversy that highlights the challenges open source projects face trying to create sustainable revenue streams to support a business or a non-profit that funds the project’s growth. 

What did Lightbend do?

On September 7, 2022, Lightbend announced it was changing the license for its very popular Akka software from the Apache 2.0 license, one of the most popular and permissible license options, to the Business Source License v1.1. This is a dramatic change - going from allowing essentially unrestricted use of the software to one that requires a license from Lightbend for the first three years from when the version was released. After that it reverts back to open source, although it is important to note that it is only applicable to that version, not any subsequent updates. Those each start their own three year clock. 

Akka was first released 13 years ago and has grown to be one of the most popular solutions for distributed computing and edge networks. Like most open source projects, it is unseen to consumers but powers the technology they rely on. It is used by household names such as Apple, Disney, GM, HPE, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Starbucks, and Tesla. 

When discussing the need for this change, Akka creator and Lightbend’s founder and CEO, Jonas Bonér, said, “We have decided to change Akka’s license to ensure a healthy balance between all parties, shared responsibility, and, by extension, contribute to Akka’s future development,”

The company lamented that large enterprises rely on the software, but have also matured in the open source space to where they are able to maintain the software themselves rather than paying for support agreements with businesses supporting the software. And sometimes they don’t contribute these improvements/fixes back into the community - a core tenet of open source. 

Lightbend isn’t the first to change its licence after widespread adoption - and certainly not the last. In 2018, MongoDB changed its license to Server Side Public License (SSPL), a license they created and is not recognized by the Open Source Initiative as an open source license. Last year, Elastic followed suit and now provides its Elasticsearch and Kibana software under both its Elastic Search license and SSPL, allowing users to choose which license to use. They acknowledge the switch away from open source, “Neither the Elastic License nor SSPL have been approved by the OSI, so to prevent confusion, we no longer refer to Elasticsearch or Kibana as open source. We updated our website and our messaging to refer to these products as ‘Free & Open,’ and when talking about the licenses directly, we describe them as ‘source-available.’”

Is moving to a non-open source license mid-project the answer? 

Many companies are facing similar challenges, but is changing the license terms mid-project the right answer? 

As Avi said during the episode, “I have a lot of thoughts. . . I do like the notion of licenses that can have some kind of protections for the company that is putting in the vast majority of their efforts into a given piece of software. What's really tough about this particular case is that Akka is already everywhere, so what a change like this does, it puts a lot of people in a really tough position because they could find themselves with a very sudden, multimillion-dollar liability for a dependency that they didn't even know they had.”

The issue these open source companies face is often similar: lack of growth or overall revenue.  The thought that usage and adoption mean commercial success is not a given. As Matt offered during the episode, “There are lots of projects that rely on this, there's lots of proprietary code that rely on this, but just because there is, doesn't necessarily mean that people are willing to pay for it."

We understand the challenges that projects like Akka are facing, and starting with the BSL, or similar license, could be a viable option. But changing the license terms mid-project is troublesome on many levels. Besides the end users of the original project, many open source projects rely on other open source projects - derivative works. A license change like this can throw the derivative work, and its users, out of compliance and affect future development. Apache Flink is a high-profile example of this with Akka’s change. You can see their response and next steps here

How can open source projects stay open source?

During the episode, Matt and Avi discussed the current market for software companies and how that may spur more license changes away from open source. Matt noted, “I think as the market has changed recently, the pressure to show not only growth from a overall user perspective, but able to do cost control and containment has started to move up the list of things you need to worry about.” And Avi added, “Very very true. As we shift into a different kind of venture market where investors are just not as impressed by growth without the revenue being there, you're gonna see a lot of people just try to tighten the grip on the user base and try to squeeze as much money out of it as they can, which is going to put a lot more projects like this in a tough spot.”

As companies face these challenges, they need to look back at why they chose an open source model in the first place. Ask yourself, Did you choose open source because you want the trend or because you believe that's the best way to build software? If you chose open source because you believe its the best way to build, then focus on making the open source funnel stronger, more efficient, and easier.

