I'm not sure about open core. Why should we contribute to an open core project? What if I want to add a feature that is locked away in the enterprise version? I can't fork for one feature and they won't add it to the main product.

I'm a fan of Open core... the issues come down to a lot of the time, projects will reject contributions, and have pulled features that allow competition with their non-core features.

On the one hand, I really do understand the needs here, on the other I wish there was a better option.

I wouldn't even mind seeing something like the new MongoDB license + open-core as a non-profit organization that funded the development of several shared projects, where what licensing it does get is directly towards development. It's much different when you are absolutely profit driven.

There are a lot of software problems that are hard, but the results can be shared.

freemium/OSS the core, premium the plugins/enterprise-features is one business model.

more attractively is the all code for free model, so those who are able can use it for free, and you charge a fee for people who are in need of professional support.

a third one is still all code for free, but you can pay for hosted service instead of self-host the code, time is money for many people these days.

in all cases, you're building a group of followers with OSS, and you sell the hard-to-grasp or time-is-money-for-some-user domain expertise.

how to build your moat as far as competition goes? anyone that is smarter than you could copy all the code and do the same business model, the only thing might be a good license? however these days most OSS license are commercial friendly so I don't know how this works.

I think people overestimate the number of customers that need "support". Especially given that the users of projects like these are technically extremely skilled.