Making the Business Case for Contributing to Open Source

Explore the strategic advantages of contributing to open source in this insightful conference talk from KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2021. Discover how companies leverage open source contributions to enhance recruitment, expand market reach, create competitive moats, and establish industry leadership. Examine various corporate open source strategies, from tech giants to startups, and gain valuable insights to develop a compelling business case for open source involvement within your organization. Learn about the potential benefits, such as paying technical debt and attracting external contributions, as well as addressing concerns like IP loss and other risks. Equip yourself with key takeaways and practical suggestions to navigate the evolving landscape of open source in business.

Intro
Software Disruption
Open Source Is Eating the World
Why Contribute to Open Source
The Problem
The Purpose
Strategic Benefits
Paying Technical Debt
External Contributions
Second Order Benefits
Tilting the Scales
Negative Aspects
Lost IP
Other risks
Key takeaways
Suggestions