Open source is a feature, not value

Most open source companies like to really talk a lot about the fact that they are open source. (Though I also encounter the opposite, where it’s impossible to discover the existence of the open core, a problem I honestly understand less). There’s a happy medium to be found — and it lies in understanding that being open source is an important attribute of your company, one that probably contributes to a value your users/customers get. But it is not a value in and of itself.

Here’s why: Open source can, depending on your specific market and your specific product, provide different values. You have to know why your audience might care about it. Some ‘classics’ include:

• Avoiding lock-in

• Ability to audit your code themselves, usually for security reasons

• Extensibility

A customer who cares a lot about the ability to inspect your code may not care at all about avoiding lock-in, or about extensibility. And if you’re the kind of company that’s selling to paranoid types, chances are there are other attributes that make your project/product attractive to them, in addition to being open source.

In your messaging, lead with the value. Don’t hide the fact that you have an open source project, but when you talk about open source, lead with the value it delivers, not the fact that there’s an open source project.