Mirantis has announced a new Open Source Program Office (OSPO) that aims to help it get back to its open source roots and reestablish itself as a strong open source contributor. Open source veteran, Randy Bias, was hired as Vice President, Open Source Strategy and Technology at Mirantis to lead this initiative. In this show, he talks about the evolution of open source toward commercialization and Mirantis’ own journey, and why the company is keen to reestablish itself as a heavy open source contributor. He says, “It’s really about getting us back to our roots, how we did things before, and just rebuilding that culture as we move forward.”

Evolution of open source toward commercialization

• Bias outlines his career progression from early roles in systems administration and network engineering to his contributions to OpenStack and leadership roles. He now focuses on advancing Mirantis’s open source strategy.
• Bias discusses how open source has evolved from its early Linux days to its current commercialized state, observing that its shift towards commercialization has brought both opportunities and challenges.

Mirantis’ efforts to reestablish itself as a leading open source contributor

• Bias reflects on Mirantis’ company’s shift from heavy upstream Open Source contributions to focusing on meeting customer demand. He mentions his interest in helping Mirantis return to a strong open source presence.
• Bias describes Mirantis as an open source infrastructure company specializing in virtual machines, containers, and AI/ML pipelines. The company is committed to providing 100% open source solutions and avoiding vendor lock-in.
• Mirantis’s approach to mitigating vendor lock-in focuses on risk reduction rather than absolute avoidance. The company aims to offer flexibility and support for various cloud and software choices.
• Bias talks about Mirantis’s intention to get back to its roots of being a heavy open source contributor. He outlines the launch of the OSPO as a step toward revitalizing the company’s upstream contributions.

Mirantis’ Open Source Program Office focuses and ensuring the sustainability of open source projects

• Bias describes the role of Mirantis’ OSPO, which will include various roles to support open source communities. The office will focus on specific community needs and enhance Mirantis’s contributions and support.
• Bias discusses the variability in OSPOs depending on company needs, stressing the importance of customized strategies for success.
• Mirantis plans to increase strategic open source contributions, including moving closed code upstream and contributing to projects like Kubeflow and Cluster API. They aim to enhance existing communities and explore new opportunities.
• Bias reflects on the sustainability of open source projects, noting that while foundations and companies may withdraw, the community often ensures projects’ survival. Open source is more about community and methodology than just code.

The importance of a community-first approach in open source

• Bias acknowledges the challenges faced by open source projects that shift or get forked, stressing the need for a community-first approach. He warns against treating open source merely as a business strategy.
• Bias asserts that the success of open source projects hinges on strong community engagement, not just on being part of a foundation.
• Shifting from proprietary to open source can be challenging if the internal processes and community-building aspects are not well-established. Open source requires proper intention and resource allocation to avoid pitfalls.

Guest: Randy Bias (LinkedIn)
Company: Mirantis (Twitter)
Show: Let’s Talk

This summary was written by Emily Nicholls.