"Selling" open source on the Tiny DevOps podcast

I was recently on the Tiny DevOps podcast to talk about selling open source, in several senses of the term ‘selling.’ I talked about ‘selling’ your superiors/non-technical business folks on using work time to contribute to open source, how attracting users and contributors to a project is a bit like selling a product (except you’re asking for time, not money — btw, time is a more valuable and constrained resource for many people than money is), and said some stuff related to getting people to pay you money to create or maintain a project.

Anyway, have a listen here.

And here’s how Jonathan Hall, the Tiny DevOps guy and host of the podcast, puts what we covered:

  • What are the reasons to contribute open-source, as a company?

  • What are the differences and siilarities between open-source and non-open-source software products.

  • How to market your product to both technical and non-technical people.

  • Why to focus on outcomes before features

  • Who are the buyers/stakeholders for your product?

  • Use language that resonates with your target audience

  • Should you seek contributors for an open-source project? And if so, how?

  • Tips for accepting financial sponsorships

Emily Omier