Question about how to make a living from open source

Thu Sep 18 18:34:37 IDT 2014

Hi Aviram,
As it is an email, it is difficult to convey details and it can be
confusing.

I am not restricting anything, but since this is a linux/open source
mailing list I asked it with this subject.
I worked on proprietary code for the last 8 years so I have no problem with
proprietary or open source.
I do think there are merits to start with an open source project since it
is a good starting point (otherwise you start from scratch). Also, I am not
saying I am restricted to writing open source code.

I would like to create a product (as i wrote earlier i just closed my 2nd
or 3rd startup depends how you look at it) eventually but I am trying to be
realistic. Start again more slowly.

Starting again from scratch: I am currently a freelancer by choice. This is
my first time I have worked this way. I am actually being payed well but I
do want something which scales and sustainable in the future and that will
be turned into a company (somehow), preferably self funded by effort
instead of investments. I am not looking to make big bucks but to have more
control of the direction it takes. I worked for huge companies which wasted
my time by writing the same thing over and over for stupid reasons. I got
payed well but I feel I can do more.

I am looking for an advise to jumpstart. A place to start. Naturally, my
first thought was ask in this mailing list since there are people with open
source and business experience here. Perhaps there is a sustainable
specific format with other companies examples etc... Everyone says, don't
take employees, don't start a startup, don't be independent, don't do that,
don't do this. But what can I do?... :)

I guess this is too general and I should be more specific but this is my
current state so I am telling it as it is. I can write about my attempts
but I don't have any definite direction at this time so I am not sure they
are relevant.

On Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 4:34 PM, Aviram Jenik <aviram at jenik.com> wrote:

> It's not clear (at least, not to me) what you're asking.
>
> You want something that has no risk, does not require too much hard work,
> but pays well. And then you want to further restrict the search space of
> this invisible universe to open source only. How is that "middle ground"?
>
> Decide which of these constraints you're willing to free, and perhaps
> people can help you with some experience. If there was an open source way
> to make money easily with no risk and little work I promise you we wouldn't
> be telling you about it since we would be too busy drinking cocktails in
> our in our own private island in the Caribbeans.
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 10:27 PM, tzahi ml <tzahi.ml at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It appears not to sound that fun when you tell it like it is.
>> I am just closing a startup, not too keen to start a new one right away.
>>
>> A startup has no business sense.
>> However, I was hoping there is a middle ground, a business sense and a
>> certain risk.
>> The current idea I have is to freelance until I figure this out.
>> Perhaps mix freelancing and a making a risky business.
>>
>> Is there some freelance/small company names with successful models in
>> open source in Israel?
>> It is hard to believe there is no middle ground, either freelance, be
>> employed or start a startup.
>> I have no trouble with slow progress but the aim is to scale eventually...
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 4:00 PM, David Suna <david at davidsconsultants.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On 09/18/2014 02:56 PM, Jonathan Ben Avraham wrote:
>>>
>>>> On Thu, 18 Sep 2014, tzahi ml wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 14:15:40 +0300
>>>>> From: tzahi ml <tzahi.ml at gmail.com>
>>>>> To: "linux-il at cs.huji.ac.il" <linux-il at cs.huji.ac.il>
>>>>> Subject: Question about how to make a living from open source
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi All,I am in need of assistance.
>>>>>
>>>>> I am currently working as a freelancer coding stuff in a company.
>>>>> However, although I am making good living, this does not scale much
>>>>> (and promotion is out of the question :) ).
>>>>>
>>>>> Anyway, I am looking for ways to scale.
>>>>>
>>>> A different way to say the same thing:
>>> You can choose to be an employee in which case your earning potential is
>>> limited to what the current market value of someone with your skill set is.
>>> Doesn't "scale" but does provide you with benefits, a "guaranteed" salary
>>> and a corporate culture for advancement.
>>>
>>> Or, you can choose to work for yourself. This have several variations:
>>> 1. Working as a contractor - Generally this allows you to charge a
>>> higher hourly rate. The down side is you have to provide your own benefits,
>>> accounting, etc. You also lose the stability of it being someone else's job
>>> to generate work for you. This also does not "scale" as you are limited to
>>> the number of hours a day you can work and the going market rate for the
>>> skill set you have.
>>>
>>> 2. Produce a product - Build a better mouse trap and sell it. This is
>>> not necessarily in line with the open source way of doing things. However,
>>> it is a common business plan. This has the potential to "scale" as you can
>>> develop the product once and sell it many times. You have the significant
>>> risk of startup and development costs and whether the product will be
>>> successful.
>>>
>>> 3. Provide a service - Along the lines of the idea you suggested of
>>> hosting complex solutions. This is similar to being a contractor but the
>>> focus is on marketing the service you provide rather you and your  skill
>>> set. This only has the potential to scale by having other people (employees
>>> or contractors) provide the service in the name of your company. Your
>>> profit is the cost you can charge the client minus the cost of the worker
>>> actually doing the work. You also take on the responsibility of generating
>>> enough work to cover the costs of the worker(s) and yourself. With all of
>>> the joys that Yonatan described in his email.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> David Suna
>>> david at davidsconsultants.com
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Linux-il mailing list
>>> Linux-il at cs.huji.ac.il
>>> http://mailman.cs.huji.ac.il/mailman/listinfo/linux-il
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Linux-il mailing list
>> Linux-il at cs.huji.ac.il
>> http://mailman.cs.huji.ac.il/mailman/listinfo/linux-il
>>
>>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.cs.huji.ac.il/pipermail/linux-il/attachments/20140918/bf4119b7/attachment-0001.html>