Feb 28, 2022 07:00:00

A simple way for companies to support open source is to ``request a lecture to their own team''

Open source software whose source code can be modified and reused

is said to be difficult to establish a profitable business model because it is distributed free of charge . Even if you want to support open source financially, the support that you can provide as an individual is limited, and in the case of an organization, it is possible that there will be an opinion that ``we should not spend money on things that are distributed for free.'' , which can also be said to be a difficult road. Entrepreneur Simon Willison cites `` requesting a lecture '' as a simple way to support such open source, and explains why.

Support open source that you use by paying the maintainers to talk to your team
https://simonwillison.net/2022/Feb/23/support-open-source/

Mr. Willison points out that although companies often want to financially support convenient open source software, it may be more difficult than expected to actually support it. This is because open source software does not have a clear revenue structure and may not even accept donations. Even if it is a donation, if it is only a small donation such as 'Can you give me $ 5 (about 570 yen) for coffee?' Hmm.

Another reason why it is difficult to provide support is the lack of approval within the company. Spending corporate money requires buy-in from many stakeholders, and those who want to support open source software usually don't have enough clout within companies, Willison said. points out. Of course, it would be nice if individuals and teams could provide financial support, but if that is difficult, Mr. Willison suggests, 'Why don't you ask the open source software development team to give a lecture?'

If it is a one-time paid lecture, it is more rational as a company's use of money, and there is a high possibility that it will be accepted. With the rise of telecommuting and online conferencing tools, remote lectures are more acceptable, Willison explains.

However, Willison points out that good software developers are not necessarily good speakers. In this case, it is better to collect questions from the company's team in advance and use an employee of the company who has experience as a moderator to hold a Q&A session with the developer. He explains that this takes a lot of pressure off developers and allows sessions to be more focused on the interests and needs of their team.

Willison said, ``Companies may have budgets in the framework of 'employee education,' which is perfect for lectures like the ones I mentioned above.For projects that are not good at raising money, I would like to propose a method of support other than donations.”