Talking with management about open source
summary
Argues that open source must be framed as part of the company supply chain with measurable ROI, not charity; cites Log4j emergency as a visible example and Apache Airflow contributor graphs that reveal an elephant factor (single-company dominance) and pony risks from key individuals. Recommends identifying strategic projects, computing the cost to replace them, and treating contributions as long‑term investments that pay off in roughly 1–5 years to protect customers and avoid brittle dependencies.
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chapters (14)
- 0:00Introduction and passion for open source
- 1:18Why open source matters to companies
- 6:42Different ways companies engage with open source
- 9:56Speaking management’s language about open source
- 13:13Avoiding moral arguments for open source
- 15:45Open source as part of your supply chain
- 20:20Measuring project sustainability and risk
- 23:15Building influence in open source projects
- 26:32Contributing beyond glamorous features
- 29:02Open source for recruitment and reputation
- 31:10Ongoing education through open source
- 32:56Open source is not free
- 34:42Creating customer value with open source
- 35:46Q&A and final thoughts
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