Why open source your project?

Hey, devs! I used to think that open-source is needed only for those who want to show their skills to job recruiters. But, as I progressed in my journey, I encountered many open-source projects and wondered why people would share their work for free. Having done more research on this topic I found out that this actually goes far beyond showing one’s skills.

Open-source projects appear to foster communication with other developers, let one develop skills used in a real-world workplace, gain more popularity, ease the developer’s work, and may even bring money.

However, I don’t believe that one should open-source their work just because they use a lot of free stuff and owe the community, or that the primary motivation for open-sourcing is pure altruism.

I’ve shared what I found out in more detail in the comments. But I can’t tell that for sure because I have no experience of work on a decent open-source (or proprietary project). That’s why I want to call experienced developers to share their thoughts. Here are my questions and topics for discussion:

• What are the pros and cons of open-sourcing your work, whether it be a learning project aimed at gaining experience and creating something valuable or a commercial one that could be reimagined as an open-source venture?
• I’ve always dreamt of working on a team with friends. Open-source seems to be one of the ways toward that dream. Is it really possible to make friends or create a team in this way?
• I would love to hear about your experiences.
• When not to open source your project?

Comments

[sydneylai]

I'm drawn to OSS projects because I like community-owned and community-directed. It aligns with my desire to democratize access to toolings and optionality so you're not stuck with a monopoly of tools.

I like to contribute to OSS projects because I learn at a much faster rate with hands-on experience than I would otherwise. I also get to expand my breadth of experience where otherwise I have to wait to get hired by a company just to learn something.

[Daniel Rendox]

Here is what I've found out:

Benefits of making your app open-source

1. Open-source projects gain more popularity.
2. You show yourself as a good programmer.
3. Open-source programming requires you to collaborate with other developers, write clear and maintainable code, document your work, and test your software. These are all valuable skills that employers look for in software engineers.
4. You may help other developers just like you to learn something new. As the code is publicly available, you can explain it in your articles (or videos) helping people and gaining recognition.
5. You may get connections with people and future job opportunities by communicating with these people.
6. You get a community willing to contribute to your project, fixing bugs and vulnerabilities, and providing new features.
7. You are always free to publish a closed premium version. Although the community won’t be able to help with that one, you may still benefit from their contributions to the open-source version.
8. You may get money from the donations.
9. You may attract sponsors to your project (GitHub Sponsors, Kickstarter)

If your project provides an API

1. All of the above.
2. You can make money on Consulting and Support: Developers can offer consulting services or provide paid support for their open-source projects. This involves helping users with implementation, customization, and troubleshooting. Many businesses and organizations require expert assistance with software and are willing to pay for it.
3. You can make money on Dual Licensing: Developers can release their open-source software under a dual licensing model. While the software remains freely available under an open-source license, the developer can offer separate commercial support to organizations or individuals who want to use the software in proprietary projects.