Re:How to build a business around an open source project?
by wwalser on Thursday September 22, 2016 @12:25AM
(#12554352)
> How do I make the case to my company that this is a worthwhile investment?
By helping them to understand how all of the following will work:
* User acquisition
* Ongoing costs
* "fit" with the larger business
* Making lots of money
> what's to stop someone else from...
The incredible pain of building, iterating and growing a real business. Unless you are spectacularly successful, so much so that your success is visible to lots of people, no one is going to bother. If you are so successful that someone copies you, you can tackle that very fortunate problem at that point. The chances of getting to that point are very low.
> Why does anyone pay the $100? I am baffled.
Because the company that creates the software, writes blog posts, speaks at conferences, does the marketing for the product and leads thought leadership has earned customer trust. Trust that they know the software, understand how important it is to your business and can be relied upon.
By helping them to understand how all of the following will work: * User acquisition * Ongoing costs * "fit" with the larger business * Making lots of money
> what's to stop someone else from...
The incredible pain of building, iterating and growing a real business. Unless you are spectacularly successful, so much so that your success is visible to lots of people, no one is going to bother. If you are so successful that someone copies you, you can tackle that very fortunate problem at that point. The chances of getting to that point are very low.
> Why does anyone pay the $100? I am baffled.
Because the company that creates the software, writes blog posts, speaks at conferences, does the marketing for the product and leads thought leadership has earned customer trust. Trust that they know the software, understand how important it is to your business and can be relied upon.