Some key efforts can go a long way towards a more successful project - and one that is sustainable as open source. For instance: 

  1. Collect and use deeper analytics around your user base. Often companies assume their user base is bigger then it is, so when they go to monetize it and the revenue does not materialize they are left scrambling for whats next. Getting this data early in a project’s lifecycle provides information you need to make better decisions early on.
  2. Have a full understanding of the ecosystem of other projects who rely on your software. Maybe there are partnership deals or opportunities to collaborate to share resources or revenue. Again, deeper knowledge unlocks opportunities.
  3. Optimize the model you have. Lots of companies are feeling around in the dark to understand the open source side of the house. Converting from "Free" to "Paid" needs to be optimized.

Whatever stage your open source project is at, we at Scarf can and want to help build your community and business. We understand these issues at their core - we were founded by individuals who created and maintained both successful and unsuccessful open source projects. We saw the struggles and the opportunities, and we want to make sure open source stays open source, which is why we built the tools Scarf provides. 

Scarf is free to use - with a paid, professional plan available. Learn about our Package SDKS, Scarf Gateway, and Documentation Insights. Then sign-up here

Already a user? We would love to hear from you about how you are using it, what is working, what isn’t, and how we can improve Scarf. Send us a note here or email us at hello@scarf.sh.

And, finally, subscribe to the Hacking Open Source Business podcast. We will be having some very interesting and valuable conversations

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 Measuring the Commercial ROI of DEVREL

Measuring the Commercial ROI of DEVREL

In today's fast-paced tech world, the Developer Relations (DevRel) role has moved from the periphery to the center stage. Companies, irrespective of their size, are now seriously considering the worth of having a dedicated DevRel team. But, how do you quantify the success or failure of such an effort? What metrics should companies use? This post dives deep into understanding the commercial Return on Investment (ROI) of DevRel.
Selling Open Source: 101 - Guide for Sales and Marketing Teams

Selling Open Source: 101 - Guide for Sales and Marketing Teams

Monetizing open source software is a challenging task, but it can also be highly rewarding. Unlike traditional software, you're essentially competing against a free version of your product. So, how do you sell something that is inherently free?
Beyond the Surface: How to Engage with the Quiet Members of your Open Source Community

Beyond the Surface: How to Engage with the Quiet Members of your Open Source Community

In the dynamic realm of community management, marketing, and developer relations, success depends upon more than just attracting attention. It's about fostering meaningful relationships, nurturing engagement, and amplifying your community's impact. 
Mastering Telemetry in Open Source: A Simple Guide to Building Lightweight Call Home Functionality

Mastering Telemetry in Open Source: A Simple Guide to Building Lightweight Call Home Functionality

This guidebook shows you how to implement a call-home functionality or telemetry within your open-source software while at the same time being transparent and respectful of your users data. Let's explore how to build a minimal, privacy-focused call home functionality using a simple version check and Scarf.
Scarf Newsletter - July 2023

Scarf Newsletter - July 2023

Stay up to date with the latest updates from Scarf. Discover upcoming features, industry news, partnerships, and events. July 2023 Newsletter.
Open Source Metrics: Fear and Loathing (Part 2)

Open Source Metrics: Fear and Loathing (Part 2)

Many open source contributors are reluctant or skeptical about metrics. They think metrics are overrated, irrelevant, or even harmful to their projects and communities. But in this blog post, we argue that metrics are essential for making better decisions, improving the experience for users and contributors, and demonstrating the impact and value of your open source work. We also share some tips and examples from OSPOs and DevRel teams on how to choose and use metrics effectively.
Why GitHub Repos Are Not Enough for Your Docs: The Benefits of Creating a Dedicated Doc Site

Why GitHub Repos Are Not Enough for Your Docs: The Benefits of Creating a Dedicated Doc Site

Many open-source developers rely on GitHub as their primary documentation source. But this can be a costly mistake that can affect your project’s success and adoption. In this blog, we’ll explain why you need to build your own docs site and how to do it easily and effectively.
Data-Driven Open Source: Why You Should Care About Metrics (Part 1)

Data-Driven Open Source: Why You Should Care About Metrics (Part 1)

