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We pay two full-time software developers, actually, and are likely to hire a third next year. We don't pay especially generously, but we do all make a living an

We pay two full-time software developers, actually, and are likely to hire a third next year. We don't pay especially generously, but we do all make a living and we're satisfied with our income. Plus, we earn more from the consulting arm I mentioned - which has comparible revenue to our SaaS offering, and is also 100% FOSS. The title of the article isn't "There's still no viable billion dollar open source business model". We have a business. It's a small business, but a viable business nonetheless. Our business is growing more slowly than the typical VC-funded software startup that we commonly associate with tech businesses in $CURRENTYEAR, but it is profitable and growing nonetheless.

lastofthemojito 6y ago
I don't need something to have a billion dollars in revenue to be "viable". But that "viable" word is important. A business as lean as SourceHut clearly feels like it's in the start up phase, it doesn't feel like it's reached viability to me. With just 2 software developers doing this work, I wonder what happens when one of the them is hit by the proverbial bus (goes out on parental leave, takes another job, etc). Because that's a thing that happens and is handled in real, viable companies. And I'm guessing these software developers have some ownership stake in the company and are accepting below market salaries for now, in the hope that SourceHut becomes valuable enough to cash in that way. But folks won't stick around for below market pay forever, especially if it gets to a point where it looks like the big payday is never coming.
- ddevault 6y ago
  Well, we are a startup, we've only been here for 2 years and our product is still in alpha. But we are already profitable and sustainable, and have been for a while - that counts as viable in my book. We're going to have to come up with a definition of viable that disagrees with that if you want to argue it further. Our planning accounts for the bus factor. It'd be bad, but not unrecoverable. And because our software is entirely open source, it wouldn't even be the end of the world for our customers. And no, our other employee does not have a stake in the company, other than a personal one. Our motivations are not based on future earning potential, some future "cashing in" moment, but on being able to do what we enjoy full-time. Either of us could (and have) worked for more, much more, but we're comfortable and happy with what we're doing. The business is basically a way for us to be comfortable and happy with our work first, and a profit vehicle second. The fact that this is unusual, and makes you raise your eyebrows and question the viability of the whole affair, is disappointing to me. We believe that this is the socially responsible way to start a business, and that it should be more normalized in the tech business community. That our business is viable is a mathematical fact.
  - lastofthemojito 6y ago
    Agreed, we're just thinking about our own, different, definitions of viability. No big deal. That nit aside, what you've done with SourceHut is really cool. Congrats on getting it to where it is today and best of luck continuing to grow and improve!

lastofthemojito 6y ago

I don't need something to have a billion dollars in revenue to be "viable". But that "viable" word is important. A business as lean as SourceHut clearly feels like it's in the start up phase, it doesn't feel like it's reached viability to me. With just 2 software developers doing this work, I wonder what happens when one of the them is hit by the proverbial bus (goes out on parental leave, takes another job, etc). Because that's a thing that happens and is handled in real, viable companies. And I'm guessing these software developers have some ownership stake in the company and are accepting below market salaries for now, in the hope that SourceHut becomes valuable enough to cash in that way. But folks won't stick around for below market pay forever, especially if it gets to a point where it looks like the big payday is never coming.

ddevault 6y ago
Well, we are a startup, we've only been here for 2 years and our product is still in alpha. But we are already profitable and sustainable, and have been for a while - that counts as viable in my book. We're going to have to come up with a definition of viable that disagrees with that if you want to argue it further. Our planning accounts for the bus factor. It'd be bad, but not unrecoverable. And because our software is entirely open source, it wouldn't even be the end of the world for our customers. And no, our other employee does not have a stake in the company, other than a personal one. Our motivations are not based on future earning potential, some future "cashing in" moment, but on being able to do what we enjoy full-time. Either of us could (and have) worked for more, much more, but we're comfortable and happy with what we're doing. The business is basically a way for us to be comfortable and happy with our work first, and a profit vehicle second. The fact that this is unusual, and makes you raise your eyebrows and question the viability of the whole affair, is disappointing to me. We believe that this is the socially responsible way to start a business, and that it should be more normalized in the tech business community. That our business is viable is a mathematical fact.
- lastofthemojito 6y ago
  Agreed, we're just thinking about our own, different, definitions of viability. No big deal. That nit aside, what you've done with SourceHut is really cool. Congrats on getting it to where it is today and best of luck continuing to grow and improve!