Open Source economics for the small guy

I like the open source model. I really do think it has the potential to produce better software. Note that I said potential; survey the market place and you’ll find examples of open source projects which are best-of-class and others which are severely lacking.

I currently make a bit of open source software available but also work on closed source stuff. If I thought i could make everything open source and still survive economically then I’d do it in a heartbeat. I suspect I’m not alone in feeling this way; as Brent Simmons recently said:

But I will say that, for me personally, this is a dream come true. Every developer wants to be able to work on the software they love, make a living at it, and give it to the world for free. Usually you get to pick two out of three — if you’re lucky. Me, I get all three.

This very question came up on Slashdot yesterday. I’m gradually edging towards releasing more source, but it’s a difficult path to tread. I’m probably still quite a long way off being able to go fully open, if ever. Think about it: if a company like Apple can’t go all the way, how is the small operator going to do so?