Open source projects and companies need data to grow and enhance their performance. However, many open source leaders and communities overlook or reject metrics and depend on intuition, relationships, or imitation. Data can help you spot problems, opportunities, and false positives in growth strategies. In this blog post, Matt Yonkovit shows you why data is important for open source success and how it can offer insights and guidance for open source projects to reach their goals and make better decisions.
State of Open Source Usage Q2 2023: The Scarf Report

State of Open Source Usage Q2 2023: The Scarf Report

Open source software continues to be a vital part of enterprise operations in Q2 2023, as more and more companies adopt open source solutions for their business needs. In this blog post, we will examine the state of open source usage in Q2 2023 and the trends that are shaping the future of open source.
Developer Relations (DevRel): Where Should It Reside in Your Organization

Developer Relations (DevRel): Where Should It Reside in Your Organization

DevRel is a vital function for any organization that wants to engage with the developer community and grow its user base. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for where to place DevRel within the organizational structure. In this blog post, we explore three common strategies for DevRel placement: marketing, product, and hybrid. We discuss the advantages and challenges of each strategy, and provide some tips on how to decide which one is best for your organization and goals.
The Gating Debate: Striking a Balance Between Open Source and Marketing Insights

The Gating Debate: Striking a Balance Between Open Source and Marketing Insights

In the open source industry, identifying and engaging users is a major challenge. Many users download software from third-party platforms that do not share user data with the software company. Gating content behind a login or an email form can help, but it can also alienate potential users who value their privacy and convenience. In this blog post, we explore the pros and cons of gating content in the open source industry, and we offer an alternative solution that can help you identify and connect with your users without compromising your content.
How to Use Metrics to Track and Evaluate Your Open Source Community’s Success

How to Use Metrics to Track and Evaluate Your Open Source Community’s Success

Open source software depends on the power of its community. But how do you know if your community is healthy and thriving? In this blog, you will learn how to use metrics to track and evaluate your community’s activity, engagement, growth, diversity, quality, and impact. You will hear from founders, DevRel experts, and investors who share their best practices and tips on how to measure and improve your community’s performance and value.
How to: Using anonymous downloads, website traffic, and documentation views to generate leads

How to: Using anonymous downloads, website traffic, and documentation views to generate leads

Learn how to overcome the challenges of open source software marketing and turn anonymous data into qualified leads. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to use download data, web traffic, and documentation views to identify potential customers and grow your sales pipeline. Discover how to track downloads, website traffic and documentation views with Scarf Gateway and the Scarf Tracking Pixel.
Why Your Open Source Startup Is Going To Fail (And What You Can Do About It)

Why Your Open Source Startup Is Going To Fail (And What You Can Do About It)

This blog post outlines ten common mistakes made by founders of open source startups, from failing to ask the right questions to neglecting the standardization of key metrics. By offering guidance on how to avoid these pitfalls, it provides a roadmap to successfully commercializing open source projects.
Open Source Monetization 101: A Step-by-Step Guide

Open Source Monetization 101: A Step-by-Step Guide

Many people believe that making money from open source projects is an arduous or even impossible task. However, with the right strategies it is possible to build a sustainable business while keeping the spirit of open source intact. By evaluating the market fit and commercial viability of an open source project before considering funding and monetization, one can realistically begin to explore the financial potential of an open source project. Here's how to do it.
The Open Source Sales & Marketing Funnel: Navigating the Challenges of Anonymous Downloads and Activity Tracking

The Open Source Sales & Marketing Funnel: Navigating the Challenges of Anonymous Downloads and Activity Tracking

This blog emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to lead generation in the open source software space. Amid the challenges of anonymous usage and privacy regulations, strategies focusing on download activity, community engagement, and web traffic can maximize lead identification. Employing lead scoring and maintaining a list of active software users can further enhance sales outcomes in this unique market.
Scarf Newsletter - May 2023

Scarf Newsletter - May 2023

Stay up to date with the latest updates from Scarf. Discover upcoming features, industry news, partnerships, and events. May 2023 Newsletter.
Harnessing Software Download Patterns: Using Open Source Download Metrics to Uncover New Users and Potential Customers

Harnessing Software Download Patterns: Using Open Source Download Metrics to Uncover New Users and Potential Customers

