Open Source Business Crash Course

Date and Time

Wednesday, January 21, 2026 from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Location

Online at Jitsi

Federico Lucifredi - flucifredi acm org

Kurt Keville , Thaumaturgical Engineer , MIT Clinical Research Center - kkeville alum mit edu

Summary

Open Source business models, trade-offs, and pitfalls

Abstract

We review Open Source business models, trade-offs, and pitfalls for entrepreneurs new to its promise and challenges.

Of course, you know Open Source and Free Software are a development model, not a business model. Or maybe you don't, in which case this is definitely the session for you!

Graduate from :Open Source -> Giant Ecosystem -> Profit" naive thinking to understanding how product and project ecosystems work, and what's in it for the business and its customers – as well as what tradeoffs come in the bargain.

As VCs no longer accept open-ended business plans starting with Open Source code, building an ecosystem, and unexplained profit as the third step, a more nuanced view is needed for the next generation of entrepreneurs. We review the fundamental structure of Open Source business, illustrate the known mistakes that others have made before you so you can actually avoid them, and dissect the fundamental strategies to monetizing Open Source.

The aim is to chart a path for your business to grow harmoniously alongside its project and Community, not in tension degenerating into rivalry with it. Let us show you what is well understood, so you can make new, exciting mistakes instead of repeating the old ones.

Bio

Federico Lucifredi is The Ceph Storage Product Management Director at Red Hat, formerly the Ubuntu Server PM at Canonical, and the Linux “Systems Management Czar” at SUSE.