I would like to expand on this McDonalds has a operating manual - it details exactly how to cook the burgers, how to operate the trash compactor, insurances et

I would like to expand on this McDonalds has a operating manual - it details exactly how to cook the burgers, how to operate the trash compactor, insurances etc etc. It is how to run a fast food restaurant and it is I am sure proprietary information. But if they published it under creative commons they would probably not lose a fortune. Firstly there is already completion in the market - plenty of small one person late night takeaways exist - all of whom have some level of floor quality enforced by regulation, taught by suppliers or simply being fairly obvious. The mcdonald's effect comes partly from consistency yes, but also supply chain efficiencies and huge marketing costs. So do we ask, is a Software house that chooses to release FOSS or not actually Mcdonaldds - or are they the department inside mcdonald's that just writes policy operations manuals? A small team of developers will find it hard to just write code and make a fortune / business / change the world. which i find infinitely sad now. But at least i should be wiser.