Here at Scarf, we've developed a solution to help open source projects and businesses gain more insight into their users and their download traffic - Scarf Gateway. Here's how it works.
Unlocking Growth Potential: Scarf Users Benefit from Clearbit Integration for Improved User Intelligence

Unlocking Growth Potential: Scarf Users Benefit from Clearbit Integration for Improved User Intelligence

We are thrilled to announce our latest partnership with Clearbit (https://clearbit.com/). This collaboration will offer Scarf users and customers an enriched array of data about their user base, significantly enhancing the quality of information you already value from Scarf.
State of Open Source Usage Q1 2023: The Scarf Report

State of Open Source Usage Q1 2023: The Scarf Report

The popularity of open source software is not in doubt, but little concrete public data exists beyond human-generated surveys on adoption usage. In this blog post, we will explore the state of open source usage in Q1 2023 and the data illustrating how open source is becoming an increasingly important part of enterprise operations.
Connecting Community Efforts in Open Source to Business Success

Connecting Community Efforts in Open Source to Business Success

The success of DevRel (Developer Relations) and community efforts in open source can be challenging to measure, as there is often a disconnect between the goals and expectations of the community and the business. This blog post discusses the challenges of measuring the success of DevRel and community efforts in open source.
3 Keys to Growing the Adoption of an Open Source Project

3 Keys to Growing the Adoption of an Open Source Project

Successful open source projects don't always translate into successful open source businesses. However, by focusing on building a kick-ass product, raising awareness, making the product easier to use, and fostering a strong open source community, you can set the stage for converting users into paying customers.
The Most Neglected and Overlooked Open Source Metric: Production Users

The Most Neglected and Overlooked Open Source Metric: Production Users

Everyone wants a larger open source user base, but very few people effectively measure its growth. Let’s discuss why.
Switching Container Registries With Zero Downtime

Switching Container Registries With Zero Downtime

You can use the open source Scarf Gateway to switch hosting providers, container registries, or repositories without impacting end users in the future.
Understanding Tech Layoffs and the Economy’s Impact on Open Source

Understanding Tech Layoffs and the Economy’s Impact on Open Source

What is driving all this tech layoffs? , What is their impact on the open source software industry? We will walk through all the potential reasons from an economic downturn, herd mentality, excessive borrowing and spending due to low interest rates, and growth at all costs as the main reasons behind the layoffs. Companies can continue to grow in this tight economic market if they are focused on optimizing efficiency and sustaining the right growth.
Why Downloads are an Essential Metric for Open Source Software Projects

Why Downloads are an Essential Metric for Open Source Software Projects

If you're only going to track one thing for your OSS project, track your downloads.
The Open Source Business Metrics Guide

The Open Source Business Metrics Guide

How to Build, Grow, and Measure the Success of an Open Source Business
Messaging and Positioning Considerations for Introducing an Open Source Product

Messaging and Positioning Considerations for Introducing an Open Source Product

At the All Things Open conference, Emily Omier, a seasoned positioning consultant, sat down with Avi Press (Founder and CEO, Scarf) and Matt Yonkovit (The HOSS, Scarf) to discuss how to message, position, and validate your open source product on The Hacking Open Source Business Podcast. You can watch the full episode below or continue reading for a recap.
How to Get the Attention of an Open Source Software Investor

How to Get the Attention of an Open Source Software Investor

On the Hacking Open Source Business podcast, Joseph Jacks aka JJ (Founder, OSS Capital) joins Avi Press (Founder and CEO, Scarf) and Matt Yonkovit (The HOSS, Scarf) to share what you need to know before starting a commercial open source software (COSS) company and how you can set yourself and your project apart in a way that attracts investor funding. As an investor who exclusively focuses on open source startups, JJ provides a VC perspective on what he looks for when evaluating investment opportunities.
Heroic Labs' Journey to Open Source and 5.3M Docker Downloads

Heroic Labs' Journey to Open Source and 5.3M Docker Downloads

On The Hacking Open Source Business podcast, CEO Chris Molozian and Head of Developer Relations Gabriel Pene at Heroic Labs elaborate on their usage and shift to open source and how it accelerated their adoption.
How to Keep Open Source Projects Open Source

