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Thank you for the direct answers from your experience. That's really what I was looking for when I posted this. > Can you offer your software as a SaaS service

Thank you for the direct answers from your experience. That's really what I was looking for when I posted this. > Can you offer your software as a SaaS service with value added features? This is the best way to make money in B2B software and gives you protection against copycats. The usual model is to let people try out the open source version and then run a SaaS version that removes all the pain of operations. Well, it's a build system along the same lines as Nix and Bazel. I've thought about offering something like Nix-as-a-Service or Bazel-as-a-Service. But I don't know how attractive that would actually be for companies.

hodgesrm 5y ago
Perhaps it's more useful then to consider what the value adds would be on top of your product. One obvious addition to build systems is security-related features like source code scanning. People are rightly a bit paranoid about that right now. Based on the use patterns you can decide whether it's better to run as a SaaS or as installed software. BTW if you are looking for VC funding for an open source product, the first question they will have is what is your adoption? The pattern VCs are looking for is to find something widely used and monetize the audience. If you can get a lot of people using it and telling their friends you are golden. The other common option is to figure out a service model and bootstrap the business. Feel free to contact me directly if you want to talk. My email is in my profile. Either way, good luck!