Last year saw several high-profile open source companies change their licenses which has called into question what this means for communities and the future of open source. In this video, Ann Schlemmer, CEO of Percona, talks about the evolution of open source and some of the challenges in the community right now. She says, “You can have wealth creation for many. And do it in such a way that you are being upfront and ethical without doing the bait-and-switch approach because nobody wants to be eroding trust with users or customers.”

The evolution of open source software development

• Schlemmer believes that open source is evolving and changing, but that there are some challenges due to the pressure of investments and having outside investors.

Open source evolution, investments, and alignment

• Schlemmer discusses how open source is about the belief in an open world that fosters innovation with people being able to build onto the open source software.
• Critics argue that others are making more money off their code but this is not the purpose of open source software. This could indicate a conflict between community contribution and business interests.
• Open source, as with everything, needs to evolve and perhaps different licensing models are needed.
• Open source companies should be mindful of investment sources aligning with their ideology, not just the code.
• Schlemmer explains that companies need to be clear on their intent and know what their mission is. There needs to be clarity in open source projects whether it is understanding what investors’ expectations are or what the brand promises.
• Schlemmer emphasizes the need for transparency and authenticity. She feels the challenges arise when companies do not have that clarity from the onset and change course breaking that social contract that has been in place.

Open source trends, licenses, and governance

• Schlemmer tells us that large enterprises are using open source daily but it comes down to a trust issue if that social contract is broken because then the project may not be maintained anymore or there may be a change of license.
• Organizations need to make sure they are staying current and listening to different voices, and some of the foundations that have had the most success are not owned by one single enterprise.
• The industry needs to work closely with the government to make decisions on defining open source, particularly as we are in a period of rapid development with machine learning and AI.

Open source sustainability and commercialization

• Schlemmer believes that competition is good and spurs you on to want to give more value to the customer and to solve their problems. However, others take an “I’m going home” approach by limiting license availability so only they can make money from it.
• Schlemmer explains that Percona’s focus is on providing value to users, being aware that not everyone will be paying. Nonetheless, it is important to be realistic about the time and effort contributors put into open-source projects.
• Schlemmer highlights the role of large enterprises in giving back to open source through sponsorships and resources, and the need for proper compensation of maintainers.

Open source promise, monetization, and trust

• Schlemmer believes that the promise of open source, to democratize software development, has not changed. She feels that it is still driving innovation for the collective good.
• Percona’s devotion to open source has meant they have not been willing to compromise on putting their software out, instead monetizing their expertise through services. Schlemmer believes that companies must be clear on their intentions and why they’re doing it.
• Schlemmer’s advice to entrepreneurs is to be clear about their open-source intentions. If they truly believe in open source, then their community version should be fully functioning.
• Schlemmer believes you can have wealth creation in a way that is upfront and ethical without doing the bait-and-switch approach that erodes users’ and customers’ trust.

Guest: Ann Schlemmer (LinkedIn)
Company: Percona (Twitter)
Show: Let’s Talk

This summary was written by Emily Nicholls.