How to Keep Open Source Projects Open Source

In this recap of the first episode of the Hacking Open Source Business Podcast, co-hosts Matt Yonkovit and Avi Press, Scarf Founder and CEO, dig into a recent controversy that highlights the challenges open source projects face trying to create sustainable revenue streams to support a business or a non-profit that funds the project’s growth.
How Buoyant Drives Open-Source-Led Growth with Linkerd

How Buoyant Drives Open-Source-Led Growth with Linkerd

Building a business around an open-source project is hard. Learn more about how Buoyant drives product-led growth with Linkerd.
Alex Biehl: Open Sourcing a Tool to Generate Haskell Server Stubs

Alex Biehl: Open Sourcing a Tool to Generate Haskell Server Stubs

Alex is a software engineer at Scarf who recently open sourced a tool to generate Haskell server stubs called Tie.
Tanner Linsley: Building Sustainable Open Source Projects

Tanner Linsley: Building Sustainable Open Source Projects

Tanner Linsley joined us to explain how he got started in open source and how he has made working in open source sustainable.
Stefano Maffulli: An Exploration on Standards for Open Source Packaging and Distribution

Stefano Maffulli: An Exploration on Standards for Open Source Packaging and Distribution

Scarf Sessions is a new stream where we have conversations with people shaping the landscape in open source and open source sustainability. This post will give a recap of the conversation Scarf CEO, Avi Press and I had with our guest Stefano Maffulli.
Using OSS Usage Data to Sell your Company

Using OSS Usage Data to Sell your Company

Learn how Nestybox used Scarf to gather better project insights and provide accurate data during their recent acquisition.
A Different Approach to Measuring Open Source Community Health

A Different Approach to Measuring Open Source Community Health

Community is important to the success of open source software. To understand and grow a community, project founders and maintainers need visibility into various technical, social, and even financial metrics. But what metrics should we be using?
Scarf Tech Stack: Relude

Scarf Tech Stack: Relude

This blog post will talk about Relude, a project we use in the majority of our Scarf tech stack
Python Wheels vs Eggs (And How Data-Driven Decisions Must Become The Norm in Open-Source)

Python Wheels vs Eggs (And How Data-Driven Decisions Must Become The Norm in Open-Source)

Should Python eggs be deprecated in favor of wheels? What does the data show? This post explores how the right data can make decisions like this easier for maintainers and Open Source organizations.
Changelog: Company Identification Change

Changelog: Company Identification Change

Announcing a new change to the way we identify companies.
Announcing Python Support

Announcing Python Support

Advanced registry analytics are now available for Python package maintainers
Project Spotlight: Scarf Gateway Stats

Project Spotlight: Scarf Gateway Stats

This Project Spotlight will focus on another exciting open source project, Scarf Gateway Stats.
Scarf Will Block Package Downloads from the Russian Government

Scarf Will Block Package Downloads from the Russian Government

In solidarity with Ukraine, Scarf Gateway will no longer service package downloads from Russian Government sources.
Changelog: New Pixel Snippet

Changelog: New Pixel Snippet

A notice to our Documentation Insights users.
Community Spotlight: nix-community

Community Spotlight: nix-community

This is the second post in a new series from Scarf: Spotlights where we highlight awesome projects and communities.
Changelog: Registry Validation for Auto-package Creation

Changelog: Registry Validation for Auto-package Creation

A summary of the new registry validation feature for auto-package creation.
Three Ways to Build Better Products Through Analytics

Three Ways to Build Better Products Through Analytics

A special guest post from open-source analytics company PostHog
New Year, New Scarf Features

New Year, New Scarf Features

Today, we're launching some of the most frequently asked for features since we launched Scarf Gateway back in March.
The Scarf Tech Stack

The Scarf Tech Stack

How Scarf is built
OSS Project Spotlight: IHP

OSS Project Spotlight: IHP

In a new blog post series, we'll highlight great OSS projects that are using Scarf. Today, we are featuring IHP, a modern batteries-included Haskell web framework
Measuring Downloads of Anything You Distribute

Measuring Downloads of Anything You Distribute

Scarf's core registry infrastructure has leveled up to support any kind of direct file download
Announcing Nomia and the Scarf Environment Manager

