As the year comes to a close, we wanted to pause and reflect — not on features shipped or numbers hit, but on conversations.
Over the past year, we’ve spoken with developers, founders, community organisers, and small teams trying to run open-source tools in the real world. Different backgrounds, different needs — but surprisingly similar frustrations.
What people are tired of?
Very few people told us they dislike open source itself.
What they’re tired of is the weight around it:
• Updates that feel risky
• Tools that work… until they don’t
• Maintenance is becoming a second job
• Lock-in showing up where it wasn’t expected
• Software demanding attention at the worst possible time
For many teams, the fear isn’t complexity, but it’s disruption.
What developers actually want?
What stood out most is how modest the expectations are. People aren’t asking for magic. They’re asking for:
• tools that stay out of the way
• upgrades that don’t cause anxiety
• ownership without overhead
• software that doesn’t require heroics to maintain
In other words: reliability, clarity, and calm.
“Nothing breaking” is underrated!
One piece of feedback we heard again and again was some version of this:
“What surprised us most wasn’t the switch — it was that nothing broke.”
That might not sound exciting. But for teams relying on these tools every day, it’s everything.
When software is boring in the best way, people can focus on building, collaborating, and living their lives — not babysitting infrastructure.
Looking ahead
As we head into a new year, our focus stays simple:
• reduce friction
• respect users’ time
• support open source without making it harder to use
We don’t think calm software should be a luxury.
We think it should be the baseline.
A quiet invitation
If you’re rethinking the tools you rely on, or if open source has felt heavier than it should, we’d love to hear your perspective.
No pitches. Just conversation.
Here’s to a quieter, more dependable year ahead.
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