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Open source is the bread and butter of the community; it also makes us happy, but can it sustain a company? Execu-types will happily leech off OSS without contributing back, but there's a better way! In this talk I'll walk through how you can build an OSS-centric company. How to fund it, run it, and use it to build your project and community. Whether you're looking to build a new company around open source, or simply integrate more OSS-love into your existing business, this talk is for you. Leah is an all-around OSS advocate, & Co-founder of Tilde, a successful OSS-centric business. She's a member of the Ember Core Team, and works on annual events like GoGaRuCo, EmberConf and RailsConf. She's spent years supporting OSS projects however she could, all while maintaining real paying jobs. Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/FG0n/
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The video titled "Building an OSS-Centric Company (and Why You Want To)" features Leah Silber, co-founder of Tilde and a notable advocate for open source software (OSS). In this talk, recorded at RailsConf 2014, Silber explores how to create and sustain an OSS-centric business model. **Key Points Discussed:** - **Importance of Passion:** Silber emphasizes that passion for the project is crucial, as it enables persistence through challenges inherent in building a company based on OSS. - **Sustainability:** The primary goal of a business is longevity. This requires doing something one is excited about and passionate about, especially within the OSS community. - **Diverse Skill Sets:** Successful OSS projects require varied skills beyond just coding, such as event management, community building, and marketing. - **Building Communities:** Community involvement is vital; events and meetups foster relationships and collective learning. - **Funding Models:** Silber shares different funding strategies: - **Consulting:** Provides immediate revenue and strengthens ties to the OSS community by serving users of the OSS project. - **Training:** Conducting training sessions allows for revenue without detracting from product development. - **Events:** Hosting events aids community building and can also generate funds through sponsorships and ticket sales. - **Challenges and Risks:** Silber discusses several pitfalls to avoid, such as relying too heavily on venture capital, which typically seeks fast returns, often contrary to the longer-term nature of OSS projects. - **Examples of Success:** She cites Basecamp as a prime example of a symbiotic relationship between a product and an OSS project (Rails) benefitting both. **Key Takeaways:** - **Expertise and Influence:** Being involved with OSS projects provides companies with top-tier expertise and influence over the projects they depend on. - **Recruitment and Branding Benefits:** OSS engagement can enhance a company’s reputation, attract talent, and foster goodwill within the community. - **Long-term Sustainability:** Building a successful OSS-centric company is a long and challenging road, but with a focus on community, diverse funding sources, and genuine passion, it is achievable.
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