Announcing Nomia and the Scarf Environment Manager

Our mission here at Scarf centers around enhancing the connections between open source software maintainers and end users. Learn how Scarf + Nomia can reduce the complexity and increase the efficiency of the end-user open source integration experience.
Announcing The Scarf Gateway

Announcing The Scarf Gateway

Understand how your containers are downloaded and decouple your project from your registry
The Open Source Business Metrics Guide 2024
November 21, 2024

The Open Source Business Metrics Guide 2024

Today, the most commonly accepted metrics for open source adoption and growth are heavily focused on the contributors and community (the idea is healthy contributions should equate to healthy adoption). While these are useful metrics, they are only part of the picture. This guide is built for those at open-source-based companies who are responsible for growth and adoption. 
Sara Dornsife
Sara Dornsife
Bringing Open Source Usage Data Directly to Your CRM: Scarf's New Salesforce Integration
November 12, 2024

Bringing Open Source Usage Data Directly to Your CRM: Scarf's New Salesforce Integration

We’ve got some exciting news: Scarf just launched a powerful, native integration with Salesforce, bringing Scarf’s rich open source usage data directly into your CRM. No more bouncing between tools or setting up S3 data exports—you can now get all the insights you need where you already do your work.
Sara Dornsife
Sara Dornsife
ARMO leverages Scarf to find high intent signals: Download + Pricing page = INTENT
October 31, 2024

ARMO leverages Scarf to find high intent signals: Download + Pricing page = INTENT

Scarf, a platform designed to provide open-source projects with deeper insights into their users and usage patterns, was the answer ARMO needed. By integrating Scarf into Kubescape, ARMO was able to regain visibility into which company has been using Kubescape, filling the gap left after their CNCF contribution.
Sara Dornsife
Sara Dornsife

How to Keep Open Source Projects Open Source

A Recap from the Hacking Open Source Business Podcast Episode 1, Covering Licensing Changes in Open Source Projects.

Open source is not a business model. 

This is a common refrain heard in the open source community, but what does it really mean? Aren’t there hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses built to market open source software projects? 

The bottom line is that open source is a software development methodology - it is not a business model. It is about communities coming together to work on a solution that they all benefit from, and sharing it to the world, with minimal restrictions on its use. It is fueled by individuals being involved - contributing talent, time, and resources. And it drives almost all software, at some level, today. 

Yes, business are born from open source projects. For instance, they can build the foundation of their business on open source software and build a proprietary solution on top of that, or they can provide a software package as open source software and then sell enterprise versions with full support. These are two common examples. 

But the reality is that success can be elusive. Helping others attain it is the driving force behind the Hacking Open Source Business podcast, launched earlier this fall. 

In the inaugural episode, co-hosts Matt Yonkovit and Avi Press, Scarf Founder and CEO, dug into a recent controversy that highlights the challenges open source projects face trying to create sustainable revenue streams to support a business or a non-profit that funds the project’s growth. 

What did Lightbend do?

On September 7, 2022, Lightbend announced it was changing the license for its very popular Akka software from the Apache 2.0 license, one of the most popular and permissible license options, to the Business Source License v1.1. This is a dramatic change - going from allowing essentially unrestricted use of the software to one that requires a license from Lightbend for the first three years from when the version was released. After that it reverts back to open source, although it is important to note that it is only applicable to that version, not any subsequent updates. Those each start their own three year clock. 

Akka was first released 13 years ago and has grown to be one of the most popular solutions for distributed computing and edge networks. Like most open source projects, it is unseen to consumers but powers the technology they rely on. It is used by household names such as Apple, Disney, GM, HPE, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Starbucks, and Tesla. 

When discussing the need for this change, Akka creator and Lightbend’s founder and CEO, Jonas Bonér, said, “We have decided to change Akka’s license to ensure a healthy balance between all parties, shared responsibility, and, by extension, contribute to Akka’s future development,”

The company lamented that large enterprises rely on the software, but have also matured in the open source space to where they are able to maintain the software themselves rather than paying for support agreements with businesses supporting the software. And sometimes they don’t contribute these improvements/fixes back into the community - a core tenet of open source. 

