Successful cases of monetization and livelihood with open source software



'Open source is a destiny that doesn't make money,' said a Mozilla programmer who developed Firefox,

but on the contrary, 'successful in making a living with open source software' is an SNS for engineers. Posted in Indie Hackers , and is a hot topic.

How I earn a living selling my open source software
https://www.indiehackers.com/post/how-i-earn-a-living-selling-my-open-source-software-476f6bb07e

Nena Furtmeier, who posted to Indie Hackers, developed a web-based billing app called open3A in 2007 as open source software.

Originally, Furtmeier created open3A for himself and published it online for free. Then, at that time, there was no similar app, so a person who used open3A contacted Mr. Furtmeier asking if he could add a function.

Furtmeier, who was still a student when he developed open3A, added the required features for free, but he said he was rewarded by the person who requested it later. After that, Furtmeier said that he would add features if requested, receive rewards, and sometimes for free.



Furtmeier, who was adding features on request, pondered about selling open3A, but had some unyielding beliefs. There are five beliefs that Furtmeier initially had:

1. 1. Be open source
2. Do not use license keys or

dongles
3. 3. Not a subscription
Four. Even in the free version, there is no limit on the number of times or anything else
Five. Do not increase work by associating other software

With these five beliefs, Furtmeier first set up a demo version of open3A on his website that would allow him to use it without logging in or setting up. Since this was equipped with the main functions of open3A, it was possible to feel free to experience open3A itself. On the other hand, the demo version is reset once a day, so it seems that it was not suitable for continuous use.

And apart from this, I also created a free version with unlimited restrictions. Furtmeier himself fully supported the free version by email and phone, but no advanced features. And those who wanted advanced features could purchase the features at the online shop.

The online shop offers extensions developed by Furtmeier over the years, ranging in price from $ 24 to $ 96. The price includes the extension renewal fee for one year from the purchase.



The point is that the software update is done by 'downloading a ZIP file that contains all the paid extensions'. At this time, Furtmeier included not only the software but also the source code in the ZIP file, so it became possible to 'sell open source'.

After that, in 2013, we will introduce a cloud service that allows you to rent open3A. The plan was for Furtmeier to undertake the technical stuff of backups and updates, which was a way for Furtmeier to earn regular income.

And in 2018, a subscription version will be introduced at the request of customers. Customers get a discount instead of a subscription.

In 2021, Furtmeier released a new product called open3ABox. This is to sell a Raspberry Pi with open3A installed, and it was made for those who 'do not have their own server, have no technical knowledge, but do not like the cloud version,' Furtmeier said. Since open3ABox is remotely monitored and supported by Furtmeier, customers can use it with peace of mind, and Furtmeier can earn a stable income.

In a post, Furtmeier said, 'This post is a summary of what worked, and in fact, I spent hundreds of hours and thousands of euros (hundreds of thousands of yen) and sometimes it didn't work.' He emphasizes the difficulty of selling B2B software.

in Software,   Web Service, Posted by darkhorse_log