I’m a fan of open source for all the reasons open source exists. However, I’ve learned from having locally popular open source projects that you can only ask so much of people working for free. Here’s how to get revenue from your open source project so you can pay people, and maybe just maybe, pay yourself to work on it.
1. Tip Jar
e.g. Wikimedia Foundation (hosts Wikipedia)
Great if you have a dedicated user base.
Favor smaller recurring donations over larger one-time donations.
2. Make it ready-to-go
e.g. WordPress.com
Great if your product is complex or has other pain points for the end user.
Example: I ran my site on a shared server running WordPress for the longest time, and managing the installation was a periodic nightmare—particularly once, when I ignored a contact form’s vulnerability too long. I could have had WordPress.com instead manage the installation for a cost.
3. Sell companion pieces / add-ons
e.g. TrueNAS
Great if your product requires companion components.
Sell those companion components ready-to-go, and as a plus, you can get economy-of-scale pricing with standardization.
4. Premium features / Support
e.g. Ubuntu
Great if your product is going to be used in enterprise settings, where additional security, record keeping, support and service level agreements are needed.
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