How Open Source Creates BILLION Dollar Companies

Jono Bacon · Intermediate ·📰 AI News & Updates ·1mo ago

About this lesson

Most people think open source and profit are opposites. They're wrong. In this short, we break down one of the biggest misconceptions in technology: the idea that giving software away for free means giving up the opportunity to build a successful business. Open source projects like PostgreSQL benefit from contributions made by developers around the world, creating an enormous foundation of value that companies can build on without starting from scratch. And companies like Red Hat, GitLab, and Google proved that the real opportunity isn't selling the software itself. It's providing expertise, support, integration, infrastructure, and trust around it. Red Hat famously built a business worth $34 billion while giving away its software. Because in technology, free software doesn't destroy value. It often creates more of it. #OpenSource #RedHat #PostgreSQL #SoftwareEngineering #Startups #TechBusiness #DeveloperTools #OpenSourceSoftware #BusinessStrategy #Technology ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ℹ️ Check out Stateshift 👇 Most tech companies struggle to build reliable user and developer engagement. We ride shotgun with you, with clear coaching and frameworks driven by 27 years of experience, to deliver consistent adoption, revenue, and brand growth. Customers inc. Dagger, Comcast, IBM, Linux Foundation, Neural Magic, CNCF, Pfizer, Okteto, Dragonfly, Gates Foundation, and many others. Find out more: https://clcl.ink/yt-d Also check out: Stateshift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateshift Stateshift Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Stateshift/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🚀 SHIFTsignal 🚀 Weekly insights to help you grow your community or DevRel program—fast. Get practical tips, guides, and training you can use right away. No spam. No fluff. Just useful ideas that work. 🔗 https://blog.stat

Original Description

Most people think open source and profit are opposites. They're wrong. In this short, we break down one of the biggest misconceptions in technology: the idea that giving software away for free means giving up the opportunity to build a successful business. Open source projects like PostgreSQL benefit from contributions made by developers around the world, creating an enormous foundation of value that companies can build on without starting from scratch. And companies like Red Hat, GitLab, and Google proved that the real opportunity isn't selling the software itself. It's providing expertise, support, integration, infrastructure, and trust around it. Red Hat famously built a business worth $34 billion while giving away its software. Because in technology, free software doesn't destroy value. It often creates more of it. #OpenSource #RedHat #PostgreSQL #SoftwareEngineering #Startups #TechBusiness #DeveloperTools #OpenSourceSoftware #BusinessStrategy #Technology ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ℹ️ Check out Stateshift 👇 Most tech companies struggle to build reliable user and developer engagement. We ride shotgun with you, with clear coaching and frameworks driven by 27 years of experience, to deliver consistent adoption, revenue, and brand growth. Customers inc. Dagger, Comcast, IBM, Linux Foundation, Neural Magic, CNCF, Pfizer, Okteto, Dragonfly, Gates Foundation, and many others. Find out more: https://clcl.ink/yt-d Also check out: Stateshift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stateshift Stateshift Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/Stateshift/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🚀 SHIFTsignal 🚀 Weekly insights to help you grow your community or DevRel program—fast. Get practical tips, guides, and training you can use right away. No spam. No fluff. Just useful ideas that work. 🔗 https://blog.stat
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