If you go the open source route, then you will likely derive revenue from consulting and support activities. Modifying the open source code for specific require

If you go the open source route, then you will likely derive revenue from consulting and support activities. Modifying the open source code for specific requirements and applications, fixing bugs for paying customers, that sort of task. If you are more into the tech than the business angles, then you could keep it closed source, create various platforms around it, and license the platforms. The F50-500 companies have already told you their likely use cases, even big wig himself probably revealed what they want to use it for. Instead of packaging the technology unto itself, create the interface to the use case, then license that integration package as a whole unit. If they want to sync under a WebSphere stack, hold your nose if you aren't into the enterprisey stuff, dive into J2EE, build out as complete an integration to your tech as you can, then license that entire solution. You could do an end-run around big wig's team by making it feasible to get to a solution faster than his team could by themselves, since you only have to create the integration, and they have to build and refine the tech from the ground up and then do the integration. By the time they finish (if they finish at all), you are onto the next use case, and the next integration. If you aren't relying upon this tech to put food on the table today, then you have nothing to lose by doing much of the integration work for your customers, and bridging the gap in the business case to adopt your tech much closer to reality for the business decision makers.