Most great open source companies start the same way: one engineer scratching their own itch. But the transition from useful project to viable company requires a shift in mindset — from solving a problem to owning a category.
Open source is most powerful when transparency, trust, or extensibility drive adoption — things like infrastructure, developer tools, data systems, or frameworks. If you’re building something developers will integrate deeply into their workflow, OSS gives you reach and credibility no marketing campaign could buy.
As one founder put it, “Open source is how you earn the right to sell.”
Each path demands conviction, patience, and community stewardship. And the best founders lead with humility — balancing idealism about openness with the pragmatism of building a business.
Diagram: “The OSS Journey Curve”
(Illustrate the phases: Project → Community → Product → Company → Platform.)