Lightbend isn’t the first to change its licence after widespread adoption - and certainly not the last. In 2018, MongoDB changed its license to Server Side Public License (SSPL), a license they created and is not recognized by the Open Source Initiative as an open source license. Last year, Elastic followed suit and now provides its Elasticsearch and Kibana software under both its Elastic Search license and SSPL, allowing users to choose which license to use. They acknowledge the switch away from open source, “Neither the Elastic License nor SSPL have been approved by the OSI, so to prevent confusion, we no longer refer to Elasticsearch or Kibana as open source. We updated our website and our messaging to refer to these products as ‘Free & Open,’ and when talking about the licenses directly, we describe them as ‘source-available.’”

Is moving to a non-open source license mid-project the answer? 

Many companies are facing similar challenges, but is changing the license terms mid-project the right answer? 

As Avi said during the episode, “I have a lot of thoughts. . . I do like the notion of licenses that can have some kind of protections for the company that is putting in the vast majority of their efforts into a given piece of software. What's really tough about this particular case is that Akka is already everywhere, so what a change like this does, it puts a lot of people in a really tough position because they could find themselves with a very sudden, multimillion-dollar liability for a dependency that they didn't even know they had.”

The issue these open source companies face is often similar: lack of growth or overall revenue.  The thought that usage and adoption mean commercial success is not a given. As Matt offered during the episode, “There are lots of projects that rely on this, there's lots of proprietary code that rely on this, but just because there is, doesn't necessarily mean that people are willing to pay for it."

We understand the challenges that projects like Akka are facing, and starting with the BSL, or similar license, could be a viable option. But changing the license terms mid-project is troublesome on many levels. Besides the end users of the original project, many open source projects rely on other open source projects - derivative works. A license change like this can throw the derivative work, and its users, out of compliance and affect future development. Apache Flink is a high-profile example of this with Akka’s change. You can see their response and next steps here

How can open source projects stay open source?

During the episode, Matt and Avi discussed the current market for software companies and how that may spur more license changes away from open source. Matt noted, “I think as the market has changed recently, the pressure to show not only growth from a overall user perspective, but able to do cost control and containment has started to move up the list of things you need to worry about.” And Avi added, “Very very true. As we shift into a different kind of venture market where investors are just not as impressed by growth without the revenue being there, you're gonna see a lot of people just try to tighten the grip on the user base and try to squeeze as much money out of it as they can, which is going to put a lot more projects like this in a tough spot.”

As companies face these challenges, they need to look back at why they chose an open source model in the first place. Ask yourself, Did you choose open source because you want the trend or because you believe that's the best way to build software? If you chose open source because you believe its the best way to build, then focus on making the open source funnel stronger, more efficient, and easier.

Some key efforts can go a long way towards a more successful project - and one that is sustainable as open source. For instance: 

  1. Collect and use deeper analytics around your user base. Often companies assume their user base is bigger then it is, so when they go to monetize it and the revenue does not materialize they are left scrambling for whats next. Getting this data early in a project’s lifecycle provides information you need to make better decisions early on.
  2. Have a full understanding of the ecosystem of other projects who rely on your software. Maybe there are partnership deals or opportunities to collaborate to share resources or revenue. Again, deeper knowledge unlocks opportunities.
  3. Optimize the model you have. Lots of companies are feeling around in the dark to understand the open source side of the house. Converting from "Free" to "Paid" needs to be optimized.

Whatever stage your open source project is at, we at Scarf can and want to help build your community and business. We understand these issues at their core - we were founded by individuals who created and maintained both successful and unsuccessful open source projects. We saw the struggles and the opportunities, and we want to make sure open source stays open source, which is why we built the tools Scarf provides. 

Scarf is free to use - with a paid, professional plan available. Learn about our Package SDKS, Scarf Gateway, and Documentation Insights. Then sign-up here

Already a user? We would love to hear from you about how you are using it, what is working, what isn’t, and how we can improve Scarf. Send us a note here or email us at hello@scarf.sh.

And, finally, subscribe to the Hacking Open Source Business podcast. We will be having some very interesting and valuable conversations