Open Sources | Rodrigues & Urlocker » What I learned in 2005...Lesson #1: Open source can't hide a poor product

December 23, 2005 | Comments: (0)

What I learned in 2005...Lesson #1: Open source can't hide a poor product

TAGS: Open Source

Dave had a good idea the other day. Rather than come up with our predictions for 2006, we decided to share some things that we learned in 2005 (which will impact technology in 2006).

So, since my wife kicked me off FIFA on the Nintendo, I'll start.

Lesson #1: Open source is a poor substitute for a weak product.

There's a feeling out there that the panacea for weak marketing/engineering/management/fluoridated water is open source. Have a dying business? Open source it! No one wants to buy your product? Open source it! And so on. I would have thought that this idea was thoroughly discredited years ago, but based on the things I see VCs funding, I have to believe that people still believe in the open source fairy.

I've said this before. But apparently the message isn't sinking in. Good open source projects are founded on good technology. Of course, successful open source projects require more than this, but great code provides the foundation for a great community.

So, a lesson for closed-source companies hoping to be relevant again by opening up some or all of your code: don't bother. It won't help. Instead, work to develop exceptional code and then follow that up with a strong licensing and revenue model to ensure you can monetize that code. Because support alone doth not a successful business make. But that's a lesson for another day....

Posted by Matt Asay on December 23, 2005 08:47 PM

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