> I still wonder why people do this. Build an end-user product and give it away for free. If you don't intend to monetize it at all (or don't think you can), t

> I still wonder why people do this. Build an end-user product and give it away for free. If you don't intend to monetize it at all (or don't think you can), there are other potential benefits: ◌ People using it can draw their attention to your other output. ◌ People using it can be a free testing resource, finding bugs before they affect your own use of the software. They can also be a time sink due to support requests, so this can be a delicate balance. ◌ People using it can be a source of improvement ideas that you have not thought of but which are useful to you once identified. > It’s just making our work look worthless Only if the sole way you judge worth is financial income. > and kills small software companies. Sometimes this is a deliberate part of the equation, when a large company opens some of their product(s), but usually not. If your company is surviving on selling a relatively small end-user product like this then you are in danger from other small companies doing the same anyway, even ignoring any F/OSS options, and need to be competing at least in part on other factors like support, quality, and keeping up with changes in the industry (or your users' industry if that differs) so your product stays relevant and useful.