13. Is it possible for industry fund open source?

[MichaelRimler]

How might this be possible?

[rossfarrugia]

Don't we already: https://www.r-consortium.org/members?

[jeffreyCarlLong]

One perspective on how industry can indeed fund and contribute to open-source software development.

1. The Insights Engineering organization: This is an excellent example of how a corporate initiative can transition from inner-source (internal) to open-source development. It demonstrates that large companies like Roche and Genentech are willing to invest significant resources in software development that ultimately becomes publicly available.

2. Changing mindset: An important shift in corporate thinking is from viewing software development as a competitive advantage to seeing it as a contribution to the common good. This change in perspective is crucial for industry-funded open-source projects to succeed.

3. Benefits of open-sourcing: While releasing internally developed software under permissive licenses like Apache 2.0 may seem altruistic, there are tangible benefits for the original owner:

   • Crowd-sourced coding and validation efforts
   • Potential for rapid improvement and bug fixing
   • Increased visibility and reputation in the developer community

4. Challenges: Maintaining open-source software and managing a growing, dispersed group of contributors comes with its own set of costs and challenges for the original company.

5. Comparison of {admiral} and {teal}: {teal} was inner-source for many years before transitioning to open-source, while {admiral} was open-source from inception. The different development paths of these packages raises interesting questions about the impact of initial development strategy on short-term growth, long-term growth and adoption rates.

6. Industry standards and interoperability: Open-sourcing industry-developed software can help establish de facto standards, promoting interoperability and potentially reducing duplication of efforts across the industry.

7. Talent attraction and retention: Contributing to open-source projects can make a company more attractive to top talent in the tech industry, who often value the opportunity to work on publicly visible projects.

8. Risk mitigation: By open-sourcing certain tools, companies can spread the responsibility for maintenance and security, potentially reducing their own risk and liability.

9. Ecosystem development: Industry-funded open-source projects can stimulate the growth of an ecosystem of related tools, services, and expertise, which can indirectly benefit the funding company.

In conclusion, it is indeed possible for industry to fund open-source projects, and that there can be significant benefits to doing so, despite the challenges involved. The example of the Insights Engineering organization provides a concrete case study of this approach in action.